Goodbye Vancouver

Our trip across the border concludes

So where were we? Ah yes. We were enjoying our time a nation that threw off the chains of British colonial oppression to become a symbol of hope, and freedom in the modern world and treated as friends across the globe. That’s right, we were in Canada.

We awoke Tuesday to finally receive the rain that everyone speaks about up in Vancouver. After a few warm dry days, a cold snap took over meaning that we made our drive back from the Wiccannish Inn across Vancouver Island to the port town of Nanaimo, where we were to take a seaplane back to the city.

I’m happy to report that the drive was fairly uneventful, and we even had time to stop for a quick coffee and a bite to eat in the town of Port Alberni, before making it to the harbor harbour.

I had noticed the wind had picked up and knew what we were in for on our way back, the Amy looked at me when the pilot announced that it would take a little longer to get back than it took to arrive. That said, I really have to hand it to the men and women over at Harbour Air, who were absolute professionals. We flew in a De Havilland Turbine Otter DHC-3T, which is an outstanding airplane for short hops across the water. Amy was a little worried as we hopped on, and I told her to expect the flight would be a bit bumpy but at this plane was built for this weather.

Welp, it was bumpy, and more than a bit, as wind gusts moved us around in the pocket. But our pilot was a real professional, and I could tell he was keeping us relatively low in the air to keep us out of the wind. And for those of you who don’t like flying or are afraid of flying, try to remember this: your airlines choose the best planes for the job and train their pilots for any kind of condition that they will encounter. They are HYPERCERTIFIED. And remember, they want to get home too. So nobody flies when it’s not safe. We made it back to Vancouver in about 25 minutes and I was so excited for the ride that I had to buy some stickers. Amy, to her credit, just rolled her eyes every time I started talking about airplanes and the Golden Age of Flight.

We made it back to our home away from home—the Loden— which we have come to think is one of the best hotels we’ve encountered. After a little siesta, we set out for food. Amy really wanted some great Indian cuisine, and this is where Vancouver really stands out. It is an incredibly diverse and global city. In almost any place you go, you’ve got a good chance of hearing eight different languages at once. Somehow, here in the States we’ve gotten away from embracing the fact that having lots of different people are good for us. I’m sure Canada has its issues too. But it was nice knowing that we could find some amazing Chinese or Korean or Indian or Halal food without having to look too hard. In fact, one of the biggest problems you’ll have in Vancouver is deciding where to eat.

There’s no shortage of great food options in Vancouver. Diversity is a real strength here.

After doing a little research, Amy ultimately decided on taking us to a place called Sula, which was only a 20 minute walk from the hotel. This was really cool because Amy got to tell me about a lot of the food that she grew up with, and then I got to convince the wait staff that I could indeed handle the spice. This is sometimes a problem because I am a Big White Guy™️ and that doesn’t always confidence at a restaurant, especially in places like Colorado where locals believe that ketchup is too spicy. Amy pretty much ordered everything, as I sat there looking at this perfect woman before me. The food was absolutely spectacular and among the best I’ve had in a while. I especially liked the Dal Makhani, which is a dish made from lentils, and the Lamb Rogan Josh. The staff was amazing and I think they enjoyed watching me try some of the food for the first time. I would absolutely return here again if I could.

Yes please.

Wednesday’s highlight was visiting the museum of anthropology at the University of British Columbia. My pal Shawn had recommended it earlier and it did not disappoint. The museum hosts a massive collection of items from Indigenous cultures around the world but especially those of the western region of Canada. The totem poles, which I had never seen in person before, were especially powerful.

I also went looking for representations from Tribes who I have close affiliations with here in the States. Unfortunately, there wasn’t anything from the Ute, Kiowa, or Comanche peoples in their collections, but I did see some stuff from the Seminole Tribe of Florida and the Arapaho people, so I sent pictures back to people I knew, and that made me happy.

There is a tremendous exhibit on Tibet, which we found very moving, and I could not help but think about Native fold here when I read about Tibetans unable to return home.

We spent much of the rest of the day, walking around town, engrossed in thought, trying to put off our return home. Back at the hotel, we packed.

Jason

Hey, thanks for being here and for reading this. I think maybe I’ve got one more piece on Vancouver in me with some final thoughts about the trip in general. I hope you’ve been enjoying the ride.