Grandvile Island and Stanley Park, Vancouver

"Come rain or come shine! Plan will proceed "remarked Joemar when I mentioned to him that the weather is not fine to go outside. Another day (7th April 2023) was spent exploring Vancouver, but the weather got too erratic, much like the pregnant mother's emotions. We moved to Stanley Park in a shower that soaked the morning.

Mercy, Chador, and Author in front of
A-maze-ing Laughter.

One of the biggest parks, Stanley Park is located primarily within Vancouver's metropolitan setting. There are beautiful views of the ocean, sea, sky, and woods over a nearly 400-hectare expanse. There are several trails, stunning beaches, and historical and natural attractions nearby, offering a wide range of adventure opportunities. It is the hub of attraction for people from all walks of life, in my opinion. Unless otherwise reported, it is open from 6 am to 10:00 pm and is accessible by walk, bicycle, or public transportation.    

Author and Joemar at English Bay Beach.

Following that, the weather improved, and we proceeded to Grandvile Island. It's a wonderful place to be but it never seemed to me like an island since it's very crowded. It reminded me of street marketplaces that are similar to Bangkok or India. People from various walks of life go there to take sea rides, spend the weekend with loved ones, or getaway. We had plenty of time to visit every part of the Island because Joemar could secure parking for his car until 5:00 pm. He sponsored us and took a 40-minute seaboat cruise (20 minutes back and forth). Upon eating lunch, we browsed the majority of the souvenir shops. There were also several street performers, magicians, singers, etc. entertaining the public and at the same time making living out of it. 

Author, Chador, Street performer, and Mercy
at Grandwill Island.

We spent some time listening to one man sing a Spanish song before taking pictures with him after his performance.

While we got back from the location, Joemar took us to see the downtown steam-powered clock, which has been running since the 1870s. One of the historical sites in Vancouver that draw so many tourists each day is this very steam clock. After that, we had a stroll around Canada Place.

After returning from Downtown, we headed to a nearby airport at  Larry Berg Flight Path Park to try out electric scooters. I had the chance to learn and practice riding an electric scooter thanks to Joemar, who brought one along. It was fortunate enough for me that I had never touched such equipment in the past to have such a chance to learn today. I could successfully learn how to balance while riding after a few hours of practice and felt so bad for letting Mercy outside in the chilly weather. It was a significant step for me in my lifelong learning of how to bike and drive. We signed off the day after everyone had committed to come to practice the following day and went to dine with them at the Chinese restaurant, where we all relished in as many noodles to our heart's content.

Even though it was still cloudy and raining on Saturday, we went ahead and practiced for a while. I now feel more confident as a result of it.

Joemar and Mercy, thanks for the great weekend!