Our last full day in Vancouver sees us taking to the streets, walking from our hotel, on the west side near Stanley Park to Chinatown in the east, Gastown, the Waterfront and then back to our hotel. Our first task is to pick up the hire car scheduled for collection before twelve noon at a hotel in the city. We walk there through a very pleasant quiet street, with old houses in panelled and painted in pastel shades.
We arrive on time and are greeted by a very pleasant lady, who informs us that we have been upgraded, free of charge, and as a member of the loyalty program my fellow traveller is able to be an additional driver, free of charge. Riding my luck I ask if the car can be left in the hotel car park until the next morning, without charge. She says I can, but don’t tell anyone.
On we go along the street and eventually reach a part of the City that has been closed off to traffic. A stage had been set up with a youth orchestra playing, we think as part of the Vancouver Jazz Festival. Around this area there are market stalls selling a variety of hand made goods and textiles, as well as fast food wagons. Not sure how a Mac and Cheese van would do back home.
We get to Chinatown and it leaves us a bit disappointed apart from a rather superb Chinese Garden, Dr. Sun Yat-Sun Garden, which is laid out immaculately. The peace and tranquillity is only spoilt by some loud visitors arrived off a tour bus.
On the way out I notice an elderly lady rooting through the rubbish bins, and extracting plastic bottles which she places in a carrier bag. I get in front of her and anticipating a picture wait outside.
We continue on toward Gastown, passed an infamous crossroads at East Pender and Hastings. On the corner here is a Salvation Army hostel, and a large crowd of down and outs are outside attempting to sell their possessions I imagine to fuel habits of one form or another. There are some very sad sights to see. I note though that we do not get approached for money here, which we have been in other parts of the city, but we feel the need to move along quickly.
Within a block things change, and the shops become more abundant, predominantly due to the area being included as a cruise day trip destination. On the corner by a statue of “Gassy Jack” who gives the area the name, there is an old western outfitters selling boots and other cowboy paraphernalia. I enter and ask the owner whether I can take pictures. He says go ahead, and how nice it is to be asked once in a while. On leaving his assistant asks whether I have the pictures I want, and then hands me a free postcard of the shop as well. Some of the shops sell high class merchandise, others cheap and tacky souvenirs.
Carried on walking along the Waterfront, past Canada Place where the preparations are taking place for the game against Switzerland tomorrow. We make our way on to Cardero’s restaurant and are given a table with a superb sea view.
On the walk back to our hotel we notice that Denman Street is closed to traffic, and has been taken over by Vancouver’s LGBT community.
There are market stalls, and the atmosphere is lively and exuberant. There is also a heavy smell of burning “herbs” in the air. We stop for a while listening to a band called The Ruffled Feathers, rather good they are too.
We have one last look at the beach, and take some final pictures of Vancouver.
