Our nice hotel in Vancouver with a nice Pizza Restaurant downstairs. Just joking! Vancouver has a seedy side. This dump is not far from the Central Railway Station! Some parts of downtown Vancouver are crawling with beggars/druggies/scumbags along with the plain, unfortunate homeless. You quickly learn where NOT to go.
Canada Place in downtown was built for the 1986 Vancouver EXPO
This view from Vancouver Lookout building with Stanley Park showing up green beyond the sails of Canada Place
Another view from Vancouver Lookout showing the Stadium which was immediately opposite our hotel. The YWCA Hotel is handily located and is hidden here behind the building in the foreground
The SEABUS is part of the very efficient Vancouver transport system, linking the SKYTRAIN underground system with Lonsdale Quay in North Vancouver. From Lonsdale Quay a comprehensive bus sytem is used. A full day pass costs just $9 and includes travel on all these systems
A bus from Lonsdale Quay goes to Grouse Mountain where a gondola ride up will set you back $59. Nice views though.
The water near the base of Grouse Mountain is Lake Capilano, with the highrise of West Vancouver in the distance
The price of admission is worth it just to get up close and personal with the two resident grizzlies, Grinder and Coola. Both are 11 years old and were orphaned as cubs. Having a home here is a better alternative than dying as cubs
The busy Floatplane Terminal between Canada Place and Stanley Park. I found this walk just as interesting as actual Stanley Park
Coal Harbour Marina is passed next on the walk to Stanley Park
A view back to downtown Vancouver from Stanley Park showing Canada Place and Vancouver Lookout, the building with the round viewing structure on top
All the buses operating in central Vancouver are electrically powered, this one going between Stanley Park and the Seabus/Skytrain Terminals
Granville Island Markets are popular and best accessed by small ferries which also service the surrounding False Creek area
This is the larger of the two types of ferries used
The markets are popular and crowded, selling everything from souvenirs to food
