The last days in Vancouver

After returning the camper, we took an Uber to our last Airbnb. We still had 4 days before our trip was finally over. Between the excitement of going home and the sadness of the end of our free time, there was a feeling of waiting. We still had to plan the last few days. Vancouver, which has repeatedly been voted one of the most livable cities in the world, has a lot to offer. A very special highlight was still waiting for us: Whale Watching. Leonie has always dreamed and raved about seeing real whales in nature. Vancouver is perfect for that, so we definitely wanted to take the opportunity. We also wanted to go shopping and explore the city. But preferably on a low budget, as Canada was very expensive and we had already exceeded our budget. That's why the Airbnb was a bit outside the city, but all the locations were easily accessible by bus and train. Our host was particularly great. She has been living in this incredibly huge house for 30 years, and now that her children and her husband have moved out, she rents out the rooms and enjoys the company of the many guests. She was incredibly warm and welcoming, and we immediately felt at home, which made our stay even sweeter! On our first day in Vancouver, we went straight to Whale Watching. Excited and full of anticipation, we went to the harbor. After check-in, we had some time to explore the harbor and have a coffee before boarding the boat. Of course, it was very important to Leonie that we didn't take a small boat. Because that would be pushed over by a big whale - it's logical, right? With about 40 people and the crew, we set off in search of whales. The tour was supposed to last 3-4 hours, and the organizer guaranteed that we would see whales. It meant that if we didn't see any whales on the tour, we could come back for free. After seeing the first seals, we quickly spotted something amazing. A killer whale family with a female whale and her 3 calves, who were on the hunt for food. On the menu that day was a seal. We got to witness - as macabre as it may sound - the family hunting and feeding together. The whales resurfaced repeatedly, and we could observe everything. After an hour, we moved on and looked out for other animals. We liked that the Canadians have a law that allows following the animals for only an hour before moving on. This protects the animals and prevents them from being harassed all day long. We hadn't seen this in other countries, but we thought it was better because it's more species-appropriate. It was a great experience and one of the big goals of our trip was achieved. Unfortunately, we didn't get to see any humpback whales that we were also excited about. They are the largest whales besides blue whales and would have been breathtaking just because of their appearance. Nevertheless, we were happy to have taken the tour. On the rest of the trip, we also saw bald eagles and walruses. It's amazing how many different species Canada is home to. We can't compete with that in Germany. After the amazing tour, we spent the rest of the day at the harbor. The adjacent market for mussels, calamari, crabs, and fish was interesting, but unfortunately, we weren't allowed to take photos. It was noticeable that there was a high percentage of Asian visitors and residents. An adjacent museum provided an explanation. Asian, especially Japanese, guest workers were brought to Canada in the past to work in the fish canneries. The canneries have been closed over the years, but the people have stayed. As a result, the area around the harbor has a strong Japanese influence. In general, Vancouver was strongly influenced by Asian and Indian cultures. Our Airbnb host told us that real estate prices skyrocketed due to wealthy foreigners, making it unaffordable for Canadians to buy property. Advertisements, supermarkets, and much more were even partly written in Chinese characters. After the museum, we deserved a little refreshment and treated ourselves to, what else, fish and chips at the harbor. Strengthened and happy, we embarked on the one-hour journey home. We walked through the streets, admiring the houses. The architectural style is quite similar to American, but there were some really beautiful houses to see. We spent the evening relaxing with Domino's pizza and Netflix. The next day, we planned to spend the day in downtown Vancouver. We went into the city after breakfast and returned in the evening. Vancouver is a beautiful North American city. The many green spaces, beaches, and views of the mountains are worth mentioning. These are the reasons why Vancouver ranks so high in the rankings. When we walked through the streets or were at the beach, many people were outside enjoying the great weather. Leonie finally had the chance to go to a Whole Foods store. Whole Foods is a supermarket chain that specializes in organic products. She went there every chance she got while in the USA. The shopping experience was, as the name suggests, an experience, and not comparable to German supermarkets. Unfortunately, we were a bit disappointed with this Whole Foods. It was relatively small, very expensive, and the products weren't very tasty. Annoying, but not a big deal 🤷🏼‍♂️ The highlight was probably the sunset at the beach with hundreds of people celebrating the weekend in small groups. On our last full day, we planned a shopping tour at an outlet center. Like in the USA, we wanted to take advantage of as many discounts and coupons as possible and buy cheap branded clothes. Particularly, Hilfiger and Polo Ralph Lauren are cheaper than in Germany. Basically, the whole day was spent shopping for clothes and last souvenirs. Happy and with bags full of goodies, we returned to the Airbnb and started to pack our backpacks. The next day, after 4 months, we were heading back to Germany.