Day 3 – Saturday July 2, 2011

We got back to Vancouver from Nanaimo and Tofino in the evening. We were all interested and exciting to go to the city of Richmond to experience the Summer (Asian) Night Market, that happens every weekend.

It was much less food oriented compared to Toronto’s. Only 25% was food, the rest were Asian shops. However, everything I tried was very tasty! My favourite was the duck wrap. It was wrapped in a crispy crepe but inside it tasted just like Peking duck. Unfortunately, it was a raining night and my stomach didn’t feel too well but we all had great time and filled up on goodies.

Day 4 – Sunday July 3, 2011

We started our Vancouver day with brunch at the Twisted Fork. The place already had a line before it was opened, which means it must be good! We explored Yaletown for a bit while we waited. When we were seated, their scone and homemade jam was delicious! My frittata with bacon, caramelized onions and brie was also very good.

To work off that big meal, we rented bicycles and went around Stanley Park. It was a beautiful day and perfect for the ride.

Still somewhat full from the huge brunch, we went to grab a quick bite at Japadog -a unique japanese-inspired hotdog. I had they Terimayo which was teriyaki sauce, japanese mayo and dried seaweed. The actually hot dog meat was juicy and good but not that unique from other hot dog stands. Regardless, I liked it and would recommend it to anyone!

Next, we picked up gelato from Bella Gelateria -a highly recommended place where the owner had formal education at Gelato University in Italy! The owner was such a nice guy, he showed us the machine and let us take a photo behind the counter. I got the Earl Grey Tea Gelato and it was so smooth and fresh!

We saw the Vancouver Convention Centre since it was near the Gelateria. This was where the Olympic flame was held in the 2010 Winter Games.

We quickly checked out Robson Street (which is like the Queen Street W. of Vancouver). Conveniently, there was a Cupcakes store and I couldn’t resist picking some mini ones up. They were not as good as I remember them the last time I was in Vancouver but still tasty.

Next, we headed to Surrey for our Trike experience. A trike is basically a small airplane without walls using hand gliding wings and a motor. A trike takes off from the ground instead of jumping off a cliff. We found this experience from a group buy website and I really wanted to hang-glide or Paragliding during this trip… A trike experience was new and sounded very fun so we got the deal.

It was super fun and thrilling. I got butterflies in my stomach as we took off at about 90km/hr in the air. The view was great and it was a very unique flying experience. We could soar low slightly above ground or way up high above the waters. I would try this again! We ended the night with some North Indian Food in Surrey at a place called Mahek.

Day 5 – Monday July 4, 2011

We started the next day at Granville Island in Vancouver. This small island was so nice with cute unquie artisan shops and markets. We saw a shop that sells handmade brooms, japanese saka, postcards and other knickknacks.

We had a Malaysian lunch at Banana leaf, which was good but nothing too special.

Next we began our trek up Grouse Mountain on the hiking trail, Grouse Grind. We underestimated this 2.2km climb, which was just steep steps up the mountain. We were not in proper gear and didn’t have water. We got tired quickly and thought we were about 1/3 done… only to discover we hadn’t even made it to the 1/4 marker yet!

It just keep going on and on. This was way tougher than the CN Tower climb as some of these steps were just rocks and logs. After 1 1/2 hours of climbing, I made it to the top exhausted but proud! The view was spectacle and it was amazing to know I climb it. We didn’t need to climb down, as we took the gondola instead.

Now, it was the perfect time for well-deserved gelato! We went to La Casa Gelato with over 200 flavours at one time. There were crazy flavours like peanut butter curry, balsamic vinegar, root beer but I went with a delicious choice of Durian and Jackfruit!

We had dinner after at Vji’s -one of the top indian-fusion restaurants in Vancouver. The food was excellent but maybe after all the hype, I expected more…

Day 6 – Tuesday July 5 2011

We dropped our friend, Gautam to the airport as he was leaving a day earlier than me and Ruhan. We had a asian breakfast at Lido, a HK-style cafe where they had some amazing pineapple buns. It had a crispy top with a soft warm centre. Their HK-style milk tea was great as well.

After that, we shopped at Aberdeen Centre, an asian shopping mall. The mall had nice architecture but I expected more shops compared to Pacific Mall in Toronto. One thing though, Aberdeen had an awesome Japanese Two-Dollar store with amazing stuff that Ruhan and I each spent $70 at.

I picked up some Apple Milk Bubble Tea at Pearl Castle after. Nothing too special and then we went to the Vancouver Aquarium!

The aquarium was awesome and worth it’s hefty $30 price tag. There were some crazy sea creatures and great animal shows where you can really see them up close.

My favourite was the jellyfishes. They were so gorgeous and funny with the way they moved.

We had GUU Gastown for dinner which was great but similar to my Toronto Experience. Two unique dishes was the Duck Breast and the Hot Stone Dessert Pot with bubbling custard, coconut ice cream and french baguette.

Gastown was lovely at night with such charm. It had cobble stone floors, an iconic gas steam clock and pretty lamps.

Day 7 – Wednesday July 6, 2011

I dropped off Ruhan at the airport and luckily it worked out that I got to keep the rental car even thought I wasn’t an additional driver.

After some more rest, I went to Richmond and saw their International Buddhist Temple. It was huge and very impressive!

Soon after, I headed to Lunch at Tsim Chai, famous for its wontons. It didn’t disappoint me. The wontons were huge, flavourful and very juicy. Their HK-style mlk tea was fantastic too. I explored more of Richmond’s other asian malls (Yaohan Centre & Parker’s Place) but they were all so small and weak compared to Markham & Richmond Hill. I really expected much more of Richmond since its suppose to be highly populated with Chinese habitants.

That was it. I returned the car and checked into my flight. It was an amazing trip with my high school friends. I had so much fun experiencing the west coast of Canada, seeing the spectacular sights and indulging the amazing food it offered. I will miss Vancouver and I know I will be back to see Victoria and Whistler. Who knows, I may end up moving there for a little bit.