The Cruise
Day One: Vancouver
For me Vancouver turned out to be a bit of a disappointment.
Don’t get me wrong it is a pretty city being surrounded by mountains and a
beautiful harbour, but it’s not all that exciting and I fail to see how it earned
its reputation as the most liveable city in the world.
Anyway day one we headed downtown and checked out Canada
Place where we would be leaving from in a couple of days to start our cruise. We
then split up again Helen heading off to do some more shopping while the rest of
us walked along the harbour looking for somewhere we could hire bikes from. One
thing Vancouver does have going for it is Stanley Park the largest urban park
in Canada. So we hired bikes and rode around the 12 kilometre bike track that
goes around its perimeter, a very pleasant ride it was too.
After dropping off the bikes we then walked through Gastown
the historic downtown area of the city before heading back up to the hotel.
Day Two: Capilano
Gorge
Back down town we jumped on a bus that took us across to Capilano
Gorge a nature park across the harbour in West Vancouver. The gorge is spanned
by a long suspension bridge that neither Michelle nor Natasha wanted to do. So
they jumped back on the bus and went back across to the city to do some
shopping and have a walk around while Helen, Ryan and I explored the gorge and
the surrounds. As well as the bridge, there is also a tree top walk and a suspended
walkway that goes out from the cliff face over the gorge and which has a glass
floor. Unfortunately the glass has a chequerboard pattern in it which rather
defeats the purpose and doesn’t allow for good photos. Leaving the gorge we
headed back across the harbour and took Helen through Gastown and then walked
back up to our hotel past the stadium where the Canucks played the Stanley Cup
and where the riots broke out after they lost. So at least we can say we
visited both the stadiums where the Stanley Cup was played this year, Boston
and Vancouver. Ryan and I had both bought Boston Bruins T-shirts while in
Boston and thought it a good idea not to be seen wearing them around Vancouver.
Getting back to our hotel we met up with the girls and made
one last foray out to get dinner and there ended our stay in Vancouver, as I
said not as exciting as we may have expected but it was the gateway to our next
big adventure.
