09:00 Kelowna 13:00 Vancouver 400 km
A short day of driving ahead. It’s incredible how hundreds of kilometers seem like nothing to me now. The road is winding and high up, but it is a major four-lane highway. I’m cruising at 130-140 km/h very comfortably since the traffic is light.
Now that I’m back in civilization, I have to deal with one of our great inventions: traffic jams! While stuck for a few minutes, I take the opportunity to check my Fido network signal. What a joy—I have a signal! Bluetooth connection to the GPS and the helmet, and suddenly I’m on the line chatting with my girlfriend and my friends. What a beautiful little thing the cell phone is!
My final destination is Whistler, but I decide to make a quick stop in Vancouver at MEC to buy stove fuel. The Mountain Equipment Co-op store is huge and the selection is much more elaborate than in Montreal. What a joy to be on a motorcycle: there’s no room to buy anything else—long live forced savings!
Next, a stop at the BMW Motorrad dealership. I’m well received. We prepare my appointment for next week by ordering the necessary parts (torn seat), and I take the opportunity to have the bulb in my headlight replaced.
I’m hesitant to leave the city because the weather is beautiful and, frankly, the Vancouver vibes are good. I call a few mid-range hotels that are asking for $100, but I suddenly think of a contact from my friend Nigel who works at the Fairmont Hotel. Initially, she tells me it’s full but asks me to call back a little later to check for cancellations.
I slowly head toward the downtown core, which is superb and vibrant. Finally, she finds me a room for two nights at the Fairmont Hotel! A few minutes later, I meet this very friendly person who welcomes me as if she’s known me forever. Since the room isn’t ready, she introduces me to the staff and gives me a voucher for a drink at the hotel bar. It was funny to see all these people in suits looking at me: the Quebec tourist in his Rallye 2 Pro suit with his helmet in hand! The beer was particularly cold and succulent.
The hotel is simply superb. It is located right in the center, in the most beautiful heritage building in the region (in my opinion). It’s a 1900s construction with gabled green roofing and ornaments. After a few minutes, I discover my room… no words can describe the happiness of being in such a luxurious and comfortable place! I almost went to bed right then and there, but since the weather was nice, there was no question of wasting time. A quick shower and I’m off to tackle Vancouver!
I first head toward Burrard Street, then toward English Bay where the first fireworks of the season are taking place. The park is packed. Note: there are so many police officers that I wonder if the entire Vancouver force is present. It is obvious that alcohol is not permitted, and the enforcement of this ban is remarkable.
There are three obvious protection zones:
- On site: a massive presence of law enforcement with aggressive patrols of three-officer teams.
- At the entrances: sorting of citizens and bike patrols.
- Upstream: bike police approaching people to check the contents of bags.
All this for fireworks! We are far from the celebrations in Montreal where people show up with their coolers, meals, wine, and beer without major issues. Besides being a bit excessive, it takes away some of the charm of the event. Difference in mentality, I imagine there is a historical reason for all this.
Since it is 20:00 and the fireworks don’t start until 22:00, I decide to walk against the crowd back to the hotel to grab a warm piece of clothing. On the way, I pass a superb terrace on the lawn and cannot resist the smell of Italian food. After a good pizza at the “garden patio,” I head back to the hotel slowly (the wine having slowed me down a bit) and come across an IGA right downtown.
The buzzword here is Organic… the first floor is actually reserved for these types of products. I stock up on a few supplies and continue my way to the Fairmont.
Once again, the luxury of my room is a culture shock. I lie down on the bed for a bit and watch TV on the plasma screen… I think the fireworks will have to wait for another time! ZZZ ZZZ!