Oh, Canada!

The only way to describe Vancouver is Hollywood meets New York only with a small town feel. You see the stressed out business running from building to building amidst the hustle and bustle of the crowd the cameras of Hollywood are filming the next "big" hit. It is a city, but the people are friendlier then most city types and the streets are clean and safe which is unheard of in most metropolises.
The city was named after Captain George Vancouver who claimed the land in the name of England in 1972. Originally it was sought out for it’s potential lumbering and fishing industry, but when gold was found in nearby towns prospectors couldn’t make it to Vancouver fast enough to claim their fortune. Unlike most towns that saw the rush for gold Vancouver didn’t dry up into a ghost town; instead a cross-country railway was built and people stayed.
Although the city way of life has taken over Vancouver still pays tribute to its original inhabitants as well as its diasporas communities. Stanley Park showcases totem poles of native tribes that lived in the area; China Town rivals that of the one in San Francisco, and in Gas Town houses that the railroad lords once lived in still stand.

Quick Tips:

Stanley Park shouldn’t be missed. A walk along the seawall will make anyone forget his or her worries. Besides beautiful ocean views, Stanley Park has wonderful gardens, buses that run loops around the park, an aquarium, and many historical sites. There is something for everyone here. One word of advice; when walking the seawall make sure to look down to see all of the fat, purple starfish that can be found there.
Architecture buffs should head to Gas Town. Located there is the world’s first steam-powered clock, as well as the first saloons in Vancouver, and other historical buildings.
Those who want to escape the hustle of the city should head to China Town to visit Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Chinese Garden. This garden was built to recreate the Ming-Dynasty gardens in China. Guided tours are amiable.
There are also ferries that leave everyday heading to other islands in the area.

Best Way To Get Around:

Flying to Vancouver was a breeze. My flight arrived in the late afternoon, and after all of the warnings about how busy Vancouver Ineternational Airport is I found it almost empty and easy to navigate. I opted to not get a rental car because I was only in town for a couple of days and figured that I could walk or take taxis. Also parking can cost up to C per day to use a garage. Overall Vancouver it’s hard to navigate. Outside of the airport I picked up the Airporter (800-668-3141) a small bus that picks up at the airport and drops people off at local downtown hotels. My hostel wasn’t on the list of drop off places, but the driver got me as close as he could and I only had to walk a block and a half. The Airporter starts at 6am every morning and costs C. Tickets can be purchased outside the terminal.
Taxis are another option. Taxi stands are located around the city or one can be flagged down. The easiest place to find them is outside any major hotel. They cost C2.50 as a flat rate then C.45 per every kilometer after that.
Buses, trains, and ferries are also found in Vancouver, but most of my traveling I did on foot. I found that the city is treasure trove of hidden gems that would never be seem from the back seat of a taxi or a bus. From where I was situated in my hostel it was about a 30 minute walk to Stanley Park and 20 minutes to Gastown.

Quiet, low-key, well kept, and best of all cheap; what more could anyone want from a hostel. Located in the heart of downtown Vancouver, Hostelling International is only a stones throw from all of the attractions that the city has to offer. Rooms start at $25 USD and sleep four people, but there are also private rooms for a higher price.
As a shoestring traveler (as in I have no money so I got to come up with creative ways to stretch it) I love hostels, and this was one of the best that I have been to. The rooms are small and bare, but they are clean and have lockers in them to store your travel gear. The bunks are huge, large enough that I could sleep comfortably with a suitcase in my bed (don’t ask).
The bathrooms were also a pleasant surprise. The bathrooms are public, with several stalls to shower and a few stalls for toilets. However they are clean. Through my entire stay I never once saw a mess larger then a puddle that someone created by getting out of the shower.
Downstairs the front desk offers help on joining tour guides, getting taxis, or just on getting suggestions on where to go for the budget traveler. There is also someone at the reception desk 24/7 to help with any questions or concerns.
The hostel does offer a few amenities such as Internet access in the lobby, a small patio to sit on and relax, bike rental, and a storage area. Also on site is a small library with a take a book, leave a book policy.
Although the idea of staying in a room with three other strangers might not seem like the ideal vacation I found that this hostel attracts a cast of unique individuals that were fascinating to talk to. My roommates for the short time that I was there included two girls from Quebec, who were working there to see Vancouver for the summer, and an older Australian women who was on an endless world journey in order to avoid working.

I had only a few days in Vancouver before I was moving on and had to make the most of my time. My first full day in Canada I woke up early and walked to Stanley Park; my original intentions was to spend a half day there before moving onto Gas Town. Once there my plans changed. I didn’t realize that this was Vancouver’s equivalent to Central Park in New York. Stanley Park is 404 hectares park/forest, filled with more attractions than Disney World, and the biggest tourist destination that Vancouver has to offer.

There is a path called the Seawall Promenade that winds around the park offering views of the ocean as well as the cargo ships waiting to enter the port. They do offer shuttles that run the perimeter of the park as well. I decided to start off walking. I found that this was the best way to see the most possible, and quickly began stumbling across several attractions the park has. Just off of the main path is a small area dedicated to several totem poles of natives that lived in the area. At the base of each pole is an explanation of what each pole represents.

Once back on the Seawall I passed the 9’o clock gun, which fires each night at 9. The gun is surrounded by a fence, which I though detracted from its interest for me. I walked the trail for about 3 hours without turning off onto one of the side trails. Along the way there was a lighthouse, several large, purple starfish on the rocks below the Seawall, views Lions Gate Bridge, but my favorite was the Girl in a Wetsuit just after Brockton Point. The statute sits on a rock out in the water. Once of her legs is extended down the side of the rock and is said that her toe touches the top of the water at high tide.

Soon after I turned off a trail in search of Beaver Lake. It was exactly what it promised a lake, but I saw no beavers and was surprised to see how over grown this section of the park was in comparison to the other well-manicured areas.

After leaving the lake I became hopelessly lost. Luckily there was a wonderful woman from California who took me under her wing for a while, and not only helped me back to the main gate area, but also took me around the rose garden. Once back at the main gate I wasn’t ready to leave because I hadn’t even seen a ¼ of what the park had to offer, but it started to rain. Instead of trying to continue my tour of the park on foot I jumped on one of the free shuttles that go around the park. This way I got to see the actual forest that I didn’t see while walking along the Seawall and missed out on the rain.

Although the name might sound odd at first Gas Town got its start after the English sailor "Gassy" Jack Deighton settled the area. When I told people at the front desk of my hotel that I wanted to go to Gas Town I was given two warnings, don’t go in the early morning and second, don’t go at night. Their warnings weren’t without merit. Prior to the '70s Gas Town was home to Vancouver’s skid row.

Taking their advice I went after 9am, which was a perfect time because the area wasn’t busy yet. I quickly found out that there is really nothing more than souvenir shops, Victorian buildings, and cobble stone streets there. Its biggest attraction is the steam clock located on the corner of Water and Cambie Street. Every 15 minutes it lets out steam similar to that of a Steam train. However, the clock isn’t powered by steam at all, it’s an electric clock. I turned into a Starbucks next to the clock, where I got a cup of coffee and enjoyed the "show."

Gas town is a fun place to go if you are a tourist and are looking for survivors like a moose wearing a Canadian souvenir or a shirt that say "My friend went to Canada and all I got was this stupid shirt." It only worth and hour or two of anyone’s time to tour the area.

At night there is a truly different side to Gas town. Although I did feel comfortable in the area around the clock but beyond that it was dangerous in my eyes, especially when you cross the train tracks. In the time that I was in Vancouver I had to pass through this area at night to get to the docks where I was working on a cruise ship. Each time I was with a large group of people (25+) and was still harassed by people on the street. At night Gas Town turns into skid row. I had the misfortune of being there on the Friday that welfare checks were passed out and witness more than one person shooting up on the street, tweaking out, and even one person passed out with a needle in their arm. Later I started to take taxis to avoid this area, but found it hard to find a lot of drivers who were even willing to go though this area.

Just on the opposite side of Gas Town is China Town. It’s anything, but hard to miss. Think of any typical China Town that welcomes people with a giant red archway with dragons. My time here was all to short, not only was I short on time, but I choose not to stay there long because in just a few short weeks I was going to China and felt that there were other things that I wanted to see in Vancouver instead.

My one reason for going to China Town was to see Dr. Sun Yat-sen’s Classical Chinese Garden…it didn’t disappoint. The garden was build solely from items sent from China with the intention of showing visitors the Taoist philosophy of harmony in nature. It is the first full-scale classical Chinese garden built outside of China and covers one hectare of land.

Built to the designs of the Ming- dynasty; the garden offers beautiful ponds and walkways that twist past waterfalls. I truly had the sense that I left Canada and was transported to China.

Free tour guides only enhance the experience. They turn a beautiful lake into a meaningful work of art and harmony and explain how the garden was built to flow from one sight to the other and the symbolism of it all.

Admission is $8 for adults for more information visit their site. The garden is one of the most popular sights in Chinatown and possibly in all of Vancouver. Early mornings and late night, just before closing, are the best time to stop by in order to miss the crowds.