Treetops And Bike Stops
Another beautiful sunny day greeted us through bleary eyes as we emerged from our hotel this morning. A night of jet-lagged insomnia had us all whispering to each other in the wee small hours “are you still awake?” We may as well have had a party. At one stage, Maisy looked wide awake and ready to start the day. When we enquired as to what on earth she was doing, she told us confidently it was 8am. Unfortunately for all of us, it was actually 3am and she was looking at Sydney time.
We checked out of one hotel and into the next, ready for Ross’ conference starting tonight. I must say this one, right on the harbour, is a step up in swankiness from the last one (which wasn’t swanky at all really). We thoroughly enjoyed our all-you-can-eat ‘boofay’ breakfast, eating enough to last us well past lunch. I embarrassed poor Ross by loading up on fruit and snacks for later in the day (I’m still going to maintain that’s OK – hadn’t we already paid for it?) Anyway, Ross walked a safe distance ahead of me, just in case a mini muffin came loose, exposing me for the villain I am and Ross for his criminal wife. Later in the day, Maisy and I indulged in our stash of spoils from breakfast but Ross refused to partake in the contraband just on principle.
After breakfast, a free shuttle bus, arrived on our doorstep, right on schedule, to take us up to the tourist hotspot, the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park, only about a 15 minute drive across the Lion’s Gate Bridge and out of the Downtown area. The park was so well set up, with treetop walkways and platforms way up amongst the foliage and a narrow Cliff Top walk with lofty bridges and staircases, hugging the cliffside and offering incredible vistas, through autumn leaves, to the beautiful canyon way down below.
The star attraction of the day of course, was the suspension bridge, spanning an impressive 140 metres in length and perched 70 metres high above the Capilano River. It was pretty amazing. I commented that it was a tad wobbly but it was a suspension bridge after all (as Maisy reminded me!) The expanse across the chasm was a writhing sea of selfie-takers and we couldn’t help but feel somewhat duped when we harked back to the solitary girl pictured on the side of the shuttle bus, glancing down into the canyon, with only the squirrels to keep her company – the entire bridge all to herself. She had obviously picked a good day. Today it was like Pitt Street and I did wonder quietly if the bridge had some sort of weight limit. Surprisingly, the crowd, who didn’t detract one bit from the spectacular views on offer, was very friendly; everyone happy to wait patiently as onlookers posed and primped for their cameras. It was well worth the visit!
People here are very keen on the outdoors and keeping fit and Vancouver has to be one of the most cycle-friendly cities around. Most streets have a dedicated bike lane and there are fantastic bike tracks, completely separated from the walking tracks, that snake all the way around the harbour and the city. There’s a beautiful big, leafy park, right in the centre of Vancouver, called Stanley Park (apparently taking up even more land than Central Park in New York). It’s a-buzz with activity 7 days a week.
Ross, Maisy & I decided we should get amongst the action so we hired some bikes and ventured into Stanley Park, taking the track that looped around the perimeter of the park, right by the water and it was so much fun! There are beaches along the way, with big logs lined up for people to sit on along the sand, shady maple trees, granite boulders and marinas full of shining boats. After about an hour of pedalling, our cycling adventures eventually took us outside the park and onto the ‘Seaside Path’ and before we knew it we had no idea where we were! Rossco (aka Map Master) consulted the map and discovered we had indeed strayed somewhat from our original route. He led the way like a professional and guided our little peloton through the Vancouver streets – some of which were a little dodgy. We may or may not have witnessed a couple of drug deals going down and there was a definite hang-tightly-onto-your-wallet vibe at some points along the journey. Gastown, with its old-fashioned lamp posts, trendy shops and outdoor eateries was gorgeous.
On arrival back at our hotel, plum-tuckered out, we consulted the map once more and realised we had literally circumnavigated the entire city of Vancouver. Ross’ conference kicks off tonight so Maisy & I are getting room service. It’s been a big day!
