Gas Town

A brief word aside - as you know, my readers, I do not complain (mostly) in this blog, but I do find myself in need of your help. I recently fell hard (literally) and caused some serious damage to my knee. With it being my left leg, I can't drive my manual transmission. To see how you can help me trade my crutch and clutch for a safer drive in an automatic ride, click on the following link or in that box to the left with the image of me entitled, "Crutches, Canes and Cars." Thank you, Readers!!!

Now back to our story!

May 1, 2016 - The last full day of our vacation.

It was an easy going morning, this day in Canada. I did get up and dressed in a hurry so to not miss breakfast inside the lovely and elegant Victorian B&B. Half awake, my comrades and I enjoyed egg quesadillas. It was a heavy breakfast, but pleasant.

Dennis, the owner, visited with us for some time and then we headed out for our adventures. It was surprisingly warm when compared to the day before when we were all freezing. The day was GORGEOUS so we set out to the beach on the north west side.

Beach-side Seats in Vancouver - Yes, there is snow on the distant mountain range.

Three of us stopped for coffee before we stopped to watch a marathon run by. It was a lot of fun cheering on the runners!

A Canuck saw us looking over a map and began to give us advice on what to do next. The conversation brought us to a well known place in Vancouver, perhaps your city has one too: China Town. We asked if China Town was sketchy as we had heard that there were strange happenings over there, and she told us that there were some odd areas surrounding the area. Being that I have some experience in New York, I asked, how odd it was and added, "Do people get mugged there?"

The woman drew back and said as if offended, "We don't use that word here." Then she asked me what it meant, so I explained (robbed violently or pick-pocketed) and she explained, "No, they won't bother you. There's a LOT of homeless and a ton of druggies, but they mind their own."

Sounded good enough for us. Our tour guide then recommended a few streets for us to see and off we went!

It was really warm and our path was mostly up a rather steep grade. I regretted not wearing shorts, but my short sleeve shirt helped tremendously. The trek was all uphill and we passed some unique shops, including a Popeye Supplement Store that's neighbor had a poster in the window advertising a familiar cruise...

The streets that we trod were a very different side if Vancouver than what we had been seeing. There were the most interesting things for a social scientist to observe. There were a number of people sleeping on the streets and yet they were doing so on the stoop of a Nordstrom. This main street that we were traversing is essentially skid row and Rodeo Drive in one. It was strange. We learned through the steps of our travels that the city is VERY expensive. From rent to food, everything. This being said coupled with the housing issues, it wasn't surprising to see so many homeless, but it only went downhill from there (literally).

But there really was FANTASTIC architecture there.

We made it to the east side and visited Gas Town, their Old Town. Although the plan had been to go to China Town for lunch, it was after noon, so it was time to eat. We found a nice street side cafe and watched the day go by. Gas Town was full of fun facts and things to see. There was a steam clock that played beautiful tunes every 15 minutes. The cobblestone streets, trees and brick buildings made for a charming scenery. We learned that in 1873 Vancouver had a poppin' population of 75. Just 75. A man called Gassy Jack, due to his gassy winded speeches (of course), was one of the founding fathers and helped to name the city.

The Steam Clock.

The Heart of Gas Town

Vancouver grew exponentially after the Hong Kong colony became independent more recently. People of that region moved to Vancouver because it was cheap, but as a consequence, many historical buildings were torn town to build high rises. There are now a growing number of restrictions helping to prevent further destruction of housing/historical or affordable, which brings us to our next section - skid road (or row, depending on what you prefer). 

We came across what we thought was a street fair, but turned out to be a homeless swap meet - I'm not being mean, this was genuinely what it was. We walked through and made it to China Town. The China Towns that I'm used to are full of life, bustling, active. This China Town was a GHOST town. Apparently, skid row keeps tourists and locals away, go figure. The locals are taking huge measures to restore and revitalize the whole situation, but it takes time. I really do mean this people of Vancouver, your China Town is beautiful. 

View of the Pond in the Chinese Cultural Center

We found a fun Chinese Bakery and picked up a few snacks. Turns out that we stopped at the most popular Chinese Bakery in Vancouver as according to their local post, so that was a delightful surprise.

The cultural center was lovely. Imagine a high walled bastion surrounding and protecting a forest with an ancient castle inside. It was almost like a fairy tale. In the center of it all was the pond. We watched the turtles and coy fish swim and tan. Carolyn and I gave two turtles a dialogue as they competed for a rock. But alas, our companions had moved on, so we never were able to see the end of the duel.

Up the steep hilled street we went until we found a rest-stop: a Starbucks. There was a whole bunch more craziness happening in this square where we stopped than I would have normally accepted as normalcy, but we didn't linger long before we began to trek back. However, the rest of the journey was up hill. Finding our way back was a tad stressful, but we found our way. Once we were back in our neighborhood, we did some independent explorations. I went to the teashop I had visited the day before to get another Boba/Bubble/Pearl tea (remember, this name varies by region). It was a lovely stroll across Vancouver, but we were ready to head back to the B&B - there was a Jacuzzi with our names on it!

Carolyn, Felicia and I were the first ones in, but Maggie joined us soon after. We laughed and relaxed in the pleasant steam of the ensuing bubbles. I ended up staying with the girls after Maggie retired for the night. Carolyn and I helped Felicia distribute the weight of her luggage and we just laughed and laughed. It was getting pretty late and we had a long day of travel awaiting us.

As I went to sleep that night, I thanked God for presenting me the opportunity to travel with these three ladies. This was one of the most fun trips, certainly one of the most unique, that I have yet enjoyed. It was a pleasure, a blessing, a gift to expand my horizons with this cruise and my company. Thank you, Maggie, for popping your head into my office on a whim to see if anyone was interested in hopping aboard a great little ship called, "Nieuw Amsterdam."

Until Next Week, Dear Readers, when things take a Magical twist...

Cue Harry Potter Music

Your humble author,
S. Faxon

Canucks and Us

Our last morning on Nieuw Amsterdam.

Maggie was out of the room early. I slept in until 7:45 (it's a big deal when your daily grind begins around 5am).I hopped out of the bed, pulled together the last of my items, then said, "Fair winds!" to our little room. Up to our table I traveled to write and to enjoy our final morn. This ritual of being at the table first had become something of a routine and it was nice to have downtime. The view from my table was superb. Before me lie the great city of Vancouver. My particular window-scape looked out over Stanley Park, the West-North-West snow topped mountains, an enormous train station, and a floating Chevron Station (a fuel dock). On the port side was the odd Convention Center on steroids.

Floating Gas Station

This was the major stop for most passengers and as such the vessel was relatively empty. I made up my breakfast - bread-less eggs Benedict, a banger and two cooked tomatoes. Coffee happened. The girls joined me and we took our time. We wanted to be the last off and we just about met that goal. Our bags were literally the last to be picked up. Exiting the cruise boat and the area surrounding was extremely easy. The nice Canadians hailed us a van and in we all hopped, off to see our B&B.

The drive to Barclay House B&B was quick and easy. In no time at all, we found ourselves before a yellow and white trimmed Victorian from 1904. It was storybook cute. We met a lovely German family on the porch as we brought in our bags. Our two rooms, the Haida Way and the Garden were the ground flats. We passed through a lovely garden with gold, white poppies, maroon colored leaves of Japanese maples and a whole ton of untamed flowers. Essentially, exactly what I hope my future front yard will look like.

Waiting to check in!

Maggie's and my room was adorable. It was all yellow with red furnishings, tulip lanterns and a sitting area. The red couch in the fore room was to be my bed so that Maggie could enjoy a proper bed. Our room was referred to as a "bachelor," which I had never heard of - I would describe it as a kitchenless studio, option one bedroom. The bathroom did have a door, so I suppose that makes the difference. There was a deep, white coffin tub with a long shower pipe. Adorable. If it had a kitchen, I could live there, but I hadn't seen Carolyn and Felicia's rooms yet. 

Their room would be my first choice, but mostly because it had a Jacuzzi tub!!!! That's right, a full, raised, corner jacuzzi in the room. We didn't jump in right away, as we had adventures to get through, but we made a date for it later. There was no way we were going to miss that opportunity.

With no plans, no reservations, we headed out to see what the road would bring. 

A block hadn't passed beneath my feet before a Canuck stopped us to visit and then give us travel and sight seeing suggestions. She recommended that we go to a local store called Chocolate Mousse, a particular Italian restaurant and that we go to Stanley park. Following our guide's suggestion, we went to the little store in which I found a fun rucksack, which has since become my favorite bag ever. It's next to me now as I type this. I LOVE sturdy canvas bags and this one came with a lovely selection of pockets AND the option of turning into a backpack or shoulder bag...#sold.

While Maggie ran back to the B&B to grab a sweater Carolyn, Felicia and I went to an Asian Tea store to get something refreshing and so that Carolyn could experience Bubble/Boba/Pearl tea (It's called something different everywhere you go). At some point we also stopped at a Starbucks where we received a free drink because they made one of the orders incorrectly...but this met expectation and I got free caffeine, so all was good.  

Once Maggie rejoined us, we strolled through Stanley Park which is alongside the waterfront in Vancouver. We were amazed by the lush green, forest park. It was beautiful. We found a bench that looked out to the Rowing Club and ate the sandwiches we packed from the cruise boat. We were well prepared travelers.

As we were sitting there, we spoke to a lady for well over a half hour and it all started because we four women locked on to the cutest dog any of us had ever seen; a Black and Tan Pomeranian. Trust me, I know - but when they are shaved, they are adorable. I'm not much of a fan when they are Pom-Poms, but holy cow, this dog was cute. 

Lunch time!

At some point we resumed our walk and the race was on. Maggie took off with Felicia, so Carolyn and I stopped and admired the roses, the flowers, the birds, the scenery as we strolled along. The first pair were CONSTANTLY waiting on us. Felt bad, but I could have easily enjoyed the entire day exploring the park, reading the historical signs and watching the people, the boats, the seaplanes, and the Eagles. Yes, Eagles. When we sat at lunch, I spotted the beauty soaring over the trees and it was breathtaking. 

EAGLES!!!

We found some amazing totem poles that told of the legends and the stories of the local artists, many belonging to the local tribes, the Haida people. The Haida were either the dominant local people or the local nation, can't quite recall which (if you know, please leave a comment below!), but they were the featured tribe. There was a gift store, so of course we went inside. There were some BEAUTIFUL Canadian jade pieces, but I ended up purchasing a moon bracelet. I now have a sun and a moon symbol, thus I am complete (my own interpretations).

Discovering Totems

Downtown and the Nieuw Amsterdam in the Back

We walked/ran some more then we made our way to a restaurant for snacks (fries and bread) so that we could watch our vessel depart. We raised our glasses as we watched our girl, Nieuw Amsterdam, head off to other adventures without us. It was strange seeing her leave, but it was a relief to be back on land.

After we rested, we set off and found an Italian restaurant. The girls enjoyed their food and we made a new friend. His name is Gavin and as it turns out, he was a Kiwi and possibly had connections to a little boat we knew back home. I gave him my card and told him I'd do some investigating when we returned and he was excited to find out more about how his ancestors made it to New Zealand. 

After the restaurant we strolled around before making it back to the B&B. Maggie checked out for the night, so Carolyn, Felicia and I tried out the Jacuzzi! We had a blast. We only dipped our legs/calves in to help ease our aching legs, and it was wonderful. The hilarity came from us figuring out how to turn on the silly thing. After MUCH trial and error, we discovered that there were eight steps, yes eight, to turning on the jets. Eight. 

Half the fun was figuring it out. We enjoyed great conversation, some silly, some serious. Hot tub time was my idea of vacation; no itinerary, no schedule - just friends and a relaxed environment. 

We stayed up past midnight visiting and then I snuck back into the room, quiet as a mouse, ready to sleep on my red couch. 

Total steps > 21,006.

Until Next Week dear readers when we spend a full day in Vancouver! 

Your humble Author, 

S. Faxon  

LAND! GLORIOUS LAND!!!

While indeed I am steeped in the culture of the sea, there was nothing more exciting than seeing land on our third day.

Land. Sweet, beautiful land. Woke up early, dawned my swimming gear in hopes to dive into the pool that was sure to be open now that the waters were calm, and hopped up to the Lido deck. The first thing I saw when windows reached my view was the tree lined landscape of the great North West.

Trees. Soooo many sky reaching evergreens. After the seas we'd been enduring, I was extremely grateful to see terra firma once more.

We girls were so excited to see something other than the white and blue chop. It was glorious. With eyes wide we watched the hills and coast roll by. The pool was FINALLY open, so Maggie went for a swim and I eventually hopped into the warmish Jacuzzi. It wasn't quite as warm as a hot tub should be, but it was the principle of being on a vacation getting in the Jacuzzi on my vacation. 

I may have enjoyed three rounds of breakfast that day, made my fellow Hobbits proud. 

Once all of our breakfasts were consumed, Carolyn and I strolled the great out doors.

Canadian Pilot!

The sea was calm, so we were able to go outside, which was also glorious. We went to the bow on the 10th floor platform and watched the Canadian Pilot boat lead us to our dock. Felt giddy to watch the Canadian Pilot with my connections to San Diego's 101 year old Pilot boat (that's an entirely different story.) 

While we watched our cruise boat dock, Carolyn and I spoke with a charming couple who lived in Victoria, our first port of call. They told us of their adventures and they gave us tips on things to do in Victoria. 

Once we were docked we went back to our rooms to gather our excursion gear. We met at "our table" on the Lido deck (yes, we had staked territory) to graze on lunch prior to leaving the ship. We packed sandwiches for the day, so that we wouldn't have to purchase lunch out and about.

Then it was we were land bound. The captain gave the okay for us to disembark, so we and 2,000 of our closest friends headed off into Victoria. Felicia and I felt compelled to kiss the ground after our trip up when we touched foot on the black asphalt, but we managed to resist the temptation. 

Maggie and I went off on our own adventure while Carolyn and Felicia hopped on a bus to go view the famous gardens. Throughout the day we saw our fellow cruisers, which was rather entertaining. You wouldn't think 2,000 strangers would become familiar, but we were all coupled up together for so long, maybe it shouldn't have been so surprising. 

If you aren't aware, let me tell you - Victoria is beautiful. It was like something out of a fairy tale. Maggie and I walked through the neighborhood suburb to the downtown area. The Parliament building was breathtaking. It looked too European to be on the American Continent, even in Canada. I was really impressed.

There were horse drawn carriages (of course).

A house boat village, and slips galore with a variety of schooners and clippers. To quote Felicia, "I could do this."

Maggie and Me

I imagine when cruise ships aren't in that Victoria is rather quiet, which would suit me just fine. (You know, I'm currently in the market for a house and the US dollar is worth more than the Canadian dollar...hmm....)

Anyway, Maggie and I went to the British Columbia Royal Museum. They put to shame almost every indoor museum I have yet seen. They have an ENORMOUS in depth Native Peoples exhibit and I spent a TON of time in that area. Did you know that British Columbia has the most languages of Natives in the World? I didn't know that. It was fantastic to learn of the efforts from the Natives to preserve their language. I must have read almost every plaque in the Native area and the Natural History exhibits.

The museum had a full size cannery, a gold mine, a dock and a SHIP on exhibit, INSIDE!!!!!! It was incredibly impressive.

There was one room that was particularly striking - it was like being inside a research submarine much like Captain Nemo's Nautilus. The port holes looked out to living kelp. There were all sorts of nautical 1800s artifacts, which were a lot of fun.

At the helm!

My favorite exhibit was of Native masks that told different stories from the Native Peoples. I am fascinated by cultural legends and tales. Be they Japanese, Irish, Russian, American, they are the stories that spark imagination, tradition and faith.

After we saw all there was to see in the museum, Maggie and I regrouped and crossed the street to look at the Empress, a famous Victorian hotel.

Unfortunately, she was undergoing MASSIVE renovations, so we were unable to enjoy her full grandeur. Carolyn told us later that the empress was originally built without bathrooms. Kinda nuts to think that a hotel that impressive would be lacking toilet amenities (yes, there are toilets now). But talk about a trivia topic!

We walked to a tea shop called Murchies where we used their WIFI and bought a ton of delightful goodies. We regrouped with Felicia and Carolyn at the little tea shoppe. We stayed there until closing time - 5pm - and walked into the tobacco shop next door to look at the interesting column in the center of the store. This proved to be an unexpected entertaining sideshow, rather, WE became a rather entertaining sideshow. Carolyn had told us that on their bus tour they were told that this tobacco shop had the oldest lighter in the world, so we had to investigate. Sure enough, there was the flames burning from a Mexican white Onyx pillar. The piece is priceless as it so happens as white onyx has been completely depleted.

One of our colleagues was a brand new daddy, so we purchased him a cigar that is difficult to purchase in the U.S. of A. Our adventure within this store was one of no-shame and we had the attendant Alex laughing like crazy right along with us. I had to ask the gentlemen working there if we were the most entertaining customers that had ever strolled through and they all agreed that we were "without doubt." And we ended up going back in a second time, which only further proved that claim.

We wandered in through a few other shops and we supported the First People (Canadian Natives) with our purchases. 

The walk back to the ship was gorgeous, but gusty. Maggie and Felicia were freezing, so they bolted back to the ship. Carolyn and I stopped to admire the flora and fauna along the way while fighting the intense wind that had picked up dramatically. It had been warm throughout the day until the sun began to go down and in came the wind. We all ended up with light wind burns on our cheeks.  

The sun setting behind the cruise boat was beautiful. Took some fun photos prior to going back on board, not before taking the a-typical tourist shots.

Once we were on our floating hotel, we freshened up and ate again. We ended up ordering an extra dessert because on a cruise boat there is no shame. 

After dinner, Maggie led us to the bow where we watched a sweet movie entitled, "Brooklyn." The film was wonderful and I proudly stayed awake through the whole thing. Luckily enough, just after, it was time to go to sleep. We had to get ready for the next day when we would see Seattle. And my Aunties!!!!

It was time for us to return to the sea. 

Speaking of the sea - if you haven't noticed, being on or around the water is a passion of mine. One may even call it a lifestyle. Even though I have light crew experience on tall ships, I've recently signed up for a basic sailing class. I hope to be a captain someday and am well on my way, but sailing is a bit of a mystery that I'd like to better understand. 

If anyone knows what it's like to have a dream of doing what you love, you know how it feels. If you'd like to help sponsor my dream, all you have to do is put down $4.99 towards my book, which you may purchase here or here. Already bought it? Not interested in reading it? E-books make great gifts and it's the same price as a cup of Starbucks. (On second thought, it's less than most drinks at Starbucks.) It may not seem like much, but these clicks add up! 

Thank you for reading as always, my dear Readers, and thank you for helping me pursue my dreams. Until next week when we go together to Seattle!

Your humble author,

S. Faxon

Boarding, Party of 4

"Who wants to go on a cruise?"

The sentence that hooked me. I had never before been on a cruise. Never thought of it, not seriously. Living in a major tourist destination and working near a cruise terminal brings the Dam ships near my front door frequently. No, I did not curse. That is what they are called - at least, that's what the Amsterdam line is called. That would be the one that called my name. 

My colleague, Maggie, stuck her head in my office one morning and said, "Hey, Sarah, want to go on a cruise?"

I considered it for one small moment and said, "Sure." Gave her my budget and Maggie was off. 

Every few days I'd receive updates on prices and dates until one day - it happened. We found the north bound cruise to Canada on the Nieuw Amsterdam that had our names on it. One of our good friends at work was also in need of a cruise, so we did everything we could until the stars were aligned - we recruited our friend, Carolyn and her friend Felicia, to come along. 

The Ship

From left to right: Felicia, me, Carolyn, and Maggie from atop the ship

Our adventure began on a Monday afternoon. When we ladies met at Anthony's Fish Grotto, we laughed at the amount luggage we each had and pinned on the flours I had brought for each of us. It was Maggie's birthday, so we gave her a birthday sash, had a few laughs, then headed to the terminal. 

We went through the rigmarole of pre-boarding check-in in the enormous B Street Pier. Before we boarded, a photographer pulled us over and took all of our photos. We laughed and posed, all proudly wearing our lovely flowers, which we wore all day, even to dinner.

Second balcony up, us waving to my folks.

My folks came down to the dock to watch us depart. From the balcony of Carolyn and Felicia's room, we waved good bye to them and to the Maritime Museum of San Diego's 101 year old Pilot boat, which floated on by.

The Maritime Museum Pilot Boat on her bay cruise.

Once our boat began to move, we explored the ship. We found the cafe in the Crow's Nest up on the top floor. It was an incredible viewing area. I took some fantastic photos of our city and gave an abbreviated small tour about San Diego to the Canadians and Zonies (what we call people from Arizona) who were listening. All was well until...

I knew ahead of time that gale strength winds awaited us out on the Pacific, but I had no idea how intense it would be. Once we cleared the 400 foot peninsula of Point Loma, the wind broad sided us and the ship began to sway. Being high up on top, we were quite aware of the extra movement, so we booked it out of there and headed back to our rooms to get ready for dinner. 

Made this observation on my way down: a cruise is like a beehive. It seems like chaos at first, but there is order and direction. Every bee has his or her own itinerary and the hive is subject to the whims of nature. Just like those beehives, our boat rocked. Literally and a lot. 

The little TVs said that we were experiencing eight mile per hour winds. The fifteen to twenty foot swells assailing us said otherwise. Let me put that in perspective; in San Diego bay, when we have 12 - 15 knot winds, we see white caps, which are basically the result of one-ish foot swells and it makes for an interesting boat ride, but still comfortable....TWENTY foot swells are the height of two story buildings, and hot-dang do they crash against your 964 foot boat with a BANG. The waves were pounding against our boat. And yes, it was a little nerve wracking. BUT we were all boat people, so surely we would be fine! (I was prepared to the max - I had ginger candies and acupressure bracelets on because I hadn't yet been out on the high seas, so I had no idea how I would do.) 

On my way to my room, I was ping-ponging against the walls from the boat moving. Eventually, I developed better sea legs, but the boat was slamming around so much that the walls were shaking heavily.

Regardless, we all had plans to meet. I had reservations at the Pinnacle Grille, one of the fancy restaurants. I didn't realize at the time how early my reservation was, so when I made it to the room, I flash changed and ran in flip flops in a pitching ship to the restaurant where I changed into heels. The restaurant was lovely and the food was fantastic. I enjoyed a pumpkin sauce scallop, Caesar salad, crab legs, asparagus, and Baked Alaska with Cherry Jerry ice cream. SOOOO good. However, I didn't eat as much as I normally would; the boat was moving so violently that I was going green around the gills. My waitress Anca from South Africa was very kind and helped to keep me distracted. Although it was tough to be distracted when at one point, one lady who had the view of the sea said, "Oh, that's a good one." And then BOOM! A powerful wake struck.

Good times.

The entertainment hall.

After dinner, I went to find the girls and as fate would have it, they were no more than ten feet away in the first hall I searched. We went to find the entertainment for the evening and watched the comedian on board whose name was Russ. He was hilarious. It helped that we had a good crowd of people who were interacting with him. The show room was enormous. The cruise had well over 1,000 passengers, so it's not surprising that the entertainment hall would have the space to accommodate all of us. 

Once the comedy show was over, we went to watch the B.B. King jazz band. The two singers had lovely and incredible voices. We listened to them for some time, then Maggie adjourned from the activities. Carolyn, Felicia and I walked around a bit before also calling it a day. 

The main lobby.

Walking around on a pitching cruise boat was a lot of effort and it was time to rest!

Prior to boarding, we had vowed together to take the stairs and only the glass elevators on occasion, so that we could eat what we wanted guilt free...mostly. I have a Garmin step counter, so I told the girls I'd keep track of our walking adventures. For day one, we reached 11,606 steps.

Until next time when you get to hear about our first full day aboard trapped inside at sea!

Your humble author,

S. Faxon