Let the travel begin!
We were very excited yesterday to receive COVID negative tests! Hooray - we knew that hurdle was a big one and we have tried to be very cautious for these last two weeks. It was a big sigh of relief when the pharmacist reported that we were good to go! COVID negative tests are required if you are boarding a ship for a cruise longer than 16 days in length.
Never before have I felt so unprepared for a trip! I don’t know if it was the last minute changes in the itineray or my workload until the eleventh hour, or the need to get a COVID negative test, but I did not begin packing in earnest until 6 pm last night. So after a mere three hours of sleep last night, J and I caught a taxi to the airport to catch our flight this morning, with bags packed!
The plane was very empty! And we were two of a handful of guests who actually checked luggage. Unfortunately mine was overweight and that cost me $100. I would have been better off packing two smaller suitcases (instead of one monster one) becuase my first piece of luggage was free and the second would only cost $40. Live and learn!
Once we arrived in Vancouver - Team Canada was playing a friendly soccer (football) game against Uruguay in preparation for the World Cup - so we hooked up my laptop to my phone using a hotspot and watched the game in the arrivals area! Team Canada lost 2 -0 but they looked strong and were not seriously outplayed so that was good.
We then took the public train to Vancouver downtown (cost for the ride was about $9.50 apiece). We then pulled our luggage for about 10 minutes to get to the YWCA Hotel in Vancouver, located right near BC Place (where the Vancouver Whitecaps play). The YWCA is a great option. $250 for a regular hotel room. In downtown Vancouver that is a bargain. John and I got an early check-in around noon and both went to sleep for an hour.
The rooftop patio at the YWCA!
We then woke up and walked to a nearby IGA to buy a bagged salad for lunch and to the Hudson’s Bay store to get a new battery in J's watch. We returned to the hotel and ate lunch at a lovely rooftop patio on the eleventh floor. We then decided to walk to Stanley Park. This was about an hour one way….and so we saw beautiful sights in downtown Vancouver and got in plenty of steps (27,497). Vancouver was showing its best self today - sunshine and about 25 C - just perfect.
Canada Place is in the background with the peaked white tent like structure. This is where our ship is scheduled to arrive and depart tomorrow!
We tried to find the number one rated restaurant in Chinatown, and, while we did find it, it turned out to be closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. So we walked back to the hotel and ate at a restaurant nearby. Now back at the YWCA, J is sawing logs and I intend to join him shortly.
This is where the cruise is scheduled to visit (It actually begins in Vancouver on Sept 28 and our first port is San Francisco - but that isn’t pictured here:)
I couldn’t let my blog reader’s down by not publishing on the first day! Tomorrow we are scheduled to board at 11 AM at Canada Place. We will see how that goes!
Thanks for joining me on this journey!
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