Today I tried to be a true tourist!

It’s been a relaxing Sunday, with lots of walking in the sunshine, and some people watching too. I started with a walk from my hotel to Vancouver’s Gastown. My route took me via the Vancouver Harbour where there were two giant cruise ships in port, and loads of people disembarking, wheeling their luggage from one place to another, and looking for buses that would take them on day trips.

But my intention was Gastown – I have fond memories of great cafes, excellent restaurants, and good, interesting shopping.

Wow, how it’s changed. It reminded me of going back to the Marais district in Paris some years ago, and being saddened by the loss of the cute little winding streets with rough surfaces, the great shops with unique pieces and the joy of being amongst the Parisians. And so it was for Gastown today. Unlike the place I had visited to find unusual pieces, it was now a row of ubiquitous souvenir shops alongside some high end brands, interspersed with cafes that wanted to only serve a full-on brunch.

I finally found a café where I could sit outside with a mug of organic tea and a vegan chocolate cookie (hmmm). The sun was shining, and I resolved to “go with it,” to sit back and watch the world go by. I was very near the “steam clock,” an antique-style clock, built in 1977 and powered by steam – it whistles every 15 minutes, attracting tourists like bees to newly blossoming flowers.

The array of passers-by was wonderful. Young couples, some obvious honeymooners and older couples just off one of the giant cruise ships. There was a multitude of nationalities and languages, many English dialects, one young woman with Tourette’s (how hard it was for her), and others smoking cannabis now that non-medicinal cannabis is legal here.

Some people wandered aimlessly, others were getting on and off the Hop-on Hop-off buses that seem to be synonymous with tourism in most big cities, and one guy was carrying his groceries in a plastic bag - perhaps a local? I was intrigued by a couple who had their photo taken by their daughter right in front of the bus – an unusual backdrop. Three young men cycled quietly up the hill, and group after group stopped to take selfies with the steam-powered clock in the background. There was even a guy walking along carrying his groceries in a plastic bag – perhaps a local.

Taxis are reasonably frequent, even on a Sunday, so I taxied back to the hotel, and wandered down the main street that runs alongside it. Ah ha! There was a “TWG (since 1837)” shop – this is a Singaporean brand that I know well. It was definitely time to have a cup of hot tea, made with water that is actually boiled, not just heated. And it was delicious – I thoroughly enjoyed a good, basic English Breakfast style, with a freshly made scone with some tea-infused jelly. Yumm!

This evening was an opportunity to meet my co-travellers. Going into a bar and asking people if they’re Trevor, or John and Eryl, or Charlotte & Stephen, can be a little awkward when you’re a single woman. But I did find Trevor from Sydney – he’s nice, well travelled and down to earth, and has also travelled with Sue before. We couldn’t find the others, but will meet them at 8:00am tomorrow.

Then we’ll be off to the airport to fly to Kitimat, where we’ll stay in nearby Terrace for the evening. On Tuesday we board Island Roamer, and set off on our adventure.

With no WiFi or phone along the way, the next blog post will be in a week or so, when we’re back in Vancouver. Wishing you all a good week ahead!