Picking up a subway for breakfast I'm linking up buses through downtown and Stanley point a wooded country park and over the Lionsgate bridge, crossing the outlet from Vancouver harbour and up into hills, not paying attention I nearly miss the stop I'm after, quickly scurrying off the bus and I'm early arriving at Capilano suspension bridge park, arriving slightly before Joe I chat with one of rangers here who brought tells me 'the slugs are slugging this morning!' quote of the day!
grabbing a pic later in the day with a cheesy grin as ever!!!
Joe was only about ten minutes behind me and we sit waiting to get in, great to be chatting with train family again! 🥰
Into the park and the bridge is bouncing and swaying over a good 100ft drop!
beautiful view!
And we're following a trail into the woods huge evergreens
and pretty water features, it brings to mind my imagined version of Rivendell from the hobbit
passing a herb called skunk cabbage due to its odour I'm a bit surprised when squashing a bit that it's rather minty! Pretty sure skunks aren't!
the trail becomes a sky trail up in the trees pretty high!
it gets you close to lichens hanging from the branches
before passing under an arch of branches.... Rude not to get a photo!
beyond this we meet a ranger ever passed by a few times, not your average park ranger with plastic surgery, black eyes and heavy makeup it's diversity in full effect!
I'll never understand why people do that!
Still she was friendly and happy that's all that matters.
Back over the suspension bridge grabbing a fun photo
we now have the cliff walk, none of the previous high level paths have bothered me, but this gets me properly! Deep breathing gets me through...... And a very firm grip of the hand rail!!
views down into the gorge
are beautiful, but I'm happy to get off that walk!
A peaceful and calming water feature where people throw coins to make wishes, I flip a loonie (1 dollar) to make a decision I've been prevaricating over for days, I'm at the edge of the Pacific ..... South or west?
The result is west!!
If this goes horribly wrong I can blame the loonie!!!
Food time! Grabbing chicken tenders(fingers apparently!) and chips, feeding the local ravens
beautiful birds!
Next the gift shop picking up a new day sack in Canadian air force style, before we head on to our next attraction.
12 minutes up the road by bus and we're at the foot of mount Grouse with it's precipitous mountain gondola
These really fly up the mountain, swinging and bouncing through the cloud
really good ride up! And we're above the snow line!
Coffee and view being the first priorities I try my first previously unheard of sweet cortado coffee..... Best coffee ever!
Wow!!
Through the snow there are signs pointing to the grizzly habitat..... Yep actual grizzly bears!!! These two are both rescue bears in a small enclosure just out of hibernation.... Got lucky with the timing again!
one is rather playfully rolling in the snow but it's claws are pretty ferocious looking!!!
walking back to the Gondola through the snow, falling on my arse of course! Before damply descending in the now more sunny day!
views showing Vancouver in its best.
We have an attraction back in town that Veronique and Lou had recommended, so land and water bus quickly transform our surroundings from high mountains to high sky scrapers and the bay
the sail like building on the left is Canada place where going for a ride!
A virtual 3d ride through the wonders of Canada.... twisting like a rollercoaster with mist like spray at appropriate moments we rotate through gorges, mountains, towns and wilderness I've not touched Canada, no way I can in this visit..... I'll Be back!!
This is a highly recommended attraction!!!!
We wander back through downtown in a rather oblique way to Joe's hotel, she has an hour to pack before catching her plane back east and home.... And similarly to me she's got the chance for adventure having taken 18 months pay as a severance check!
We're in touch I hope to see where her wanders take her.
Mine surprisingly briefly, my hostel is only about 20 minutes from her hotel,
And I'm back after the most full and fun day of my travels so far!
Thank you Joe!
Looks like you had a full day. (ALEX ALEX)
ReplyDeleteHello mate! Yep had an awesome day! 😊
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