Howe's guide to what you can achieve in Vancouver in 1 day

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Today I deiced to wander around downtown, I got out my Lonely Planet guide book and read through the Vancouver section, I then searched the Vancouver Translink website to see when the next bus would come and how I would take it to get downtown. Once I arrived in downtown Vancouver, the very first thing I did was walk 2 blocks west to te corner of Burrard and Robson St to find a hot dog stand that was recommended in the LP guide book. I bought a Bratwurst for $4.50 and piled it on with 7 different types of condiments then topped it off with lines of mustard and ketchup. I took a bite and it barely fit in my mouth but I still managed to chow it down within minutes, one of the yummiest hot dogs I've ever eaten. Following on I walked 4 blocks east on robson st, passing Howe St while walking to the BC Stadium Place, home to the NHL Vancouver Canucks and BC Lions Football team. Along the way I saw homeless guy sleeping in the middle of the sidewalk in broad daylight totally oblivious to the environment around. At the stadium, I walked leisurely around it taking random pictures until I came across a sign advertising "Edgewater Casino" with a huge arrow pointing to the right. I followed the signs and came to the entrance of the casino and so I decided to check it out. 30 minutes later and $20 poorer, I left the rather small casino and started walking North to Chinatown.

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Now, Chinatown was located in the seedier part of town on the North East end of Vancouver situated near Hastings St E. Walking along, I came across a bunch of teenagers riding their skateboards and practicing tricks in an skate park on a Thursday morning. My initial thought was "Don't these kids have school?" It was just like the movies where you see young kids in ghetto neighborhoods just hanging out with their friends doing nothing.

Howe's guide to what you can do in Vancouver in one day

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Once in Chinatown, the shops were more or less similar to every other Chinatown across the world. However what intrigued me more was a I saw an ally way with suspended electrical wires all the way through that looked kind of neat. Then I walked up onto Hastings St and immediately I saw a dramatic change in the type of people roaming the streets, homeless people with plain facial expressions wearing ripped and smelly shirts, rugged facial hair on every single person, worn dirty hats and even a random wierdo wearing kitten slippers. I looked across the street and their was a whole crowd of them gathered around the Carnegie Public Library like they were having a family reunion. Then all of a sudden I see one of these wierdo's bolting down the street running from something and followed behind were a couple of policemen galloping down the street on horses chasing him down.

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It wasn't long before I decided to get onto the next bus and just head West. I got off at Richard Rd and walked a few blocks and spotted a BC Marijuana Party bookstore. Curious to the idea, I walked in and immediately smelt the scent of Marijuana. I walked around the store and saw random things like, books on Marijauna, an ATM with the sign Cannabis Culture on top of it, a Canadian Flag with the maple leaf replaced with a marijuana leaf and even Cannabis incense up for sale. It was somewhat ammusing, then I walked up the back and saw people walking into this bamboo fenced enclosure with a sign saying "Strictly 18+" I felt a bit intimidated in walking in peered in between the sticks trying to get a better idea of what I thought was going on.

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I walked back out to the front and asked the guy at the counter, "So, what is this store all about?" hoping he doesn't think I'm trying to take him for an idiot and insult his intelligence. I found out that people can actually bring in their own Cannabis and use it in the shop, where the store supplies the equipment, like vaporisers or bongs and pipes. It wasn't legal per se, but the police don't stop it. The shop started with Mark Murray a political activist who is tries to get marijuana legalised. But aside from all that, I thought it was a pretty unique store that I've come across.

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Walking out the store I walked along the harbour and up to the Vancouver Lookout in the Harbour Centre getting 360 degree panormic views of the glorious Vancouver city. 30 minutes later I was on a bus and headed straight for Stanley Park, running into a few wild racoons and a short stroll along Lost Lagoon, I via towards the left and came out along English Bay which provided beautiful views of the Vancouver coastline, further along it joined onto and became Sunset Beach named this because of it's breathtaking sunset views in the evening. However it was cloud covered today. Then if you have not seen the official emblem of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, it is a picture of an Inukshk - a figure of a body joined together with pieces of random large rocks. and it's a symbol of hospitality and friendship. Purely for fun and not to mock any Canadians or the much respected statue, I stripped down to bare bottom with only a LP Guidebook to cover myself and got an English Traveler to take a photo for me. A bit outrageous, I know but it had to be done. This English Traveler was named James, we walked along the rest of the coast sharing each others company and hoped onto Burrard Bridge to take in the view from higher ground. Then before we parted ways we exchanged email addresses and I caught a bus back to my cousins house to met up and have yet another farewell dinner before heading for Seattle the next day. A very much tiring but rather productive day accomplished in Vancouver.