Vancouver
I was thrilled to leave the U.S. and hang up my hat as “tour guide and trip planner”. It was time to put on my “tourist” hat and let Steph lead the way through wonderful Canada.
We spent a lovely 4 days in Coquitlam (suburb of Vancouver) with Steph’s mom, Thelma. We were spoiled with our own suite in Thelma’s apartment building, delicious Filipino food (veganized for me), cold-soaked oats and access to Thelma’s gym. We had the most relaxing day of the trip so far, getting massages in the morning, visiting the gym (excellent sauna and spa facilities) and topping it off with a viewing of Oppenheimer, a truly epic movie.
Most days, we visited Steph’s dad, Ruben, in his care facility. It was fun to have the whole family together, look at old photos, make jokes and meet each other. I felt very welcomed in to the family and it was neat to get to know the people that created Steph. Ruben gave me his old ring – it was a very sweet gesture. It’s the first ring I’ve owned and it is some serious bling! I’ll save it for special occasions.
We spent a full 12 hours in the city of Vancouver, renting bikes and exploring all the highlights. I reconnected with Kelsey, a friend from The Camino Primitivo, who happens to be born and raised in Vancouver. She was nice enough to tour guide us around for most of the day! It was a blast to see Vancouver in a different light; the previous two times I had visited mainly to get intoxicated on alcohol (when I was 19 and again at 27). It was raining and grey for the previous visits, and most of the time was spent indoors. This time, it was sunny and beautiful and we spent the entire day cycling around. It’s a beautiful city, surrounded by water, with green mountains as far as the eye can see. It’s a vibrant place, plenty of street art, hip restaurants and neighborhoods, bustling downtown city feel, ethnic communities. It reminds me of San Francisco in a lot of ways. If we ever got deported from spain, I would strongly consider living in Vancouver city. We didn’t get a chance to explore outside the city, but apparently there is really beautiful and desolate nature within a few hours drive. Unfortunately, there is a big problem with homelessness and drug use; we saw many of them wandering around like zombies with scary looks in their eyes.
Most days, I did solo caminos through Coquitlam. It’s a pleasant place with plenty of trees and handful of nice parks. Just like most places in North America, it did feel quite car dependent – I was usually the only person walking and had to contend with large roads and crumbling sidewalks to get anywhere. One day, I stumbled upon the local farmers market – it was a fun experience to try new foods and get a taste of the local life there. It seems like a very liveable place – everything is within a 15 minute drive.
Toronto
Before we knew it, it was time to leave Vancouver and fly to Toronto. It would be night flight. Red eyes are basically staying up all night, barely sleeping, arriving in your destination to pretend like you have a full day when you are actually a sleep deprived zombie fueled by caffeine. It takes several days – if not a week – to fully recover.
The plane was smooth and even though we slept very little, we were able to arrive in Toronto, grab a cab to the apartment, take a nap and head out on the town for a adventurous afternoon/evening urban hike. We got right after it and walked all the way to the bustling neighborhood of Kensington Market. It’s filled with vibrant restaurants with every type of cuisine imaginable. It has a bit of a hippie / hipster feel to it; plenty of street art, performers dancing, pot shops and curious tourists.
Toronto gave me NYC vibes; it has towering buildings, lots of people walking fast, every ethnicity imaginable, endless choices for eating/drinking, lots of cars/traffic/noise, a bit of a concrete jungle. It’s exciting, thrilling and overwhelming to be in a place like that.
One day, I went on a urban quest to find a quality bike to rent; either a touring or gravel bike – no cheap tourist city bike for me. My prayers were answered when I walked into a bike co-op and they offered me a Surly Long Haul trucker to rent. It was an upgraded version of my 12 year old LHT – such a joy to ride. I banged around the city and saw as much as I could. The best part was the shoreline hugging lake Ontario; it was a beautiful view, there were no cars, and it went on for kilometers. The rest of the ride was a chaotic mess of disappearing bike lanes, unfinished construction projects, honking cars and urban hell. Apparently, bike infrastructure has improved over the years – but it has a long way to go. Despite the challenges, I had an absolute blast getting an adrenaline rush as I weaved in and out of cars, fought for position and waited for a clueless motorist to commit an infraction and just “give me a reason” to berate them in the defense of bike safety. Thankfully – and surprisingly – all motorists were well behaved and no one infringed on my rights as a cyclist. Good job, Canadians!
It was a welcomed change of pace for me have Steph confidently lead me through her former city – a place she called home for more than 10 years. Being a foodie, I can see the appeal for her – there is every type of food imaginable and endless options for eating out. The city is vibrant – a cultural hub for new ideas, art, young people, music and events. However, I didn’t experience the major downside: the terrible weather in the winter. Apparently, it’s impossible to go outside without specialized weather gear, one needs to completely switch out all 4 tires to a winter version and everyone mostly stays inside for 4 months out of the year. It sounds rough! On top of it, the lack of green spaces would get to me – there are several city parks and a lake shoreline, but for the most part, it’s a concrete jungle – hell to get in our out of the city. Too many cars, pollution, buildings and people. I can see why Steph left and why she’s so happy here!
