We woke to cloudy, damp weather in Whistler again on Wednesday morning and decided we were ready to head back to Vancouver, hoping there would be sun once we left the mountains. On our way back along the Sea to Sky Highway, the clouds broke a bit and we got to see some blue skies and pockets of sun. The drive between Whistler and Vancouver really is picturesque.
One of the many beautiful views on the Sea to Sky Highway
Back in Vancouver, we visited a few places that we did not see while on bikes. One of these places was the Gastown district, the historic area of the city. There was a steam clock that drew a great deal of attention with the steam and whistles that announced the passage of 15 minutes. We parked ourselves in the Starbucks across the street for a bit to use the free wi-fi and while seated there, I managed to get a photo of the clock when the steam was visible.
The Gastown steam clock steaming and whistling every 15 minutes.
View of the cruise ship docked at Canada Place with
North Vancouver in the distance and dark clouds looming overhead
After a leisure stroll through Gastown and a quick walk through the seedy Chinatown district, we found a small gem of a restaurant at La Taqueria. Colin really wanted to try beef tongue, so we ordered a Taco "De Lengua." And, since the tacos were so small, and a better deal to get 4, we also tried the pork "Carnitas," the fish "Pescado," and chicken, "Tinga de Pollo."
Eating beef tongue tacos from La Taqueria was the highlight for Colin
We made our way out of the city to the suburbs in southeastern Vancouver to check into our airbnb accommodations Our very friendly host spent a lot of time getting to know us and sharing some of her travel adventures with us. We weren't really sure what we wanted to do with the afternoon, and had thought taking a ferry to Vancouver Island would be fun. By the time we arrived, it was almost 4pm. The rain had mostly stayed away, but on the boat we did experience showers on and off that kept us moving in and out of the boat for the hour and a half ride. We kept our eyes focused on the water, looking for the pods of orca that make their home in the waters along our ride, but we never managed to see any.
Another British Columbia Ferry coming through the small channel
One of the moments of clear skies
A sea plane landing nearby
In hindsight, we wished we had made plans to take an early ferry so we could have taken the bus to Victoria on Vancouver Island. By the time we arrived at the ferry terminal, it would have been too late to catch a bus back for the last ferry back to Vancouver. Instead, we got off the boat and turned right back around to come back. The rain was more prevalent on the ride back and we found out the ship crew typically made announcements to alert people to wildlife near the ship. So, we stayed warm inside the boat, trying desperately to get a good wi-fi signal on our phones.
It was nice to be on the water, though I prefer sunny skies and warmer temperatures. We also met a really interesting couple from Canada. The female was from an eastern island off the coast of Newfoundland and he was from Vancouver Island, the two farthest points from each other and they lived near the center of the country in Ottawa. Working for the federal government, they had a significant amount of vacation time they were able to use together and decided to make a cross country trip on the train. I loved hearing about their hometowns and the experience of traveling cross country on a train.
Arriving back at the ferry terminal around 7:30pm, we decided to head back near the downtown area for dinner. One of our favorite food journalists, Mark Bittman, had endorsed Vij's Indian Restaurant just south of Granville Island. Knowing the menu was more expensive than we cared to pay, and having read that Vij's sister restaurant was just as good, we went to the less expensive Vij's Rangoli next door.
The 30 minute wait was more manageable, thanks to some appetizers made available to the people not yet seated. It was also worth it once we got our delicious meals, which we devoured! We both left the small, simply decorated restaurant with fully satisfied appetites.
A vegetarian dish with chickpeas
The lamb in cumin
Back at the airbnb, we were able to get some laundry done while our hostess cooked us a delicious egg/peach quiche for breakfast. We enjoyed getting to know another "renter," a woman from Montreal, who had lived in San Diego for the past few years and had recently quit her job to move back to Canada. She was taking about 2 months off before starting to look for a new job, and had traveled from San Diego to Vancouver and still had plans to see Whistler and Banff. Colin and I asked a lot of questions about how she managed to find work in a new location, and were completely in awe of this woman who was taking such a risk. Her experience in the past had always turned out fine, and we wished her luck before we parted.
I can't imagine just quitting my job and driving to a new location to find work upon arrival. I know several people who have done it and it usually seems to work out for them. In this economy, it seems like a huge risk, which I'm not sure I could ever take. I no longer recall the woman's profession, but maybe it is easier in certain industries.
The highlights of our second time in Vancouver mostly came in getting to meet people - on the ferry, our airbnb hostess, and a fellow traveler. The Indian food at Vij's was also very memorable. During the 24 hours back in Vancouver, we did not do quite as much sightseeing as we had been used to, but it was nice to talk with people, get laundry done, and just hang out for a bit. It's a good thing we did because once we left Vancouver and arrived back in the U.S., we were back on full sightseeing mode!
Stay tuned for a recap of our final days in the Pacific Northwest, making our way back through Seattle to Olympic National Park, Cannon Beach, Mt. Hood, and wrapping up in Portland.
What do you think about leaving a job for a new location when you don't already have a job lined up? Would you ever do it? If you have already done it, how did it work out for you??
