Vancouver Canada

Vancouver seems to offer everything a person could want from a city. It has lively performing arts, easy access to the outdoor activities, and beautiful scenery. In a effort to find the perfect place to relocate to, I set my sights to the great white north.

Vancouver is a beautiful city, surrounded by forested mountains and ocean waters with plenty of sailboats. What the tourist department doesn't tell you about is East Hastings Street, the rout Google Maps recommended. For three or four blocks I was treated to the sights of prostitutes turning tricks, crack addicts lying face-down in the gutters, and dealers fighting their turf wars. Ah... Vancouver! I later found out that the police coral the drug users near the meth labs in an effort to control crime and monitor the area.

Outside of the drug area Vancouver lives up to its billings. The city is fun and vibrant with heaps of development as they gear up for the 2010 Olympics. One of the unfortunate side effects is a traffic volume that the city is ill-prepared to handle.

Just outside of Vancouver is the lovely tourist attraction of Capilano Suspension Bridge. The bridge was first built in 1888 for logging purposes, but has become a popular tourist destination. They provide a look at the history of the area, including the native people and early industries. The highlight is a chance to walk 230' above the canyon on the bridge, and then take a tour of the tree-top canopy tour.

After playing in the city my wife, Mandy, and I made our way out to Vancouver Island on our quest to see some whales. After a quick ferry ride out to the island we headed up to the seaside town of Tolfino. In Tolfino the only lodging options available were camping on the beach, not due to a lack of lodgings, but a lack of water. The town had run out of their summer supply of water, so every hotel had shut down! It didn't effect us too much since we carried our own water and simply camped out.

We got a chance to go sea kayaking and did see a grey whale up close. The inner islands are beautiful and part of the Pacific Rim National Park. You can easily get lost among the hundreds of small islands, inlets, and lagoons. Our guides, Leni and Chris were fantastic and very knowledgeable about the native people, sealife, and geographic history of the area. Leni treated us to a bit of horn playing. He cut a long tube of hollow Kelp and was able to play it like a bugle. If you listen closely you can make out the theme to Star Wars.