A Day In Stanley Park

I WANT TO RIDE MY BI-CYLE... I WANT TO RIDE MY BIIIKE. I WANT TO RIDE MY BI-CYCLE... I WANT TO RIDE ROUND STANLEY PARK!!


It was another breath taking morning and Matt had messaged me to tell me they were planning on going for the Bike ride around Stanley Park today. Jetlag had finally reered its sleepy heavy head and I was struggling to pull myself out of the body groove I had settled into through the night (or rather the groove that had sucked me into it and gave me crazy neck cramps). I wanted to go on the bike ride, but lets face it... I have never been very good at riding a bicyle. I can count the times i have ridden a bike on less then two hands, and i was worried that I would be too slow... too tired... and too uncoordinated to keep up with Matt, Daniel, Mick and Brett- four very competent and skilled bicycle riders. The debate was quickly swayed when my roommates pointed out that a) when would i get such gorgeous weather to go biking, b) I'd get to go with a bunch of friends from back home and c) I would simply miss out if i didnt go and regret it later when they told me how amazing it was. And they were right, because it was AMAZING!!



We hired bikes down by the wharf then set off. I felt so tiny with my bike, and nearly fell of just mounting my wheels haha... If you've ever seen a wobbly rider that was me! Steering into poles, garden beds and pedestrians, i had to yell warnings out for the first half hour at least- "Watch out! I can't stop and i can't steer! Ahh!" I'm sure you can all picture the catastrophe, but I got the hang of it after a while then it was smooth sailing... most of the time =)



The Stanley Park Bike ride is a MUST if you are ever in Vancouver. The track hugs the coast line and takes you around the wharf, through some beautiful forest land, past lagoons and under the Green Bridge (not sure what its actual name is). It also went past some Inuit Totem Poles and First Nation Information, as well as the Girl in Wetsuit, a tribute to the cities dependence on the Sea. We were blessed with a cloudless sunny day! The ride is easy enough, cruisy and relaxing, a great way to enjoy the scenery. Things got a little rocky when the boys decided it would be fun to go mountain biking, haha with me walking my bike up the slopes 100metres behind but it was alot of fun. I'll give it to Matty though, didnt let me fall behind! I even rode up ONE hill! Don't get me wrong, i wanted to stop, but if i had i would not only have fallen off my own bike but most likely knocked matt over while i was at it. We saw a squirrel! And the infamous Goose Duck you may have seen in my photos haha, BIGGEST ducks ive ever seen. Unless they were in fact geese, then that would make sense.



It was around 2 pm when we were half way through completing our jounrey around the park and we came across one of Vancouver's beaches. But this was unlike any beach I'd ever seen! In parrallel lines, evenly spaced acorss the entire stretch of sand were logs... really really BIG LOGS! It was fascinating! I had to take a picture because that is definitely not something you would see back home. Pracical i guess, but i would never have thought.



Anyway... 2 hours of biking on a sunny Saturday afternoon around one of Vancouvers most beautiful parks was definitely worth getting up for. Not to mention it was great exercise, and that I had Queen's "I want to Ride my Bicycle" on repeat in my head. Who could help but enjoy it, right? Haha. I'm so glad i went, and it was so much fun. Even the slightly aching legs the next day were all part of it. Sunday I departed ways with the Copa boys and continued my adventure up to Whistler on the MOOSE TOUR!



Till the next chapter of my Canadian Adventure is posted... Byeee


Victoria.