And so it’s nearly all over. A short(ish) flight to Vancouver from Toronto, and we find ourselves at the Sylvia Hotel, which turns out to be something of a Vancouver icon. Outside is covered in ivy and inside is wood panelling and pictures of medieval knights in shining order (ok, that IS a bit weird…). It fronts on to English Bay, and is only. couple of minutes walk from Stanley Park.
The day we arrived was warm and sunny and the beach at English Bay would have given Copacabana a run for its money, at least in terms of crowd density. It was probably around 21 degrees which, to be honest, seems a bit chilly to be taking most of your clothes off, but then, we’re conditioned to Aussie warmth, not Canada’s freezing winters!
The next day, we set off for Capilano Bridge (on the bus). If you have no head for heights, look away now… The Capilano Suspension Bridge is one of Vancouver’s most popular tourist attractions, stretching 137 meters across and suspended 70 meters above the Capilano River. Originally built in 1889 with hemp rope and cedar planks, the current steel cable bridge offers visitors what the brochures describe as a thrilling walk. Some might call it terrifying. The bridge sways from side to side, and moves up and down. At times it feels like it’s tipping sideways. My life only passed before me a couple of times, and the International Space Station reporting seeing my knuckles from space. While the bridge can sway considerably as visitors cross, it’s engineered to safely hold up to 96,000 kilograms, making it both an adrenaline-inducing and secure experience that draws over 800,000 visitors annually.
It is the only was to cross the gorge, and on the other side is plenty more to see – the Treetops Adventure, a series of smaller suspension bridges through the forest gives you (literally!) a squirrel’s eye view of the trees. The rees, of course, are huge – did you know, one of thoser Douglas Firs produces enough Oxygen to sustain for human families.
Another slightly dizzying experience is the Cliffwalk, a narrow walkway that clings to the granite cliff face and is cantlievered out over the gorge.
There’s also plenty of wildlife – squirrels galore (and they’re feisty!), birds and a couple of experts with birds of prey, including a beautiful peregrine falcon – not native to British Columbia, but often used for pest control.
Our final day we decided to walk through Stanley Park to the Prospect Point lookout – in a way, this was how our journey first started. The BBC series Race Across the World which we watched and which inspired us to visit some of the places visited in that series, began at the Prospect Point lookout. The walk through Stanlay Park – 3.7km there and back again – is stunning. The park is one of the largest urban parks in North America. Covering more than 400 hectares, it features beautiful forests, scenic waterfront views, walking and cycling trails, beaches, and the iconic Seawall. The park is also home to cultural landmarks, including Indigenous totem poles, making it a popular destination for both locals and visitors. And the view from Prospect Point is worth the walk:
And so our Canadian oddysey is over. We’ve seen so much – wild coastlines, big horizons, waterfalls and mountains, big cities… but what we will remember most of the friendliness and kindness of the Canadian people.
We’ll be back.
