Oh, Canada! - Vancouver

After fourteen hours, I arrived in Vancouver, Canada, and it took only a few minutes after leaving the airport for the culture shock to hit me. After months in Central and South America, Vancouver seemed so big and tidy. Buses ran according to schedule and the stereotype that Canadians are nice was immediately confirmed. Passersby pointed out that my shoelace was untied and helped me find the right bus. I wanted to stay with a Couchsurfing host. It was the first time I slept alone on a complete stranger's couch.

My host, Jon, turned out to be very nice. He is a young man who lives in a suburb outside the city with his dog in a new single-family house. He spontaneously offered to pick me up directly from the airport, even though I had already booked a hostel room for the first night, which saved me the trouble. In the evening, Jon gave me some tips for activities in the city over a glass of wine, and in the morning I set off towards downtown after a cup of coffee. I rode to the Pacific Central Station, the central bus station for long-distance buses (I planned to buy a ticket for the bus to my next destination in Canada there, but ended up booking it online). From there, I walked through China Town and Gas Town, and finally to the harbor and seaplane terminal in Stanley Park.

In the Chinese garden, I had to smile. I travel around the world to visit China, only to admire a tiny Chinese garden on the other side of the world. A few blocks away, I suddenly found myself among junkies. As I later learned from my host, Canada, and especially Vancouver, has major problems with drug addicts. Just a few blocks away, I encountered a lot of tourists admiring the steam clock in Gas Town. I quickly left them behind and went to a restaurant where I had heard about on a TV show, for a hearty Canadian breakfast with pancakes, fried eggs, and gravy, before continuing my walk.

By the water, I watched the seaplanes take off and land for a while and visited the rose garden in Stanley Park. I don't usually like roses, but all the different varieties there looked so beautiful... I didn't stay long in the park as it started raining again.

Back at my accommodation, Jon told me about the 'Grind' at Grouse Mountain north of downtown Vancouver. The Grind is a steep path that leads up the mountain and many Canadians run up it as a sport - the faster, the better. From the top, there is a great view of Vancouver on clear days, and there is also an enclosure with grizzly bears. That's where I wanted to go the next day. Jon warned me that it's more of a sport than a leisurely hike. But I thought, I've already done so many hikes on my trip, a one-hour hike should be a piece of cake. So, the next morning, I first went to the city and had breakfast at Tim Hortons (of course!) and then took the ferry and bus to Grouse Mountain. It was raining again and didn't stop during the entire hike. But that was better than sunshine and heat!

I quickly found the start of the trail and started climbing. My goal was to complete the trail in one hour or less. I was highly motivated! After about twenty minutes of steep ascent, I reached the first sign that informed me that I had completed one-quarter of the way and that it would get even steeper from here on. Great! I was already quite exhausted, but turning back was not an option. So, I continued to struggle uphill, now with the sole aim of reaching the top. And as if that wasn't enough! I was constantly being overtaken by other hikers (more than I passed myself), and most of them were significantly older than me! After one and a half hours, I finally reached the top. A woman who was waiting for other hikers at the top saw me and asked me with a smile how long it took me. After I answered, she still looked at me with a smile, but also somewhat surprised and concerned. Well, Canadians are fit!

At the top, I wasn't even rewarded with a nice view. Everything was shrouded in clouds, and I didn't even think about the grizzly bears anymore. Instead, I took the next gondola down and returned to my accommodation, where I took a hot shower. By the way, I also tried to sample the local cuisine in Canada, but the Canadians I asked agreed that there isn't really a typical cuisine. In Vancouver, there is plenty of good, fresh fish, and therefore very good sushi. So, Jon and I went out for sushi (really delicious!) and then I went straight to bed because the next day I was going to my next destination in Canada.