Vancouver - a city like no other

Vancouver, British Columbia, is scenic, diverse and vibrant. I was lucky to have had an opportunity to visit during the World Routes Conference. Though I was busy with work, I did manage to have a chance to look around the city.

There are plenty of parks and gardens in Vancouver and the most famous of them all is Stanley Park. It is a 1000 acre park, much of which is forested. It has an 8.8 kilometers seawall which is used by pedestrians, joggers, cyclists and skaters. Prospect Point is a good lookout point to view the ships passing by and from where you have a good view of the Lions Gate bridge. The totem poles also give you an insight into the culture and history of the Canadian Indians.

The sunken garden in the mined out area.

Flowers everywhere

Monkey tree

Chinatown in Vancouver is one of the biggest in the world. Has many interesting sights other than the shopping, that you will feel you are not in Canada.

The other famous garden is the Dr. Sun Yat Sen Gardens which is in the centre of Chinatown. You are instantly transported into a classical 15th century Chinese garden with breathtaking display of architecture, landscaping and culture of the Chinese immigrants.

Gastown is another interesting area of the city. Along the brick streets of Gastown are antique lamps, hanging flowers, a clock that blows off steam every few minutes, and all sorts of Canadiana you'll want for your picture album when you get home! If you hunting for a souvenir of Vancouver, this is the place to find it! During the day it is fun exploring the cafes, art galleries, and shops specializing in aboriginal art and soapstone carvings. At night there are good restaurants and some Vancouver night clubs worth checking out. (Bryan Adams even has a recording studio located here!)

Robson Street is the main shopping street in Vancouver, Canada. It is also a main tourist strip to walk around relax at a local coffee shop and then shop some more.

Canada Place is another distinguishing landmark. It was originally built for EXPO 86 and is combination hotel/convention center/cruise ship terminal. It is an outstanding piece of architecture along the Vancouver waterfront from where one can get excellent views of the Mountains and North Vancouver.

Canada Place from the air

Granville Island is not really an island but a small peninsula of land located underneath the Granville Street Bridge on the the south side of an ocean inlet called False Creek. Granville Island Public Market is the best market in Vancouver! Fresh produce, plants and flowers, all sorts of baked goods, seafood, cheese delicacies and even chocolates make the 50-plus stalls here the best attraction on Granville Island.

Day trips to Seattle (the Boeing factory) are also possible. Alaskan cruises commence and terminate in Vancouver.

I was also lucky to be invited to ride on a Cessna over Vancouver. It looks lovely both on ground and from the air.

The city skyline and Stanley Park