My fellow five roommates came home last night between midnight and 6am. I know this not because they were too loud, but because I couldn't sleep. Besides my nap when I first got here I haven't slept well. But I still managed to get up at 7am to start my day. I love my transformation to being a morning person, who still can sleep in when the mood strikes. Best of both worlds really.
I enjoyed a stroll through Hyde Park with all of the morning joggers. Walked by the Princess Diana fountain and traveled on her Memorial Walk next to the Serpentine lake and through the rose garden which I imagine is beautiful other parts of the year. There were several swimmers doing laps in a designated part of the lake. One of them had a speedo on that said 'Serpentine Hunk' on the butt. I so tried to take a photo but he was walking too fast.
Yesterday when I walked through Hyde Park I saw a bunch of pigeons eating under a tree. When I looked up I saw that they were scavenging the leftovers being dropped by a flock of beautiful green parrots with long tails. I stood there and watched them for quite a while. People kept passing me and didn't look up. I was sad for them and their lack of curiosity as to what I was doing or what I was looking at. One of the parrots was so close I almost could have touched it. I've had a lot of mushy 'I'm so happy to be alive' grateful moments on this trip, and that was one of them. I looked for them today but didn't see them. Makes yesterday even more special and I'm glad I took the time to stand and admire them.
I then tubed to the east end to go to Spitalfields Market which was amazing and a joy to walk through. Much cooler than the Petticoat's Market nearby. Glanced at Mischa Barton's store (shout out to Kati & the OC) and then sat in the sun. Yes, the sun! Although it was super cold. Much colder than the last couple of days. But it was dry, all day, which was nice.
I thought about going to check out Kensington Palace but I didn't have it in me, so instead I went to Chelsea where a woman who works at the hostel said her favorite afternoon tea is located. She also said it started at 1pm. Which was not the case. It starts at 2:30pm. I walked on King's Road a bit more to soak in the feel of Chelsea and headed to the hostel for a quick nap. Which turned out to be just laying down (no sleeping), but at least I could close my eyes and rest. I ventured into Waterstone's bookstore, which is my favorite kind of store to browse in. Loved it and refrained from buying books. Proud of myself.
After my non-nap I went back to Chelsea to get my afternoon tea on. Afternoon tea is code for little sandwiches, biscuits, sweets, and tea. Not just tea in the afternoon. My afternoon tea location was at the Saatchi Mess, the restaurant of the Saatchi Gallery. Unfortunately the gallery was closed today for a private event so I couldn't check that out. But I did enjoy a fantastic afternoon tea. Even added in a glass of prosecco which was delicious. I hate to admit this but I'm having a hard time with the beer here. It's not cold enough and it's not strong enough. Hoping Belgium will be better, before I head to the wine country that is France.
After a lovely afternoon tea I wandered into a Cath Kidston store which was cute and kitschy. And then headed to Soho for my 5pm viewing of Jersey Boys! I loved it. Even got a bit emotional. Amazing what music can do. It was hard to pick which play to go see, and I'm so glad I saw that. I talked a bit to the ladies I sat next to during intermission. They live several hours outside of London and come in once a year for the weekend. I asked about the crowds - because there are many more tourists here than I was expecting for this time of year. They agreed and said it was because of the holiday. They also told me that tomorrow on 11/11 at 11am the whole country has two minutes of silence. Intrigued by that and good to know. Not that I'm talking much right now. Speaking of which - this had me laugh out loud (guffaw really) during my afternoon tea, to the point where people turned to look - "Prolonged solitary travel, you see, affects people in different ways...Some solitary travelers start talking to themselves: little silently murmured conversations that they think no one else notices. Some desperately seek the company of strangers, striking up small talk at shop counters and hotel reception desks and then lingering awkwardly after it has become clear that the conversation has finished. Some become ravenous, obsessive sightseers, tramping from sight to sight with a guidebook in a lonely quest to see everything. Me, I get a sort of interrogative diarrhea. I ask private questions for which I cannot supply an answer...like Why do they call it a grapefruit? Why do the British call them jumpers? Why when we are happy do we say that we are head over heels, when in fact our head normally is over our heels?" and he keeps going (Bryson). I have definitely done all of those things, but mainly I talk to myself or sing outloud when I'm walking around, hoping no one is watching or listening. Too funny.
Just me and one roommate tonight. He's leaving in the morning, and am hoping I'll have the room to myself tomorrow. We shall see.
Parting tidbits:
My feet are better - apparently putting the moleskin on the shoe instead of my foot helps.
I still have not purchased an item. Is it weird that I feel the need to get something here? I looked at scarves today but didn't love any of them. We shall see if I find something tomorrow to take home with me.
Going to take advantage of the NyQuil I brought and hopefully get some good shut-eye.
Cheerio!
Sunday, November 10, 2013
Lots of bridges & stairs
Today was fabulous. Every minute of it.
I got up early, had a light breakfast downstairs, and headed straight to the Portobello Road market in Notting Hill. I couldn't help but think of the movie 'Notting Hill' and Hugh's travel book shop. It was fun to walk around. The market is known for its antiques but it had everything. Many of the stores on that road put a stand in front of their store, along with other vendors. I walked up and down and all I bought was a coffee. I think my recent purge-fest in my apartment has me very picky about what I purchase, which is great. I was happy to be leaving when I did as there were hoards of people on their way to the market.
I took the tube to the Bank stop and there were several police around but I didn't think too much of it. When I got to the top of the stairs there were people blocking the exit. I assumed they were waiting for the rain to let up. But it turned out to be they were waiting for the Lord Mayor's parade to start. Every year a new Lord Mayor is chosen, and this show they put on dates back to before 1535. I managed to be right across the street from where the important people were. I got to see her (Fiona Wolf) sign important looking documents and then the parade started within 5 minutes of me getting there. I couldn't have planned it better if I had tried. She's the 686th Lord Mayor of London, but only the second woman to hold the position. I learned most of this online, post parade, but I could tell from her outfit, hat waving, and that everyone in the parade was waving up at her, that she was a big deal. It sadly poured during the entire parade, but no one seemed phased. I guess it rains almost every year.
After enough parade watching for me I tried to head to the Tower of London. I got turned around, partly because of me and partly because of the parade route, so I ducked into St. Paul's Cathedral instead. It's a beautiful cathedral and I enjoyed walking up to the Rotunda. I could see the parade still going on from up there.
I then made it to the Tower of London where I walked around the entire property, learned lots of history, and got to admire the Crown Jewels. There was a guard with a fancy hat in front of the building housing the royal gems. Several people were taking photos of him, and then all of a sudden he did some stopping and changed his gun to his other hand. A little boy went running and screaming, I think he thought it was a statue. It was cute. The guard tried to hide his smile.
I then wandered over to the Tower Bridge and walked across it, walked along the "Queen's Walk" on the other side of the Thames, and then back across the London Bridge, where I had the childhood song in my head the entire time. Good thing it didn't fall down. Tower Bridge is much prettier than the London Bridge.
I couldn't get enough of these bridges, so I then walked over the Westminster Bridge after snapping a few photos of the Elizabeth Tower which holds Big Ben. I bought an evening ticket for the London Eye cause I had just seen city views from St. Paul's Catheral during the day, so thought a nighttime viewing was in order. I'm so glad I waited (sipping coffee at the Zen Cafe which is not so zen) as the view was spectacular with everything lit up. I think my favorite lighting-wise was the House of Parliament and the green lights coming from above the clock at Elizabeth Tower. After the ride I walked back on the Hungerford railway bridge which has pedestrian bridges alongside it.
Next stop was the Covent Garden neighborhood which my guidebook says has the best vegetarian restaurant. I got a workout in climbing the 193 stairs (=15 floors) from the train to the exit. There is an announcement when every train arrives that it's 193 steps and that if you have a health condition to please wait for the lift. Ha. People were taking breaks, laughing every time we heard the announcement as we were climbing, commiserating together. It was comical. Once I made it and caught my breath I wandered towards the indoor market the hood is famous for. As I was walking there I ducked into a discount theatre tickets store and scored a show for tomorrow night. The indoor market was nice, but soon after I arrived I went to find the Food for Thought restaurant, which is this tiny place that you order at the counter and can either sit in or take out. All the tables were full, so I got my veggie curry to go and went to sit on a stoop by the market. I ate and people watched. It was great; both the food and the people watching. Once I got a bit chilly I got up and started walking in Soho's direction. I passed a Havaianas store - apparently they are making rain boots now. Or maybe that's just in London. It did rain off-and-on all day. I found a bar that my guidebook recommended - Admiral Duncan. The guidebook didn't label it as a gay bar as it did others. Or even the neighborhood. But it didn't take me long to realize that's where I had planted myself. The cabaret theme, mostly male patrons, and drag DJ were clues, but I knew for sure when a guy walked into the ladies room and was shocked to see me there. That was a first. I love gay bars, but I have plenty of them in SF. Will try to find a typical British pub tomorrow. (But I did see that Admiral Duncan has karaoke on Monday's! I might be back..)I looked the bar up online because I was curious why the bouncer wanted to look in my bag. Sure enough a Neo-Nazi homophobe set off a bomb there in 1999. Sad. After I enjoyed my Pimm's Cup and IPA sitting next to the awkward old man sleeping at the bar, I headed home via Piccadilly Circus.
Walking down my street I passed a ton of important looking people in fancy outfits, several with medals. I asked the nicest policewoman where they were all coming from. Apparently the Royal British Legion just had a big something for Remembrance Day nearby, probably at Royal Albert Hall. The Queen was there and everything.
I got up early, had a light breakfast downstairs, and headed straight to the Portobello Road market in Notting Hill. I couldn't help but think of the movie 'Notting Hill' and Hugh's travel book shop. It was fun to walk around. The market is known for its antiques but it had everything. Many of the stores on that road put a stand in front of their store, along with other vendors. I walked up and down and all I bought was a coffee. I think my recent purge-fest in my apartment has me very picky about what I purchase, which is great. I was happy to be leaving when I did as there were hoards of people on their way to the market.
I took the tube to the Bank stop and there were several police around but I didn't think too much of it. When I got to the top of the stairs there were people blocking the exit. I assumed they were waiting for the rain to let up. But it turned out to be they were waiting for the Lord Mayor's parade to start. Every year a new Lord Mayor is chosen, and this show they put on dates back to before 1535. I managed to be right across the street from where the important people were. I got to see her (Fiona Wolf) sign important looking documents and then the parade started within 5 minutes of me getting there. I couldn't have planned it better if I had tried. She's the 686th Lord Mayor of London, but only the second woman to hold the position. I learned most of this online, post parade, but I could tell from her outfit, hat waving, and that everyone in the parade was waving up at her, that she was a big deal. It sadly poured during the entire parade, but no one seemed phased. I guess it rains almost every year.
After enough parade watching for me I tried to head to the Tower of London. I got turned around, partly because of me and partly because of the parade route, so I ducked into St. Paul's Cathedral instead. It's a beautiful cathedral and I enjoyed walking up to the Rotunda. I could see the parade still going on from up there.
I then made it to the Tower of London where I walked around the entire property, learned lots of history, and got to admire the Crown Jewels. There was a guard with a fancy hat in front of the building housing the royal gems. Several people were taking photos of him, and then all of a sudden he did some stopping and changed his gun to his other hand. A little boy went running and screaming, I think he thought it was a statue. It was cute. The guard tried to hide his smile.
I then wandered over to the Tower Bridge and walked across it, walked along the "Queen's Walk" on the other side of the Thames, and then back across the London Bridge, where I had the childhood song in my head the entire time. Good thing it didn't fall down. Tower Bridge is much prettier than the London Bridge.
I couldn't get enough of these bridges, so I then walked over the Westminster Bridge after snapping a few photos of the Elizabeth Tower which holds Big Ben. I bought an evening ticket for the London Eye cause I had just seen city views from St. Paul's Catheral during the day, so thought a nighttime viewing was in order. I'm so glad I waited (sipping coffee at the Zen Cafe which is not so zen) as the view was spectacular with everything lit up. I think my favorite lighting-wise was the House of Parliament and the green lights coming from above the clock at Elizabeth Tower. After the ride I walked back on the Hungerford railway bridge which has pedestrian bridges alongside it.
Next stop was the Covent Garden neighborhood which my guidebook says has the best vegetarian restaurant. I got a workout in climbing the 193 stairs (=15 floors) from the train to the exit. There is an announcement when every train arrives that it's 193 steps and that if you have a health condition to please wait for the lift. Ha. People were taking breaks, laughing every time we heard the announcement as we were climbing, commiserating together. It was comical. Once I made it and caught my breath I wandered towards the indoor market the hood is famous for. As I was walking there I ducked into a discount theatre tickets store and scored a show for tomorrow night. The indoor market was nice, but soon after I arrived I went to find the Food for Thought restaurant, which is this tiny place that you order at the counter and can either sit in or take out. All the tables were full, so I got my veggie curry to go and went to sit on a stoop by the market. I ate and people watched. It was great; both the food and the people watching. Once I got a bit chilly I got up and started walking in Soho's direction. I passed a Havaianas store - apparently they are making rain boots now. Or maybe that's just in London. It did rain off-and-on all day. I found a bar that my guidebook recommended - Admiral Duncan. The guidebook didn't label it as a gay bar as it did others. Or even the neighborhood. But it didn't take me long to realize that's where I had planted myself. The cabaret theme, mostly male patrons, and drag DJ were clues, but I knew for sure when a guy walked into the ladies room and was shocked to see me there. That was a first. I love gay bars, but I have plenty of them in SF. Will try to find a typical British pub tomorrow. (But I did see that Admiral Duncan has karaoke on Monday's! I might be back..)I looked the bar up online because I was curious why the bouncer wanted to look in my bag. Sure enough a Neo-Nazi homophobe set off a bomb there in 1999. Sad. After I enjoyed my Pimm's Cup and IPA sitting next to the awkward old man sleeping at the bar, I headed home via Piccadilly Circus.
Walking down my street I passed a ton of important looking people in fancy outfits, several with medals. I asked the nicest policewoman where they were all coming from. Apparently the Royal British Legion just had a big something for Remembrance Day nearby, probably at Royal Albert Hall. The Queen was there and everything.
Friday, November 8, 2013
London
I'm in London!
The travel here was seamless. Flights were fine and on-time. Actually we landed an hour early in London. It was easy to figure out how to take the tube from Heathrow to downtown London. Right before my stop (Gloucester Road) it started to rain, but it was still a pleasant walk to my hostel. Although my feet were barking. I bought these boots specifically for this trip - great support, waterproof, and warm. Even though I had preventative moleskin on my heels, my skin still is a bit irritated. Am hoping it will get better, but if it doesn't I will power through! The book I'm reading is Bill Bryson's "Notes from a Small Island" about his time living in and exploring England. Several passages have struck me, but this I wrote down as a reminder to myself - "the trick of successful walking, I always say, is knowing when to stop".
So...I think I'm in for the night. As much as I want to go walk around, I think it best to rest my feet and go to bed early (I barely slept on the flights). But first I'll tell you what I did and saw earlier today.
I walked to the hostel (on Queen's Gate in South Kensington) to drop off my bag, and headed right back out since check-in is after 2pm. It had stopped raining. I walked up to the edge of Hyde Park and walked east on Kensington Road. Soaked in some sights as I dried off, people watched as I walked slowly, peaking into buildings in a non-creepy sort of way. Saw a small sign where JFK lived for two years. Snapped a few photos of beautiful buildings and architecture. I wasn't really ready to pull out my map and guidebook to read about where I was, I just wanted to walk and enjoy what I saw. Think it was fatigue based.
I walked basically to the edge of Hyde Park and decided to turn around (feet inspired). I then spotted Harrods, which is hard to miss (it's 5 acres and 5 stories tall). Since I had heard of it and probably seen it in movies, I thought a quick walk through would be good. It is massive. I walked in one of the five entrances and was completely overwhelmed. It's a lot of little rooms leading to other rooms. I took the escalator up to the top floor, and then back down, soaking in the various designs and Egyptian-esque decor. Someone told me to get pizza or ice cream in Harrods. I could not find either, but I did find a really amazing market downstairs. I had no idea all that it had in there. I thought it was a glorified Nordstrom. Now I know. When I finally found a way out, I had come to the entrance with a concierge and map - that was helpful. I then went and found where the pizza and ice cream was, but wanted something a bit more quaint. So I wandered around and saw several Parisian cafes. Since I'll be there soon I skipped those and settled into Richoux across from one of the Harrods entrances. There were several tables of tourists - at one of them all 6 people ordered the fish & chips. I feel a bit like I'm missing out experiencing that tradition, but I also felt better seeing the locals next to me all ordered Italian fare (as did I).
After a pleasant lunch, it still wasn't time to check in yet, so I wandered into a pub for a pint. Naturally. It took me a minute to get used to the room temperature of the cask beer, but it was quite good. As I was reading my book enjoying my beer, I could feel my 500-pound eyelids. I thought about going to the hostel earlier and taking a nap in their lounge room, but I managed to wait. As soon as it was close to 2pm I headed out. And of course it started raining, but all I could think of was a hot shower and a nap. Both were amazing and much needed. And that's today.
Anecdotes/Side-notes:
1. On my first flight to Dallas the man with his family to my left were headed to Florida to celebrate his father's 100th birthday. Once we landed I overheard the group of 6 traveling to my right that they were heading to their father's second memorial service. His widow was with them. I took a deep breath and reflected at the two opposite worlds I was between for three hours.
2. Poppy - I saw several people wearing a red poppy on their lapel for Remembrance Day. Imagine I'll see that a lot the next few days.
3. Left side. Right side. I definitely felt like I was going to get hit several times today. But it wasn't because I was looking the wrong way (the big painted 'look left' and 'look right' are super helpful). It was more because pedestrians don't seem to have the right of way here. Something Bryson mentioned in his book too. So I started to slow down more at crosswalks and follow the locals lead, or join in on the other gutsy tourists trying to simply cross the street!
4. It is definitely interesting to see the opposite-side-of-the-road driving, but what trips me out more is seeing the steering wheel on the right side.
The travel here was seamless. Flights were fine and on-time. Actually we landed an hour early in London. It was easy to figure out how to take the tube from Heathrow to downtown London. Right before my stop (Gloucester Road) it started to rain, but it was still a pleasant walk to my hostel. Although my feet were barking. I bought these boots specifically for this trip - great support, waterproof, and warm. Even though I had preventative moleskin on my heels, my skin still is a bit irritated. Am hoping it will get better, but if it doesn't I will power through! The book I'm reading is Bill Bryson's "Notes from a Small Island" about his time living in and exploring England. Several passages have struck me, but this I wrote down as a reminder to myself - "the trick of successful walking, I always say, is knowing when to stop".
So...I think I'm in for the night. As much as I want to go walk around, I think it best to rest my feet and go to bed early (I barely slept on the flights). But first I'll tell you what I did and saw earlier today.
I walked to the hostel (on Queen's Gate in South Kensington) to drop off my bag, and headed right back out since check-in is after 2pm. It had stopped raining. I walked up to the edge of Hyde Park and walked east on Kensington Road. Soaked in some sights as I dried off, people watched as I walked slowly, peaking into buildings in a non-creepy sort of way. Saw a small sign where JFK lived for two years. Snapped a few photos of beautiful buildings and architecture. I wasn't really ready to pull out my map and guidebook to read about where I was, I just wanted to walk and enjoy what I saw. Think it was fatigue based.
I walked basically to the edge of Hyde Park and decided to turn around (feet inspired). I then spotted Harrods, which is hard to miss (it's 5 acres and 5 stories tall). Since I had heard of it and probably seen it in movies, I thought a quick walk through would be good. It is massive. I walked in one of the five entrances and was completely overwhelmed. It's a lot of little rooms leading to other rooms. I took the escalator up to the top floor, and then back down, soaking in the various designs and Egyptian-esque decor. Someone told me to get pizza or ice cream in Harrods. I could not find either, but I did find a really amazing market downstairs. I had no idea all that it had in there. I thought it was a glorified Nordstrom. Now I know. When I finally found a way out, I had come to the entrance with a concierge and map - that was helpful. I then went and found where the pizza and ice cream was, but wanted something a bit more quaint. So I wandered around and saw several Parisian cafes. Since I'll be there soon I skipped those and settled into Richoux across from one of the Harrods entrances. There were several tables of tourists - at one of them all 6 people ordered the fish & chips. I feel a bit like I'm missing out experiencing that tradition, but I also felt better seeing the locals next to me all ordered Italian fare (as did I).
After a pleasant lunch, it still wasn't time to check in yet, so I wandered into a pub for a pint. Naturally. It took me a minute to get used to the room temperature of the cask beer, but it was quite good. As I was reading my book enjoying my beer, I could feel my 500-pound eyelids. I thought about going to the hostel earlier and taking a nap in their lounge room, but I managed to wait. As soon as it was close to 2pm I headed out. And of course it started raining, but all I could think of was a hot shower and a nap. Both were amazing and much needed. And that's today.
Anecdotes/Side-notes:
1. On my first flight to Dallas the man with his family to my left were headed to Florida to celebrate his father's 100th birthday. Once we landed I overheard the group of 6 traveling to my right that they were heading to their father's second memorial service. His widow was with them. I took a deep breath and reflected at the two opposite worlds I was between for three hours.
2. Poppy - I saw several people wearing a red poppy on their lapel for Remembrance Day. Imagine I'll see that a lot the next few days.
3. Left side. Right side. I definitely felt like I was going to get hit several times today. But it wasn't because I was looking the wrong way (the big painted 'look left' and 'look right' are super helpful). It was more because pedestrians don't seem to have the right of way here. Something Bryson mentioned in his book too. So I started to slow down more at crosswalks and follow the locals lead, or join in on the other gutsy tourists trying to simply cross the street!
4. It is definitely interesting to see the opposite-side-of-the-road driving, but what trips me out more is seeing the steering wheel on the right side.
Thursday, November 7, 2013
Wanderlust
Preparing for this trip and thinking about the adventures to come made me realize I think I'm at my happiest when I'm traveling. Or at least it's extremely high up there. I think I already knew that, but it's nice to come to the same conclusion, again.
I also really enjoy writing in this blog. It's been two years since my last post. I have been out of the country, but I don't blog when I go home to Brazil, and I didn't think it would be appropriate to blog when I was in Nicaragua for a course.
But for the next few weeks I'll be blogging from England, Belgium & France. Excited!
Saturday, August 20, 2011
YVR
I got up at 2:30am, checked out by 2:45 and walked to the bus stop. Vancouverians know how to party. The streets were filled with people scarfing down pizza and stumbling home. It was quite entertaining and nice not to be on a desolate street by myself. I had lots of people come and go at the bus stop before my bus arrived. I chatted with quite a few of them, particularly a cute early 20s Australian who just moved to Vancouver 2 months ago. He was waiting for the same bus to head home. After chatting for about 30 minutes he matter-of-factly asked if he could kiss me. You only live once, right? I can officially cross "kiss random Aussie on public bus" off my bucket list.
I got to the airport and tried to help a drunken Asian girl figure out how she should get back home. She meant to get off the bus well before the airport. Good times.
Once I made it into the airport I came to the wonderful realization that my flight is delayed...apparently the plane never showed up last night. So YVR and I will become great friends, for 7 hours. Good thing I have two new books on me.
I got to the airport and tried to help a drunken Asian girl figure out how she should get back home. She meant to get off the bus well before the airport. Good times.
Once I made it into the airport I came to the wonderful realization that my flight is delayed...apparently the plane never showed up last night. So YVR and I will become great friends, for 7 hours. Good thing I have two new books on me.
Demons from hell? I think not.
After a quick breakfast at the hostel I walked across the Granville bridge back over to Granville Island where 'Wild Whales Vancouver' is located. I checked in, signed my life and belongings away, gave them my money, and then headed into the public market for a second coffee and a sandwich to take on the boat.
Drank my coffee overlooking the False Creek and was immediately chatted up by a mom with two small kiddos. On the walk across the bridge two people (males) said "good morning" to me. It's amazing how much attention one gets while alone. I don't think I get this much attention walking around San Francisco though. Maybe I just block it out. I will have to see once I get back.
Anyways, after my coffee I headed back over to WWV to get suited up. They make you wear this space looking jumper suit. It's for the cold and also helps with flotation if you happen to fall into the freezing Pacific. I actually don't think we got to the Pacific. We mainly stayed in the Straits. We were in between Victoria and the San Juan Islands, I know that. Actually I think that's where all the magic happened. On the way to where the whales were sighted very early this morning we saw a seal and a porpoise. Then all of a sudden after close to two hours of mostly water and maneuvering through islands, we arrived. There were several sailboats, yachts, tankers, and other whale watching tours. Near pretty much all of the boats, in between them, around them, EVERYWHERE were Orcas. Or the "Demons from hell" as it so translates. Just 50 years ago we were terrified of these beautiful creatures and it was law to kill them, and now we pay money and spend an entire day just to catch a glimpse. They were so beautiful! I will admit, my eyes got teary. A few times.
Boats aren't allowed to follow the whales or get within 100 yards from them. But there were so many that when our captain would veer left trying to distance us from a set of whales, there would be another set on the other side. Orcas travel in pods, and there are three main ones in the waters that we were in by the San Juan Islands - the J, K, and L pod. Turns out we saw all three pods today, and therefore anywhere from 60-80 orcas! Our guide basically said that he was blown away. They've spent 7 hours before looking to see just two whales. He also said that the last two days they saw lots of whales (not as many as we did though), but that they weren't exhibiting their playful behavior like they were today. Lots of breaching, tail slapping, and even some backdives. So so cool. You could easily tell the difference between the males and females by the shape of the dorsal fins. There were some huge males in those pods. There were also lots of calves. Apparently it takes them a few years to realize that they don't have to stick their heads out of the water in order to breathe. It was fun to see them hopping in and out of the water. When our captain turned the engine off you could hear the blow hole sounds going off all around you. And then they turned on a hydrophone where we could hear all of the sounds they were making in the water. Fascinating. I kick myself now for not thinking to record a bit of the scene.
I could keep going about the whales - but you get the idea. Amazing day. A boat is only allowed to spend 30 minutes watching the whales, so once our time was up we started heading home. Lucky for us the whales happened to be going in the same direction that we were, so we got to watch them for a bit longer.
Then once we left their path we saw two bald eagles. And then two more! Followed by several seals and porpoises. Money well spent, if I do say so myself.
I then got home, said bye to Phil, and headed back out for a bit of exploring. I didn't want to venture too far because I'm pretty tired. This hostel is on Granville, which is a pretty hopping street. A few blocks up they closed the street off for "Viva Vancouver" and a band was performing. Apparently every weekend in the summer they close a few blocks on Granville and do something cool. Then on my loop back towards the hostel I got to watch four cop cars bust a dude in a minivan with lots and lots of drugs. They kept piling bags of weed and some sort of powder onto a roof of one of the cop cars. My guess is he was on his way to sell to the folks enjoying Viva Vancouver.
I was going to eat at a quick and easy spot, but decided to treat myself to a dinner at Sanafir, which is two doors down from the hostel. It was recommended in the guidebook as an international restaurant - kind of a mix between Arabic, Mediterranean, and Indian food. Hands down the best meal I've had in a while. To the point where I'm going to take the time to write them a good review on Yelp. I sat outside and faced the street so I could people watch. A friendly couple chatted me up most of the dinner. We mainly talked about how great the food was, and the similarities and differences between Vancouver and San Francisco.
And now I'm packing up and getting ready for bed. Need to leave the hostel at 3am to catch my 6am flight back to California.
Overall a great trip!
Drank my coffee overlooking the False Creek and was immediately chatted up by a mom with two small kiddos. On the walk across the bridge two people (males) said "good morning" to me. It's amazing how much attention one gets while alone. I don't think I get this much attention walking around San Francisco though. Maybe I just block it out. I will have to see once I get back.
Anyways, after my coffee I headed back over to WWV to get suited up. They make you wear this space looking jumper suit. It's for the cold and also helps with flotation if you happen to fall into the freezing Pacific. I actually don't think we got to the Pacific. We mainly stayed in the Straits. We were in between Victoria and the San Juan Islands, I know that. Actually I think that's where all the magic happened. On the way to where the whales were sighted very early this morning we saw a seal and a porpoise. Then all of a sudden after close to two hours of mostly water and maneuvering through islands, we arrived. There were several sailboats, yachts, tankers, and other whale watching tours. Near pretty much all of the boats, in between them, around them, EVERYWHERE were Orcas. Or the "Demons from hell" as it so translates. Just 50 years ago we were terrified of these beautiful creatures and it was law to kill them, and now we pay money and spend an entire day just to catch a glimpse. They were so beautiful! I will admit, my eyes got teary. A few times.
Boats aren't allowed to follow the whales or get within 100 yards from them. But there were so many that when our captain would veer left trying to distance us from a set of whales, there would be another set on the other side. Orcas travel in pods, and there are three main ones in the waters that we were in by the San Juan Islands - the J, K, and L pod. Turns out we saw all three pods today, and therefore anywhere from 60-80 orcas! Our guide basically said that he was blown away. They've spent 7 hours before looking to see just two whales. He also said that the last two days they saw lots of whales (not as many as we did though), but that they weren't exhibiting their playful behavior like they were today. Lots of breaching, tail slapping, and even some backdives. So so cool. You could easily tell the difference between the males and females by the shape of the dorsal fins. There were some huge males in those pods. There were also lots of calves. Apparently it takes them a few years to realize that they don't have to stick their heads out of the water in order to breathe. It was fun to see them hopping in and out of the water. When our captain turned the engine off you could hear the blow hole sounds going off all around you. And then they turned on a hydrophone where we could hear all of the sounds they were making in the water. Fascinating. I kick myself now for not thinking to record a bit of the scene.
I could keep going about the whales - but you get the idea. Amazing day. A boat is only allowed to spend 30 minutes watching the whales, so once our time was up we started heading home. Lucky for us the whales happened to be going in the same direction that we were, so we got to watch them for a bit longer.
Then once we left their path we saw two bald eagles. And then two more! Followed by several seals and porpoises. Money well spent, if I do say so myself.
I then got home, said bye to Phil, and headed back out for a bit of exploring. I didn't want to venture too far because I'm pretty tired. This hostel is on Granville, which is a pretty hopping street. A few blocks up they closed the street off for "Viva Vancouver" and a band was performing. Apparently every weekend in the summer they close a few blocks on Granville and do something cool. Then on my loop back towards the hostel I got to watch four cop cars bust a dude in a minivan with lots and lots of drugs. They kept piling bags of weed and some sort of powder onto a roof of one of the cop cars. My guess is he was on his way to sell to the folks enjoying Viva Vancouver.
I was going to eat at a quick and easy spot, but decided to treat myself to a dinner at Sanafir, which is two doors down from the hostel. It was recommended in the guidebook as an international restaurant - kind of a mix between Arabic, Mediterranean, and Indian food. Hands down the best meal I've had in a while. To the point where I'm going to take the time to write them a good review on Yelp. I sat outside and faced the street so I could people watch. A friendly couple chatted me up most of the dinner. We mainly talked about how great the food was, and the similarities and differences between Vancouver and San Francisco.
And now I'm packing up and getting ready for bed. Need to leave the hostel at 3am to catch my 6am flight back to California.
Overall a great trip!
Friday, August 19, 2011
Vancouver
I flew up to Portland on the 8th, had a nice time touring the city, had a great visit with my great uncle Bill in Bandon, and then went up to explore Seattle for a few days and met up with several friends and family members for various good-time adventures. Then one of the friends, Phil, and I took the train up to Vancouver on Wednesday the 17th (yesterday).
Once we got into the city and checked into our hostel we went on one of the Frommer's guide book walks - Downtown & the West End. The highlights were English Bay Beach where we sat and people watched for quite a while, and walking around the West End which appeared to be the gay district of town. We settled into a Malaysian restaurant for dinner and called it a pretty early evening.
We spent most of today (Thursday) walking around the city as well. First we followed the Yaletown, Granville Island & Kitsilano walking tour. Took most of the day. The public library looks like a modern Colosseum which I found interesting. Then we had a coffee break after petting the big Great Dane sitting next to the 'Big Dogs' hot dog stand. So cute. We read and sipped coffee by a little marina. Then we hopped on a tiny aquabus on False Creek that took us to Granville Island where we had a nice lunch at the public market. Such a fun spot to people watch. Walking along the water we saw several fishing boats cleaning their daily catch, and a few seals begging in the water. One of them hopped up on the dock for a bit, trying to inch his way closer.
It's amazing how similar Portland, Seattle & Vancouver feel. They have their own character, but lots of similarities. With one last full day on this trip I don't want to jinx myself, BUT the weather has been gorgeous. I did not have to buy a rain jacket (because I forgot mine) or umbrella, nor did I feel the need to buy a "Seattle makes me wet" t-shirt.
Next we strolled over to Kitsilano beach which was very pretty. Has tons of logs that people lean against on the beach. We walked over the Granville bridge back to the hostel for a quick nap. Then we went towards the beginning of the last guidebook tour - Gastown & Chinatown. We didn't follow the entire tour but saw the highlights - the Canada Place where all the cruise ships dock, and the Sam Kee office building - which is 4 feet 11 inches wide. Tiny. We had dinner at a brew pub to sample some of the local beer. Twas good. Then we walked back to the hostel.
I don't know if I'll sleep well tonight because I am SO EXCITED about my day tomorrow. I've been whale-watching several times in my life, but haven't been in about 10 years. And have been wanting to go for quite some time. And I'm finally going! I've seen several types of whales, but I've never seen an orca (well, at least not in the wild), which is most of what I should see tomorrow. So pumped. Phil will spend the day renting a bike and exploring Stanley Park.
Once we got into the city and checked into our hostel we went on one of the Frommer's guide book walks - Downtown & the West End. The highlights were English Bay Beach where we sat and people watched for quite a while, and walking around the West End which appeared to be the gay district of town. We settled into a Malaysian restaurant for dinner and called it a pretty early evening.
We spent most of today (Thursday) walking around the city as well. First we followed the Yaletown, Granville Island & Kitsilano walking tour. Took most of the day. The public library looks like a modern Colosseum which I found interesting. Then we had a coffee break after petting the big Great Dane sitting next to the 'Big Dogs' hot dog stand. So cute. We read and sipped coffee by a little marina. Then we hopped on a tiny aquabus on False Creek that took us to Granville Island where we had a nice lunch at the public market. Such a fun spot to people watch. Walking along the water we saw several fishing boats cleaning their daily catch, and a few seals begging in the water. One of them hopped up on the dock for a bit, trying to inch his way closer.
It's amazing how similar Portland, Seattle & Vancouver feel. They have their own character, but lots of similarities. With one last full day on this trip I don't want to jinx myself, BUT the weather has been gorgeous. I did not have to buy a rain jacket (because I forgot mine) or umbrella, nor did I feel the need to buy a "Seattle makes me wet" t-shirt.
Next we strolled over to Kitsilano beach which was very pretty. Has tons of logs that people lean against on the beach. We walked over the Granville bridge back to the hostel for a quick nap. Then we went towards the beginning of the last guidebook tour - Gastown & Chinatown. We didn't follow the entire tour but saw the highlights - the Canada Place where all the cruise ships dock, and the Sam Kee office building - which is 4 feet 11 inches wide. Tiny. We had dinner at a brew pub to sample some of the local beer. Twas good. Then we walked back to the hostel.
I don't know if I'll sleep well tonight because I am SO EXCITED about my day tomorrow. I've been whale-watching several times in my life, but haven't been in about 10 years. And have been wanting to go for quite some time. And I'm finally going! I've seen several types of whales, but I've never seen an orca (well, at least not in the wild), which is most of what I should see tomorrow. So pumped. Phil will spend the day renting a bike and exploring Stanley Park.
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