Day 1: Vancouver

Our night ends at 7 am, the children's at 4 am. So we start early in the day. Vancouver is located right on the Pacific Ocean and has a population of 700,000. It is one of Canada's most densely populated and ethnically diverse cities. We take the subway and are in the city center in 20 minutes. Unfortunately, the weather is not good, it's raining. Luckily, we are wearing the right clothes. We watch the seaplanes take off and land as well as the large cruise ships at the promenade. A 5-meter tall structure reminds us of the Olympic flame from 2010. On special occasions, a flame is lit here. In downtown Vancouver, there are many high-rise buildings with modern art and green spaces. The adjacent lively district of Gastown is known for its whistling steam clock as well as a mix of souvenir shops, independent art galleries, and interior design stores in Victorian buildings. The steam clock is the first gas-powered clock that plays a short melody and releases steam every 15 minutes. Unfortunately, it was converted to an electric motor in 1994.
Now we walk to the adjacent Chinatown, the largest neighborhood in Canada. The part is opened by a large Chinese gate. We choose not to visit the Chinese garden and take the bus towards Stanley Park. The poverty shocks us. Many homeless people and drug addicts, who consume drugs in front of us, live on the streets.
Stanley Park is the largest urban park in Canada with 404.9 hectares and the third largest in North America. Since the weather is still not better, we decide to visit the aquarium. Admission is expensive at $175 (130€). Among other things, you can see dolphins, sharks, beluga whales, sea lions, seals, and sea otters. In total, around 300 species of fish, thousands of invertebrates, 56 species of amphibians, as well as 60 mammals and birds live here. We are also excited about a 4D cinema. A 15-minute film about the salmon run in connection with the grizzly bears is shown. Not only images are used, but also physical effects (wind, water, smells, etc.) combined. The panicked look of the salmon as it flies narrowly past 2 bears is priceless.
After 3 hours, we leave the aquarium and want to visit one last attraction, but decide against it. During a short coffee break, David falls asleep on the table. He is totally exhausted. We take the metro back to the hotel and buy our dinner at the nearby supermarket. Today, we also go to bed early, the jet lag is not only affecting the children.