Canada Experiences

Saturay, Aug 6

Okay, this time the whale watching tour really took place =D Once again i shared breakfast with Stefan and we walked together to Granville Island, where the office is located.
We arrived there at about 10.15 am, had to fill out a form and to choose a suit – oh yes, a suit which should keep warm, safe and as well a bit dry xD we both didnt know what we would have to wear one, but well... everyone looked ridiculous in the same way =D
we both spend actually the whole tour in the front row... thats where you realise the bumps the most and where you are supposed to get soaked the most. There were some water splashed from time to time but altogether we kept pretty dry.
Our tour's guide explained a lot of the rules and safety measures, and later about the life of whales, seales and eagles. It would take a long time to write down everything she said, so i just make it short by telling you: WE SAW THEM ;) =D
I have no idea how long it actually took to get us to the right spot, but it has to be sth around an hour. (On the way there, we spotted an bald eagle somewhere far up on a tree). There were many orcas/killer whales, one even rather close at our boat. There should be a distance between 100 and 200 yards between boat and whale (depending if you are in Candada or in the USA), but it is difficult to stick to that when they are coming from every direction.
It was pretty awesome to see the whales living in their natural inhabitat. Later on we also saw some seals, lying lazily around on some rocks.
We returned back to the office at about 5 pm. So it was a long tour and it was worth it. Its a difference if you see such animals in a zoo or in nature.
I was so glad to get rid off that annoying suit =)
I was planning to meet Steffi and Tanja at Granville Station at about 7.30 pm. So there was some time left. As the tour was quite exhausting somehow (or I was tired even before it started xD) we were just lying in the grass till it was time to get to the meeting point.
Steffi and Tanja were a bit late; as soon as they arrived, we made our way to the beach (english bay). There were so many people and it was quite difficult to find a good spot to watch the firework.
We managed it finally =D the firework started again at 8 pm and was so amazing. I think it was the best one of all the three. The music matched once again pretty good to the firework – the best song that was played was „Bring me to life“ by Evanescene. I had to think of Franzi at once – well who wouldn't =D =) ?!
After that we waited till the crowed had lifted a least a bit. When we set off there were still so many people, though... it took us some time till Steffi found a bus, till we brought Tanja to her hostel (in a creepy area near West Hastings Street, where an Amsterdam Coffee Shop and Scientoloy is located xD) and me to Dunsmuir Station (as Granville Station was closed). Stefan and I seperated.

Friday, Aug 5:

I was told the day before that the whale watching won't be on Saturday, but on Friday. Actually I already had got other plans for Friday but I somehow managed it to change them in order to get free time for the whale watching thing.
So I wasnt able to sleep a bit longer on Friday, but already got up at aroung 8 am. I got ready and headed for the Samesun hostel to meet Stefan there, a guy from German who is able to speak English as fluently as German probably =D =) He was the one who organised the whale watching tour. Well, when I arrived there and shared breakfast with him, he called the whale watching organisation to find out if the weather is ok or not for such a tour. Well, he just found out, that he booked the spots not for Friday, but for Saturday xD =D
So we both got up for nothing. At first glance at least. Instead he suggested to go the Vancouver Aquarium in Stanley Park. And that was quite nice.
There were different shows offered: we watched the dolphin-, bird- and the beluga-show The best was probably the one with dolphins =) the Aquarium is not actually that big, so we went through it quite fast. Besides to animals of the sea, there were as well birds, snakes and monkey to mention only some.
During that tour Stefan and I got to know each other loads better. He paid the entry for me by the way, cause he felt quilty for mixing up the date of the whale watching tour xD but actually i did not mind that much.

I was about to meet Steffi, Tanja and Navid at Granville station. There was still some time left till we were about to meet the others, but soon the moment had come when we had to walk to Granville Station. The thing was then, that Steffi and Tanja did not turn up... I called Tanja but did not understand properly why they could not come – so i left Stefan behind and went on with Navid (the guy i got to know at the couchsurfing-meeting) to some other place. He showed me the libraray and took me to a nationalpark which is quite near the station „commercial and broadway“.
We were sitting at the border of the lake at first, later lying in the shade on the grass (I already got sunburned a bit in the face... even though i put sun screen on it).

Soon we got back to downtown, meeting Stefan on the way to the hostel. navid went home to get changed, Stefan and i went to his hostel (samesun) and actually wanted to meet navid again at robson square (for there should be some artists and dancers). But we were both too tired for that.
So i went home pretty early and went to bed ;) =)