Oh Canada!
Originally published at Travel. You can comment here or there.
Dear readers,
In my last instalment I left you having left Brisbane and arrived into Sydney ready to depart Australia. Apologies for the lack of updates for the past few weeks, I’ve been enjoying the trip, devoting my all my brain cycles to my adventures, and spare moments to catching sleep and relaxing.
After a very long Thursday (courtesy Air Canada), was met at the other end by long time friends, A and E. Had to remember, or be reminded, to get in the correct side of the car for Canada. Canada not being of the 76 countries that drive on the left. Was entertaining for the A and E to watch my reactions to being taken in traffic in the front passenger seat for the first time.
Headed off to A and E’s apartment to freshen up after the long flight. As A famously boasts, “Closer to the airport than the nearest hotel!”. Their apartment has a birds eye view looking out over the Vancouver Airport. The area of Richmond that they live in is being slowly developed and turned into apartment towers. I’m slightly jealous of the view and that it would be a nice place to spend a lazy winters afternoon looking out of the window.
Of my Vancouver experiences, two stick in my mind.
The first was ringing at my bell tower in a foreign country [1] at the Holy Rosary Cathedral. I managed to ring there twice, once for a wedding and once for service. Unsurprisingly, ringers are not a diverse bunch, easily spotted lurking outside towers, and fit into some stereotypes. That said I had a great time and would love to visit them again.
The second was a trip out to the Richmond Night Markets with A, E and Z. We worshipped at the stall supplying Rotatos (potatoes cut in a swirl on a stick and covered in cinnamon). Yum! Wandered past lots of other delicious food smells coming from the other vendors. Looked at the dozens of stalls selling iPhone covers and shaking my head. It was a great market experience.
Sadly, I had to leave Canada for the rest of my trip into the the US of A and crossed the border at of all places, Vancouver Airport. I think I get bonus points for avoid LAX
[1] No, Queensland doesn’t count.