Once we had checked into our hostel, there was no time for jet lag as we set off with our local expert and pub tour guide Rob Murphy to see what Vancouver had to offer. First stop on the pub tour was cocktails at the expensive Georgia Hotel, with the hope of spotting a celebrity. We then headed up to the Skydeck revolving restaurant where we enjoyed 360 degree views of Vancouver. Next we ventured out of Downtown Vancouver and into the old town of Gastown. Beer tasters at the Steamworks Brewing Company followed and then we finished off the night with traditional Canadian shots called Fireball shots at The Bourbon.
Vancouver pub tour with Murph
On our second day in Vancouver we hired bikes and rode around Stanley Park. The 8.8km ride took us along the seawall, with views of the Lions Gate bridge and the harbour. The views looked like they were straight out of a Twilight movie with the tall pine trees and snow covered mountains in the background. We were keen to see some wildlife but only managed to spot a squirrell. John had a stack on his bike which was pretty amusing also.
Riding around Stanley Park, Vancouver
Later on that night, we were pretty excited to be heading to the Pacific Coliseum for our first Ice Hockey game between Vancouver Giants and Kelowna Rockets. Even though the NHL is currently on lockout, we managed to find a game in the Western Hockey League instead. The ice hockey was one of the things I was looking forward to most in Canada and it didn't disappoint! The atmosphere was awesome and we loved seeing players getting slammed into the walls of the rink. Admittedly, I'm not an expert at the rules of ice hockey but was surprised to find out that when the puck was hit up in the air, players could catch the puck in their glove and drop it on the ice to play it onto their stick. Unfortunately the Giants lost 3-5.
Ice Hockey at Pacific Coliseum
Vancouver Giants vs Kelowna Rockets
The following day was an early start as we checked out of our hostel in Vancouver and boarded the Snow Bus to Whistler. On Day 1 of Whistler we were eager to smash out some runs. As we got on the first lift we realised that lifts close at 3pm, as it starts to get dark around 4pm. An early finish each day didn't seem to matter because by about 2pm my body was starting to get sore anyway.
We learnt 4 things about Whistler:
1. The runs are much longer than what we are used to back home in Australia.
2. The runs are wide and comparable to the width of a highway.
3. The runs are steep. A blue run here is equivalent to that of a black run at Mt Buller.
4. Pretty much everyone in Whistler is Canadian or Australians. We spoke to more Aussies than any other nationality.
Snowboarding at Whistler
Day 2 we set off for the peak of Whistler, 2182m in elevation. Once we reached the top, we decided to have a go at the Peak to Creek run, an 11km run from the peak to the bottom of Creekside. By the time we had finished the run every muscle in my body was aching, I had cracked the lens of my goggles and feared that I had fractured my coccyx again after a big fall.
On top of the world on the peak of Whistler
Day 3 (New Years Eve), we took the gondola over to Blackcomb. I'm not sure if it was because I was sore, but I didn't enjoy the runs on Blackcomb as much as I did Whistler. We reached the highest point of Blackcomb, which is actually higher than Whistler at 2240m. As we lined in the 50m line at the Whistler liquor store, the excitement of New Years Eve was starting to kick in. Back at the hostel we experienced our first red cup party and enjoyed a game of pool with our fellow backpackers (all Australians of course!). We met James and Michelle who were staying in the room next to us, also from Victoria, who were at the end of their 3 month trip through Europe, America and Canada. They gave us plenty of helpful advice for New York, LA and Las Vegas. We headed in to the village to a pub called GLC, where we spent most of the night. Safe to say it was a huge night and quite an eventful one but as they say, what happens in Whistler, stays in Whistler!
New Years Eve in Whistler Village
Day 4, I attempted to snowboard but was so sore and so hungover from the night before, I only lasted 2 hours before I headed back to the hostel for some much needed sleep.
Day 5, our last day at Whistler. It hadn't snowed for a few days now but it was a perfect bluebird day so we got the Go Pro out and did a bit of filming. After some last minute shopping in the village, we were back on the Snow Bus for the long trip back to Vancouver. Whistler, I'll miss you but I'll definitely be back!
During out last day in Vancouver, we got the ferry across to Granville Island where we looked around the markets and shops, stopping off at the Granville Island Brewing Co. for more beer tasters. We caught up with Murph again and said our final farewells as we prepared for our next destinations: Calgary and Banff.
Beer tasters at Granville Island Brewing Co.
Things I have learnt about Canada so far...
- Tipping and tax is annoying but you quickly get used to it. When looking at the price of food or clothing, I automatically try to calculate the tax. We were pretty generous with our tips at first but I think we are getting the hang of it now.
- Drinking and dining at pubs in Canada is a lot different to pubs in Australia. Everywhere you go it's table service, which I assume has a lot to do with tipping culture over here. It's so strange that you can't walk up to the bar to buy a drink and it makes it quite difficult to meet other people.
- In Winter, it is dark by 4.30pm. This really confused us on our first day in Vancouver. It felt like it was about 9pm when really it was only 5pm. In Summer though, it is light until about 10pm.
- They drive on the right side of the road. Well this I already knew but I was surprised to find out that you can turn right at anytime, even with a red light.
- Vancouver has one of the highest rates of homelessness in the world. It is not uncommon to see people sleeping on the street during the day or to be repeatedly asked for money.
- There is weed everywhere! You either smell it as you walk down the street or someone is trying to sell it to you or buy it from you. Rhiannon and I caught the peak to peak gondola from Blackcomb to Whistler and an American guy decided to light up a joint in the gondola.
- A Canuck is actually a slang term for Canadian. Some of our guesses were a Canadian bird, duck or shark.
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