Stanley Park - searching for the raccoons

18.05.2020 ~ Hiking in Stanley Park:

Monday was a holiday - Victoria's Day - which we used for a hike in Stanley Park. We were surprised that despite the holiday, most of the shops were open. We had assumed that everything would be closed. But that's not the case.

We started our hike by taking the bus to the park and we were lucky with the weather, because the sun was shining and it was pleasantly warm. The park is over 400 hectares in size and is located right next to downtown Vancouver. It is the largest urban park in Canada.

We start our walk at the harbor and walk along the dam that goes all the way around the park.

The first thing we see is Deadman's Island. It is said to be an indigenous burial site. We didn't take a look at this island. We continue to the 9 O'Clock Gun. It is a cannon that is fired every evening at nine o'clock. Julian says that sometimes you can hear the cannon shot all the way to us. I have never paid attention to it or it has never consciously caught my attention.

When we reached the easternmost tip of the park at the little lighthouse, we have a view of the Lion's Gate Bridge. It looks very close and so we think we are almost at our point where we want to leave the dam and go into the forest. After looking at the map, we realize that we still have the majority of our route ahead of us! The hiking trail runs below the lighthouse, which stands on a concrete platform. Many people have carved their initials into the steep concrete wall, and I also find a heart with 'J + K'. Of course, a photo has to be taken first! 😃

Suddenly we see another path that goes under a bridge. This path is a bit hidden and runs parallel to a small stream. We decide to take the path and take a little detour to Beaver Lake. The path looks really enchanted.

The Beaver Lake - called Bieber Lake in English - is really worth seeing. It is covered with many aquatic plants and especially water lilies. Unfortunately, the water lilies are not in bloom yet. That is certainly an impressive sight. An information board explains that due to the many water lilies, the lake will soon turn into a swamp and in a few decades into a forest.

We walk back to the water and continue our way along the dam. When looking at the water and the small beach, we discover a mother duck with her ducklings.

We take the Avison Trail to enter the forest. After a short time, you can hear the cars driving on the Stanley Park Main Street and the Lion's Gate Bridge. After a few minutes, we are on a bridge and can look down on this road. It's incredible that there is a main road crossing the park. Since the other roads in the park are currently closed to cars, the paved roads are used by cyclists and pedestrians don't have to share the hiking trails with them. After one last look at the main street, we continue our way and are back in the forest.

Shortly afterwards, you can no longer hear the cars, and we come to my destination - the Racoon Trail! If a hiking trail is named after my favorite animal, then I will definitely see raccoons here! Unfortunately, that's not true. 😭 So we walk along the short Racoon Trail, which unfortunately goes across a meadow where many people have spread out their picnic blankets.

After talking to some people at the hostel, it seems to be very easy to see raccoons even in the city center. Unfortunately, I haven't had any luck yet.

Our hike continues and we come to the Hollow Tree. It is a huge tree that is hollow inside. It is a famous tourist attraction and has been a popular photo motif for years. Unfortunately, the tree is already dead, so only the tree stump can be seen. To protect it from storms, the tree stump is placed on a metal frame.

After another stretch of forest, we come to the Third Beach. We have only encountered a few people the whole time. But here, there are a lot of people lying on the beach and sunbathing.

After another two kilometers along the dam, our walk ends at the Second Beach and the large meadow. There are so many people here that it's hard to believe. Most people don't really keep their distance, it's quite crowded, and we're relieved when we turn onto the street and it gets a bit emptier.

When we arrived back at the hostel, I noticed that despite my self-crocheted forehead sun protection, I have a sunburn on my forehead.

19.05. - 23.05.2020 ~ The workweek:

At night, I couldn't sleep well because the next day I would have my first day of work alone at the new construction site, and I was very excited. After the safety briefing, I meet Glenn, who assigns me tasks. It's really fun. Of course, I also have to sweep sometimes, but during the week I get many different tasks and I get to do some things completely on my own. Among other things, I am supposed to protect the newly laid tiles on the floor and walls with a covering made of thick cardboard. While doing so, I accidentally cut/stab myself in the leg with my box cutter. But it's just a small sting and not really serious. Sometimes I have to help a colleague who is also from Germany. I take breaks with her and another colleague, and they have welcomed me very nicely. They taught me an English sentence that you can say when you don't want to do something or when you think it's not your task: 'That's not my cup of tea!'

The building has 26 floors and consists of apartments, condos, and offices on the lower floors. The 26th floor consists of three penthouse apartments, each with its own rooftop terrace. On the sixth floor, a fitness studio and a conference room are being created. On one of the floors in the garage, there is a separate room for washing your dog. This room is called Dog Wash Station. In addition, the owners of the penthouse apartments have their own garages in the garage. Glenn tells me that the units were sold 95% within a day.

What's particularly funny is that the two elevators in the building are requested via walkie-talkies, and there is a man in each elevator who operates them and does nothing else all day. The profession is called elevator operator. However, you have to obtain a license that is said to cost several thousand Canadian dollars to operate an elevator.

Julian is working at a construction site that is only a ten-minute walk away. The building is even taller than my construction site and has 60 floors. Today, on Saturday, Julian has to work. He is working off his day off on Wednesday. 😂

Maybe we'll go for a walk at dusk today to increase my chances of seeing a raccoon. If I see something, I'll let you know!