Venture Vancouver

Saturday 12th February 2011, 11am, 7°C, rainy, snowy and foggy.
Location: Mt Seymour

 

Snowshoe adventure at Mt. Seymour, originally uploaded by selihpxe8.

Friday 28th Jan 2011, 8.30pm, 7°C, rainy and cold.
Location: Downtown

Robson Square, originally uploaded by Qantas Travel Insider.

I went Ice Skating tonight for the first time in a decade and the first time since being in Canada. I went to GE Ice Plaza (Robson Square Ice Rink). Its great, it is only $3 to rent some skates. When I got there, no one was skating and security and first aid staff were out on the ice. Aparently someone had hurt their ankle and then was refusing to get off the ice. They were eventually escorted out and then the zamboni was put on to clear the ice. It is awesome to watch a zamboni do what it does.

It wasn’t that long until we got to go onto the ice. I went out holding onto the edges real tight. There are these granny walker type things that staff place into the rink and that anyone can grab onto and run with it. It is supposed to be for children to learn on. I used it a bit to get a feel for what  my feet should be doing and to feel sort of what it is like to ice skate. It wasn’t long until I got the hang of it and could skate around the whole rink without having to hold onto the edge.

I had skated for 2 hours and was starting to get tired and a blister on my foot. It was a good time to take a break as they soon stopped the music and got everyone off the ice to allow the zamboni to do its thing again. I loved the music that was playing, mostly 90′s stuff.

I went back onto the fresh ice but it felt more difficult than before. It felt really bumpy and slippery. I didn’t skate for much longer as I was getting hungry. I soon left with 2 friends to go get some food at the Lennox Pub. The place was packed at about 10.30pm and there seemed to be only one table free. There was one empty chair at the table and a empty glass. We figured that the table just hadn’t been cleaned up yet. The three of us went in search for some extra chairs to place at this table so that all of us can sit together. It took us a good 10-15min to find chairs and bring them over to the table. Once we sat down and was ready to settle in, someone tells us that the someone is sitting at that table? We were all baffled because it sure did not look like anyone was sitting there, nor had anyone sat there the whole time we kept returning to the table with an extra chair, and still, as we were leaving, we still did not see anyone sit there. Perhaps the staff just didn’t want us there, but I hate how they waited until we found spare chairs and brought them to the table and settled in before they told us that the table was apparently ‘taken’.

We left in search of food and walked down granville until we hit the Two Parrots pub. This place was much nicer than Lennox. It wasn’t as packed. The Two Parrots have this two pound burger deal thing, that if you are able to eat it by yourself within 30min or an hour then your next burger will be free. Its a $25 burger. I think they should give the burger you just ate for free for accomplishing eating it. Although the yam fries were droopy.

On the way to the Two Parrots we saw George Stroumboulopoulos, and my friend just had to go say hello and shake his hand. I of course, had no idea who my friends were talking about, although the guys face looked familiar.

Its unfortunate that the Ice Skating Rink in Robson Sq is only open until the end of Feb. I’d recommend anyone visiting Vancouver should go ice skating at least once. There are rinks around that are open after Feb.

Friday 7th January 2011, 6.30pm, 5°C, nice outside
Location: Yaletown.

best goalie, originally uploaded by Venture Vancouver.

Tonight I am going to see my first live hockey game ever at Rogers Arena, but before the game, food is in order. The Kingston Taphouse on Richards st was recommended. I was really surprised at how large this place is inside, you would not have guessed it from outside. There wasn’t that much time before the game and I also wanted to buy a jersey beforehand too. The Kingston staff were able to place us at a table straight away and served us immediately.

I ordered a maple glazed grilled salmon. It was pretty good. Some parts tasted too ‘grilly’ but the parts that had the maple on it were sublime. We were out of there pretty quickly and made our way to the arena.

While walking to the arena there was a guy in a wheelchair with a cat in a little suit on his shoulder. I wish I had taken a photo, it was cute. There were quite a few beggers asking money from the huge horde of people making their way to the arena.

Read more… …

Friday 17th December 2010, -14°C, snowing.
Location: Drumheller, Alberta.

Bridge over frozen water, originally uploaded by Venture Vancouver.

Looking over the frozen Red Deer River, I wish I could ice skate. It is so weird to see frozen rivers, both from the sky and standing in front of one. There is nothing else to do in Drumheller, and I would have liked to have left this morning if there was a Greyhound Bus available at a reasonable time, but I have to wait for the 5.45pm bus to Calgary.

From Calgary I had organised a shuttle to take me to the airport and to get a plane back to Vancouver. I was concerned that the greyhound bus won’t get to Calgary in time for me to get my shuttle since they don’t ever seem to stick to a schedule.

I stayed in my hotel room all day. I was supposed to check out at 11am, but the hotel manager let me stay in a room that is being used for storage. I watched cable all day, ate some more crappy food from dino’s. When it came time to pack up I walked my luggage through the snow while it is snowing to the greyhound bus station.

Drumheller is pretty at night, the old fashioned lights make the streets inviting. The bus was late, of course, I got on it and got a window seat. There weren’t many people getting on from Drumheller. The bus got to Calgary at 7.50pm (it was scheduled to get there at 7.10pm). I had arranged for the shuttle to pick me up at 8pm (because I was hoping for some time at Calgary to have  a meal and washroom break), since the bus got to Calgary so late, there was no time for a break, my flight leaves at 11pm and I wanted to be at the airport early.

I got the shuttle and got to the airport by 8.30pm. I went through security quite quickly and was waiting in the departure lounge by 9.00pm, I still had 2 hours before my flight and I just wanted to be home. There was another flight leaving for Vancouver at 9.45, which had room on the plane so I was able to take the earlier flight instead – YAY.

I was glad to be back in Vancouver. Vancouver looks so beautiful at night when flying in.

Thursday 16th December 2010, -14°C, snowing.
Location: Drumheller, Alberta.

I will eat you, originally uploaded by Venture Vancouver.

Today I am spending my day walking around Drumheller town. I went to the Fossil Shop and brought a Spinosaurus tooth. I went to the worlds largest dinosaur and climbed it. It was snowing outside and difficult to walk around, I kept getting snowflakes up my nose. The view of Drumheller from the dinosaur is wonderful, I would like to come back here when it isn’t winter.

I went into the town and I was going to go to the Reptile World but it was closed. I also wanted to go see people play curling but the rink was closed. I then went and had a coffee at cafe italiano. The cafe is nice and welcoming. Most of the people I encounter in Drumheller are nice and helpful.

I got takeout from Dino’s and brought it back to my room, again the food was pretty crappy.

Wednesday 15th December 2010, 4°C, cold and windy.
Location: Drumheller, Alberta.

, originally uploaded by Venture Vancouver.

I am mostly in Drumheller to go to the Royal Tyrrell Museum. It is the only museum dedicated to palaeontology. It has the world’s largest collection of dinosaurs. I got up and had breakfast at Dino’s Family Restaurant which is right next to the Travelodge.

The food was pretty crappy. I went and looked into the fossil shop but I could spend a long time there, so I decided I’d come back later for a longer look.

After my breakfast I got a taxi to the museum. I was there all day. It was great. I watched a person work in the lab, trying to reveal a fossil. It was amazing. I also spent way too much time in the gift shop.

Here are some photos I took at the museum.

Monday December 13th 2010,
Location: Fort McMurray & Edmonton,  Alberta.

City Hall, originally uploaded by Venture Vancouver.

We got to the airport and got our tickets quickly. There are only 2 gates at Fort McMurray Airport. One for Air Canada Jazz and one for West Jet. We went through security quickly as well and sat in the departure lounge.

A WestJet aircraft was boarding. People stood in line and went on board. There was one guy who stood in line but was told that he had a ticket for Air Canada. He asked when they were boarding and the WestJet lady said she didn’t know, it is at the other gate across the room and as everyone could see,  there was no attendant standing there yet.

I thought to myself, I don’t understand how anyone can stand in line to board the wrong plane without realising it. It wasn’t like the place was like Los Angeles Airport where there is no signage or any easy access to gates (I hate LAX airport, it is stupid, confusing, old and ugly). Fort McMurray airport is tiny, with just TWO gates, and one departure lounge with the gates on each side of the small departure lounge, where you can clearly see both gates and the clear signs for what airline they are for.

The guy went and sat down for a while.  I kept thinking to myself that it was basically impossible to be confused about where to go in this airport, but obviously some people can still be confused. The confusion didn’t end there for the guy. Read more… …

Friday December 10th 2010, 4pm, -24°C, cold
Location: Fort McMurray, Alberta.

Edible Display, originally uploaded by Venture Vancouver.

Saturday 4th December 2010
Location: Granville Island, Vancouver

North, originally uploaded by Venture Vancouver.