Vancouver with Hungarian eyes

Vancouver is no doubt the most beautiful city to fly into. We flew above the Rockies, then above Vancouver and turned 180 degrees over the ocean to land at the airport. You get an incredible view of the mountains to the north, the sea, the downtown skyscrapers, the bridges and the neverending suburbs. And you also see where Canada ends and the US starts. It's a truly wonderful first experience to have with a city. And it only gets better!

Vancouver is a huge city, but most attractions and things to do are concentrated around downtown and north of there, in the mountains. There is something for everyone here: The Vancouver Art Gallery with its permanent collection of Emily Carr works, and temporary exhibitions like Portraits through the centuries, or Toulouse Lautrec (i saw these two there), the Aquarium for kids and kids-at-hearts, Granville Island, fantastic botanic gardens, and of course the great outdoors are just a step away from the bustling roads of the city.

I loved exploring the city and doing day trips, but the single coolest thing i did in Vancouver was go on a whale watching tour. See my separate entry for details on who to go with and where.

Quick Tips:

A quick tip: Do look at the overhead advertisements in the buses and the skytrains because there are lovely poems written by passangers displayed among them.

Best Way To Get Around:

Vancouver has an excellent public transport system with buses running in all directions, and the SkyTrain which is a fast way to get from one end of this huge city to the other fast. There are little ferries and the more robust SeaBus connecting downtown Vancouver with the suburbs, it's a fun ride, you get a good view of the skyline and there is always something cool to explore on the other shore!

I was windowshopping on Robson street and was looking for a place for lunch where I could try the real American hamburger. In Hungary we have the usual American fast food chains, and a very Hungarian style of making hamburgers, but I wanted to try the real thing. (Since then TGI Friday's opened in Budapest too, so the problem is solved.)

I was looking for a place where i wouldn't blow too much of my tight budget but still get decent food. Turns out I found just the right place for that. I had chicken noodle soup (yummy - I am a soup junkie!), and a cheesburger with salad. It proved all my preconceptions about real American hamburgers. It was huge, and meaty (as opposed to the fast food chain versions). For those of you who are all too familiar with your local cuisine, i can say the food was good, and the price affordable. The largest section of the menu is fast food: sandwiches, pizzas, and there are a few other dishes, like pasta and soups. The staff is friendly and quick.

The restaurant seemed to be the hip place to hang out and have lunch with hip people. There were a few business people among the guests, but they tended to be the more relaxed, dotcom-era business people type.

The restaurant is located on the first floor of a building so if you sit by a window it's fun to see all the people running around on very busy Robson street. People-watching with good food -- i loved it!

A friend I met in Vancouver took me out to lunch here because it's her favourite place at which to hang out with friends. I can now see why. It's a very friendly place, when you enter, the wood in the decor and the warm colors of the textiles make you feel welcome. It is rather a pub-like hangout that has a very good menu of dishes as well. I had chicken satay and it was excellent! The place is very busy, very popular, so it's not a very romantic or relaxing place to go to, but if you're out for a fun lunch or dinner, or just a beer, it is definitely a cool place to go to.

This was by far the most exciting experience i had in Vancouver! I have been interested in orcas for quite some time, watched TV specials, read books about them, but i never dreamed that i would be within arm's reach of them in their natural habitats. Turns out, i was worng. :)

Steveston is about a 30 minute bus ride south of downtown Vancouver, a lovely fishing village with some great old buldings and good seafood at the harbor. This is where the only whale watching company that operates from Vancouver is located. When you get off the bus, walk directly to the docks and you will see the sign for the whale watching tour. First you have to go to the office in a nearby building where you get into your funky orange overalls that will prevent you from the wind and salty water of the ride on the ocean.

When everyone is ready they take you to the inflatable boat (don't worry, they say it's safe :) ), and the 40 minute ride begins to the straight where the orcas like to hang out. On the way there you see eagles, seals, sea lions, and more animals. The guides are professional naturalists and they are just as enthusiastic and excited as every passenger that is there for the first time. They answer questions and tell you about the animals you see, as well as the places you see from the boat. Steveston is located at the delta of the Fraser river, and it's incredible to ride over the line that separates the sea water from the river. (I won't describe it more specifically, because it is such a unique site and i never imagined it is like that. See it for yourself!)

When we got to the straight there were already a couple of other whale watching boats there from Victoria, and we discovered a large pod of whales very soon. First they were a bit further away, you could see their fins and the water splashing but not much more. But then they started swimming towards us, they came closer and we could see them better. Then they swam further away again. We hung out there watching them for about 30-40 minutes and then started heading back to Steveston.

And then... the most thrilling thing happened. The whales came following us, and the whole pod swam around our little boat. There was a pair of whales that played their games with us, they swam towards us and then swam under the boat and came back right next to us. It was an incredible experience. I will never forget it in my life. I can't wait to go back to them!

See their official site at www.vancouverwhalewatch.com Their phone number is (604) 274-9565. Whales are in the area only May through October, so that is when you can take the tour.

I visited Vancouver twice so far, and both times I went to the Gallery during my first days in the city. The first time I went in 1999, there was a very interesting theme exhibition about portrait painting through the centuries. A gallery guide led us along and explained what to look for. I felt like I learnt more (much more) in that one hour than during my art history classes in high school. She was very professional, but explained everything so that even non-arty people could see what she meant. In January 2001, when I was there for the second time, the temporary exhibit was a collection of Toulouse Lautrec. It was very good as well.

There is a permanent collection of Emily Carr's work on the upper floor, which is worth a visit in itself! Her paintings really capture that pacific northwestern flair complete with haida motifs, rich green forests and killer whales.

The gallery also has a very well stocked souvenir/art store that has a wealth of books about contemporary and canadian art as well as artwork, reproductions and the usual museum shop souvernirs.

Highly recommended! Their official site lists the current exhibitions as well as opening hours: www.vanartgallery.bc.ca

I spent so much time here during my two visits! While Chapters got lots of criticism when the local non-chain bookstores had to close their doors after the huge brand name boosktore opened round the corner, it is a very cool place to hang out at. It has a special added bonus for me -- coming from Hungary, I have very limited access to English-language books, so this is like a mega-huge specialty bookstore for me. :)

If English books are not a new thing for you - which is very likely the case - you will like the selection. If you can't find what you're looking for at the store, you can order it at one of the several computer terminals for home delivery.

The top floor has a huge Starbucks, with lots of seating, but not enough... it is almost impossible to find a seat in the afternoon. The magazine section is right next to the coffee place and it is absolutely OK to just sit there and read and hang out. Judging by the piles of magazines left at the tables all the time... this is kind of the magazine library of Vancouver.