Vancouver to Seattle

Here we are sitting in the lounge room of our "digs" in West Seattle. We arrived here last evening after a delightful time in Vancouver, a very beautiful city. Following a very comfortable stay in a rather delightful B&B in Nanaimo on Vancouver Island, we took the drive-on ferry across to Horseshoe Bay, the Ferry Terminal near Vancouver. It was there that Mark Ryan and myself with some L'Abri students almost froze to death on Sunday evening 2006! But that's another story.

On Friday morning Brian McConaghy, a distant cousin of Pauline and myself picked us up and took us to the office of Ratanak International of which Brian is the Founding Director. After showing us around and meeting some of the staff with whom I correspond as the Australian Director , we lunched together with Brian's mother, Pauline.  Sadly, Brian's father Desmond was not well enough to join us. However it was lovely to meet up with Pauline once again.  I hope Christine did not feel out of it because sitting around the lunch table were two Paulines and two Brians! After lunch we went back to the Ratanak Office where Christine and Pauline viewed a DVD on Cambodia while Brian and I caught up on some Ratanak business.  That evening Brian kindly invited us home for "supper" where we met his wife, Louise, and two boys Ian and Andrew.

In "our" lounge in our Nanaimo B&B

Our post had been a Commander in the Canadian Navy. This is a pic of a beautiful 

pencil sketch of Ships at Sea.

As we depart Nanaimo, a comparable ferry arrives.

All at sea. Sailing between the Islands on the way to Vancouver BC.

Approaching Horseshoe Bay Ferry Terminal.

From L to R: 

Christine H, Pauline McC, Brian H, Pauline B, Brian McConaghy

At home with the McConaghy family.

Two "Brian" Bookends.

On the Saturday we booked a two day "Hop-on-hop-off" Trolley bus and our first "hop-off" was at Granville Island. This is a very popular place with markets, shops and a marina.

Now, where did I leave my boat?

Just grab a crab.

To market to market.

Looking across to Yaletown, part of Vancouver built to house the thousands of 

Hong Kong Chinese who fled to Vancouver following the handover of Hong Kong.

The Marines have landed! (Shades of Okinawa.)

How about floating a loan to live here? 

Look closely, for these are houseboats. Can you see the water under the platform? 

After Granville Island we "hopped on" our Trolley and went to Chinatown. Vancouver has the second largest Chinatown in North America. It's only surpassed by San Francisco.

Now why this picture? The clue is in the signage. Look it up in the Guinness Book of Records. The following picture may also help you. Notice how close the back wall is to the window!

While in Chinatown we visited a Chinese garden associated with the famous Dr.Sun Yat-sen.

Soon it was time to "Hop on" to our faithful Trolley once again.

There are numerous strange-shaped buildings in Vancouver but 

I think this one has a corner on the market.

I think he made Pauline's day but a fist full of dollars would have been much appreciated!

I have heard of steam trains, but a steam clock? 

That evening we walked along the waterfront. It is quite beautiful.

So another blog comes to a close. This time it's a picture of the sunset silhouetting the seaplanes which are plentiful and needful for this region of mountains and valleys and lakes.

Goodnight.