PNW and Vancouver

I started this last "international" entry before the arrival of the holidays, but obviously let it sit.  We've been having fun, playing hard, and getting to know Portland is taking time.  

 Hope the new year is good for you all!

We drove north from Seattle through Everett, WA to visit Alan, a librarian friend who's newly relocated here (lucky them, lucky him).  We stayed in Bellingham, WA -- beautiful little town -- for a couple of nights, then on to Vancouver. Our drive to Vancouver was on the day of the Newtown tragedy, stunned, and with the awareness of entering a country with far saner gun practices.  A few observations: 

Steve outside the Everett Public Library Main Branch.  Next door to the library is a new set of condos, called Library Place -- it is the condos that have proudly established this book sculpture.  

Evergreen Branch of the Everett Public Library -- Branch Manager Alan! --  standing in front of its cool brick mural.

     

In Bellingham, WA we stayed in a teeny airbnb apartment called the Hobbit Hideaway, and it included the first composting toilet I've ever lived with -- one deposited one's stuff (pre-selection of receptacles required, gotta let the composting toilet know what's coming), stirred it into the composting stuff (wood chips, sawdust, peat), paper in the trashcan (for which we'd been well trained in Ecuador and Peru).  Right off the kitchen here.  Interesting.

Our first draw from an ATM in Vancouver brought us unused  bills.  This is one of their 20s -- don't know if it's visible, but it's a plastic bill, with the shiny part on the right completely transparent (passing car showing through), two images of the queen -- lovely, complex currency.

Vancouver was celebrating holidays -- big caroling event, and this ice skating venue.

I really liked the supports available for novices.  Well used and popular, there were probably 20 on the little rink, and not just used by children.  

Saw this slightly angry Wall Street-similar on a walk.  No clear connection to surroundings.

Vancouver has a 1920s era 5-pin bowling establishment still in use. The bowler uses 3 balls (no finger holes, about 2 pounds each) for the 5  pins (valued as 5, 3 and 2 from the point of the triangle).  Not easy.  Notice the flatscreen tv is broadcasting curling -- for the whole 2 hours we were there.  And people were watching!

Probably my favorite thing about Vancouver is these little Aquabuses.  They are tiny boats that can carry  16 max, and travel a tiny part of the inner city waterway to downtown areas and the main market island nearby.  Adorable.  In another life I want to be an Aquabus captain.  They do summer hires.  Hmm.

We rented bikes in Vancouver and biked around Stanley Park, their version of Central Park.  There were biking and hiking paths,and the place was pretty wild.  Some views: 

The Vancouver (and PNW) squirrels are adorable, about 2/3 the size of ours, mostly black, so furry.

Finally, a Canada goose in the right place!

View from the bike path.  The yellow stuff is sulfur -- they're a big sulfur exporter.  

Steve was captivated by the large empty-vessel parking lot in the water.

The bike path lead followed the perimeter, and the water was huge, peaceful,, clean.  

I liked the explanation as to why to stay on the trails.  

Bald eagles in Vancouver's Stanley Park -- gun violence drove them north? 

Vancouver.  Nice.

We drove the highway north from Vancouver towards Whistler, along a magnificent highway by the water.  Wild and beautiful.  

Great, wild expanses of water and mountains along the road.

This tree was chosen by 9 bird families for nests, over both of its neighbors

The Squamish alphabet was interesting.  

 As we re-entered the US, we were greeted by the sculpture below -- magnificent, interesting -- as we were hurried through the entry gates.  Wish there's been time for an explanation or sculptor credit.  

This stunning sculpture greets folks at the US Canada border.  Wire, huge (60 feet by 40 feet?), of twisted wire - quite beautiful.

Detail of same.


We'll soon be posting a few delightful Peruvian things we missed including.  And, if you're interested, on Portland, which is feeling pretty much like a could-be home.