Hello Washington DC

It's hard to write this without sounding mean or ungrateful to Canada, so bear with me. Canada was wonderful, beautiful, friendly and polite (though honestly Toronto didn't really do that much for me). But landing in the US I felt that travel buzz that has kind of eluded me so far this trip. It's not that I think the US is better than anywhere else. Maybe I think the opposite and that's what makes being here all the more strange and exciting. After all, I've always thought of Canada as a kind of cold northern version of Australia anyway (or vice versa), so I did feel quite at home there. But the United States, that feels foreign.

So the flight was fine. It was only a smallish plane and a 1 hour flight with some bumps on the way up and down. All the customs and security happened at the Toronto end so once we landed in Washington it was all open doors.

The hotel is quite central. It's dark outside but the streetscape I can see looks very orderly. Obviously there will be pictures tomorrow. For now, here's a couple of snaps of my sexy looking room., complete with circular walk in shower.

If the weather report is to believed I plan to take in the memorials and local museums tomorrow and then head a little further afield to the aerospace museum Wednesday.

Farewell Canada

It's hard to believe I've been in Canada for 11 days already. It's been fun but now it's time to move on to the USA. And in only a couple of days it will be the halfway point of the entire holiday. 

I slept really well last night. The bed in the apartment was really comfortable. Since check out time was 11:00 I decided to leave packing and cleaning up until the morning. 

I was awake early and snuck out onto the freezing balcony to snap the start of the morning traffic.

My flight to Washington, D.C. was originally for 7:30 pm. Yesterday I thought I'd see if I could change it to an earlier flight. I went through Expedia, the site I'd used to book the flight but the costs would have been more than double the original cost of the ticket! So I resigned myself to a day at the airport. The apartment block didn't have luggage storage facilities so spending time in town wasn't really an option.

Anyway, this morning I decided to check-in online and as part of the check-in process on the airline's site I was given the option of changing my flight for only $75. Yes! Managed to get a 4:30 pm flight which is much more convenient and gets me to Washington at a much better time.

So I'm sitting in the airport waiting to leave after navigating my way through the check-in kiosk, bag drop, customs and security. The process was sufficiently different to be a little daunting. But I got here. Phew!

Meh (or not)

I awoke with a bit more energy this morning after the first solid sleep in a few days. I had intended to take my time this morning but the weather looked a little ominous so I decided to get up and take advantage of the light while it lasted. Of course, I needn't have bothered as the weather improved as the day progressed.

When I stepped onto the balcony to take an early morning photo I noticed thousands of people streaming along one of the roadways. I was later to discover it was a marathon. Unfortunately that meant that a lot of the city was blocked off to traffic and I suspect many things were closed as a result. 

I wasn't sure what I felt like doing so I set off first in search of autumn colours. There are parks along the foreshore and I felt certain I'd see something there. I came across these bushes I noticed on the approach to Toronto. I'm not sure if they're this colour all the year, but they're very striking.

And I did manage to find a few red trees also.

These chairs were dotted in a small park; functional and sculptural at the same time.

From there I basically decided to do a loop of the city. I came to a park by the design collage. The architecture got my attention first. Then this little fella did.

I soon realised there were squirrels running all over the park. This one stopped to face me each time I pointed my camera; almost as if he was posing.

The architecture that had grabbed my attention was this building. I'd noticed it from the CN Tower. 

In one small way, Toronto reminds me of Berlin, because it seems like every time you turn around you get a glimpse of the tower.

Toronto has streetcars. On one street the stops featured different metal artwork on poles.

I wandered around in a generally clockwise direction. Towards the east of the city, as the glass skyscrapers began to come to an end I noticed rows of older buildings wedged in between the modern.

And this solitary establishment that had somehow survived the demolition of its peers.

On another street I came across this curious fascade. I assume the buildings that necessitated the blocking up of the windows are no more, but it looked odd all the same.

As I was taking some photos of another building an old gentleman spoke to me. He was interested to know why I was taking photos. He was an amateur photographer too and showed me his more compact but still serious camera. We got to talking and walked a few blocks together. He's had major problems with the health system in Canada and didn't paint a very positive picture of they way he felt the old or disabled were being treated. We parted ways at what looked like a shelter.

Slightly dismayed by that sobering chat I continued my walking. I noticed this building with an ingenious fascade that was more than just painted. The trees are lovely but it's a pity they obscure this little masterpiece.

Before long I was back among the glass towers. While I was taking a picture of one with golden glass and steel a bird swooped past. Total fluke, but I really like it.

Looking up I was surrounded.

Then down the end of the street I noticed a tower from another era. I think it is the old town hall.

At the start of the day I wasn't sure what I wanted to do. And at a couple of times I seriously thought of just returning to the apartment to veg out. For some reason nothing was exciting me today (hence the post title). But as I looked through my pictures and put these words together I realise I had quite a decent day - despite myself!

By the end of the afternoon most of the cloud had dispersed so I decided to get another shot across the harbour to Toronto Islands. I had considered taking a ferry over there but ran out of time. 

Tomorrow I leave Canada and head to Washington DC. I have a late flight but will see if I can change it to an earlier one at the airport.

Toronto a-slow-go

The Canadian arrived into Toronto's Union Station around 10:00 which was only half hour later than scheduled. According to some people on the train, that was really good going. The station is undergoing some major works but the main hall is still very grand. It reminds me of Adelaide station.

My map indicated that the apartment wasn't far from the station so I decided to try and walk. I had to make a few guesses, but I got there without too much trouble. The apartment faces Toronto Harbour and Lake Ontario. This is home for the next two nights.

I suppose I can put up with this view?

I only had one activity planned for Toronto. I was going to wing the rest. The one activity was the CN Tower; I'd purchased a ticket before leaving Australia. I decided to do that while the weather was OK.

My ticket gave me access to the sky pod and observation deck. I decided to do sky pod first. It's the smaller ring at the top of this picture; 447m high. Although it was spectacular, the window design meant there was a lot of condensation which occasionally obscured the view.

It was a long way down!

Although this picture doesn't do it justice, you could see autumn colours dotted across the entire city and surrounds.

I could see the apartment building I'm staying in. It's the one in the centre.

Next I went down to the observation deck. It may have been lower, but it was better suited to viewing and photography.

There is a section with a glass floor. I'm not a fan of heights and I wasn't going to walk on it. But the only way to get a decent picture down was to venture out. Those are my feet!

And that was all I could manage today. 4 nights of only partial sleep on the train has taken its toll and I'm exhausted. I decided to get supplies and have an early night in. Hopefully I can recharge my batteries for tomorrow. I'm not sure what the plan is yet, but I'm looking forward to taking my time about it. I have a heap of washing to do too!

The Canadian

I've just arrived in Toronto after 3 days on The Canadian and, needless to say, there is too much to tell in detail in one post and way too many photos to show. So I'll try to summarise some aspects of the journey and I've created some montages of photos to give a feel of the images. If I get time I might post some full resolution images later.

I spent most of the days in my compartment glued to the window with camera in hand. I could have sat in the dome carriage for a while; it might have afforded a better view at times but I'm sure I would have driven the people around me crazy with the incessant shutter click of my camera.

Each time I began to get a bit tired or assumed that the scenery was becoming "more of the same" I would cap the lens and switch off the camera only for a brand new surprise to appear around the corner; so un-cap the lens, switch on and off we go again!

When I made it up to the dome carriage on the second day it was good, but wasn't really that much better for my photos; I didn't stay there long.

In many ways the view from Vancouver to the Rockies was familiar from the landscape I had seen in Stanley Park and across the bay. There was dense forest interspersed with evidence of logging, streams, rivers and lakes in a reasonably hilly terrain.

The sight of the first snow capped peak was very exciting. The largest, Mount Robson, came into view shortly after lunch on the first day so I hung around in the dining car for a bit longer to get a better view and some good pictures. Overall, I had expected the train track to wind more tightly between the mountains as Emily and I had experienced in the Swiss Alps. Maybe one of the trains dedicated to viewing the Rockies takes a different route? Still, they were majestic and impressive. I can begin to imagine what they must look like in the thick of winter.

In the middle of the Rockies is a little town called Jasper. I believe it's a big place for winter sports. When we got there it seemed quite sleepy. We stopped for an hour and could get out for a stroll. No matter which direction you look the buildings of the town are framed by these massive mountains in the distance.

After going to sleep with the mountainous Rockies and beyond still firmly in my mind it was quite a shock to open the blind on the morning of the second day. Mountain had given way to wide expanses of yellow and gold. At first, in the early morning half light, it looked like sand; almost desert. But soon I realised most of it was harvested crop land. The evidence was dotted here and there in round bales. What amazed me was just how far this land stretched. It seemed endless and we continued to pass these fields for at least half of the day.

After consulting my map and timetable I realised we had passed through Saskatoon in the early morning. Aside from the memorable name, the place has significance for me as my first real professional mentor came from there. I wondered what she is doing these days.

In the afternoon the flat crop lands slowly began to give way to a gentle undulating landscape that became less cultivated. I suspect these may be part of the prairies I've heard about. Towards the end of the day we reached a depression that must have been the flood plain for a river still meandering lazily through the middle.

The third morning revealed yet another landscape. It was similar to the pine forests, rivers and lakes in British Columbia, but without the mountains. And here there were many more rivers and lakes. The skies were overcast all day so getting bright pictures was a challenge. As we travelled east the evergreen pines were increasingly interspersed with golden leaved trees.

Although there was an increase in golden leaves towards the end of the third day, I still hadn't seen the rich mixture of autumn tones I had been hoping for. When daylight came on the final morning I finally got my wish. Unfortunately, we passed some of the most stunning combinations of autumn leaves, streams and forests while it was still only half light and I struggled to get clear images. But by the time we were about an hour out of Toronto they were everywhere and I had enough light for photos.

Throughout the journey there were numerous streams, rivers and lakes. Many of the rivers in the west appeared to be flowing quite rapidly and the lakes were a beautiful deep blue. Against the mountain and forest backdrop they were postcard perfect.

During the trip we had a few encounters with wildlife. First was a report of a moose on the left hand side of the train. I didn't make it there quickly enough to see it. Next was a black bear which I did photo but you can bear-ly make him out. The main encounter was a group of elk by the tracks shortly after leaving Jasper. And on the plains and prairies there were masses of what I think were geese, either in flight or preparing to take off.

On my side of the train I didn't see a lot of buildings. But I noticed a few farm houses, barns and churches; some in use and some abandoned.

The train itself was long; neatly divided between the coach class at the front and sleeper class at the back. I had a single cabin which provided both a place where I could click my camera without fear of annoying anyone during the day, and sleep (of sorts) at night. The bed folded down to make a cosy retreat. I didn't sleep at all well the first night. But by the end I managed to sleep though a kind of solid yet broken sleep.

It surprised me how often we had to stop to let freight trains pass. Sometimes the stop provided an opportunity for some detailed photos or a respite from the rocking. The further east we got, the bumpier the ride seemed to get. But I think part of that was an increase in speed to make up time we had lost over freight train stops earlier in the trip.

Meal times on the train were a great interlude. Not only was the food and service great, it was an opportunity to socialise. Each time I found myself seated with 3 other people. And for most meals I hadn't met at least one of them before. I really enjoyed speaking with people from different places and backgrounds.

Which just leaves the people. I didn't know quite what to expect on a train journey like this. There was the predictable number of retired folk who can afford the time to travel more casually, but there were almost as many younger people too. I reckon I was probably in the middle of the age extremes. And everyone was friendly and willing to strike up a conversation. Although I mainly kept to myself I still managed to meet some really lovely people.

Last day in Vancouver

Check-out was 11:00 so no need to rush this morning. Of course then I checked the train which led to that little adventure covered in my other post.

Once all had been confirmed I could relax and return to sightseeing. On the way to the station I had passed BC Place, the stadium that was used for the Winter Olympics.  so on the way back I paused to take some shots. This one is a fairly conventional one but I took some close ups of the side that I'll try and work with for Instagram.

​Looking back from the stadium I noticed the paintings under this pier.

I wandered a bit and found some lunch, then made my way to the Vancouver Art Gallery.  When buying my ticket they were so immensely proud of their collection of Canadian art. That was great to see. It wasn't a huge collection but there was a wide selection of eras and styles. Some major areas were being set up for other exhibitions so I suspect I missed some things. 

The main exhibition was works by Landon Mackenzie and she had chosen works by a famous Canadian artist Emily Carr to show along side hers. I thought it was a great idea and the works and styles really complemented each other. And it was a great way for Landon for pay homage to Emily Carr.  

After the gallery I decided to take one last look at the bay. It was blue and clear by then. I took some more pictures but you've seen what the bay looks like already. 

Vancouver is a very shiny city. Lots of glass buildings. One side effect of that is that you'll often see two different styles of architecture juxtaposed in reflection. 

I walked past a fountain I've seen a few times so I thought I'd take a shot from a different angle.

I took some pictures of this building on my first day from across the road. I took these close ups today to show the incredible detail on the fascade and doorway.

Farewell Vancouver. It's been fun.

All aboard

Vancouver station had wi-fi so one last chance for a quick post before I board. Today was a bit of an odd day. It started innocent enough. As recommended, I went online this morning to check the departure time of the train. No matter how I tried to search I came up with nothing. Alarm bells rang! What if the train had been cancelled? I've read of that happening. And of course there was the memory of my experience last year trying to get from Amsterdam to Berlin.

I needed to get this sorted out before doing anything else. I decided to walk to the station. It was a little way but nothing really compared to all the walking I've done lately. And besides, there might be things to see on the way.

While walking I calmly put a plan B together, just in case. I found the station easily. 

Before long my journey had been confirmed. Yes, the train was still running. All on time, nothing to worry about. I took the opportunity to work out where I'd need to check-in my luggage later too.

But the BIG revelation was that I'd been reading the departure time incorrectly. Dumbo me had misconverted railway time yet again. The train departs at 8:30 not the 10:30 I had in my head. Silly thing is, when I then checked my online itinerary it said 8:30 clear as day. Anyway, had it not been for this little adventure I might not have made it to the station in time; I could easily have missed the train!

I have some other stories and some pictures from today but I'll put them in a post a bit later. For now, all I need to do is sit in the lounge and wait to board. 

Radio silence

Today is my last day in Vancouver. The weather is still drizzly so I think I'll do a few indoor activities like art galleries and museums. I'd purposely left those for inclement weather days.

Tonight I catch the train across to Toronto. It's a long trip, taking 4 nights. I won't reach Toronto until early Saturday morning.

I believe there may be wi-fi at the train station tonight, maybe one or two along the way, but other than that it will be radio silence from me for a few days. When I'm back fully online I'll hopefully have some nice pictures from the journey. 

From laughing men to Lost Lagoon

I was in bed early last night; exhausted from my day of walking. And very unlike me, I didn't rise until after 9:00 this morning. The weather was fine but overcast. I figured it could go either way; clouds clearing or clouds getting heavier. I decided it made sense to get out as soon as possible but it was definitely a struggle today.

After breakfast and starting a load of washing I headed out. Like yesterday, I stopped by a little bakery on the way to pick up a pastry for later. While the weather was OK I decided to return to Stanley Park and see more of it. I walked to the end of Davie Street where this sculpture from a previous biennale greeted me.

The other side of the street was the sea and one of the small beaches dotted along the western side of downtown. All of the beaches have logs arranged in lines. I assume it's seating for people who flock here in the summer. The sand is coarse; a mid brown colour.

As I've walked through the streets of downtown it's been quite common to see trees perched atop high rises.

The bay is English Bay. It appears to be a parking lot for ships before or after their journey across the Pacific.

The shore along the seawall varies. Sometimes the sea comes up to the wall. Other times there are small areas of sand and driftwood or forest wood between the sea and the land.

The water here is crystal clear. In most places you can see the sand and the rocks beneath the surface.

And after gazing at the wide expanse of sea to my left I could turn to my right and gaze back into the forest undergrowth and towering trees.

The seawall isn't straight or curved in grand arcs. There are little bays, inlets and coves all along it.

As I rounded one of these coves I reached Siwash rock. A monolith in the sea with significant meaning to the indigenous people.

As you'd expect, the sea is full of birdlife. The gulls are quite happy to bob around close to people.

By now I'd walked much further than I'd originally intended and soon the Lion's Gate bridge was in view; this time from the other side. Over two days I'd virtually circumnavigated the park.

Today, for the first time, the mountains were clear of low cloud.

It was time to turn around. I decided to make my way inland a little and see some more of the forest. Even from the trail you could catch glimpses of the seawall.

At many places along the wall there are hedges of what looks like bramble; rough and untamed.

As I made my way inland I passed this bird. Clearly he hadn't got the function of a seat quite figured out. I wondered what/who the flowers were for. Many of the benches in the park have lovely inscriptions for departed loved ones. Maybe these were left in remembrance of someone special?

The forest floor on this side of the park was slightly different from the trails I walked yesterday.

Around this time I stumbled across what I think was a racoon. I tried to snap it but my camera was still set for landscape pictures and all I could manage was a grey blur that no-one would believe was anything of interest. However, before long I made it to Lost Lagoon where there was a group of them milling around a family. I managed to get a proper shot this time.

Lost Lagoon is a large lake in the bottom of the park surrounded by tall trees on some sides and a small beach on another. Near the viewing point I saw this map and realised exactly how far I had walked over the last couple of days. I've pretty much walked all the way around it and some of the middle. No wonder I have blisters on my feet.

It was only about 2:00 but I was done and the first spits of rain had just hit my glasses. It was time to return to the hotel. On the way I paused for one last photo when I saw these colourful planters. I can imagine how magnificent they must have looked a month or two ago.

Time to rest my feet.

Seawall

After descending from the forest I reached the seawall and walked along.

During my journey back to the city I encountered a number of random treats.

This lady, like the one I met earlier in the day, wasn't inclined to conversation.  But that's OK, neither was I.

A glance back gave me a perfect view of the clouds loitering around the mountains.

And by total chance I managed to catch this image of a squadron heading off on a mission.

My path eventually brought me to these totems. Intricate, colourful and rich in meaning.

By now I was back to modern civilisation. My only disappointment has been the lack of colour in the trees. Last year in Europe the colours were amazing. Sadly, Stanley Park seems to be mainly populated with evergreens and conifers. But I did at least get to see this tree.

And then I was back. This time from the nautical side of the city.

After over 7 hours of walking my feet are pads of pain! Wonderful day, though.

Stanley Park

Stanley Park is massive and I knew I had no chance of seeing it all today. So my plan was to go directly to the Lion's Gate bridge and then work my way back on the eastern side.

I figured the most reliable way of getting to the bridge was to follow the roadway. The constant traffic passing me on the left didn't diminish the beauty and lure of the increasingly dense forest to my right. Pathways would branch off the main walkway from time to time. 

At one stage I came across an intriguing spiral overpass.

I took neither. 

Along my journey I'd noticed some rather large slugs. This one was kind enough to let me take his photo.

As you would expect, the woodland was populated with tall trees and dense bushes.

By now the air was fresh. My dragon breath fogged up my glasses on a couple of occasions, but due to my natural tendency to power walk in even the most casual of circumstances I was warm inside. It wasn't long before I reached "the bridge". The following pictures are out of sequence but they probably make more sense this way. 

The bridge is spectacular, spanning a massive divide. 

As I approached the walkway I passed this sad but hopeful sign.

I walked a little way along the bridge. I'm not a big fan of heights so I had no intention of going very far. There was a viewing area by the first pylon that was enough for me. 

It was a long way down.

But turning around I could see Downtown Vancouver peeking above the masses of trees in the park.

And although I was biased towards the bridge of steel and city beyond, I did pause to gaze at the Pacific to the east (that sounds so weird).

The viewpoint for the bridge had an amazing garden of wild flowers. I suspect they were past their prime but they still looked vibrant and beautiful.

After getting my bridge fix I decided to find a trail that would take me down to the walk along the seawall that surrounds the park. The forest was beautiful and for a time I was alone, wandering through this magical space inhabited by giant trees, wooden skeletons and rich green moss. Each path curved to conceal what lay beyond.

My journey took me to Beaver Lake. Although I'm assured there were beavers in residence, none of them were game to make an appearance for me. Beavers must be camera shy.

I made my way along tiny trails down the to seawall, past tall trees and gentle streams until finally I made contact with civilisation.

And that leads me to my next post ...

The upside

I woke around 7:00 which is almost late for me. Opening my eyes I instantly felt thankful that I hadn't gone out last night. Being reclusive has it's upside and this morning I felt fresh enough to get up and out early. The skies were already overcast and, given yesterday's change in weather, I didn't want to risk squandering the dry part of the day.

Today's objective was to explore Stanley Park; a massive reserve adjacent to downtown Vancouver. To get there I still needed to navigate the streets of the city.  

The first intersection was this one on Davie that I'm already quite familiar with. In the quiet of a Sunday morning I took the ooppportunity to take a picture. Rainbow crossing. 

My route took me through some gorgeous streets and very distinctive houses and buildings.

By the time I made it to West Georgia Street I'd returned to the more familiar glass high rises. But this building, perched on a small pedestal stood out.

On the edge of Stanley Park I came across this lady. She wasn't very talkative.

I have so many pictures from the park that I'm going to write a separate post for them.

11 October ... the sunset

After calming down (and a glass of Rose) I didn't want to waste the sunlight.

I headed westward to catch the sunset. Last night I went to the same location and there were only a couple of other people in sight. Tonight it was the place to be. People were sitting on logs on the beach as if they were waiting for a performance to begin. For a moment I wondered if I'd missed the memo; maybe this was the end of the world and they'd all come to watch.

In the end, the world didn't end (as you know). People just liked watching the sunset over the pacific. Couples, groups, individuals, joggers, dog walkers, cruisers ... all enjoying the final remnants of warmer weather. 

And of course I took one or two pictures.

Very glad I made the effort.

I was planning to go out tonight. There are bars and clubs all along this street.  But after today I don't really want to be around people. I think I need some time to recharge. It's a long weekend in Canada; maybe tomorrow night?

11 October ... the good

As I awoke I could hear the swish of cars on the rain drenched streets. A look out of the window confirmed my assessment. It was drizzling still. Before long the drizzle turned into solid rain hitting the windows. Determined not to waste a day I proceeded to hatch a plan.

While checking Facebook (as you do) my friend Donna messaged me. Donna lives in Edmonton and at last we're nearly in the same time zone. We chatted and it was lovely to reconnect. Hopefully we'll catch up later.

I turned my attention to breakfast. As with last year in Europe, I love the abundance of fresh berries in the northern hemisphere. 

By the time breakfast was over, a quick look out the window revealed a break in the rain and cloud cover. I ditched my wet weather plan in a heartbeat and got myself ready to head out. My plan was to get to Granville Island. It's not really an island. It's a peninsular. I wasn't sure if you could walk there but I decided to give it a go. The main bridge is quite massive, but easily walked.

Looking back I could see the high rises of downtown Vancouver.

As the bridge crossed the bay I noticed these little "aquabus" ferries darting from one side to another.

Parallel to the bridge I was on was another, older bridge. Below it an expansive marina so full of boats you wonder how any of them manage to get out to sea.

Markers in the water caught my eye.

Before long I'd made it to the other side. Then I proceeded to wind my way back under the bridge to the "Island". Something about the concrete columns enticed me.

Nearby there was what seemed like a disused train station. The shelter was supported by timber with beautiful colours and grain.

Then finally I reached the "Island".

Granville Island is a collection of produce markets, artisan shops and eateries. I was really impressed with the quality of most of it. The produce market was outstanding and, dare I say it, probably even better than Adelaide's Central Market. The range and quality of produce was amazing. I wish I could have taken pictures of the arrays of fresh berries; incredible! But I didn't due to something I'll explain in part 2.

I did, however, buy a small photographic print from the artist on another stall. It was great to talk to him and find out the story behind the picture. I would have bought a large print but sadly I'd have nowhere to put it. 

Following something I'll explain in part 2 I needed a place to sit and calm down. This chap was nearby and luckily didn't seem to mind my attention. 

I spent a few hours on the Island, looking around and buying a couple of items. It was really lovely and I cherished the opportunity to interact with some of the artisans.

Eventually it was time to head home. I decided to walk on the other side of the bridge and got the opportunity to photograph these silos on the Island.

By now the sun was fully out and the view was spectacular.

Although my legs felt like jelly I decided to take the long way back to the hotel in case another image presented itself. I was rewarded by the dappled light on this gorgeous old building.

Eventually I made it back to the hotel and refreshed with a glass of local Rose. Very nice indeed!

Not wanting to waste the sunlight I only stayed long enough to refresh before heading out to catch the sunset. More of that in part 3.

West side

After regrouping for a bit I decided to brave the wetter weather and head west. Soon I made it to a "beach" and sea wall. Amongst other things I found this sculpture that rose out of the sand either like a shipwreck or the bones of a beached whale.

And near a formal stone structure to recognise the traditional artifacts of the Inuit people I found a small stretch of beach where it appears that modern day people have made their own structures. This was just one.

Skimming the surface of downtown Vancouver

I set off in a generally eastward direction. I needed some cash and I figured my chances were likely to be most quickly realised there. Once the cash was extracted and travel card successfully engaged for the first time, it was time to wander.

I made my way to the east side of downtown and it wasn't long before I reached the shore. Across the bay are spectacular mountains that were partly shrouded with cloud.

There was a park and walkway so I decided to follow it. I like the contrast of the glass high rises peeking over the treetops.

Something about these benches, aligned to the gentle curve of the path, caught my attention.

It wasn't long before I came to a "water play" area for kids along with a cute little bit of street art.

While I was walking a number of sea planes landed in the bay, and a little tug made it's way slowly past.

Next was the convention centre and Canada Place. Shortly after I got there I saw throngs of kids milling around and I wondered if it was going to be frustrating navigating around them. It wasn't. I eventually realised they were groups of school kids armed with iPads and a list of photographic assignments. I ended up being the "here's a picture of us and a tourist" guy ... twice. (So much for trying not to look too much like a tourist!) But what struck me most was how articulate and incredibly polite these kids were. Come to think of it, so far EVERYONE here has been noticeably friendly and polite.

This is a picture of the convention centre taken from Canada Place. I think some of those school kids are still down there.

There were a number of great vantage points to enjoy the spectacular view across the bay.

But the glass of the convention centre also provided a canvas to highlight the sea birds swooping and swarming nearby.

Next I turned westward into what I assume is the CBD.

Early on today I noticed that the pedestrian lights here are unlike any I have seen anywhere else. It strikes me as unusual that they should be so different.

It wasn't long before I stumbled across this building. At first I only saw one side. But then I realised the words continued around the corner.

They say "lying on top of a building ... lying on top of a building ... lying on top of a building the clouds looked no nearer than when I was lying on the street".

Dotted in between the numerous glass and concrete towers were a few classically ornate treasures. 

And I love how new can be designed to pay respect to the old.

Vancouver is very green. Lots of tree line streets. Many are starting to change colour but so far I haven't seen anything yet quite as vivid as I saw in Berlin this time last year. Hopefully soon.

When I arrived last night I noticed many overhead wires. I assumed they were for trams. Well trams like we have in Australia, at least. Today I realised they are more like busses connected to the grid.

And speaking of the grid, when I stumbled across the first lane like this I couldn't quite make sense of it. Just doesn't seem to fit in here.

By now it had started to rain lightly so I decided to make my way back to the apartment/hotel. I noticed a sculpture that was begging me to take this picture.

Time to regroup for a bit.

Waking up in North America

I slept really well last night. The bed was comfortable and it's not too noisy here. The sunlight started to appear by 6:00 and I jumped out of bed for a quick peek before heading back to bed for a bit longer. But I was up by 7:00, eager to get some early morning pictures. Feeling good with little apparent jet lag … so far.

I can see this building from the kitchen window. So many trees so high up.

Once I got the coffee machine figured out I sat down to make some plans. Unfortunately it seems the wi-fi in the apartment is a bit erratic so posts might be intermittent while I'm here.

First adventure was to get some cash. From there I walked for a few hours until the rain started. I took lots of pictures and have lots to write about. But I'll leave all that for the next post as I'm going to pop out again for a little while before the weather gets any wetter.

An uneventful flight

The last couple of hours in Hong Kong airport were spent having dinner in one of the restaurants and wandering around. Dinner at Cafe Deco was good with live jazz music and a cozy atmosphere.

It still cracks me up how much everything appears to cost until you convert it. Dinner with desert and two beers came to HK$ 580 but that equated to around AUS$ 94. Still a bit pricey but it was good food and service.

Once the flight finally appeared on the departure board I located the gate and stayed around that part of the terminal. 

I still had plenty of time so I found a small bar for a cheeky martini or two.

The flight appeared to be only 2/3 full at most. I'd carefully selected my seat at the front of economy. I finished up having plenty of leg room and no-one sitting next to me. The potential for sleep was looking good. 

By the time supper was over and cleared away I'd settled myself down. I think I managed to sleep a bit but it was really bumpy as we flew past Japan, probably related to the recent typhoon. By the time the weather calmed down it was already the time I had decided to wake up. I wanted to try and start adjusting for Vancouver time.

The plane was a 777-300 which has a camera mounted beneath it you can view through the entertainment. I watched as we floated over the beautiful blue Pacific dotted with occasional white fluffy clouds. Very relaxing.

The flight finished up landing nearly an hour ahead of schedule. Getting through customs was easy and I found a really friendly and chatty taxi driver to get me to the apartment. And I survived my first North American tipping scenario!

The apartment is in a great location downtown but, as usual, doesn't quite live up to the image on the net. It will be perfectly OK for me though, and I have much more glamorous accommodation to look forward to in my next cities. 

It does, however, have a great wide view from the balcony.

So, I'm writing this post know in the hope I'll start to nod off and get some quality sleep. I wanted to be exploring as soon as I can tomorrow morning.

Another day, another airport

The hotel allowed quite a late check out which gave me plenty of time to fluff about and not rush. Then the shuttle brought me back to the airport. Getting through security was very quick too.

So that just leaves another extended stay to wander round a big airport. Hong Kong feels like it has so many more shops and food options than Singapore, yet I found the day less fun than the one I spent in Singapore on the way home from London.  Not sure why.

But being here does evoke very strong and fond memories of when Emily and I spent time here on our way to Europe in 2010. That was the very start of a massive adventure for both of us and Hong Kong airport was really one of our first big "pinch me" moments.  

I remember eating ramen with Emily and sitting in nearly this exact same place.  Of course I had to do it again. Very tasty too!

I wandered around the airport, taking in various angles and views. The hills on the island make a spectacular backdrop to the airport.

Quite by accident, I stumbled across a seat where the windows framed the planes beautifully as they took off. Unfortunately though, after many attempts to get one perfectly positioned, this was the best I managed.

The airport ceiling is quite massive and geometrical, so naturally I had to take some shots. I spent ages taking pictures from various positions and angles. It was quite funny because people would walk past and look up to see what I was photographing. There were a few perplexed looks. This is one of my favourites, edited for Instagram.

And the roof from the outside is just as interesting. It almost mirrors the arches of the hills in the distance.

I have a few more hours to go before my flight. I'm sick of looking through shops, though I did take advantage of an electronics store to get a universal socket adaptor; something I'd completely forgotten to pack, apart from my Apple rechargers. So much for "Mr Super Organised"!

I'll grab some dinner soon. Then, next stop Vancouver.

Good morning Hong Kong

After publishing my last post I lay down "only for a moment" only to wake up an hour later. I was tired. Dragged myself off the bed and down for some dinner before getting back to bed early. Considering the unfamiliar environment and the sound of flights taking off regularly punctuating the silence, I slept really well. Better than at home! 

When I woke this morning I opened the curtains to catch the first glimpses of sunlight. 

Closely followed by another plane. I wonder where they are going?

After popping downstairs for some breakfast I repacked my bag and watched as construction started again on whatever it is they're building in the bay.

I'm really glad I invested in the new lens before this trip. It has a much greater zoom than my old one. I managed to get these birds as they were taking in the warmth of the early morning.

Shortly it will be time to check out. I've just received an SMS and email from Cathay advising of possible disruption to public transport. That won't affect me as it's only a short shuttle bus ride back to the airport. However, it does make me happier with my decision not to head into downtown Hong Kong on this visit. Maybe I will when I return on my way home?