Vancouver

So I just realised that for some stupid reason I didn't post about our biggest vacation for a while, back to Vancouver. This vacation was Late May to Late June, about 5 weeks. We booked an air bNb in downtown Vancouver so we could relive the similar things we enjoyed when we were living in Vancouver a few years ago.

So this was a bad idea with a baby, we should have gone for a suburban lower density accommodation because we hit Vancouver during a "heat wave", so the apartment was in the high 20's all the time, and we couldn't cool the apartment as there was no A/C and the douche bags down stairs smoked 24/7 so when we opened the windows for cool air, we also got smoke which is not preferable with a baby. F$%k-wits!

Anyways, it was great catching up with all our friends again and revisiting favourite restaurants and sights. Morning runs and swimming in Kitsalano and Second Beach Pools was amazing!

We made it into the Oakanagen to see Heis, Dev and Becky. It as a great escape from downtown Vancouver.

Then unfortunately there was bad family news back home, so we had to change plans and return to Adelaide asap. Within a few days we had bailed on that shitty Vancouver apartment and were headed to cold Adelaide winter weather. Making the best of a shit situation, having parents around to look after Beau, the holiday actually got more relaxing upon returning home.

Anyways, I can't remember it all, but here's some pics.















And then Adelaide:

Leaving Vancouver, Hong Kong Day 1 and Day 2

Finally I have found some time to write about our Hong Kong Trip. I will also write about our last morning in Vancouver, a very sad morning.
As expected our last night in Vancouver was restless. Sleep didn't come easily due to excitement and a mixed bag of emotions. Our last night in an apartment that has provided us with so many amazing memories.
I watched the clock count up until I could safely get up and walk to Melriches Coffee house and land myself there as the shop opened so that I could get my last Flat White in Canada. The fog was thick and made for an eerie morning. It suited my melancholy mood well. I sat at the window, overlooking Davie St and savored my flat white. I personally think this place makes the best flat white in Vancouver. I pondeder the last 3 years, read the news and then pondered the future and what it would hold for Kate and myself.

I reentered our apartment a hour or so later. It was really just final touches, last bits of packing and then gone. It was a strange feeling dropping our keys through the letter slot for the last time. No way to re-enter what was our home for the last 3 years.
Getting to the airport and checking in our huge amount of baggage went relatively smoothly. Now the waiting game began. Counting down our last three hours on Canadian soil.

Boarding the plane was super exciting. We got bad ass seats. Row 39, right behind the petition to premium economy, and therefore so much legroom to kick out. I know which seats I'll be shooting for next time we fly. We departed Vancouver at 1:30pm on the 27th of January 2013. 11.5 hours later, two delicious airplane meals and a lot of movies later we landed in Hong Kong at about 7:30pm on the 28th. Customs was easy, our bags all arrived and we were whisked off to the Hyatt by our chauffeured mini van.

This night was a bit of a whirlwind due to jet lag. We crashed out pretty early. My sleep was restless, I mean we just came from the other side of the world and my body expected to be up doing things, so at 5 in the morning I got up and hit 45mins on the treadmill watching Australian news. I returned to the room to find Kate stirring, so we slowly got going and ventured out into the new world of Hong Kong.
Day 1
Day one was epic. We walked so far and saw so much. I am going to try and make it as succinct as possible. After leaving the Hyatt a coffee was #1 priority. I have been operating on a few coffees daily for the last 3 years, it is not right to expect me to start the day without one. I was devistated to discover that at that time of the morning there is nothing open, except Starbucks. So I had to swallow my pride and settled for brewed coffee after a lot of bitching and complaining. I promise I won't do it again. To be honest, the brewed coffee was OK.
We then found a little Chinese restaurant to get brekky at. It was about the only place open so it kinda was chosen by default. Over breakfast we decided to head to Hong Kong Island for the day. It was nice and clear so we figured it would be a great day to see the Peak.

We caught a Star Ferry to the Central pier, and from here walked up through the financial district, the Botanic Gardens where we saw a super cute Orangutan baby, and the suburbs until we got to the Peak Tram. The view from the Peak was exactly what you would expect it to be from the millions of photos online. It was good to see, but full of annoying tourists so we bailed pretty quickly.

Next stop was a massive walk from the Peak tram over to Wan Chi to check out a bunch of cool streets, have lunch and check the crazy Wan Chi wet markets. This was eye opening. I think if you eat meat in Hong Kong, you don't really want to think about where your meat came from, as I'm sure they don't follow any animal ethics guidelines. It was amazing to spectate and not feel like I had to do my weekly shopping here. Funniest thing was Kate seeing an eel escape from a bucket and proceed to slide across a freaking busy side walk, then try to bite someone just as it was caught and whisked back into the same bucket.

The rest of the afternoon was a lot of walking down to Causeway bay, by which point we were totally pooched, so we chilled in Victoria Park for a brief while, then bailed to the MTR subway system that whisked us right home for about $1 CAD. Dinner was at this rad little noodle joint right over from the Hyatt. Dinner for two for less than $10 CAD. Right on!
Day 2
Day 2 started with a nice run along the Victoria Harbour running trail followed by some fresh fruit for brekky. Today we decided to head out to the Mong Kok flower markets, goldfish markets, bird garden and Temple ST Night Market. This involved a lot of walking, but we got to see a lot of amazing stuff along the way. However we started with another Starbucks Coffee..sigh..in Kowloon Park.
I could not believe how populated Mong Kok was. Those shitty high rise apartment buildings. Washing hanging out the window. Cables going everywhere. It must be so hot and cramped living there with so many other people around.

Anyways, the flower markets were the first stop, and with Lunar New Year coming up, they were full of people and flowers. Apparently the days before Lunar New Year are the markets busiest of the year, so it was awesome to see all the colours. Following this we headed to the Bird Garden which was interesting. Pretty much a bunch of bird enthusiasts hang out to compare and buy birds. Kinda like a comic card convention for birds. Not my idea of a fun filled weekend, but it was cool to see.


Following this we found a mad Dim Sum place, ate till we were full and only spent $15 each. Favs on the menu were these snow buns. A sweet fried bun, with the most delicious pork filling. A crazy mix of flavours like I had never had before.
We departed this zone of Mong Kok, fuelled and ready to deal with the hordes of people. The rest of the day comprised of markets which were pretty cool, but no need to explain them all here. We arrived back in Kowloon later in the afternoon, totally thrashed and laughing as today was meant to be a "take it easy day".
The day ended with a healthy meal made from random salad ingredients bought from a supermarket. I was so sick of greasy asian food by this point and needed something green.
...to be cont. This is taking a while.

26/365

                                          
Today is our last full day in Vancouver. The last week has been full of reminiscing and reliving all the special moments that we have had in Vancouver. There has been a lot of sea fog around this week, and it has made for some awesome photo opportunities. I liked this composition of the elderly couple disappointing up our street into the fog. Images and moments like these make are opportunities for me to contemplate and appreciate how fortunate I am.
I wander off in thought thinking about the lives of this couple, where they are going and what life adventures brought them to Pendrell St, or Vancouver for that matter.
The last week has been very humbling. Vancouver has been good to us and we are going to miss it a lot.

25/265

This morning I want for a stroll to English Bay to take in the beautiful sunrise. What a beautiful crystal clear day. The view from English Bay on a morning like this is nothing short of spectacular. I love spending time sitting at the beach contemplating. It is so peaceful and amazing that it is a few minutes from our apartment. We will miss this in our daily lives once we are back in Adelaide.
This morning I was sitting on one of the many logs, gazing out over the boats in the harbour and noticed this guy feeding seagulls. I looked so relaxed, I guess this was his morning Zen!
The silhouette of this guy and his birds with the vibrant sunrise behind him made for a very unique photograph, and a really good memory of English Bay.

24/365

Kate and I were going for a stroll through downtown Vancouver today, organising last minute things. While out and about Kate wanted to check out a cafe that was featuring in the "hot chocolate" month, to get an elaborate white hot chocolate.
The road pictured above is super steep, and as we were walking down it, this can man started wheeling his can trolley down it pretty quickly. Fully under control he was just going about his daily routine. He pulled right across in front of me to check a few big dumsters in a back alley.
This is such an iconic Vancouver character, there are can men with big trolleys all over the city, and generally they are nice enough, and ensure that everything is recycled.

23/365

Sadly I think that today may be the last time I visit my favourite produce market, Aria. Aria Market is at Bidwell and Robson St, and without a doubt has the cheapest produce in the area. We have been shopping here for a good year or so, since we discovered it. I have no doubt that it has saved us hundreds of dollars on our weekly shopping bills. I love the way they lay out all the produce in front of the store as is shown in the photo. It looks like a proper market stall, and is super cramped, rickety and cluttered; just as you'd expect a market stall to be.
Today I made the trip to Aria even though I didn't really need anything, but I took the opportunity to grab some produce for lunch, then head to Coal Harbour and eat lunch overlooking the moored yachts, basking up the glorious sun.
Fir $2.08 I got 4 Californian Navel Oranges, 1 Fuji Apple and 1 Orange Capsicum. Not bad I thought!
After lunch I strolled back through Stanley Park and the West End. What a beautiful day!

22/365

This building has always interested me. It sits just West of Olympic Village, totally dilapidated. It is a gutted old rusted warehouse, I'm not sure if it is still used for storing anything, but I think it adds a lot of character to the area and am so glad that they have left it standing.
I had just met Ty for a lunch of fresh produce and sitting at False Creek overlooking the mountains and downtown. Wandering back I had this view of the old warehouse at the end of the street. It acted as such a strong focal point to the whole road, siting perfectly at the end of the road, and especially today with the vibrant blue skies, the red rust really stood out making it quite stunning.
Another little gem of Vancouver that I am glad to have wandered past in my last few days.

21/365

Yale Town aka Hongcouver. The glass facades look amazing when viewing the city from the South Bank of False Creek. I especially love this view because of the one building that breaks the standard pattern. The curves in the right most building just add a huge amount of interest to what would have otherwise looked like any other downtown district.
Today I went for a big adventure, starting with a swim and run to and from the Vancouver Aquatic centre. Following this I wandered to False Creek to get a ferry to Granville Island Market. Coffees and fresh produce were consumed at the market, along with checking out some local art studios. Following this I wandered to Kates work at the Vancouver General Hospital to meet Kate and Becky for lunch. This stroll took me up the seawall on the southern side of False Creek, giving me many amazing views of downtown Vancouver, including this image of the facades of Yale Town.
Another jam packed day of unemployment and lapping it up in Vancouver.

20/365

                                                
I was standing on Burrard Bridge looking down at False Creek and I noticed that the height of the bridge gives you a very different perspective of the city.
It is always nice to see something differently, and after having lived somewhere for years, it doesn't happen as often as you may like. I had originally walked out to Burrard Bridge to take a photo of the fog that was settling over the Harbour, but once getting up there I saw this cool perspective of the Granville Island ferry, and the crystal clear waters of False Creek.
This image somewhat symbolises the coming week. I hope to spend my last week in Vancouver ecperiencing Vancouver from as many perspetives as possible. It is a beautiful city and I want to make the most of this last week. Secondly the week will be spent preparing to "set sail" on our voyage back to Austraila. It is going to be an exciting and sad week, full of a lot of experiences that have become part of our daily routine, that we will be saying goodbye too. Probably to never experience again, but with those experiences we are saying good bye too, we will welcome new routines to our life back in Australia.

19/365

The spring bulbs are starting to poke through the ground. It is always an exciting time of year. It shows that spring and warmer weather is just around the corner. New beginnings, new adventures and experiences.
The past week has been full of preparation for change and new adventures. It is fitting that with the change of the seasons just on the horizon, there is also going to be a big change in our lifestyle and living situations. Kate and I are going to have a lot of new experiences and journeys over the coming months. It is exciting to think of what they may hold.

18/365

English Bay had been foggy all night. I knew this as the ship horns had continued to sound all night, they do this when in thick fog so that they know where they all are.
When I awoke, an eerie ornage glow was filling our room, so I made my way to our balcony and was welcomed to the day with this beautiful sunrise over the thick fog that had blanketed the harbour.
This view has given us many beautiful memories while in Canada. The different weather phenomena that we have witnessed from here has been amazing!

Burrard Bridge

I was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time to capture this amazing photo the other day. Burrard Bridge, with Granville Bridge just behind it, nestled in the fog as the sun rose. Moments like these are the moments that you are stoked that you travel, explore and don't spend all day sitting on your couch watching the television.

17/365

Ahhh. Another day of unemployment. The day started with some odd jobs. Buying some cleaning supplies, things to get ready to vacate our apartment. Whilst out and about on these errands I make sure that I wander the long way past some interesting views. I have all the time in the world, so I may as well make the chores interesting.
Once again I found myself at the seawall at Sunset Beach. I noticed a lot of pigeons sitting on a railing so I wandered closer to check them out. They immediately scattered and started flying in a flock in circles. I watched them for a while and then they came in and landed on the same bar, which is when I captured this picture of the chaotic movement of a flock of birds all flying together. How they don't hit each other I don't know.
I continued to watch the birds for a further fifteen minutes or so, and realised that they were periodically taking off and flying in almost the exact same routine, then landing again. I pondered whether they were practicing for a migratory run maybe? Regardless it is amazing watching the formations that birds make when flying together without any noticeable form of communication with one another.
The beauty of this project and the rules I have set myself is that I am always finding something interesting. You just have to keep your eyes open and be open to walking down a different path each day :-)

16/365

Today was a frosty day in Vancouver. Clear skies overnight had covered everything in a frost, and once the sun came out it gave everything a beautiful sheen.
I walked Kate to the dentist first thing in the morning, then did some chores and then headed to hatha yoga and Y Ride class.
The day was finished with a killer haircut from my buddy Ritchy at this rad barbers shop at Burrard and Davie St!
This photo was taken at Nelson Park, at about 9am, the highest point in the West End of Vancouver.

15/365

Having some time off at the moment is really nice. It is letting me get out and about in Vancouver to just enjoy the city. I love Stanley Park, there is always something to see that makes you amazed that you are so close to a big city.
While wandering around this afternoon I came across these trees that were full of berries, one of the most colourful trees at the moment as all the deciduous trees have lost their leaves and nothing is flowering. In these trees were lots of small birds eating the berries. I stood watching the birds for a long time. It's quite peaceful just watching them go about their thing, all they care about is eating and living, free of all the material pressures of human life.
The lighting was beautiful for photography and really helped bring out the vibrant colour of the berries.
This was just off The seawall near the English Bay Bowling Greens.

14/365

Today was a full day that involved a lot of walking around the West End. I was heading to a bike shop at Pacific and Burrard St to pick up some bike packing supplies, so I walked along the sea wall as it is always such a nice walk.
Recently there has been some rough weather, and I guess all of these shells were deposited along the foreshore then. I thought they made quite a nice natural pattern with the calming violet hues.
Sunset Beach, False Creek. West End Vancouver.

12/365

The past week has been amazing. Time spent with Kate exploring so many great places and sharing so many special moments. I was at English Bay this afternoon. This shower has always interested me in the way it is like a frame for whatever is going on behind it.
It frames a moment in time that can never be recreated but was something special. It is somewhat symbolic of the last week of travel, and moreso the last 3 years in Vancouver. Full of many moments, now framed in time to be remembered upon fondly.

3/365

This morning started with a light jog to the Vancouver Aquatic Center for a good swim with a solid pyramid session mixed into the 3kms. When I run to the pool, I don't bother with a towel, and just throw my running gear back on, while still wet and then just jog home.
My swim lasted a hour, and by the time I left, outdoors had switched from night to day! A solid wind storm overnight had kicked up some swell, and there was fog rolling in over False Creek. While running home along the seawall I saw some swell hitting the barrier and splashing into the air, this gave me an idea for todays topic of motion, so as soon as I got home I grabbed my camera and headed back to the seawall to try and capture what I saw in my minds eye.
I'm pretty happy with the result. Looking East towards Burrard Bridge, and about Pacific and Cardero St.

Homeless Guy and a Sleeping Bag!

I had an old sleeping bag that I never used, but was in great condition. On Christmas Eve I was walking back from the shops and saw this homeless guy that frequents the Safeway car park. I decided I'd duck upstairs, grab the sleeping bag and give it to him.
As I walked back to the car park towards him, sleeping bag in hand, it was pretty obvious from about 10 meters away that I was walking towards him, and at about 5 meters his eyes lit up.
"Hey man, how's it going?" I said."I was just gonna give you this sleeping bag if you'd be interested."
He was stoked!
"I really need a new sleeping bag" he commented with an appreciative look on his face.
I hung out there for another 5 minutes or so, chatting about Australia and Canada. He had a crazy bearded friend who had turned up halfway through our conversation. He insistently commented on how alike Australians and Canadians are, although I feel he had never actually been to Australia. At this point I drew the conversation to an end, wished the two a Happy Christmas and safe New Year.
I hope I helped make his Christmas a bit better!

2/365

What a wet and rainy day in Vancouver. Kate and I had some odd jobs to do and wandered by Milano on Denman St for a coffee while out and about. While sitting drinking our coffees I noticed that the condensation with the milano logo made for a pretty interesting photograph, encompassing both still life and fine details with the water droplets.