A while ago, I shared a short story about my adventures as an unemployed single girl visiting British Columbia. So I wanted to keep track of what a great time I had while watching my budget and appreciating the generosity of my Aunt Marjorie and her boyfriend Larry.
Budget-conscious planning
Vancouver, BC is a very exciting and beautiful place to visit. But it is also extremely expensive, especially when you are on a very tight budget. One of the first things I did before traveling was to do research on the Internet. He wanted to know about safety, fun things to do, touristy things to do, single life, FREE things to do. I found all that and more. But nothing beats getting there and finding your way, which is basically what I did.
Luckily for me, I had no hotel expenses because my Aunt Marjorie gave me her beautiful co-op apartment for me to enjoy, which is located just east of downtown Vancouver, in a town called Burnaby. The apartment is a five minute walk from the train station, known as the SkyTrain and my main mode of transportation. When I was responsible for my meals, my breakfast consisted of yogurt, fruit, and green smoothies; lunch consisted of a sandwich and a small salad; and dinner was some kind of fish or tuna. I drank a lot of water and tea, and occasionally red wine.
Week One: Get Acquainted with the Environment
During my first week there, I mostly stayed near the apartment and did local sightseeing with Aunt Marjorie and Larry. We went for dinner, the mall, and a few local cultural and shopping activities. I also spent a lot of time riding the SkyTrain and buses with my aunt to learn how to get around. I found a local library and since my aunt is an active attendee at the rec center, I found a Zumba class to attend. Since the city of recreation is sponsored by the City of Burnaby, the price of the class was reasonable at $54 for 10 visits. This was not an expense that I had because the classes were given to me. But even if I hadn’t participated in the class, there were more than enough opportunities to get some exercise by sightseeing and walking.
The great thing about light rail services is that passengers can relax and watch. I looked at where things were and what we were going through. Something I found so much fun was seeing a dollar tree. It caught my attention because it was a sign of familiarity, and well, it just made me normal in a new place. And more I was able to buy cheap snacks at $1.25 CAD. But there was also Starbucks, which is very familiar (and expensive). And of course a girl can’t pass up a mall. Whether shopping for small gifts, window shopping, or spending time surfing the web and enjoying the cultural scene, I spent a lot of time at The Metropolis in Metrotown, which was two train stations from the apartment. It is a very nice mall with over 400 stores. I’m a people watcher, and that’s free, so for the price of a train ticket, the mall was a good place to hang out and be surrounded by other people’s energy. Needless to say, I made several trips to the mall to see everything.
The Christmas spirit in Vancouver
I made my trip between November and December because I wanted to spend one of my American vacations in Canada, so I chose Thanksgiving. While Canada has its own Thanksgiving holiday (which falls on the second Monday in October), there are plenty of restaurants that adapt to the American holiday tradition and serve turkey and relish. The restaurant we visit on American Thanksgiving Day is called White Point. It’s a Canadian restaurant chain with good food and friendly service. It is very familiar and offers a variety of menus at reasonable prices. The roast turkey dinner is one of their classic meals that includes roast turkey, mashed potatoes, homemade stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce, and a seasonal vegetable. You can never go wrong with this traditional food option.
With the Christmas holidays just around the corner, as you can imagine, the lights and decorations began to appear. But there was no snow or really cold weather, maybe a little rain, and temperatures generally stayed in the 60s. That is one of the beauties of Vancouver, its climate, which is one of the warmest in Canada. They miss the cold because the Rocky Mountains block it out, but more rain can be anticipated. While I originally wanted to visit during the spring or early summer, I visited during an ideal time and loved it. At this point, the Christmas lights and decorations are starting to come out, so to get into the Christmas mood, I visited a Christmas bazaar at the Shadbolt Center for the Arts. This is a beautiful multi-use facility in Deer Lake Park. It was the usual bazaar with many craft vendors and hourly entertainment, but it was a good way to round out my first week during my trip.
Week two: start exploring on my own
I felt very safe alone on the train. In fact, Vancouver felt safe and looked really clean. After the first week, I was able to start adventuring on my own. For me, traveling by train was expensive. But compared to renting a car and paying for gas, I can’t really complain. Train fares are zoned from $2.50 for one and $5.00 for three. And fares only last an hour and a half, so you have to really plan your trip or be prepared to keep paying fares. The other option was to buy a day pass for $9.00. As with any urban area, be aware of rush hour traffic. The trains get pretty crowded. Most people in the Greater Vancouver area rely on the train for travel.
A quaint little town near where I was staying was New Westminster. It’s also where my aunt’s boyfriend lives. While traveling there one night for dinner, I noticed a small boutique store that I wanted to visit. So the next day, I took the train and walked around looking at shops. I saw a sign for a lunch special, which seemed reasonable, and stopped at Okonomi Sushi, which was voted in 2013 as having the best sushi. I ordered the Dynamite Sushi Roll lunch box with teriyaki chicken and tempura salad. So it’s not very exciting because this is what I always order, but it was a new experience having lunch alone in a foreign place.
Preparing for the second half
On my way back to the apartment, I noticed a banner on the train for the 102nd Gray Cup taking place in downtown Vancouver. Of course, I didn’t know what the Gray Cup was, but I saw that there was going to be a parade, an open-air festival, and street vendors. I was already making plans for my week three weekend activities to go to the big city alone. Stay tuned to find out how I couldn’t stay away from downtown Vancouver.
