Day 11 - Upon exiting the Festival of Lights at Van Dusen Gardens last Thursday night, we were handed a complimentary pass to the Bloedel Conservatory. Both events end tonight.
It is still raining today but it looks as if every man and his dog was at the indoor conservatory today. There was a long queue inside.
I wasn't sure how to get there so asked a local again. There was only 1 bus that ran along Cambie and that was the # 15 getting off at 33rd Ave again leaving from opposite Broadway City Hall Canada Line skytrain station.
On my way there were 3 other older ladies visiting the conservatory. One was hauling a shopping trolley full of stuff. She could hardly walk up the steep hill the locals call "Little Mountain" let along pull her shopping trolley so I offrered to take it for her and take it almost all the way to the top. I stopped at the bottom of a small set of stairs and handed the trolley to her. She didn't even say thanks instead asking another man to assist her with her trolley up the set of stairs immediately afterwards.
Outside the conservatory, there was the views if the city below and some sculptures. Some temporary such as the snowmen and some permanent but I could not find the "love lock" sculpture.
After passing through the entrance of the conservatory past the fake snowmen, there was a queue of people waiting to get in. Most with complimentary vouchers like me. I wanted to keep the perforated top stub of the ticket as a souvenir but the entire ticket was kept by the guest services desk.
Inside it was really warm as expected - full of lights and tropical plants and birds freely flying around. There were also fish in the pond.
Being crowed I spend about 1 - 2 hours inside before having to exit into the rain and cold again.
Just beware of birds pooping on you inside the conservatory although it is meant to be good luck. Also condensation falling from the domed ceiling
Rating : 8/10 Bloedel Conservatory is located within the Queen Elizabeth Park. Be prepared to walk uphill to get to the conservatory and nice views of the city. A photographers paradise! If you are visiting Vancouver it still accessable by public transport just as Van Dusen Gardens are. See both attractions.
One shopping centre that is on the Canada line is Oakridge Centre so I decided to stop on my way back from the conservatory to downtown although in the opposite direction unless you get off the # 15 bus at King Edward Station and walk.
Smaller in size this mall is catered towards the Asian community. There is a really nice homewares and kitchenwares store here called Crate and Barrel - rhymes with Wheel and Barrow which is the equivalent in Sydney! How convenient.
Back on the skytrain at Oakridge Station on the Canada line I am so lazy I catch it all the way to Waterfront Station then take the connecting Expo Line back to Burrard Station - yep all of 1 stop, then wait for the # 2 MacDonald bus back to Davie Street - not quite - I stop off at the YMCA to use their free wifi which is better then the hostel wifi and continue my blogging.
Now almost finished I am about to leave to walk back to the hostel instead of getting back on the next #2 and getting off after 2 stops.
Still no success uploading my Festival of Lights @ Van Dusen Gardens video onto You Tube. Apologies. It was for those who missed it as tonight is the last night before the millions of lights are taken down - a day after the Stanley Park's Bright Lights came down.
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