2018/06/09
Saturday
After befriending this energetic and joyful girl, Summer and I had been talking about meeting up in Vancouver, possibly even working together someday. And it was probably all talk until half a year ago, she bought her plane tickets (at an amazingly good rate!), and I was forced to hurry up my move back to Vancouver, settle in and have things set up. After all the dreaming, finally she is on her way here!!!!
11:00 Her flight HK Airlines was actually early, and she had passed customs and baggage retrieval by the estimated 10AM arrival time. I jumped out of bed and finally found her at Bridgeport station.
12:52 Got back to our apartment to drop of her luggages and get ready for the day’s adventure!
13:54 Arrived at Waterfront station, traveling from one end of Canada Line to the other.
14:21 Ate at Fatburger at Harbour Centre. Got the original burger with yam fries, not bad but I didn’t feel it was totally spectacular like the sold to be either…
15:32 Arrived to Stanley Park, a 1001 acre public park that borders downtown Vancouver British Columbia, surrounded by Vancouver Harbour and English Bay. Took a 3-hour leisurely stroll around Beaver Lake and along the Seawall.
Walked up really close to this squirrel which was nibbling on a yummy looking red berry…
I almost thought Beaver Lake got filled in with overgrowth, until we suddenly saw this dip in the shrubbery.
The scene surrounding the lake was beautiful and I almost couldn’t tear myself away from it all.
And we found the berry the squirrel was so deliciously feasting on until it got disturbed by us, hehe.
16:15 Walking on, we reached the Stanley Park Seawall. The Vancouver Seawall, at 28km, is the world’s longest uninterrupted waterfront path, stretching from Vancouver Convention Centre to Spanish Banks Park, including the Stanley Park Seawall. Overlooking to North Vancouver, the path has a wonderful view and is a great place for walking, jogging or cycling. The path is divided into two, the one closest to the water for walkers and joggers, and the inner path for cyclists and inline skaters.
Construction of the Seawall began in Stanley Park in 1917. Much of its incremental progress was overseen by Park Board master stone mason James Cunningham from the late 1920s until his retirement 35 years later, and his death in 1963. In 1971, the construction of the seawall around the park is finished. On September 21, 1980, the entire Seawall loop around Stanley Park was declared officially completed with the final paving between Third Beach and Second Beach. In 2006, a devastating windstorm levels 41 ha of forest, causing extensive damage to the Seawall. And in 2010 and 2011, two portions of the seawall, Stanley Park (near Second Beach) and English Bay (near Sunset Beach) are renewed due to concerns with erosions.
17:51 Went to the Rose Garden next to the bus stop. The flowers were just devastatingly beautiful.
Took the Bus 19 back to downtown Vancouver. We were supposedly going to take it for two more stops to Gastown, but the bus stopped service, so we decided to walk there.
19:23 Gastown, located at the northeast end of Downtown Vancouver, is the original settlement that became the core of the creation of Vancouver British Columbia. It was named after “Gassy” Jack Deighton, a Yorkshire seaman, steamboat captain and barkeep who arrived in 1867, and the town soon prospered and became the general centre of trade and commerce on Burrard Inlet.
21:01 Steamworks Brew Pub. Located across from Waterfront Station at the foot of historical Gastown.
Hours: Open from 11:30 am daily for Lunch & Dinner.
Address: 375 Water St.
Vancouver, BC
Phone: 604.689.2739
Email: info@steamworks.com
Ordered a pizza, a chili with dip, caesar salad and two lobster seafood chowder. The food was pretty good. The atmosphere sitting out on the patio was great, until it started drizzling. oh wells. It was interesting though, when our server started telling us how she’s from the prairies and loves rain and thunderstorms. Hehe interesting, although wasn’t too agreeable as we ran across the block to Waterfront skytrain station with one umbrella between us three. I shouldn’t complain about the weather. According to the weather forecast from yesterday, it was going to rain the whole weekend. So I’m thankful it didn’t start till night time.
Arrived home late and went to sleep early, my legs are tired!!
2018/06/10
Sunday
12:19 Had breakfast at IHOP, International House of Pancakes. I had my favourite breakfast food, the eggs benedict, although including judging from their menu (which had photos for everything except the Eggs Bennie) it’s definitely not something i’d come here for, though it does satisfy a craving. Summer and Kelvin ordered their regular breakfast with two slices of pancakes, and it tasted great, the pancakes soft and fluffy.
Despite the late hour, there was still a 15 minute wait before being seated.
13:40 Taking the skytrain to Downtown, Waterfront station. This lovely guy had bought two HUGE packs of bird feed or something for the pigeons, but it also meant a huge flock of bird, those that were idly waiting and some from further off, all gathered here, and it was kinda scary XD.
14:36 Capilano Bridge and Park.
Located in District of North Vancouver, BC, Capilano Park is a private facility with an adminission fee and over 800,000 visitors a year! A visitor ticket gets 7% off. A BC resident pays full price, but wit proper identification, you get a annual pass for free!
14:43 Cliff Walk.
New attraction added in June 2011. There was a slight line up at the Suspension bridge, so we decided to walk around the Cliff Walk for a nice view of the Bridge. Last year, a huge Canadian flag hung on the Suspension Bridge in celebration of 150th year.
It looked awfully scary, but it’s actually very well secured to the cliff side. Although downwards is a raging river…
Had to take a picture of our hand stamp, although mine had rubbed off onto my white sleeve!! Gah!!
There is also a jutting section with glass and another with railing flooring, it looked scary, but it actually felt as secure as any, don’t worry. The biggest issue is if your phone falls through the cracks…
15:08 Suspension Bridge.
A simple suspension bridge 140m length and hanging (precariously ಠ_ರೃ) 70m height from Capilano River below.
In 1889 the original bridge was built by George Grant Mackay, a Scottish civil engineer and park commissioner for Vancouver. It was originally made of hemp rope with a deck of cedar planks.
In 1903 it was replaced with a wire cable bridge.
In 1910 Edward Mahon purchased the Capilano Suspension Bridge.
In 1935 “Mac” MacEachran purchased the Bridge from Mahon and invited local natives to place their totem poles in the park, adding a native theme.
In 1945, he sold the bridge to Henri Aubeneau.
In 1956 the bridge was completely rebuilt.
In 1983, the park was sold to Nancy Stibbard, the current owner.
Turns out there was still a line up when we got back, although it moved quite quickly, so we just went for it. Because of the crowds, the Bridge was more swingy then ever…
The Biggest Visitor. Since 1889 visitors from every country on earth have come to Capilano Suspension Bridge to take in its swaying views and hang on to its steel cables. Celebrities, dignitaries, icons and average folk alike have wobbled their way across its 450-foot span (137 meters). It has raised the heart rate of such notables as Bruce Springsteen, Margaret Thatcher, Walter Cronkite, Marilyn Monroe and the King of Yugoslavia.
And then came the tree. In November of 2006, Vancouver experienced a particularly cold winter with more severe weather than our mild climate has seeing decades. Now you may be wondering, how does 18 centimetres of snow knock down a tree that has survived 800 years of storms, blizzards and soakings? The answer lies on mother Vancouver cliche, Rain. Vancouver’s average November rainfall level is a sodden 6 inches (15 cm). Even that damp statistic evaporates against the 14 inches (35 cm) that fell in November of 2006.
A soaking like that can have a profound effect on the forest. Deep saturation carries the double effect of softening the soil that holds tree roots in place and weighing down branches. In the middle of the night on November 22nd, 7 inches (18 cm) of heavy, wet snow, driven by 80 km/h winds fell on the already drenched forest. By 3:22 am., one very large Douglas fir had had enough.
Engineers estimate that the tree struck with the force and velocity of a fully loaded gravel truck at highway speeds (est. 100 km/h or 60 miles/h). Despite all that, the bridge’s cables remained undamaged and the bridge stayed in place. The tree on the other hand, didn’t fare so well. It snapped on impact, the top third coming to rest in the canyon below. The remainder, weighing about 17 tons, wound up on the bridge.
Now you may ask, “How did the bridge stay up?” There is a two-part answer here. First, the elastic quality of steel cables allows them to take an impact, stretch and then spring back into place. Secondly, Capilano Suspension Bridge’s anchors are designed to shift on heavy impacts. In this case, the west anchor, weighing 13 tons, shifted by about 2 meters (6.5 feet).
Although the cables, with their 123-ton breaking strength (enough to lift two loaded 747s), were undamaged, there came the question of removing the tree. When 13 tons of downward force is applied to steel cables, similar force is exerted upward. Quick removal wound create a “slingshot effect” that could cause the entire tree to spring skyward along with whoever would be cutting it. Instead, small slices were removed while a system of tree supported cables and pulleys worked to carefully lift and swing the remaining tree from its perch. At the same time, the west cable anchors have been replaced with even heavier anchors and reset.
To complete the restoration process, everything has been painstakingly tested and inspected, and Capilano Suspension Bridge is ready to provide breathtaking views and natural thrills for another hundred years. The remnants of the fallen tree have been left in place to act as a nurse log for future trees and forest life.
(From information sign around Capilano Park)
15:26 Tree Top Adventures.
Located on the west side of the canyon and opened in May 2004, this attraction features seven footbridges suspended between old growth Douglas Fir trees forming a walkway up to 30 metres above the forest floor. There is no harm or injury done to the trees, meaning nothing was spiked through them, only a harness around it. The trees, as they are living entities, would grow bigger each passing year and outgrow their harness. The park staff would then have to adjust the harnesses higher up to accommodate for the thicker trunks. Hence, this Tree Top adventure would technically be higher and higher up each year we come, huh, how amazing.
16:01 Great Horned Owl. Like other birds, baby owls are kept in the nest and fed my their parents for a number of days until they learn to fly and capture their own food. In the nest, the baby owls have to squawk to get the attention of their parent and thus get fed. But as predators and the multitude of winged animals that may also prey on them, they soon learn to stop squawking as they start to fend for themselves. In order to achieve this, the parents may leave the baby owl and hide in a nearby tree so potential predators swooping by will scare the kid be quiet, or take the kid to a strange environment to scare them into silence. (Interesting lesson for when i have kids, hmmm, jk jk).
This 2 year old Great Horned Owl, because it was taken from his nest and in human captivity, still hasn’t learned to keep quiet.
16:19 A 7 year old Harris Hawk.
16:30 Walkig our the clearing, we found a Ecosystem tour just starting and joined in!
Western Hemlock. Commonly found in our forest, the Western Hemlock can grow in many different spots – from a nurse log to the side of a cliff – but because of their shallow root system, they are susceptible blowing over in strong winds. While hemlock needles may smell like the poisonous hemlock weed when crushed, they are not poisonous and full of vitamin (C?). We have been told they taste like grapefruit!
I believe his name is Henry, and would eat certain blue fishes in the pond, sometimes leaving their heads all along the bridge for Park staff to clean up in the morning..XD
Western Red Cedar. The Western Red Cedar is British Columbia’s provincial tree so you can expect to find tons of them in our forest. Red Cedars drink five bathtubs of water per day to survive. First Nations people named the Red Cedar the Tree of Life because they were able to make so many different items from it. From canoes to instruments, to baskets and blankets, they even used the cedar bark to make baby diapers!
May the end of the tour, Kelvin and Summer and another visitor stayed behind to try some Western Hemlock and even the red berry we saw the squirrel eat yesterday! They also agreed the Western Hemlock tasted spice-like then developed into a citrus-y almost grapefruit like taste, interesting! And they are now dubbed “tree connoisseurs”! Haha!
18:00 Lonsdale Quay.
Located at the foot of Lonsdale Avenue in the City of North Vancouver, BC, it is adjacent to the northern terminal for the SeaBus passenger ferry and bus loop. The quay was built on the former site of North Van Ship Repair, a major shipyard during WWII.
In 1960s, drawn by the majestic Douglas Fir and Western Red Cedar trees, early residents of the North Shore developed its first town site in the area now known as Lower Lonsdale.
In 1891, rapid growth throughout the late 19th century precipitated first the incorporation of the District of North Vancouver which stretched from Horseshoe Bay to Deep Cove.
In 1907, the separation of the City of North Vancouver was a result of industrial growth and economic development in the Lower Lonsdale area.
On April 12, 1986, the marketplace opened just prior to Expo 86 and introduced an eclectic collection of vendors, artists and crafters to the North Shore community.
In 2010, the Quay became the site of intensive construction of housing developments, backed by Mayor Darrell Mussatto.
Nowadays, it features over 80 tenants, including fresh food vendors, food retailers, restaurants, unique retail shops, artisans and a boutique hotel. Visitors can attend festivals and community events, such as a local band during an afternoon concert on the waterfront plaza, of walking 77 steps to the top of the iconic Q tower for the best view in the city.
18:05 The Soup Meister.
Hours: 09:00~19:00.
Address: 123 Carrie Cates Ct #103, North Vancouver, BC V7M 3K7
Phone: (604) 983-2774
They sell a rotation of 5 types of soup everyday and it tastes great! Comes in 4 different sizes and is perfect for between meals and when you’re not too hungry!
19:05 Taking the Seabus back to Waterfront and skytrain to Bridgeport. Stopped by the River Rock casino (for their washroom) and walked our way to Richmond Night Market.
20:09 Richmond Night Market.
Everyone got their favourite food and gathered again to eat together. We have the Pork knuckle, takoyaki,
Okay, i know it’s gimmicky, but I really wanted another flashy lightbulb. As the colours only came from the drink, and its just a white light, I still thinking of what i should do with them now…
2018/06/11
Monday
2018jun11 • Breakfast at White Spot. Quite tired this morning, so couldn’t quite finish my onion rings. Headed to Granville Island, enjoyed a cup of Peppermint hot chocolate and Fish n Chips at the Public Market. Took a stroll around the park, which is very pretty if not for all the goose poop!! Then took the False Creek Ferries to Plaza of Nations and walked to Chinatown. Kinda sad how once the largest chinatowns in the world is a dismal bunch of red shops now. Walking down Pender St. and turning along Main St., we walked all through Chinatown to Pacific Central station.
I think there must be a limit to the number of early mornings one can wake up to, and working all those AM shifts certainly used up a huge portion! Although I’m excited for the day’s events, I’m feeling a little zoned out, possibly why I totally walked by Fido store despite being the person to suggest we check there not 5 minutes ago. Thankfully, we got Summer hooked onto data, at least until she met up with her other friends!
14:05 White Spot. A Canadian restaurant chain based in Vancouver, B.C.
On June 16, 1928, the restaurant was founded by Nat Bailey whom named it White Spot as suggested by his friend In honour of a restaurant in Whilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles, California, because the name sounded spotless and clean, instead of his original idea, “Granville Barbecue”. The original location was at the Marpole neighborhood, at 67th and Granville Street, at what would become known as Granville House, in Vancouver B.C.
In 1986, a fire in the kitchen damaged the building, and that location closed permanently, despite talk of rebuilding.
In 2012, 64 White Spot locations and 62 Triple-O’s served 17 million customers and generated $200 million in gross revenues.
There are currently 4 location in Hong Kong, Pacific Place, Exchange Square on Hong Kong island, Harbour City in Kowloon, and Shatin.
16:49 Granville Island.
17:15 Celine’s Fish & Chips.
Address: 1689 Johnston St, Vancouver, BC V6H 3R9
Hours: 11:00~19:00
Phone: (604) 669-8650
The fish and chips looks amazingly devilish, but tasted “meh” and ended up not even finishing it. The food was a bit too greasy in general, with the fries not crispy enough and the tartar sauce was so-so. The Mint hot chocolate however was delightful! Kelvin got a London Fog from couple stores down and it tasted nice and vanilla too!
17:46 The Granville Island Public Market was established in 1979 as a location where farmers and other food vendors could sell to consumers. It operates year-round in an enclosed facility where customers can purchase fresh produce, meat, fish and seafood, cheeses and other products, many locally sourced. There are generally 50 vendors in the market. The market includes retail food vendors, selling a range of items from Mexican, Asian, Greek and deli food to candy and snacks. The market attracts both local residents and tourists.
18:00 Granville Island Picnic Pavilion.
Address: 267 Old Bridge Walk, Vancouver, BC V6H 3R9
Hours: 09:00~17:00
It was a very beautiful park, if I didn’t have to constantly be worried about stepping on goose poop! there were just so many of them munching the grass.
18:32 Took the False Creek Ferries to Plaza of Nations.
Hours: from Granville Island, 06:55~22:30
Cost: $6 per adult
For more information..
18:51 Arriving at Plaza of Nations, we can see across to Science World.
19:26 Chinatown.
Vancouver’s Chinatown National Historic Site of Canada.
Designation: National Historic Site of Canada, in 2011
Centered on Pender Street, including Main and Keefer Street, Vancouver Chinatown is one of the largest chinatowns in the world.
Between 1886-1920, the first wave of Chinese immigrants settled around Carrall Street and Dupont (now Pender) Street.
By 1890, the area was home to more than 1,000 Chinese residents. One of the earliest community institutions evolved around the creation of the first of three Chinese opera theatres, the first built in 1890s.
In a parallel setting, Canton Alley and Shanghai Alley were named in 1904 with Canton Alley serving as a a point of convergence for trade, political, and cultural activities which fostered the growth and expansion of Chinatown.
Chinatown was once known for its neon signs but like the rest of the city lost many of the spectacular signs to changing times and a new sign by law passed in 1974. The last of these was the Ho Ho sign (which showed a rice bowl and chop sticks) which was removed in 1997.
Nowadays, even though Chinatown remains a popular tourist attraction and is still one of the largest historic Chinatowns in North America, there is a decline as members of Vancouver’s Cantonese-Chinese community dispersed to other areas and overshadowed by the newer Chinese immigrant business district along No. 3 Road in the City of Richmond.
Millennium Gate on Pender Street
19:40 Leaving Chinatown.
19:53 Thornton Park and Pacific Central station.
Pacific Central Station.
Address: 1150 Station Street, Vancouver B.C, V6A 4C7
Thornton Park.
Address: 1166 Main Street (at Terminal Avenue)
20:29 Irish Pub
Then we accompanied Summer off to her grayhound bus. Had an absolutely lovely weekend just being touristy around this beautiful city I can now call home again, and showing Summer around!!
～☆〜
Hi!da 