Remember I mentioned that after our super-long and semi-arduous outing, traveling to and hiking Crooked Falls, we still aspired to cram in one more thing on our last day of vacation? Well, it worked out, because fortunately, it was A) on the way back to the condo and B) not strenuous at all.
So we gathered our remaining dregs of energy and enthusiasm and made our way to the Capilano Suspension Bridge, a popular attraction that offers bird's eye views of the Capilano River below, as well as the surrounding wooded environment. The namesake structure is 450 feet long, and sways noticeably as you (and dozens of other people) cross it. Once you reach the other side, you can also walk along another set of wooden paths, which take you eventually to a height of 100 feet above the forest floor, where you can see both the treetops and all the lush growth below you as you gaze down over the railings. Finally, there's a cantilevered walkway built right into the side of a cliff overlooking the water, allowing you to stroll out onto see-through platforms and peer down past your feet to the river and its banks.
Final tourist destination in Vancouver: check! We had a bang-up last day, and an overall splendid getaway, which included lots of awesome urban exploring, several 5-6 mile hikes with stunning scenery, some delicious meals...and all for the low, low cost of 10+ miles of walking per day, adding up to a grand total of over 142,000 steps. Yeeeah...add in some jet lag, and it's no wonder we're exhausted after all of that Canadian gallivanting!
Now that we're safely back home, here are a few of the last, random thoughts that have been bouncing around my head waiting to get out, regarding the WestEnders Vancouver Adventure of 2019:
--Given that the city is a popular Summer getaway, competition for--and cost of--lodging can be daunting. Therefore I went with my usual backup plan, and checked AirBnB for options. Now, this always feels like a little bit of a shot in the dark to me, since I'm typically looking for something in a place I've never been before, meaning that it's unfamiliar territory. So my standard procedure is just to pick something that looks fairly central, is spacious enough to accommodate us, and doesn't charge an arm and a leg (one or the other, sure, but not BOTH--that's my policy and I'm sticking to it!).
That's how I ended up with our townhouse, which looked chic, updated, and lovely in photos, and was described as being in a "historic neighborhood". And when we arrived, we found that it was, in fact, accurately depicted, with a muted palette and the clean lines one expects...from watching HGTV's showings of ultra-modern homes. There are only two things I could find to complain about: first, for reasons that remain utterly inexplicable to me, there were skylights built into the vaulted ceilings of the bedrooms. And in case you were wondering when dawn begins to break in this part of British Columbia in July...that would be "5 a.m.". Yep, Every. Freaking. Morning. I was woken by the *&%$ sunshine pouring in the window...directly onto my face.
Seriously, whose brilliant design idea was this? Because I'd like to smack them. I finally solved the problem after a couple of days by purchasing a cheap sleep mask from a local drugstore, which I would slap on as soon as my natural alarm clock roused me, permitting me to stay in bed for several more hours.
Second, there was no air conditioning. I readily admit that we're spoiled Americans, and this luxury is probably not needed most of the time in Vancouver, blah blah blah. But on the one "hot" day (okay, it was 84*, but trust me, this counts) we returned home after all of our running around to find the interior of the house to be stifling and uncomfortable. Honestly, it had never even occurred to me to consider something like that in a rental condo (since in hotels it's obviously a given)...but it definitely affected our slumber for a few of the nights during our stay!
This brings me to the other part of the posting: while the area around the house might well be one of Vancouver's earliest established settlements...let's just say that in some ways, it's showing its age. For example, the pedestrian street our hosts told us about was absolutely picturesque, with adorable homes, lively parks, and quaint shops. And as a bonus, we found ourselves situated on the border of a vibrant Chinatown, filled with an impressively and interestingly multicultural mix of citizens and businesses. But...the major road we took almost every day to get downtown? It was the kind of place where every building had steel bars on its windows and doors, and each block seemed to be populated by teeming crowds of the homeless. Contrasts such as these became a recurring theme that we noticed while in Vancouver--for instance, between upscale, expensive-looking districts, and more run-down, depressed sections; or gritty industrial regions versus sleek, commerce or tourism-oriented blocks. (None of this is meant to criticize...just things that came to our attention while navigating the city.)
--Moving on to a delightful topic: the weather! While we never quite adjusted to temperatures in Celsius, we did learn from experience that "15" meant fabulously crisp, such that one might even need long sleeves or a jacket (If you're like me, that is--chilly all the time), and "23-ish" called for a tee-shirt. (Thank goodness my phone's weather app kept giving me the values in Fahrenheit, so I didn't need to think about it too much!) It was soooo enjoyable to escape the hot, humid NC summertime...especially since I knew from social media that our region happened to be suffering a nasty heatwave during our absence. Believe me, we made sure to be extra-grateful...and I was thrilled to use all of the cool-weather gear I'd brought along.--Next, I don't know if it has anything to do with the accommodating outdoor conditions, but one thing you can't help but be impressed by is what appears to be a hard-core cycling culture in and around Vancouver. We saw people on bikes all over the city, either in dedicated lanes, or mixing with the traffic. But there were also extra...ambitious? (or nuts, whatever)...riders on all of the trails we hiked, including those that went straight up and downhill...and on the mountainous roads leading north of town to Squamish and Whistler. I mean....mad props to these folks with their special jerseys and high-tech helmets and...calves bigger than my torso. Power on, dudes and dudettes!
And if you're still hanging in there with me, there are just a few unrelated tidbits left: it was no surprise at all that Vancouver caters to the coffee-loving humans. Furthermore, one could expect quality brew from just about anyplace that served it....and you can't swing a stick without encountering a java joint. (I never had a bad cup, and frankly, I would have been extremely disappointed if I had!) However, iced tea is another story altogether. It's a staple beverage for me during the toasty months, and after several days in the Great White North I was craving it. But literally the ONLY establishment I was able to find it in was...Starbucks. It was a head-scratcher, for sure...but I was relieved to get my hands on some!
Two things that never stopped amusing us: the fact that Maps instantly and seamlessly switched to kilometers when giving us directions in Canada (regardless of whether we actually understood this or not. I think we did eventually reach the point where we could do some rough mental calculations of distance and get a vague idea of how far off something was. Our race history helped some--we already knew 5K and 10K translations. And then Riley also pointed out the track and field applications, teaching us that 800 meters equals about a half-mile, which helped with some of the shorter conversions. It was just a lot more...math-ing...than we were anticipating, I think!) And one last thing about driving: our absolute favorite sign (among many possibilities, since BC proved very entertaining with its roadside information) was the one that we kept seeing next to Highway 99, which read "Slippery When Frosty". Oh. My. Gosh...how cute is that, y'all?And finally, we just LOVED the subtle, classy accent we heard among the Canadian residents we met. Words like "about" or "sorry" sound slightly different...and hipper, somehow...in the mouths of our northern neighbors. So, by the end of our trip, we were all pronouncing things the Vancouver way at times, simply because we liked hearing ourselves talk like that. Now perhaps we can return to Chapel Hill, where we totally do not sound like southerners anyway, and confuse people even more thoroughly by practicing our...British Columbian? Hey, you've gotta have goals for the REST of the season, now that the big adventure is over, right? I'd better go practice...sorry, not sorry!
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