Leg 16—Jasper to Vancouver: May 15, 16 & 17, 2006

While waiting to board the train in Jasper, I could hear an operatic voice singing in the background, and I see Cameron, the gregarious gentleman that talked a lot on the previous time I was on Train 1. This leg is a continuation of the Toronto to Vancouver route. Both Cameron and I detrained in Edmonton: He spent time with his daughter and I took the bus through the Rockies. Of course, Cameron knew the opera singer.

After waiting for the crew to load and unload trash and cargo, we board the train. An hour away from Jasper, VIA Rail’s Train 1 crosses over the border between Alberta and British Columbia and the division between Mountain and Pacific Time Zones at the Yellowhead Pass. In British Columbia, we travel through Mount Robson, Valemount, Blue River, Kamloops, Ashcroft, Lytton, Boston Bar and Vancouver. We also pass the continental divide: Now all rivers flow west.

Soon after passing the border, the conductor announces that we are passing Pyramid Falls--too fast for me to get my camera. While much of this trip allows time to sleep, we see more of the Canadian Rockies as the train leaves Jasper. The conductor points out Mount Robson, which is the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies. It can be easily seen from the train.

It's time to go to dinner. The opera singer sits behind me unbeknownst to me. He sings a classical and gets a round of applause. He continues his singing, Irish songs, contemporary and popular songs. It becomes tiring to my ears and to other passengers as the applause subsides. I say to the diners at my table, "I wish he would give our ears a rest."

The gentleman sitting directly in front of me points to his lips to shush me, pointing to my back to let me know he is sitting behind me.

After being served and savoring our very tasty dinner, one of the servers yells, “Bear on the left.” I look to my left and see nothing. I look back to see the server, he is facing west and I am facing east. The bear would have been on my right. The server’s loud shout causes a stir in the dining car. As it turns out, no one but the server saw the bear. Maybe, he was trying to quiet the opera singer.

All trees are mature and beautiful the farther west we go. The deciduous trees have sprouted green leaves that are mature now. During the night when most passengers are asleep, we exit the Rockies.

When I awake, I don't eat breakfast--just drink coffee.

As we pull into Vancouver, flowers are seen almost everywhere. The rainfall averages 57 inches each year.

The train pulls into Vancouver Pacific Central Station about 45 minutes late, but it is still early in the morning. In addition to VIA Rail and Amtrak, Pacific Central Station is also served by Rocky Mountaineer tour trains, and intercity coaches run by Pacific Coach Lines and Greyhound Lines.

Amazingly, McDonald's has a concession in the station. I eat a Sausage McMuffin with egg and drink coffee to gather my wits and plan my day.

I will not be able to check-into my B&B until the afternoon, so I decide to take the tour I purchased from Gray Line for their Double Decker bus. I rent two lockers at the Greyhound terminal, located in the same building, to store my bags while I take the tour, but I have a difficult time locating a stop to catch the bus. Finally, after asking several people and walking around the area for about six blocks, I ask a gentleman sweeping the streets where the hop on-hop off bus stops. He points to a sign about six feet in front of us and says, "I think its there." The sign advertises a trolley stop.

When a trolley stops at the sign, I asked the driver if Gray Line stops here. He says, "Get on. The Gray Line tour works together with the Vancouver Trolley Company. The tickets can be used on either tour."

I hop on the trolley. The plan is to tour the entire route the first day and to hop off at certain stops the second day. The tour has 25 stops.

There is plenty to see in Vancouver. It is a beautiful city. The tour guide drives by and points out many famous buildings and tourist sites. A couple of the stops are on Robson Street, which is popular for designer stores and restaurants similar to Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, California. Some locals call it 'Vancouver's Rodeo Drive'.

Stanley Park is a must-see. The tour has five stops in Stanley Park: The rose gardens, Vancouver Aquarium, Totem Poles; rose gardens, again and Prospect Point. The 1,000-acre park is a popular tourist attraction. Beautiful lush green grass and flowers of many species can be seen from the trolley. The park features many huge Douglas-fir, Western Redcedar, and Western Hemlock trees. Tours around the park can also be taken by horse drawn-carriage or by a bicycle-built-for-two. On one occasion, the driver makes an unscheduled stop to allow the passengers take a picture of Lion's Gate Bridge.

The Lions Gate Bridge (officially known as the First Narrows Bridge is a suspension bridge) that connects the City of Vancouver, to the North Shore municipalities of the District of North Vancouver, the City of North Vancouver, and West Vancouver. The total length of the bridge including the north viaduct is 5,890 feet. The main span alone is 1,550 feet, the tower height is 364 feet, and it has a ship's clearance of 200 ft. The bridge has three reversible lanes, the use of which is indicated by signals. The center lane changes direction to accommodate for traffic patterns. The bridge is very well used with 60,000 - 70,000 vehicles crossing daily.

Granville Island, another stop on the tour, features a microbrewery, a Kid’s Market and eating establishments. A public market has fresh produce and seafood, craft shops, theatres, and bakeries. We stop to let some tourists hop off the trolley here and make another stop down the hill to let some tourists hop on.

Riding through Vancouver reminds me of Seattle. The Starbucks coffee houses seem as thick here as in Seattle. In fact, at one intersection two Starbucks are kiddy corner from each other. The driver says the intersection is nicknamed 'Caffeine Crossing'. Both cities have Chinatowns.

The Vancouver Chinatown stop allows you to hop off and visit the second largest Chinatown in North America. Shops with exotic herbs, teas, produce and porcelain collectibles, the Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Gardens, and many restaurants are a few attractions to visit.

The Gastown stop is the older part of Vancouver. It still has cobblestone streets. This part of the city is Vancouver’s first official settlement known for its architecture and art galleries.

I ride through all 25 stops and get off the trolley at the stop I boarded, but I leave my two-day pass on the tour bus. Now, what do I do? I have to change my plans.

I eat lunch and enjoy some refreshments at a pub near the train station, which I learned on the tour that it was built in 1912. The pub is located inside the Ivanhoe Hotel. In 2001, the historic Ivanhoe Hotel changed ownership and was transformed into the new The Central Station Hostel. The beer is cheap. One of the pub owners is serving and tells me he works on volume. I believe it, because the pub is crowded with people.

I strike up a conversation with a friendly contractor, named Paul, who waterproofs commercial buildings. After talking with Paul awhile, I think it is time for me to find my B&B.

I check into Catherine's B&B at 4:00 p.m. in the afternoon. The owner’s son greets me at the door and tells me the owner is out of town. He is the host during my stay here. I ask him where a bank is located in the area. He directs me to a bank, gives me his cell phone number and takes off for his job.

I then check my email at the B&B and log out of the computer.

I walk to the bank about six blocks from the B&B and get cash. I am hungry, look for a restaurant and see at a Chinese restaurant, where I eat chop suey and drink green tea. The meal is delicious. Most of the customers are Chinese.

When I return to the B&B, I see a couple of guests arriving at the same time. I say, “Hello” to each of them and return to the computer to gain access but discover I need a password. The couple is not too happy when I tell them that I logged out of the computer previously.

The guests are an English couple. The gentleman says that I need to call the owner, but his wife says that the owner is on Holiday. I tell them that the son is working and that his sister may be at the B&B later. Apparently mad at me for turning off the computer, the couple ignores me, so I go to my room.

I call the son’s cell phone number—no answer. He has not set up his answering device with his telephone company. I finally reach him later that night, but he will be working late. He says that he will fix the computer when he gets off work. Thank goodness for cell phones. When I awake the next morning, the computer is fixed, but the couple has checked-out.

The B&B does not serve a full breakfast as advertised on the Internet, but there is cereal, milk, muffins and other breakfast foods available for a continental breakfast.

I locate TransLink, Vancouver’s transit network, on the computer. I call them to ask how to catch the bus from my location to downtown. I am told to catch the #8 bus on Fraser, which I take to downtown Vancouver. I window shop, take a few pictures and return to the pub. I learn that the pub is located in the C&N Central Station Hostel.

The station is located steps away from the bus depot and train station, as well as the sky train and city buses. It is also just a short distance from the ocean front boardwalk and the future Olympic village. The hostel offers single beds and private rooms and has a communal kitchen, laundry facility, storage and luggage room, internet café; rooms have cable TV; some rooms have a refrigerator; and free parking is available on the streets around the hostel. If I return to Vancouver again and because I am looking for cheap deals, I may review the hostel as possible lodging.

For dinner, I eat at a deli in a strip center on Fraser. I am disappointed. The restaurant has one person working both as server and as cook and I am the only customer. The food is not very tasty. I don’t recommend eating here. I can't remember the name of the place anyway. I guess that's good.

I return to the B&B and check my email before going to bed for the night. I need to arise early in the morning to catch a taxi to the train station. The #8 bus goes in front of the station, but I need to be there early and my luggage is too large for a city bus. I figure I better eat because I don't think anything will be open this time of morning. I drink some milk, grab a banana and call a cab.

Vancouver is one of the most beautiful towns I have been in. I recommend putting Vancouver in your Canadian travel plans.