A Long Walk On A Rainy Day

A Long Walk on A Rainy Day

Sightseeing in Vancouver

Bangga Erizal (1806240675)

They say when it rains it pours, but the metaphorical proverb is a very literal (non-)problem for citizens
Vancouver, British Columbia in Canada. For some complicatedly simple geographic (or is it meteorologic?) reason I'm sure someone out there (but not me) understands, Vancouver doesn't get the stereotypical Canada snow that often, instead, rain is such a constant that it’s pretty much a city standard, anything short of a serious storm would barely draw more than a reaction of mild annoyance from most Vancouverites.

However, once you get past all the rain, mist and fog of the latest downpour or deluge, you’ll find that Vancouver
is a bustling, diverse, and very much alive city that offers a multitude of experiences. During days off I
had during my six-month stay there, finding new places to go was a simple matter of picking a
route and walking in that general direction.
(Though the Skytrain system and taxi apps are a godsend when you have groceries).
And now, I’d be glad to share and write about some of the locales that have become my favorite spots
for simply walking about during my time in the city.

Downtown

The downtown area is the bread-and-butter of any modern city

and Vancouver is no exception, it has standard stores like Best Buy and Gap, interspersed with places who cater to more esoteric interests like pop culture merchandise, specialized bookstores for art design, and even grand theatres for performing arts. Restaurants run the whole gamut from bar & grills, ethnic restaurants from all over Asia, to familiar fast-food sights like McDonald's and Carl's Jr. Also, expect to see lots of Tim Horton's, Canada's favourite coffee shop. (Personally, I go there for their donuts) It’s a very lively area, and even simply strolling past it on a weekend night lets you see the various events and activities going on. It's also my usual starting point for the titular long walk, getting off on Granville station (roughly 3 blocks away from the location pictured) after a 30-minute train ride from my home or campus in New Westminster.

Gastown

If the metropolitan lights and noise doesn’t suit your interests, Gastown is definitely worth checking out.
A short 10 to 15-minute walk heading northeast delivers you from Downtown to this quaint little area.

It has an old-timey design most noticeable in the brickwork, especially in the area around the
Gastown Steam Clock, (which as you can probably guess, is a steam-powered clock) which has become
a landmark on its own right. The stores here are have a more "local" flavour, selling souvenirs
that are stereotypically Canadian, such as maple syrup, dolls of local wildlife like bears, beavers,
and moose, and even replicas of the Mountie uniform (Canadian Mounted Police, feel free to look them up because I don't have pictures). They also have shops that sell trinkets and accessories created by the First Nation tribes whose ancestors first discovered the area. There are also art galleries and some decently fancy restaurants in the area, but my personal favorite place to hang out is Vera's Burger Shack, five minutes away from the pictured Steam Clock. (Try their turkey burger! A personal favorite.)

False Creek

If you’re looking for something more scenic, takes 20-minute walk heading southwest from Downtown to get to False Creek, probably the place where I took the most pictures of.

It’s an inlet situated right in the gap between downtown and the rest of the city. It is mostly a harbour/dock-like structure, with a Creekside Park for people to relax and kids to play in. It's also in walking distance of a couple other Vancouver landmarks, namely the Science Center, instantly recognisable by its geodesic dome structure (apparently science-speak for "big sparkly sphere") and the B.C Place Stadium, which hosts football matches (both kinds, soccer and American) as well as music concerts and special screenings.

Stanley Park

For nature lovers, Vancouver has several parks and gardens (more like forests, really), but
my personal favourite is undoubtedly Stanley Park. Practically an entire small island on its own,
Stanley Park encompasses 4.045 km of forest and woodland and is situated between the waters of
Vancouver Harbour and Burrard Inlet, which puts it at a 20-minute walk away from Downtown Vancouver,
heading northwest.The paths that lead throughout the park keeps visitors from getting lost without being
too intrusive to the natural world. Scattered around the park are the occasional building like a cafe
or gift shop, it also has a totem pole exhibit and a lighthouse, but the most surprising to me
is seeing Vancouver's aquarium-slash-marine animal centre deep within the park boundaries.
(Seriously, how?)
If you have the opportunity, I suggest visiting the park during the summer and again
during the winter, the difference is striking, yet the place remains a breathtaking piece of nature,
one that I was often delighted to get lost in.

And that's about it for this post, obviously there are some more places I can tell you about, but I doubt
the supermarket where I bought my groceries or the college library I did my assignments in would
make for an interesting blog post. But that doesn't mean are these the only ones you should check
out should you find yourself in Vancouver. But simply my favourite places to walk to and walk through,
even if (well, when) it rains.

Image Sources:

- Personal Instagram: Downtown, False Creek, Stanley Park

- Gastown.org: Gastown