The Heart of Vancouver

So to start the day I had a beautiful portion of REAL fruit loops! Tasted like childhood and smelled of the Okanagan Valley! (Which I return to next week!! Yay)

Then Monica took me out for a great adventure day starting with a lunch picnic on the waterfront of Stanley Park accompanied by none other than Tiffany Ray Reimer <3

It was so so so so good to see her and catch up and hear all about her life here in Vancouver :) unfortunately she had uni so she couldn't stay with myself and Monica for our next adventure! We rented bikes (so cheap and an amazing way to explore the park!) Vancouver is BEAUTIFUL! I could easily see myself and Devon living in this astounding city :) the park had more squirrels and geese and swans than I could count! Monica and I even had a wee bike accident as I mistook my bicycle bell for the brakes and collided into her! We are both safe and sound :)

Check out the view from this park though....

Pretty amazing!

Then Monica took me to Granville Island where we played the role of tourists amazingly! The shops where sooooo cute! So much to look at and a market with amazingly talented people (rock painters, mammoth tusk carvers, jewellery makers, etc.) and a food court where I got to eat PEROGIES!! I got a huge bowl for only $4.20! Best dinner choice ever!

So delicious and they had a curry ketchup that was to die for!

Monica then took me to see Vancouver central where we got to wander around and see the beauty that such a huge Canadian city holds. We checked out a few shops (including American Eagle!) and then we drove through Gastown which is one of the older parts of the city and its just gorgeous! 

Right around the corner from this beautiful thriving strip of the city, was an entirely opposite vibe of street. Easily a hundred homeless people crowded the street and it was incredibly eye opening to see the real need here for more city missions. 

It was extremely heart wrenching to see this but I'm glad I did. Any city no matter how beautiful has a real hurting side to it filled with need. Our hearts ached as we drove through this section of town and saw all the homeless, the prostitutes and the drug addicts, so many more than I have ever seen in one place. 

So today I got two polar opposite experiences and it still just makes me love this city even more. It's beautiful and so Canadian! Flags hang everywhere and tourist proudly wear our colours and shirts! Everyone is so friendly and open to talking. 

Can't wait to see what tomorrow has in store!