VANCOUVER, CANADA - Capilano Suspension Bridge and Grouse Mountain tour
Weather: Warm and sunny.
What a great start to the day - sleeping in and not having to rush anywhere.
My tour of the Capilano Suspension Bridge and Grouse Mountain wasn't until 10:30am so I thought I'd have plenty of time to get ready. Luckily I was ready early - come 10am, I received a phone call from Rick of the tour company saying he was waiting for me in the lobby. Needless to say, I rushed down and apologised profusely for keeping him waiting.
When I enterd the small bus, there were only two people on board - a couple from Pittsburg. Rick was picking up passengers from their hotels for the tour.
Our next stop was at the Sheraton where we picked up three elderly ladies - a mother and daughter and the daughter's friend. The mother was 91 years old! And she was a sprightly lady too - she pretty much power walked up to the bus. Her name was Joyce. She looked younger and was more agile than the 83 year old we had on our tour!
We next stopped at the Hyatt where, we were told, we were to expect at least 17 people. There was only a New Zealand couple, an Iranian girl and only 6 other people. Apparently, the 17 people were on a program for people in the tourist industry taht get a "tourist passport" that they need to get stamped at different attractions. They travel on the bus for free but they have to pay for their own ticket at the attractions. Don't quite understand it but Rick definetly gave his paying passengers like me privilege.
After waiting for the other 11 people to show up, and they didn't, we were finally on our way to the Capilano salmon hatchery. Not very exciting, I have to say... unless you're interested in salmon. The setting was great though - just in front of the dam wall. When they damned the river, they also destroyed the salmon spawning grounds - thus the hatchery was built.
Then it was off, up the road to the Capilano Suspension bridge. Man, was it full! It was a warm Saturday so everyone seemed to be out. There was even a wedding being held there. It was hilarious watching women in their high heels trying to cross the bridge and doing the "treetops walk"!
There was no way you could take photos on the bridge - it just swayed way too much. It was funny watching people try though. After crossing the bridge, I took the treetops walk. It would've been more fun if there weren't soooooo many people.
We had an hour and a half there at the bridge. I was ready to go in an hour. I had enough time to eat a quick sandwich before boarding the bus. We were all on time, as Rick had told us that if we're not on the bus on time, he would leave us behind. It was then off to Grouse Mountain - just further up the road.
Rick sent the 6 tourism people off on their own, then gave the rest of us our tickets to ride the gondola up the mountain. He explained that he would take us on the gondola, take us through the attractions until the grizzly bear exhibit, then we were on our own until 4:10pm. We were to meet him at the gondolas where we were to board the 4:15pm gondola down.
The gondola takes 100 people and goes up really slowly - it takes 4 minutes to get to the top. And when we got to the top - man! it was hot!! damn hot!! The sun felt hotter up on the mountain than it did in Vancouver! Rick did tell us that if it's warm at sea level, it would be stinking hot up on the mountain.
Even though it was hot, there was still snow about. It was slowly melting, making the paths run with water.
Our first stop was at the grizzly exhibit where we were on time for the keeper to do a talk on the bears. Just our luck - the bears were sleeping! They just looked like big logs lying on the snow.
The lumberjack show was about to start so we made our way over. It was an open arena and the heat was just pelting down. The show featured some lumberjack skills but done in a comical way - nothing was serious.
We then had some free time to walk around before the 3:30pm Birds In Motion show. The Iranian girl (didn't get her name) went back to the grizzly bears, only to get a glimpse of them playing - there were too many people to get a good look.
We then made our way to the Birds show where we met with Joyce and her entourage and sat with them - on the second row. We chatted until the show started. The Iranian girl escaped Iran just two years ago - after her University friends were killed in the street for protesting. Her mother then decided to send her daughter to a better country for a better life. It was a really sad story as her family hasn't been able to escape.
Before we knew it, it was time for the show. An eagle was first. Then a horned owl was brought out. Couldn't take pictures as it was way too fast - so had to take only video footage. Towards the end of the owl display, they brought out a baby owl - very cute.
Not so cute was when they brought out the vulture next. It really is ugly when you get a close look.
The final bird was the majestic bald eagle. Now that is a beautiful bird. And huge too.
Then it was time to go and meet Rick. The queue at the gondolas was loooooong. Apparently, the US couple had already gone down and were waiting on the bus. It was jsut the Iranian girl, Joyce et al and me. No sign of anybody else.
Rick took us right to the front of the line and on the next gondola - missing the crowd. But, as we had 91 year old Joyce, everyone in front of us waiting for the gondola parted and let us through to the front. It was like the parting of the Red Sea! And a lady with two kids made her little boy stand up so that Joyce could have a seat.
The gondola ride on the way down was really fast - at least it felt faster. Couldn't take any photos or videos as the gondola was filled to capacity and I didn't have a clear view out the window.
We waited on that bus for half an hour, waiting for the others to show up. Only two others showed up. No sign of the New Zealand folks. We were about to leave when, from the last gondola, come the New Zealand folk.
We were then off back to Vancouver. The road looked like peak hour on Punt Road - full of cars. As we were on a bus, we used the empty bus lane, across Lions Gate bridge and into Vancouver. Apparently, according to Rick, this usually starts on Friday night and ends on Saturday morning. Usually, it's US folks coming up from Seattle, Washington and usually young folks, as the drinking age in Canada is 19 years old.
I realised that, once you've been to the Rockies, nothing can compare. I think I would've been more satisfied with the tour if I'd done it before I went to the Rockies - like Marilyn had done.
After being dropped off at my hotel, I asked the Concierge if they had an adaptor to change electric current from Australian to Canadian as I'd left mine back in Jasper. He brought out a whole box full of adaptors - but not one of them was one I could use. The concierge then showed me on a map where I could possibly get one - both locations were on Robson Street. I took that map and was on my way.
My first stop was at London Drugs. As the name suggested, I thought it was a chemist shop and wondered why on earth the concierge sent me there. It is sooo much more than a chemist - you can get groceries, electrical goods, iPads as well as medication and prescriptions. Just my luck, they were out of the adaptors I was after.
It was then off to the second location - Future Shop. I was lucky and found what I was looking for, otherwise I would've been in a bit of trouble.
Robson Street was buzzing - full of people. Cafes and restaurants were full. It certainly is the place to be - a little like Chapel Street without the cars and the doof, doof music.
On my way back to the hotel, I was stopped by some tourists asking me for directions. I had to tell them that I couldn't help them as I was a tourist also but advised them to ask one of the shop keepers. I later remembered that I had the map that the concierge had given me! It was still in my jean pocket.
Tomorrow is my day off - I plan to do nothing but go to the aquarium in Stanley Park and have a final look around Vancouver.
