August 8, 2012 ---- On our second day, Nathan and I just wandered around the city. We didn't get up early, and we took our time to relax and explore. I got a voucher from Groupon for a Hop-On-Hop-Off bus tour from Fun City Sightseeing.
The Fun City Sightseeing bus was nice but seemed a little less professional than other companies like the Big Bus or The Vancouver Trolley Company. Fun City Sightseeing apparently had only 2 buses on the day we visited, so if you hopped off, you have to wait for a long time to hop on the next one. This was pretty inconvenient if you had only a day or two to explore the city. The guide on the bus was just a young man who seemed to work for tips, and the driver drove really fast to make the round go quicker. I would suggest going with another company....
Nathan and I got on the tour bus in front of our hotel. There weren't any signs telling us where the pick up spot was, but we just waved our hands when we saw the bus approaching us. Because of all the inconveniences I mentioned above, we decided to stay on the tour bus as far as it goes and hopped off only at China Town, the most far spot, and slowly walked back through other attractions toward our hotel.
After we hopped on the tour bus, it took us straight to Stanley Park and passed through Davie Village, Grandville Island, Entertainment District, Library Square, Yale Town, China Town, and so on. Nathan and I wanted to hop off in China Town, but the driver drove pass the designated spot without telling us, so we had to walk about a block through a bad neighborhood to China Town. It was a pretty scary experience.
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| Empire Landmark Hotel |
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| The Canadian mail truck |
China Town
There is a China Town everywhere we have gone to. This one is particularly interesting because of Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden. It is the first full-size Chinese garden built outside of China. There are two parts of the garden, the free part and the paid-entry part. Nathan and I just went to the free part, and I thought that was enough because we have already seen a lot of Chinese gardens in Suzhou, the garden city of China.
There are a lot of authentic Chinese restaurants in China Town. Nathan and I had lunch in one Chinese restaurant that had Peking duck on the menu. I also ordered a bowl of Chinese congee and loved it! After lunch I went to the shop next door to buy egg tarts and steamed buns for my late-afternoon snack. All the food was delicious and cheap!
Gastown
Gastown is a historic site in Vancouver. It's very pretty and unique. The most famous landmark in this town is the Steam Clock. This clock was built to harness the steam and prevent the people from sleeping on the spot in the winter. Nathan and I just wandered along Water Street. There are a lot boutique shops. We found a nice shop selling a lot of expensive wooden masks. We got a key chain for my new apartment in Pennsylvania and love it!
Canada Place & The Canadian Trail
This is a nice spot to walk along the waterfront and get a good view of the ocean and North Vancouver. The Canadian Trail gave some information about the history of Canada. At the time we visited, there were two big cruise ships parked there. I guess they were Alaska cruises...
Walking Back to Our Hotel...
The Harbors and Stanley Park
After taking a rest at our hotel, Nathan and I were ready to explore the city again. Now we decided to walk along the waterfront. The sky was getting clear and the sun started to shine, so it was a good time for a walk. We also walked through Devonian Harbor Park. It was very peaceful, and the water was so still that it gave the reflection of the city. What a gorgeous city!
I wanted to walk all the way to Stanley Park, and we actually got to the Stanley Park Information Center and grabbed a map. However, we couldn't continue walking because Nathan had pretty awful heartburn, and we had to walk back toward the hotel.
At dinner we just had a Korean food at the Korean restaurant close to the hotel. It was good and cheap! I was really impressed with the food in Vancouver.
Sunset in Vancouver
Nathan and I watched the sunset from our hotel room (Empire Landmark Hotel). It was such a beautiful night. We were so tired from walking all day long, so we went to bed early. We would be driving back to the US the next morning, and we were planning to go to Mt. Rainier. ^___^
