So it's off to Vancouver with my friend Jude for a long weekend. Now that I am no longer traveling for work every few weeks, I look forward to getting on a plane and seeing something new. It will be a first for both of us to visit this city - and I have to admit that even though I have been to Montreal and Toronto, Canada remains somewhat of an enigma for me. I think that I keep wanting it to be one thing, when in fact, it is many things. Perhaps Vancouver is the San Francisco of Canada. What I am hoping to find, as I always do, is the character of the city, its people, and its culture.
What have I heard so far? Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. Great restaurants, especially Asian food. A long suspension bridge. A huge park. A gaslight district like in Amsterdam, with legalized prostitution and "coffee shops".
Other than that? Not much. I think that both of us are excited, but not quite sure what to expect. We're staying in a great hotel, called the Opus Hotel, which will be a luxury. The forecast calls for a mix of clouds and rain, so we may be spending a lot of time there. A great hotel is a vacation in itself for me, so no complaints here.
I think it's kind of cool that we need our passports for a place that is only 2 1/2 hours away by plane. It's like going to Europe on hyper-speed.
Up, up and away we go!
