Day 12 | 09/09/2018 Seattle - Vancouver

We are now traveling from Seattle towards Canada... on the Interstate 5, it is always a bit crowded at the border, so we took a detour over a highway. We had to wait for a few cars, but the passage was completely uncomplicated. The customs officer was very friendly, asked about our stay, if we had been to Canada before, and how long we wanted to stay. I answered all his questions and he wished us a pleasant stay. We were a bit worried about drinks and food, but we only had a minimum amount with us, so there would have been no problems even if there was a check.

After almost 2 hours drive from Seattle, we reached the metro region of Vancouver with almost 2.5 million inhabitants, a dream destination for me since the 2010 Olympic Games... but it was immediately dampened. The rain caught up with us along with the border. But to be honest, we had expected it much earlier and had been very lucky so far. With the rain come the clouds and the visibility is very limited. This only allows us to imagine the beauty of the third largest city in Canada, located fantastically between the Pacific and the mountains. We then headed for GasTown, the historic old town with the world's first steam-powered clock that regularly attracts tourists from all over the world with steam and whistling sounds.

On the way there, I must admit, we drove through East Downtown and Hastings Street. It was only in the evening that I read that this area is Canada's drug slum. People who live here on the street in one of the most livable cities in the world, often with their belongings hanging on them, that you couldn't even tell if it was a man or a woman, let alone estimate their age. People and fates who already live a life unworthy of human dignity at the edge of society. It is very depressing to see what kind of shelters they build for themselves in doorways or bushes. Even though we accidentally stumbled into this area, I'm glad to see something like this. It always shows us that we really have very little reason to complain.

GasTown, just a few hundred meters away (in Canada we are back with familiar measurement units), is a complete contrast. Chic shops, clean nicely paved streets, and tourists taking selfies with a smile on their faces. Like us, of course.

We also found a Starbucks, and another cup ended up in the souvenir bag. We parked our car in a parking garage on Grannville Street. Parking garages work here like regular parking lots. You simply drive in, get a ticket for the desired time inside, and don't need to insert anything when you exit. Unusual but nice and easy. We paid 7.50 Canadian dollars for 3 hours, which is less than 5 euros. That's okay. Since it didn't stop raining, we could get a cookie and coffee to warm up and dry off. That's also very affordable, 7 dollars for all three of us.

When we retreated back to our car, we took a little improvised city tour, including the Stanley Park and the Lions Gate Bridge, which rises just as impressively as the Golden Gate over the Pacific foothills.

Unfortunately, we couldn't take a picture of the bridge as a whole, because firstly the visibility was very limited and large parts of the coast were covered with industrial or other buildings.

But despite the bad weather and the shocking images on Hastings Street, we can still imagine what Vancouver has to offer. Openness, many contrasts, and a great location with advantages for every taste. Let's see what tomorrow brings, because we will stay here for two nights.