Once we'd rounded everyone up outside the train terminal, we headed in a pod to the Gastown district (oldest Vancouver), where we split up into those who would eat now, and those who would eat at the ferry dock. I opted for the sure bet of actually making the ferry, commenting that I'd "spent one too many rainy evenings under a park shelter waiting for the supply truck to come." I'm not sure what this had to do with heading directly for the ferry, but I think I didn't want to risk waiting 2 hours in the rain at the ferry dock with no support.
So off we went towards Stanley Park and the Lion's Gate bridge. Stanley
Park contains many curious objects, such as the figurehead of the "Empress
of Japan", a statue mimicking Copenhagen's "Little Mermaid",
except the BC one is wearing a wet suit, snorkel and mask, and this light
house, with no discernible function save as a photo back drop (with the
bridge) for us pretending to be Japanese tourists.
Stanley park roads also confirmed Vancouver's reputation as a somewhat bicycle friendly city. We visitors for the South were amazed by a sign ordering motorists to "Yield to Bicycles"
Lion's Gate Bridge looked like the Narrows from a distance, but up close,
it was just a miniature suspension. Without a barrier between the elevated
bike/pedestrian path and the roadway, cars hitting the water-filled pot
holes drenched the clench toothed cyclists. Greg, who's from Tri-Cities,
which gets 7 inches of rain a year, decided to clean his bike that evening.
I didn't have the heart to tell him his bike might actually get dirty again
the next day.