In the middle of December, Chad let us know that he was getting married in two weeks on New Year's Eve in Vancouver. Chad and his fiancé, Andreina, wanted to get married at International Arrivals in the Vancouver Airport Terminal where they first met, but since that was against airport rules, they decided to hold the ceremony at the Fairmont Vancouver Airport Hotel inside the terminal instead. Initially, Tori and I couldn't make it on such short notice and planned to go to their later summer celebration party but Andreina secretly contacted us and we planned to surprise Chad by arriving on the day of his wedding. To get there in time for the ceremony, we needed to wake up at 3am for the earliest flight out of San Diego. After breakfast during a short layover in Seattle, we landed in Vancouver at 12:30pm. Since we had 3 hours before the wedding party arrived at the Fairmont, we checked our bags at the hotel front desk and explored the terminal. We discovered the nearby Sea Island Outlets were two stops away on the SkyTrain so we headed over there to kill time. With our heavy winter jackets still in our luggage, we were lucky to have sunny skies while walking around the outdoor shops and Tori was able to find a warm scarf she needed for the trip at Roots.
After returning to the airport, we hung out in a terminal bar waiting for Andreina's 3:30pm call to go up to the hotel suite and surprise Chad. We started to worry as it neared 4pm with no news since the Chinese Tea Ceremony was scheduled for 4:30pm. We decided to collect our bags from the front desk so we would have enough time beforehand to change our clothes. As we rode the escalator up to the hotel, I panicked when I saw Chad across the lobby with his back to us. I quickly turned to escape down the escalator before he saw us but I hit the glass barrier with a thud while Tori scurried to hide behind the nearby Christmas Tree. I saw Chad turn his head right as I also dove behind the tree, hoping he wouldn't notice us. As we crouched behind the tree, Chad's confused face came around the corner and spotted us. While our coordinated "Sneak Attack" with Andreina failed, Chad was very surprised and happy to see us on his wedding day! We all worried he had figured it out, but he had no idea! It was busy in the large hotel suite overlooking the airport as we changed and met the other guests before the Chinese Tea Ceremony, a wedding tradition where the bride and groom serve tea to their elder relatives as a sign of respect and gratitude. Andreina wore a traditional Qun Kwa dress, bright red with elaborate embroidery, while her sister prepared and handed the tea cups to the bride and groom during the ceremony.
After a dress change by the bride, the Wedding Ceremony started at 5:30pm. It was wonderful to listen to their prepared vows and honored to be able to hand over one of the rings. I am so grateful that Tori and I were able to make it on such short notice. Afterwards, we all went downstairs to the beautiful hotel restaurant for the reception dinner. After a tasty meal, we all returned to the room for the cutting of the wedding cake and champagne toasts. Since we woke up at 3am, Tori and I were too tired to stay and celebrate the New Year at midnight so we rode half-asleep on the SkyTrain to Downtown Vancouver. Getting off at Yaletown-Roundhouse Station, it was a long walk uphill to our hotel, the Residence Inn. Tori and I were chilly despite our heavy jackets, but the Canadians in the long lines outside the crowded clubs on New Year's Eve were lightly dressed.
On New Year's Day, we still had six days left to explore the city but Tori woke up feeling very nauseous. (She has been a Vegetarian for over six months, but Tori decided to eat the salmon the city is famous for at dinner. We both think her body reacted to eating meat for the first time in awhile.) I went down to the crowded dining room for breakfast, but Tori had no appetite for the banana I brought back. While Tori slept, I went to the nearby Granville Pharmacy and took a walk around the neighborhood. Since Tori still wanted to sleep, I rode the bus to the Vancouver Lookout at noon. The rain clouds were starting to roll in, but the 360 degree views were still great from the observation deck atop the 28 story Harbour Centre building with the audio tour describing all the sights. The Vancouver Harbour Air Control Tower sitting on top of the nearby skyscraper is the highest air traffic control tower in the world and regulates the heavy seaplane activity. For lunch, I ate a tasty Greek Burger at Vera's Burger Shack before returning to our hotel to watch a movie while Tori slept. For dinner, I joined Chad, Andreina and his Aunt Christina at Maxine’s Café & Bar. I had the Kale Salad and the "Philly Cheesesteak" appetizer, thinly shaved beef served atop sesame fry bread with Anaheim peppers and cheese sauce. Pretty, pretty good!
Tori felt a little better on a rainy Thursday morning and really perked up after drinking a Gatorade that I bought for her. At noon, she felt well enough to go to Chinatown with Chad, Andreina, Christina and I for Dim Sum at Jade Dynasty Restaurant. Tori took it easy with just the Congee rice porridge with mushrooms, but the rest of us ordered way too many items to share. They were all delicious, especially the Pan-Fried Pot Stickers and the Mini BBQ Pork Buns. (They were not mini at all! Huge!)
Tori was feeling tired after lunch so she drove back with the rest while I stayed behind to explore Chinatown in the rain. I bought a cheap umbrella at a local store and went over to Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden. It is the first Chinese garden built outside of Asia, opened in 1986 with the help of landscape architects from Suzhou, China which has a similar winter climate to Vancouver. It was very peaceful listening to the rain while walking under the covered courtyard walkways, modeled after the famous garden-homes of Scholar officials from the Ming Dynasty. Across the Jade Water Pond from the garden is Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Park, which is free and open to the public. Both locations are named after the leader of the 1911 revolution to overthrew the last Chinese Emperor and became the first president of the Republic of China. I also visited the Chinatown Storytelling Centre a few blocks away which tells the history of the Chinese immigrants in the city. Afterwards, I took a city bus to the Embarc Hotel where Andreina works and where they were staying for their honeymoon. Their top floor room had beautiful city views. Since Tori and I were still full from Dim Sum, we skipped dinner and relaxed watching Netflix shows in our room.
On Friday, Tori finally felt back to normal and we went to breakfast at the nearby Breka Bakery & Café to say goodbye to Chad's aunt who was driving home to Eugene, Oregon. Since Tori and I were meeting Chad & Andreina at 1pm to visit the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park, we went for a morning walk through the West End of Vancouver. We followed Davie Street through the LGBT+ community of Davie Village to English Bay Beach that borders Stanley Park at the far end. It rained most of the way, but we had fun mimicking the poses of A-maze-ing Laughter, an outdoor work by Beijing-based artist Yue Minjun that depicts 14 laughing bronze sculptures of himself.
In the afternoon, we took the free shuttle bus to the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park in North Vancouver with Chad and Andreina. The park started as just a suspension bridge built out of hemp ropes and cedar planks over the Capilano River in 1889 until it was replaced by steel cables in the 1950s. The current bridge is 460 feet long and 230 feet above the river. As we crossed over the wobbly bridge to the other side of the canyon, we spotted a bald eagle perched in the trees below us.
After crossing the bridge, we walked the Nature's Edge Boardwalk through the beautiful old growth rainforest with ancient trees over 1,500 years old along the rim of the canyon. Since we were visiting over the holidays, the park was lit up with lights and music for their Canyon Lights event between November and January. Finishing the loop, we stopped at the cabin for Otter Balls, puffy mini-pancakes that reminded me of the tasty Poffertjes in Amsterdam.
After our snack, we climbed the treehouse stairs to the Treetops Adventure. Seven suspension bridges connecting eight platforms on 250 year old Douglas Firs trees, held up by adjustable, non-invasive collars that exert less than a thumbprint’s worth of pressure per square inch on the trunks. Each tree was lined with colorful lights, with the highest platform 110 feet over the forest floor. It was very cool!
Crossing back over the canyon bridge to the park's newest attraction, we entered the Cliff Walk that opened in 2011. The cantilevered walkway hangs 30 stories over the Capilano River Canyon, running 700 feet along the granite cliff. One giant tree along the path had grown sideways out of the cliff face before bending 90 degrees straight up. The best part of the walkway was when it arced away from the cliff with sheer drops on either side. The return trail followed a stream with the surrounding vegetation decorated with holiday lights. We shared some delicious Poutine before boarding the bus back into the city.
Returning to the Embarc Hotel to pick up Chad's car, we drove out to Burnaby to have dinner with Andreina's parents. According to Chinese wedding tradition, she hadn't seen them for the first two days after her wedding and she was now returning on the third day. Since Adreina's family arrived to Canada from Venezuela, they served that country's traditional Arepas. I loved the thick maize flatbreads that we cut open and filled with cheese, beans and meat. I definitely ate one too many!
On Saturday, Andreina had to return back to work so Chad joined Tori and I on a shopping visit to 4th Avenue in the Kitsilano neighborhood. Nicknamed "Kits", it is beachside community just across False Creek from Downtown that started out as a Hippie enclave in the sixties. Our first stop was Fjällräven where Chad and I bought some clothes before heading over to Roots and Lululemon for Tori. Kitsilano is the location of the very first Lululemon store that opened in 2000 and now has over 600 stores around the world. Men’s apparel is now in the store's former Lululemon space while women’s moved into the new expansion in 2017 when they took over the Midas Automotive next door. We also stopped at Saje Natural Wellness where Tori and I bought some essential oil.
After walking the entire shopping district on 4th Avenue, we stopped at Sophie’s Cosmic Cafe for lunch. The Greek Salad was very good! After Chad left to take care of some work emails, Tori and I walked to the Granville Island Public Market that sits on the island under the Granville Bridge. The covered market opened in 1979 for farmers and food vendors in the former industrial wasteland and now is surrounded by restaurants, shops and theatres. Inside the crowded market, we stopped at the Northern Bars stall for the Nanaimo Bar, a popular three-layer desert bar named after the nearby city on Vancouver Island.
After stopping at the Lee's Donuts stall for their popular Honey Dip donut, we walked outside to the marina to catch an Aquabus across False Creek. We traveled down the length on the narrow inlet bordering Yaletown on the small ferry boat until we reached the Plaza of Nations at the far end. When we exited we saw a pair of bald eagles perched on top of the nearest building.
Heading back into downtown, we walked past BC Place stadium that hosted the 2010 Winter Olympics and Rogers Arena, the home of the Vancouver Canucks to catch a SkyTrain. It was raining hard after we exited the station and walked to the Marine Building to explore the beautiful interior of the Art Deco skyscraper built in 1930, but it was closed for the weekend. Instead, we caught a bus to Robson Street so Tori could visit Herschel Supply Co. where she bought a new travel bag. At 6pm, we met Chad, Andreina and her sister at La Belle Patate for poutine, fries topped with cheese curds and gravy. I also tried one of their Steamies, a Montreal-style hot dog topped with bolognese, cheese and onions.
After our meal, we all headed down to the Waterfront Terminal to catch the SeaBus to go ice-skating in North Vancouver. With two ferries crisscrossing Vancouver Harbour, it was a quick 10 minute ride, but we ended up arriving at The Shipyards fifteen minutes before the rink closed. Even though we couldn't skate, we had fun taking pictures pretending on the edge of the ice and going for dessert at Earnest Ice Cream. We both ordered the Cookies & Cream, but Tori tried the vegan version.
When Andreina's sister left to meet a friend after we returned on the SeaBus, the rest of us visited the nearby Gastown, the city's first settlement. The area reminds me a lot of the Gaslamp District in San Diego. We walked down the wet cobblestone streets to the famous Gastown Steam Clock, built in 1977 to cover a steam grate. The miniature steam engine in its base drives a chain lift that powers the clock. It was cool to see the steam flowing out of the fives whistles at the top that blow every quarter hour to signal the time. Our last stop for the night was 6 Acres pub where I tried the Pickleback Shot, a shot of whiskey followed by a shot of pickle brine. Very Intense!
For breakfast on Sunday morning, we walked over to Trees Organic Coffee in Davie Village. The quiche was good and the barista drew a cute bear in the foam of Tori's mocha. Since the sun was supposed to come out, we took a bus to Stanley Park and visited the Nature House on Lost Lagoon that contains exhibits about the park's plants and animals. Blue sky was starting to peek through the clouds as we began our walk along the seawall that circles the park.
We had only walked a short distance before we decided to rent Mobi bikes that we saw others riding along the seawall. We spotted some seals swimming near the shore as we rode past the Brockton Point Lighthouse to Lions Gate Bridge. We had to back track a little to reach the steep trail up to Prospect Point Lookout. It was quite a workout, pushing the heavy bikes up the dirt path that passed under the bridge.
From the lookout, we had a great view of the Lions Gate Bridge that was built in 1938 to connect North Vancouver to the city. The construction was financed by the Guinness family who later sold the bridge to the government in 1955. After our uphill climb, we now had a fast bike descent down Stanley Park Drive until we reached Third Beach where we rejoined the Seawall all the way back to the Lost Lagoon where we saw the iconic Canadian Geese along the shore.
For lunch, we met Chad at JAPADOG for their Japanese-style Hot Dogs. Tori and I tried the Terimayo dogs with Teriyaki, Japanese Mayo and Seaweed while Chad ordered the Yakisoba dog topped with fried noodles. The Takoyaki balls were tasty too! Afterwards, we stopped at London Drug to check out a Canadian drug store. The sun was fully out with clear skies as we walked to Robson Square Ice Rink for our third attempt to ice skate in Canada, but we thought the small rink was too crowded to enjoy.
On our walk back to the hotel, we stopped at Tim Horton's for coffee and some TimBits. For our last night in the city, we went to Sushi Mugen with Chad and Andreina. Along with the Tuna Tataki Salad, I ordered the local B.C. Roll, a sushi roll invented in Vancouver by Japanese chef Hidekazu Tojo when he used salmon skin in place of the traditional salt-water eel in 1974. The barbecued salmon skin was nice and crunchy. Tori tried their Veggie Gyoza and one of their vegetarian sushi rolls. After dinner, we tried a "Malta", a Venezuelan Malt Drink that Andreina recommended from El Paisano Latin American Grocery Store next door before going back to our hotel to pack.
We woke up early on Monday morning to get breakfast at Breka Bakery before Chad and Andreina drove us to the airport. It's a bummer that we were leaving on a sunny day, but we plan to come back to Vancouver again in summertime. Tori got one more coffee from Tim Horton's before we boarded our plane. Back in San Diego, we used Lyft for the first time to get a ride home from the airport. Very convenient!
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