If I was still in Whistler this weekend it would be just as bad as the previous weekend when all the colleague kids cross the US Canadian boarder just for the MLK long weekend public holiday to invade the whole of Whistler resort, tearing it apart and making it their annual party central. Stupid things happen such as throwing glass into the hot tubs and pool in my apartment block from their balconies resulting in them having to be drained and out of service during my entire annual stay or setting off the fire alarms in my apartment block and around Whistler at 2 am in the morning on numerous occasions, waking everyone up until a squadron of firefighters in multiple hooting whirling and flashing red sirened firetrucks arrive to shut it off. Often you hear a more then 1 fire alarm go off in the early hours of the morning around Whistler.
Technically annual Australia Day celebrations in Whistler begin on Friday the 25th January 2019 as we are 1 day ahead and 5 hours behind and there are always the early celebrators staggering through the village on Friday however the real Australia Day celebrations in Whistler Village are on Saturday 26th January 2019.
The whole of Whistler is again fully booked and another invasion begins this time of Aussies ( as if there aren't enough in Whistler already) - another party central weekend ( usually after Robbie Burns celebrations and sometimes co - inciding with Whistler Pride Ski Week) however without the glass throwing from balconies into pools and hot tubs or the fire alarms being set off in the early hours of the morning. No it's more about don't drink and ski - I swear I spotted cops on the mountain one year random breath testing!
Every year rain, hail or snow hundreds of Aussies proudly wear their flags around their necks and either head for the slopes for a weekend of skiing or line up at the crack of dawn at the Long Horn in shorts, t-shirts, flags and thongs waiting to get in. Yes RAIN, HAIL OR SNOW - LOTS OF SNOW! burrrrr! We aren't afraid of the cold. The line into The Long Horn curls around the building or down the main street of Whistler Village.
The partying continues all day and into the night on Saturday ending in the early hours of Sunday - it is all there Wet t-shirt competitions, night clubbing at Garfunkles , outdoor cricket and of course the top 50 is played - Midnight oil or Men At Work anyone? Cartons of VB yes not Fosters ( does that even exist?) , Tim Tams, Lamingtons, Pavlovas , Vegemite and of course meat pies , sausage rolls and bbqs all appear on Aussie Day in Whistler . I have spent many an Aussie Day in the past in Whistler however have never been inside the Long Horn nor gone night clubbing at Garfunkles instead opting for a quiet meal & a drink at Blacks ( unfortunately being hit with a surprise cover charge just to get in on Aussie Day - so UnAustralian being an Australian ) or prebooking a more sophisticated mountaintop dinner at Crystal Lodge where there are other non partying Aussie families.
In the good old days , the "Welcome To Whistler" sign was covered over by someone to read "Welcome To Australia" and the caption in a ski magazine which annually boasts "Whistler #1 Ski Resort in North America" was instead most well know by the public as "Whistler Aussie Ski Capital of the World"
This year I am back in Vancouver on Australia Day and have prebooked a sold out session for the 8 pm seating dinner at the @ Vanouver Aquarium pop up restaurant as part of the annual Dining Out Vancouver Festival ( which runs mid Jan - early Feb annually) on 26th January 2019.
The 6 pm session on 26th January 2019 was sold out before I couldn't even get my hands on tickets. The once only Australia Day dinner @ the Medina also part of Dining Out Vancouver was also sold out well in advance. Bloody fellow Aussies!
I recommend a meal or celebration on Aussie Day in Vancouver, as an alternative ( if you can get in ) at Mooses DownUnder which is also an annual Aussie Day party central venue however not part of Dining Out Vancouver.
Ok before I can indulge I must go to the gym. So off I go to the YMCA for a shallow aquafit class from 9 am - 9.45 am. Done.
A quick rinse off and back to the HI for a proper shower and change of clothes and a quick brunch.
First stop to view the food trucks at the back of Vancouver Art Gallery as part of the Dining Out Vancouver Festival. A few photos and onto my next stop - a little disappointing this year but very tempted to stop at The Fat Duck Food Truck - It's menu is nothing like what the real Heston Blumenthal's Fat Duck restaurant would offer. This ( I hope I don't get sued for using the name) Fat Duck Food Truck's confit duck and rice or Philly cheese duck sandwich tempting but no thanks. There was no meat pie truck this year and it seemed not as many food trucks participating. Rating : 6/10 hence gave it a miss this year. At lest this outdoor event wasn't in the rain this year!
Next stop exchange some A$ for C$ at Charlie's Currency Exchange - laundry money not for money laundering! ( I think anyone who has been keeping up with the news in Vancouver will get my joke)
Onto the visitors Information Centre at Canada Place - got a $2 off coupon to go on the Sea To Sky gondola- damn it book online and it works out exactly the same! So I just booked it for tomorrow. I have to pull out my ski gear from storage again tonight - it is going to be a late night!
Ok onto to my next destination White Rock . It's so far away but I have to go! Caught the Canada Line from Waterfront Terminus Station to Bridgeport or River Rock Casino then got on the 351 Cresent Beach bus at Bay 8 which was waiting when I arrived. Got off at the very last stop near the top of an extremely steep hill which is approximately 4 blocks down to White Rock Beach. Refer Facebook for photos. - Heartbreak Hill is no competition for this extremely steep hill! So steep and so long it is a side walk with grooves all the way up along it - imagine it covered in snow during the Winter - how would you ever get up or down it?! It would be slippery as.
I jog down the hill and finally reach the beach which has been fenced off all the way along. To access the beach you have to climb over the rail fence walk over the train tracks and climb down onto the beach which people were doing as it was low tide just to get a closer glimpse of the promenade. I was tempted to but because I was going out to dinner tonight was wearing inappropriate clothing for trespassing high wired fences and getting sand in my boots.
I took quite a few photos of the sun setting from above the beach. This is history I am recording. Over the years I have walked along the promenade quite a few times but this year just before Christmas a wild wind storm damaged the promenade so badly it cut it into 2 sections. To repair the missing middle section of the promenade demolished by the wind storm is estimated to cost millions with the original estimated cost underestimated. This year's annual polar bear swim was cancelled in White Rock.
Refer Facebook for details and photos
A few photos attached below - amazing sunset
White Rock Beach is veey close to the US Canadian border crossing and has a freight train raiway line between the US Canadian border passing along it which runs twice a day back and forth once on the morning and once in the afternoon. This fence runs all the way along the railway line - maybe Trump can use this fence for his "build a wall project" along the Mexican border - it certainly is a lot cheaper! No need to seek funding!
The White Rock Museum a gallery and little shop note there were no rest rooms - temporary portaloos erected outside the building.
Sunset @ White Rock
Heartbreak Hill no competition compared to this steep hill I walked down!
View of the damage to the promenade from the wind storm in late December 2018. To access the beach people climbed over the fences @ low tide
Final stop dinner at the 8 pm seating of the pop up restaurant at Vancouver Aquarium as part of the Dining Out Vancouver Festival. I arrived early therefore a spare table was available so I could be seated earlier @ around 7.15 pm. Special dietary requirements non lactose no mushrooms or truffle and no shell fish.
Entree I chose salmon tacos with no dietary modifocations. Rating : 7/10 I would have given it a higher rting if the acidity wasn't left off the plate and the seasoning wasn't so overdone. A touch of herb would not have gone astray either.
Main I chose Steelhead with the only dietary modification of the almond cream sauce. Rating : 7/10 not my favourite course because it was very fishy and fresh fish should not smelly fishy unless it was due to the bloodline not being removed. Maybe I should have chosen the chicken dish as my main.
Dessert I chose the milk chocolate cake with a dietary modification of fruit instead of Tonka bean custard espresso and gelato. Rating : 9/10 - you must save room for this dessert!
Overall excellent service although I was interrupted whist on my phone calling a taxi to take me back to where I was staying downtown.
Refer Facebook for full comments and photos.
As I was finushing dessert I booked another taxi back to the HI. It cost me double what it cost me to get to the Aquarium . The taxi driver kept chatting and took the very scenic route - he begged me not to take any other cabs - what other cabs ? there no other cabs around ! Stop texting and dialing my phone!
Vancouver Aquarium entrance at night - I was there to eat the fish but Didn't get to see any fish. It was an Oceanside menu.
The menu choice
Entree Salmon Tacos
Main Steelhead with beets
Very simple table settings - easily cleared between the 6 pm and 8 pm seatings
Dessert chocolate cake with fruit
Sunday 27th January 2019 - No Gym Day
It is nearly time for me to return to Sydney to deal with my problematic life I temporarily left behind but before I do - just one more adventure. It's one of those adventures I tossed and turned about whether to do or not and decided to do last minute. Did I make a mistake in doing it? Would I have been better off using the funds to do something else?
Well so far the answer is yes I should have done something else. It seems a very poorly organised day trip.
I booked it yesterday and instead of doing it myself online which was the same cost as booking it in person at the Vancouver Visitors Centre where they booked it online for me. If you book online you have to book it at least 12 hours in advance which I did.
So I got my ticket or so I thought but when I didn't receive a confirmation email I panicked and sent an email to Sea to Sky Gondola which did not actually have me on their list so when I get there I have to waste time at reservations converting my ticket to a real ticket. Next year definitely not doing this tour again!!!! This was not a "You'll never never know if you never never go" day tour - ie just don't go spend your time on a day trip to Whistler. Not worth pulling out my snow shoes poles ski clothes and hiking boots from storage just for this day trip so far!
Wait for the Squarmish Connector Shuttle or Sky to Sky Shuttle at the Hyatt Hotel and my name is not on the list. The bus makes 2 more stops at Library Square and the main stop at Canada Place. There is a group of people that get on the bus. The bus is full with the last 2 walk ons. Why was I told the bus was not full yesterday and that I could do a walk on which I was not as I had a prepaid ticket just not a confirmation email? Tip don't use the Tourim Information Centre book it yourself online or at a ticket or sales counter.
Luckily it turned out to be a perfect clear sunny day out at the Sea To Sky Gondola and I was right about wasting time having to exchange my voucher for a ticket - almost everyone else had their tickets so could head straight up.
Got on the gondola and it is a very long way up - and I thought the Peak to Peak was long!
As soon as I got to the top I headed straight for the Suspension Bridge - I wasn't quite confident the first time so turned back but once organised by placing my snow shoe bag across my shoulder to secure it, I walked across to the other side and viewing platform. I took so many photos of the magnificent views of the village lake below and the surrounding snow capped mountains.
Next stop put on my snow shoes which kept seizing up. Frustration! Then headed to the Panorama Trail - everyone was heading along this trail with or without snowshoes poles or crampons (yaktrax).
I had no idea where I was going but followed the trails and everyone else - pure tranquility. Reached a few viewing points the main one being the Chief's Lookout. What a view and photographer's paradise!
Completed the trail back to the Summit Cafe to stop for a wee and more photos. Then continued along the Spirit Trail and a stop for a snack. More photos.
Still with some time up my sleeve I then continued down to view the tube park viewing platform and to the beginning of the Wonder Lake trail. No sun here and when I googled how long it would take me to complete this trail decided not to risk missing the gondola back down for the shuttle back to Vancouver. I only has 30 minutes left so a quick look at the souvenir shop to purchase a pin then listen to the live music performed and more photos from the outdoor viewing platform.
2.30 pm took the gondola down. Wow. Not recommended for people with fear of heights although completely enclosed and safe.
Shuttle back to Vancouver back to the Hyatt Hotel by 3.50 pm ahead of schedule with a stop at Canada Place where the majority of people boarded the shuttle.
Rating : Sea To Sky Gondola 9/10 must do tourist destination especially on a sunny day in Winter. Customer Service Rating : 5/10 very unimpressive.
Next year must do the rafting bald eagle watching tour.
Photos on Facebook (far too many photos taken to select and upload)
End of another day
Tomorrow will be my last day in Vancouver before flying home.
I am so ready to go back to work - have to pack wash dry shop etc and plan for events to attend once back and for the rest of the year.
Hopefully I will be more organised next year!
Could the people from the unknown region please identify themselves - it is blocking my analytics!
Monday 28th January 2019 - My Final Day In Vancouver
Today it was a last minute shopping packing washing drying organising day.
I briefly went to Broadway City Hall by sky train on the Canada Line to go to MEC to purchase some replacements. I only managed to find a replacement snow shoeing bag for CAN $22.40.
I then took a walk down to Joe's No Frills Supermarket to get some groceries for my last meal tomorrow.
Oh yeh I forgot I needed to go to an aquafit class today because I had to work off that huge chicken burrito I had at Chipotle ( I have always wanted to try it and this year finally did! ) Not bad similar to our Gomez chain of Mexican! Rating : 8/10 not as tasty as our burritos ( better as lower sodium content) but really worth trying as it is packed with not just protein or pinto beans if desired but vegetables hot or mild sauce and just a sprinkle of cheese or sour cream if desired - same as in Sydney avocado is extra. Recommended not to walk and eat this burrito , dining in better as these burritos are huge! Needs cilantro!! And what's with the lack of acidity- where is the lime!!!!
Then it was back to the YMCA to ensure my membership was cancelled and do a final shallow aquafit class.
Back to the HI for a proper shower then out to the Independent for a few more groceries then breaking my strict diet with not 1 but 2 slices of pizza - vegetarian rocket and sundries tomato and oh no pepperoni and I don't even eat pepperoni - I was hungry. oops there goes my aquafit class again.
After pizza I stayed up to wash and dry my clothes which takes an hour and a half. Bed by 11.30 pm. New roommate wanted to go to sleep.
Semi packed ( some clothes can't be put in the dryer are hung overnight to dry) . Tomorrow sleep in do nothing except organise myself ready to go home.
Tuesday 29th January 2019 - Depart Vancouver Back To Sydney End Of My Vacation
It was another no gym day today although I could have fit one last session in.
Instead today :-
Last take away meal at T & T Chinatown photos below
Last purchases from Shoppers Drug Mart of creams for my Ezcema and extremely dry skin.
Last purchases of some Chinese wheat bread and a Chinese New Year rice cake in the non traditional flavour of coconut for my family in case I see them.
Last minute local chocolate bars from Marketplace IGA for myself and a slab of maple cheese ( I hope I can get this back to Sydney through customs and quarantine! It is vacuum sealed and pasteurized). Yep it did get through - I had more trouble getting it out of Canada then I did getting into Australia!
Some candy for my little niece if I see her ( nothing for her brother because he stole my favourite stuffed possum and hide and graffitied my entire travel diary.Having ADHD is not an excuse!)
I think I am all shopped out. I still have to repack my ski bag and put any last minute purchases in it ( including my frypan I have been travelling around with) .
There is also the packing of vegemite sandwiches oats and to prepare the chocolate cake in a mug which I have been saving until last to have on the plane.
YHA railway Square overnight booked so I can go to work without being locked out of the apartment or beaten by my violent demented father again. ( irony as soon as I landed and waiting for my luggage off the carousel at Sydney Airport , I rang work as I received a message from work that my shift was cancelled).
I just need to book a shuttle or just get a taxi to my storage facility to dump my bags . They are not going home this time.
A quick grab of a change of clothes and work clothes from home - unless I have a spare uniform in my storage facility. Then straight to the YHA. Maybe grab some frozen and non perisherable groceries as well although I may not need it for dinner and lunch for work the next day - well the above was my plan. Nothing ever goes to plan!
I am about to write about what happened in my final hours in Vancouver and there is a surprise twist and a real rant as well.
It is a custom of mine to visit Costco on my very last few hours of my annual vacation. I never buy anything I just go there to look, nor do I have any desire to try their CAN$1.50 hot dogs and don't understand why people queue up to buy them. By the way I still use my expired Costco card to visit.
Next, back for a walk around downtown Vancouver for a few more edible gifts. I hope the coffee crisps for my boss survived after being handled so much by security at the airport!
Back at the HI dinner and catch up with my German roommate who was also taking a late flight and making snacks - potato for her flight.
Now the twist - whilst I was in the kitchen - a guy spotted me and thought he knew me from somewhere but could not work out from where. I thought I had seen him somewhere too. It then dawned on him that I was a guest staying at Melbourne Central YHA where he had been working for the past 3 years. He has now moved to Vancouver. Wow what are the chances! He had to tell his ex fellow workers back in Melbourne by messaging them. I showed him the drink and coffee vouchers I was given for my birthday which I had not used yet from November 2018 and carrying round. He had to take a photo of them as evidence. He had been in Vancouver for a week now - I asked him why he didn't say "Hi" earlier? He said that he had not seen me until tonight around the HI Downtown Vancouver. Facebook friends now.
I took my luggage out of storage and checked out at the last minute. I asked reception to call a taxi to take me to the airport round 8.30 pm my original departure time just in case my flight was amended again to being on time. I received so many amendments to departure times via email I could not keep up - even the French guy that moved to Vancouver was checking my flight for updates - just as well I didn't leave later then 8.30 pm as the 3.20 am departure notification I received was incorrect - correct departure time was 1.20 am which I confirmed upon checking in at the Air Canada counter upon arriving at Vancouver International Airport.
So what was causing the delay ? Snow storms in Toronto where the plane was flying out of - the French guy had assumed this as the reason as well. We all knew that whilst the entire Southern and Eastern coast of Australia has been burning, the Interior and Eastern Coast of Canada was freezing over. This has been the most extreme and severe season of weather patterns with the attention focused on Australia and Canada with polar opposites.
Yellow cab taxi actually showed up this time quickly. Very nice driver and cheap too.
Arrived at the airport but not after receiving email after email about flight delays which turned out to be incorrect as mentioned previously. We were checking departure times right up until boarding the Air Canada flight back to Sydney at the gate - right up until an announcement was made to switch off all electronic devices!
Now for my rants. I was 3 kg over when I checked in at the Air Canada counter at the airport. Do I cop the additional CAN$100 overweight charge on my main suitcase? Damn CAN$56 frypan now costing me an extra CAN$100. I cough up the funds as I have no room to reallocate stuff to my snowboard bag - which they didn't weigh or care about as it was a snow boarding bag. Usually they do care and weigh it. I checked in online but did a manual check in as I wanted to find out if there was any compensation for the delay. Not this time round.
Second rant - Canadian security is becoming like the nasty American security. It doesn't help that this service is subcontracted out by the airport. I was forced to pull out everything by the security officer who was not only rude but touched all my food items in my snack bag. She made me put all my gels and liquids from my toiletry bag into a smaller plastic bag and she confiscated a few items as well . I had medication for my eczema and allergies and had to tell her she can't confiscate them. In the end there was toothpaste everywhere and sugar all over my jacket. I had to give her my foundation ( which was almost empty) a mini bottle of liquid soap some perfume and I got rid of a few empty or near empty tubes including my eczema cream. She insisted I had a bar of soap in my snack bag and kept searching through my bag - it was no bar of soap but a 500 g Chinese New Year Rice Cake! Big bar of soap hey ?! Why would I keep a bar of soap in a food only bag ? She also insisted food looks like liquid on the xrays . I asked the security personnel stationed around in black uniforms about how I can lodge a complaint about how I was treated through security and the officer led me to the manager. Nothing wrong with the security personnel dressed in black but the manager was just as rude when I lodged my complaint about the way I was treated.
Onto gate D51. Can't wait to board the plane and get back to Sydney. No more adventures for a while. Looking forward to getting back to work - so I thought.
The flight from Vancouver to Sydney was delayed until 1.20 am on 30th January 2019 and this kept changing from the emails sent as notifications. one email notification actually said delayed until 3.20 am on 30th January 2019. This turned out to be incorrect.
Finally boarded the plane and once on board swapped seats with a family who had been split up and it worked out as I could not get my backpack under my original seat due to an obstruction which took up most of the space under the seat. The plane was fully booked not a spare seat and people were cramming more then 1 piece of carry on in the overhead lockers allocated and I thought I was bad with my carry on luggage - my 1 wheelie bag was nowhere as big as the ones people tried to cram into the overheard lockers. This is why you need to board the plane as soon as you can in your zone. If you board last you are unlikely to get a space in the overhead locker above where your seat is thanks to some bag hogging passengers!
Dinner and a midnight snack I didn't really feel like eating probably because dinner of white rice white fish and brocoli was so bland and dry it was unpalatable and the midnight snack of a bun with what might have been turkey was so soggy it was inedible - I had to use a knife to scrape off the turkey or whatever mystery meat it was. Breakfast is always my favourite a serving of mixed fruit an omelette sans dairy potato wedges with half a roma tomato and a touch of basil. Either I was extremely hungry or just liked the breakfast served. I had already eaten the Tim Hortons turkey club I purchased - yum could have done with 2 of those! Then there was my vegetable crisps my freshly peeled and washed cape gooseberries Chinese wholewheat bread with butter and vegemite etc. I always pack my own fresh fruit and snacks for my long 14 - 15 hour flights - warm fruit or fruit cups provided by the airline are usually inedible.
Landed almost noon 31st January 2019 by the time you clear customs and claiming your luggage which kept falling of my luggage cart and holding up people behind me.
Whilst waiting for luggage to appear on the carousel, I switched on my phone and there was a message from my manager who had cancelled my shift tomorrow and changed the roster so I only work 3 days a week now so I don't start work again until Wednesday next week. Not really happy about this as I was asked to work 1 day a week at Balmain but find out the roster has already been done for February so I have lost 3 shifts during February aleady. Really not happy as I had already booked to stay overnight at YHA Railway Square Thursday night so I don't have any hassles getting to work Friday.
I had taken a taxi from the airport to my storage unit and dumped my ski bag and main suitcase only taking enough essentials with me to the YHA. The taxi cost me just as much as it would have if i had taken it home and it would have cost me less if I had booked the ASN shuttle home. Oh well it was so hot I didn't care.
Had a great day and night at the YHA anyway as it was so hot I just had a shower and slept all day then at 8 pm when it cooled down went shopping for some groceries for dinner at the nearest Woolworths.
Had a nice conversation with a French guy over dinner in the main dining room and kept up on Facebook with Bastian ( the French guy who knew me from the HI downtown Vancouver)
Next texted my cousin in Canberra to find out if we have any relatives in Melbourne with the surname Lau - I am curious wouldn't it be funny if my roommate at the HI in Vancouver turned out to be my 2nd cousin?!
I was surprised after declaring my food items including a block of expensive maple cheese that I was allowed straight through.
Next to the taxi queue but it was stinking hot 32 - 34 degrees C outside I forgot to get water for my drink bottle whilst on the plane tberefore had to buy some from Hudsons Coffee Shop.
No more adventures for a while need to look for somewhere to live and a new job! When I returned the next day the ceiling in the kitchen had collapsed and it was so hot the flies were all dead in the kitchen.
Spending the weekend packing and throwing things out.
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