Cafes, Kick-offs & Coastal Views: A Vancouver Travel Journal
A week in Vancouver
I am travelling to Vancouver for the first time in two days. I’m excited about this trip for many reasons. One is that it will throw a wrench in my currently very monotonous life, not so much that it is monotonous as it is so slow.
I am excited about the change of environment and the chance to explore a new city. I plan to make the most of my trip. I woke up at 5 a.m. on the day of my flight; my flight was for 8:30 a.m. I had packed my bag, but it wasn’t a lot of things anyway.
I was only travelling with a carry-on and a personal item. I took a shower and cleaned up my room and apartment before leaving. I’m away for a week and want to return to a tidy apartment, everything in its place.
I ensured I’d arrive back in Toronto in the afternoon. I do not like travelling and returning late at night.
I was going to take an Uber, but then I lived not too far from the airport, and there was a bus right to the airport, so I was like, I’m just going to use the bus. $3.30 instead of $20, you don’t need much to convince me.
I got to the airport in good time, and getting through security was pretty straightforward. The flight began boarding twenty minutes after I got to the gate. In the last couple of years, I’ve travelled solo most of the time.
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I started writing this the day I travelled, but abandoned it. Vancouver was lovely, I explored the city a bit, and spent a lot of time hanging out at cafes, window shopping, and walking around.
I even saw a movie, I haven’t seen a movie at the cinema in such a long time.I saw Thunderbolts, a Marvel movie, on my second day. This was after spending time at a cafe where I had a Nutella croissant that looked so good, and was indeed good, but was so messy to eat.
Honestly, I’m so far removed from the Marvel Universe right now. There was a time when I had watched every Marvel movie except Dr. Strange.
I also visited the Vancouver Art Gallery, which is a lot smaller than the Art Gallery of Ontario, but it was really good. One of the exhibits had this little reading corner, and I sat there for a while reading one of the books. I learnt a little about an artist whose name I no longer remember.
It was quite different from Toronto. It’s a bustling city but also a lot calmer. There’s a lot to be said about the novelty of being in a new city and only highlighting the good parts of it.
The transit system is different from Toronto's, but also efficient. I had no issues getting around; it seemed cleaner than the TTC. The TTC is not bad; it just could be a lot better. The sky trains, though? I’m not a fan of heights, so I didn’t feel all that good about being up in the sky.
I saw a football (soccer) game; I haven’t watched a live one since I was in Manchester, England, in 2022. It was so fun to do and I enjoyed the game very much. The teams played reasonably well.
The Vancouver Whitecaps could have done much better. It ended in a 2-2 draw. That game made me realize that I need to make watching live football games a regular part of my life. There are a few things I enjoy more than that.
I honestly spent a lot of money on eating out. I had to eat out anyway, but I could have chosen cheaper options sometimes. I did have a couple of good eats, though, and I don’t regret it. I should just be wiser next time.
I went hiking on my last day in Vancouver, not counting the day I travelled back. It wasn’t even really planned. I just had a conversation with people at church, and they asked me to check out the suspension bridge at Lynn Canyon.
The suspension bridge itself was short. It took me about ten minutes to see it and take pictures. It was connected to a larger park with lots and lots of trails, so I decided to hike it.
I went on a trail loop with a lake because I love seeing bodies of water. I’ll never get into the water, but I always think it looks so good and is calming. Whether it’s flowing or not, there’s just this calm that a body of water brings. There was a waddling duck in the water.
The bear and wild animal warnings were not calming, though. I’m a girl who grew up in Lagos, Nigeria. I’m not used to the outdoors and all the animals and beasts that live in it. I have no experience, but was also confident I wouldn’t come across one that day.
All in all, my time in Vancouver was absolutely fantastic. I love the city and will definitely be there again.
Have you ever been to Vancouver, or will you be planning a trip there? What parts of the city excited you, the football game, amazing food, numerous cafe options, or the outdoors and hiking?
