Vancouver and Victoria Can-a-duh!

When I think of Vancouver I think of some of my favorite bands like DOA and the Subhumans. During the late 70's and early 80's Vancouver's punk/new wave/art damage scene was well revered as being one of North America's most vibrant akin to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles. The documentary Bloodied But Unbowed chronicles the movers and shakers of that time. There definitely wasn't a shortage of material, one memorial scene from the film was when the Royal Canadian Mounted Police chased DOA out of Stanley Park and it gets better from there. The good news was that I found a copy of the film at a record store in Victoria. To learn about the film visit: http://thepunkmovie.com/ 

Ending up in Canada wasn't by accident. I signed up for an IB (International Baccalaureate) workshop in Vancouver as a way to update my resume just in case Ana and I leave Egypt. A couple of weeks prior to our trip, I received an e-mail saying that the workshop was cancelled. We already had our heart set on going to see our friend Patty in Vancouver and Jose and Lili in Victoria.     

A delicious lunch at Ukrainian Village Restaurant on the West End.

Patty at the park on a rare sunny afternoon. Rain is king in these parts and when the sun makes an appearance the parks and streets are flooded with people. 

I like that the children are patiently waiting to climb on the Laughing Men Statues in English Bay Beach. 

Renting bikes to go around Stanley Park sounded better than walking.

Totem poles at Stanley Park.

To learn and see more visit http://www.seestanleypark.com/totems/page6totems.htm

Lions Gate Bridge connecting Stanley Park and North Vancouver.

Jose and Lili came to kidnap us. On a ferry to Victoria.

Random passenger no. 3612

6 people versus 6 Canadian beers...

...and ribs.

Being kidnapped wasn't all that bad. Ribs, salad, cheese, beer, wine, and fusty grapes. Thanks to Jose's mum she expanded our vocabulary by introducing the word "fusty."  

A short walk from the parent's house.   

Taking a scenic walk towards downtown.  

British Columbia Parliament Buildings

Everyone wants a totem in their backyard!

Empress Hotel will make you poor.

Hi, we're tourists.

This what you do at Clover Point Park.

One of the sights of Beacon Hill Park.

Jose and Lili treated us to an afternoon tea at the Empress. We also saw an imposter queen sitting with another party. Sadly, there wasn't a queen on the menu.

The starter.

I should have pinched a plate!

Hope I'm sipping correctly.

The offerings part 1.

The offerings part 2.

The girls sipping on Caesars-a Canadian experience doesn't get more authentic than this. 

Jose insisted on jumping into the water. I was strongly encouraged to join him. The water temp was just above 50 degrees. Afterwards Jose's mom started to call me fuzzy. 

Ana with her souvenir.

True love.

We heard "oh, you're going to Victoria, you NEED to go to Butchart Gardens." The Abkhazi Garden alternative was just fine, it was intimate and we didn't have to fight the big crowds.

No matter what time of the day you crave fish and chips from Red Fish Blue Fish, be prepared to wait 45 minutes in line. Just watch out for the pooping birds above. It was our last meal on the island. 

Our last night in Vancouver was with Patty. Skunks are a problem in her hood. 

I wonder how different my life would have been if my parents bought me skater men instead of army men?

Old punk rockers never die, they just have alien abductions.