Vancouver
Trip Start
Nov 11, 2008
1
14
22
Trip End
Jan 06, 2009
Vancouver,
British Columbia,
Canada
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Friday December 12th
Well I made it across the border to Canada!
Yesterday I made the most of my last afternoon in Seattle by going to the Seattle Center, a complex which includes the famous Space Needle. After arriving there via Monorail (so cool!) I went to the Experience Music Project; a center dedicated to Seattle's music scene from Hendrix in the 60s (they had lots of his old guitars and outfits on display) to the 90s grunge scene. I also went in the hands-on area where you can play instruments and try out mixing and sampling too... I mixed some songs and played on a drum kit - so fun!!
Next it was to the Space Needle. I got in the elevator and we shot up to the observation deck right at the top... it was so high up!! I took photos as it was almost about to get dark, then sat and had a coffee before taking more photos of the amazing view just after it got dark. The city looked so pretty all lit up.
After some thai food, I got a good nights sleep, before getting up this morning to travel to Canada. I'd been lucky with the weather so far as it had been a bit cold but dry... but it was pouring down this morning and has barely stopped. It's just like being back in London! I got a cab to the station then boarded my bus. The drive took about 2 and a half hours, but we had to stop at the border for a while to go through. The officials checking documents were scary, even the staff at the US airports I've used haven't asked that many questions! But I got through OK and before long we were in rainy Vancouver.
I got some Canadian dollars from an ATM, got a well needed Starbucks then got the Airtrain (overhead trains) to my hotel. I was pleased to see I'm on one of the main streets near lots of shops and restaurants, so just about everything I need is within walking distance... just as well with this weather! After dumping my suitcase, I headed to the Pacific Center, a big mall a couple of blocks away. I browsed the shops, alot of them the same as in the US and UK, including good old H&M where I got a couple of bits. On the walk back to my hotel I spotted this internet cafe literally across the street which is nice and handy... although I have my iPod on loud as there are workmen drilling away doing building work at the back of the shop (its more like a newsagents corner shop type thing with some PCs set up, weird!) and it smells of sawdust. Still, it's only 1 dollar for 30 minutes and 30 seconds from my hotel. I'm about to go get changed then head off for my Friday night - there's a restaurant/bar a few doors along that looks fun and they have rock and party tunes tonight so I think that's where I'll go for a couple of hours!
