A Canadian Distraction

We've been a really long and excruciating hiatus but Lost in America is back! Hot on the heels of the last week of the semester, Gang B207 headed up to Vancouver along with a bunch of other BAGD students. Our group of nine set food on Canadian soil after a four-hour bus ride from Seattle.

After getting our bearings, the group promptly set off exploring. We made our way through Vancouver’s Chinatown, and got a whiff of home from the familiar smells of Chinese herbs and spices. We ended up in Gastown, where we agreed we were hungry enough to grab a bite. Turning a corner, we found a restaurant with a sign that said “All Food $4.95”. It was too good to be true, but it was true nonetheless. The entrées, appetisers and desserts were all at the stated price. After adding tax, it came up to about $6 (Canadian) per person.

Can food get any cheaper? The answer, of course, is yes.

Our next stop was Gastown's iconic steam-powered clock, which plays a tune every fifteen minutes. A huge throng of tourists surrounded the clock, waiting for the music to chime. When it finally did, though, the tune was unfinished. We hypothesized that it might complete the tune once a full hour has been completed, but we didn't have that kind of time to just wait around for closure.

Hipster clock is hipster.

Instead, we proceeded off right away. Along the way, the group (sans Gang B207) met an American couple and got into a strange photo-taking session with them. Jieqi also bought a hotdog from a street vendor, and we all wound up in a tourist trap store selling all sorts of Canadian goods, from maple salmon nuggets to bottles of maple syrup. I bought a bottle of icewine syrup and decided to wait before getting Canada’s flaunted maple syrup.

Our next stop was Waterfront and Canada Place, which gave us a lovely view of the sea. We took a couple (okay, a lot) of photos and headed through Canada Place’s Canadian Trail. The scenery was amazing, as was the cool sea breeze. We idled for a bit before heading to Richmond for the annual Richmond Night Market.

Makes you think about life and shit.

The Richmond Night Market is a yearly affair that takes place throughout the summer. Imagine a pasar malam, only five times in sheer magnitude. A daunting line snaked its way outside the main carnival, but we exercised our innate Singaporean queueing abilities and eventually got inside the bustle and hubbub. Food, music and games galore at the Night Market. Cost-wise, it was definitely tourist-trap worthy. But how could you not buy anything when there are amazing selections like mango sago, FRIED CHEESECAKE, XXL chicken and dry-ice spewing soda drinks?

So. Darn. Good.

Apart from stuffing our faces with very Asian, very unhealthy fare, Gang B207 also went about playing a variety of carnival games which we were all very bad at. Eventually I managed to win a bear, at the most effortless game possible (the world’s dumbest lucky draw). We also bumped into a few more BAGD students who were likewise spending the weekend in Canada. As the night drew to a close, we headed back to Alvin’s uncle’s house (on foot) and retired for the night.

The next morning, we had breakfast at a nearby A&W, much to the delight of Kenneth, who apparently loves the fast food chain immensely. It was a rainy day, but instead of allowing us to get stumped by the weather, our generous host drove us down to the train station. From there we headed to Waterfront and got on a shuttle bus to the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park. The park costs $30+ per pax to enter, depending on whether you’re a student, senior, child or adult.

Capilano? Capilayes.

Our first order of business was to cross the suspension bridge after which the park is named. The 140-meter-long bridge was filled with visitors looking to take the perfect picture. The view was amazing, and the swaying of the bridge made the walk pretty exciting.

All that green. From my wallet.

After the suspension bridge came a series of tree-top walks and a narrow cliff walk which would put acrophobes to the test. We found ourselves surrounded by Douglas firs and other impressive trees, as well as other man-made, eco-friendly structures which really added a mystical touch to the park.

Breathtaking stuff.

We eventually completed our tour of the park and headed back to Waterfront Station for lunch. The foodcourt close by held a variety of stores, including a Fatburger which Gang B207 had been wanting to try. I ordered a Hawaiian cheeseburger, a delightful stack of beef patty, cheese, pineapple slices and bacon strips slathered with mayonnaise and teriyaki sauce. It was a delicious way to end our Canadian adventure.

Are you hungry yet?

Gang B207 then bade our companion adventurers goodbye and headed back to the Greyhound station for the bus ride back to Redmond. It was an enjoyable and memorable trip. Canada reminded us so much of Singapore, and perhaps that nostalgia also added value to the journey.

Only a few days remain before we bid Redmond farewell. We will attempt to update more regularly on our adventures for these final days, before our trip to Orlando, San Francisco and Los Angeles kicks in. Till then, have a wonderful summer y'all.