Not Vancouver Island

Matthew among an amusing forest of Statues

A few days in and around Vancouver seems to me to be a reasonable way to spend some time. Vancouver is a similar sized city to Brisbane more or less. But it seemed like a bigger city as near our hotel there started a police investigation. Not long after our arrival a few cars rolled up and started stringing Police tape around of the "Do Not Cross This Line" variety. Naturally we were intrigued. And everybody else staying there was too. I asked one of the cops what was going on but he simply replied, "We're working on an investigation."

A cute mosaic that caught my eye on a Vancouver city footpath

It turned out, and we found this out on the day we left via the local media that body parts had been found adjacent to a path way behind our hotel. In other words there had been a murder rather than someone just forgetful.

Crime scenes aside we had planned to visit or revisit a few places in and around Vancouver.

Stanley Park, perhaps one of the largest and greatest city parks on the planet was an easy place to want to spend time and Millie had been lobbying to do some bike riding around the place. The Vancouver Aquarium, located in the park, also warranted a return visit. And the kids were happy to see White-sided dolphins, Beluga, Sea Otters plus a myriad of fish, sea creatures and even, curiously perhaps critters like sloths, marmosets, caiman and even a fluttering flock of exotic South American butterflies.

atypical roof top garden close to Vancouver CBD

While in the city we strolled around the streets and debated about where to eat and enjoyed the sheer diversity of restaurants in and around the main CBD.

Potlatch Serving dish in the shape of a seal - it's approx 1 metre or so long

Bill Reid, a famous BC artist, depicts a Raven in this sculpture

The Museum of Anthropology was sought out and seen, located quite a way away at the University of Vancouver. The museum was excellent and had excellent displays depicting cultural artefacts, literally thousands of them. from cultures past and present from all over the world. There was far too much to begin to take in however it was a place that the people of Vancouver are lucky to have on their doorstep.

Interior Pole from Haida Gwaii House

MOA is perhaps best known for their collection of indigenous Canadian artefacts that include huge Totem Poles and other impressive reconstructions such as houses from Haida Gwaii, an island north of Vancouver Island. For anyone with the slightest interest in the culture of the coastal indigenous people of BC the museum should be considered a must.

Totem Pole from Haida Gwaii

I could not consider returning to Vancouver without arranging another visit to Reiffel Reserve. A quick run around on this particular Summer morning revealed quite a few species however, for me the standout was the lifer of a trio of Stilt Sandpipers. I enjoyed the walk around and was pleased to see a young birder, keen as hell, camera and binoculars in hand, all of eleven years old with his mum acting as his notebook caddy. Like may Canadaian birders met he was meticulous in recording species and numbers and as he went around his count of Killdeer would alter and his mum would dutifully update the numbers. He too like me scored the Stilt Sandpiper as a lifer.