On the 100th day of our trip, it was time to leave the US and head back to Canada. After having spent most of our trip on the East Coast, it was now time to discover more of the West Coast.
Taking a train from Seattle to Vancouver (CA) turned out to be an excellent way to see more of the Pacific coast. The Amtrak train took us right along the coastline on a four-hour ride, displaying beautiful scenery all along. The weather was how it`s supposed to be, or how I imagined it would be, in this area; rainy and grey. Sitting inside the comfortable and snug train, we were happy to have chosen this way of transportation: the view, comfort and price could not have been beat by airplane or car.
Upon arrival in Vancouver, we found our way around the public transport and headed to Lulu Island, to find our AirBnB apartment and get settled in right away. First observation: the amount of Asian people, especially Chinese. Some sources claim that 43% of all Vancouver citizens have Asian heritage, which is the reason why Vancouver is sometimes called `the most Asian city outside Asia`. It truly feels sometimes like being in some modern part of China, so many shops that only have Chinese signs, menus and products. I can`t wait for the moon-festival, which is a Chinese celebration at the end of September which must be huge here!
In the city center of Vancouver the mountains are suddenly visible in the background, and the ocean is all around. The harbors are filled up with boats; this ain`t the poorest city. The streets in late September are filled with beautiful colored trees, and the weather has been quite warm and sunny in the days after our arrival.
We will be staying a total of three weeks, taking some time to not only explore Vancouver but also discovering what the surrounding area has to offer.