Disembarkation & Vancouver

Saturday night we had a last dinner with our favorite waiter Irvun from Indonesia and Mai from Thailand. All of us except Mary ordered desert, but Irwin presented Mary with a covered plate anyway. When she protested that she had ordered no desert, Irwin lifted the top with a flourish and the word “Nothing” was written in chocolate. Sue and Nick retired to finish packing and Julie and Mary went dancing in the Rolling Stone Lounge. We had to put our luggage (with gray tags) outside our staterooms by midnight. We met for breakfast Sunday morning around 8. The place was jumping. They called our gray luggage group around 9:15, and we proceeded down the gangplanks into a vast hall and found the gray-tagged luggage. A moment of panic when Sue and Nick’s luggage was nowhere near Julie and Mary’s. But we finally located it, passed the customs agent with ease, and followed the signs to exit. It was a mass of humanity and then an uphill climb to street level. We found a security guard and asked directions to Fairmont Waterfront Hotel. She pointed that it was right across the street and said "Good choice by the way." 

   Our rooms, however, were not ready so we dropped our bags and took a taxi to Stanley Park and the Vancouver Aquarium. The Aquarium had a couple of exhibit wings but was packed with kids and reverberated like an echo chamber so we were happy that some of the exhibits were outside.  One had several pools with sea lions and seals that had been rescued and some Stellar Sea Lions did some "tricks" for fish that were being thrown by staff members. There were also some large sea otters playing in an outdoor pool. Another unique feature of the Aquarium was a clear plastic bubble in the bottom of some of the raised tanks where kids could fit their heads in and see fish swimming around them. 

We trekked home along a pleasant path that meandered through the park and along the waterfront. We stopped for lunch at The Lift restaurant on the way, Sue & Nick's room was ready when we got back but not Mary & Julie's so they lurked about the lobby for 45 minutes or so. The 22nd floor rooms were gigantic and luxurious compared to our staterooms and we had a fabulous view of the harbor where we watched the cruise ships, ferries and seaplanes. 

In the early evening Sue & Nick walked to Gastown, an old historic part of town featuring a unique steam clock. It was 5 minutes fast but it played a tune on the actual hour and half hour to the delight of the tourists. Sue thought to head to Chinatown but a large imposing group of homeless gave her second thoughts.

We regrouped and walked to Kirin Chinese restaurant for dinner, a bit of an uphill trudge for a group with tired feet. Place/service was a bit odd but the food was very good& the portions huge so we were all well satisfied for the walk home.

Monday was Canada Day so they were setting up a stage and booths on the street right alongside our hotel. Today the area is very busy; in fact, it's downright crazy crowded. Around 10am Sue, Nick & Julie (Mary had a business call) took the ferry down the street from the hotel across

the inlet to North Vancouver where there is an indoor market and a smallish park.  The area displayed many placards concerning the shipbuilding industry that once flourished in this area. There were several scenic docks reaching out into the water with views across the  harbor.

 We were back just after noon and fought our way through the crowds to grab lunch at the Cactus Club Cafe, a nearby spot along the harbor. Mary spent the afternoon at the Anthropology Museum, which she found quite interesting and picked up some frameable posters. After that we went back to our rooms to chill and regroup.

Just before dinner we went out to hear the band Said The Whale, apparently a local favorite playing at the festival. Their fans were called "Said Heads". Some young people in the crowd pushed right up in front of us and began filming with their phones above their heads. It seemed rude and was disconcerting. 

We then walked a few blocks to Mount Everest Kitchen & Grill for Indian, Nepalese, Himalayan food. It was delicious with lovely service and again giant portions. The place was packed with locals by the time we left. 

We are all exhausted and ready for home. Airport on Tuesday morning...the end of an amazing trip!