| No visit to Vancouver could be complete without a | | | | great horned owl and peregrine falcon. The birds have |
| real mountain experience. So after covering the | | | | names like Arwin, Frodo, Chinook and Rusty and they |
| Servas conference I left at 2 pm for downtown. To | | | | perform various maneuvers, often sweeping closely |
| get to Grouse Mountain was quite an experience in | | | | over various audience members' heads. The show |
| itself, I got to take 2 buses downtown, then I boarded | | | | was hosted by a young woman who also injected a |
| Vancouver's light rail rapid transit system, the Skytrain, | | | | dry sense of humour into her performance.The peak |
| which runs underground downtown, just like a subway. | | | | of Grouse Mountain, about 100 m up from the tram |
| Then I hopped on the Seabus, a regular ferry that | | | | station, still remained to be climbed. It's not a far |
| connects downtown with North Vancouver. Buses | | | | distance, but it takes a solid 20 or so minutes to get up |
| were waiting for passengers right when the ferry | | | | to the top, which also features a chairlift station. The |
| docked and I jumped on the #236 which takes you | | | | view from the top is astounding, and the snow |
| right to Grouse Mountain, passing the famous Capilano | | | | covered peak of Mount Baker, an inactive volcano in |
| Suspension Bridge. At the base of Grouse Mountain I | | | | Washington State, mesmerized me. I heard that it is |
| entered into another means of transportation: the | | | | about 150 km or 90 miles away from Vancouver and |
| Skyride, a 6 minute gondola / tram ride to the main | | | | with its snow-covered peak it appeared like a mirage |
| complex at the top of the Mountain.Grouse Mountain is | | | | in the distance.Of course with all this mountain activity, |
| also called the "Peak of Vancouver", and it offers | | | | hunger set in and I went to the self-serve cafe which |
| recreational possibilities all year long. The elevation at | | | | has a beautiful patio overlooking the city. I splurged on |
| the top is 4100 feet and in the winter Grouse offers 22 | | | | of my favourite sinful indulgences: poutine, i.e. French |
| runs for skiers and snowboarders as well as 13 lit runs | | | | fries with gravy and cheese curds. I tampered down |
| for night-skiing. The top base of the gondola features a | | | | my nutritional guilt with a Mediterranean salad and |
| fine dining restaurant, contemporary dining, a more | | | | figured that the nutrients and low caloric content of the |
| casual cafe as well as a gift shop and a store called | | | | salad might counterbalance the potato and fat-based |
| "Outfitters" that provides all sorts of outdoor gear. The | | | | calory bomb. Well, not great nutritional decision-making, |
| dining areas have sweeping views of the city all the | | | | but I savoured it anyways.I ended up talking to a local |
| way down to Washington State.I decided to check out | | | | couple on the terrace who said I should check out a |
| the mountain attractions and walked past a number of | | | | little neighbourhood called Ambleside, which is part of |
| huge wooden carved statues, finally arriving at the | | | | West Vancouver. So off I went, down the mountain |
| Lumberjack Show. Two young strapping lads go at it | | | | with the tram and back on the bus. At the bottom I |
| in a variety of woodsman's competitions, including | | | | had to connect onto another bus, and during the wait I |
| target throwing of a double-sided axe, aiming for the | | | | ended up chatting with a local young man who |
| bull's eye, speed-sawing competitions involving a | | | | explained all the different residential areas of |
| single-handled saw and later a speed-sawing contest | | | | Vancouver to me and also shed some light on the real |
| with a double-handled saw that includes 2 female | | | | estate boom that has caused Vancouver's housing |
| audience participants.There is all sorts of humorous | | | | prices to sky-rocket over the last few years. The |
| competitive banter between the two guys, all | | | | escalation of prices is not surprising, since thousands of |
| coordinated by a female emcee that tries to keep the | | | | new people every year seek out the relaxed West |
| (staged) competition under control. Then the 2 young | | | | Coast lifestyle. With the Olympic Games coming to |
| lumberjacks climb 2 large poles where they have to | | | | Vancouver / Whistler in 2010, the situation can only |
| ring a bell at the top and of course only one of them | | | | become tougher.While waiting for bus number 3 I |
| can be a winner. The show climaxes with one of the | | | | chatted to another local, asking him for directions to |
| lumberjacks being pushed into what appears like a | | | | Ambleside. He said that close by there was a local |
| deep well, water splashing out of the well as he | | | | arts and craft festival and if I wanted he could show |
| apparently hits the liquid. Then the other lumberjack | | | | me where it is. So with his guidance I arrived at the |
| tosses a stick of dynamite into the well, followed by a | | | | Harmony Arts Festival, held annually, which apparently |
| big bang and a huge splash of water that reaches the | | | | now attracts over 60,000 visitors and showcases |
| front rows of the audience, usually accompanied by | | | | more than 250 visual and performing artists. A band |
| some socks or a torn shirt as evidence of the | | | | was performing Motown songs in a bandshell and |
| unfortunate lumberjack' s demise, all of the debris | | | | hundreds of people were camped out on their folding |
| landing in the startled and delighted audience.To | | | | chairs and beach towels in front of the stage. I decided |
| everybody's relief, the second lumberjack climbs out of | | | | to walk westwards along West Vancouver's Seawall, |
| the well, wet but intact, and the two guys embark on | | | | a much quieter version than that of Stanley Park. I sat |
| their final competition: the log-rolling. A round piece of | | | | down to soak in the sunset, watching the sun roll down |
| wood is located in the middle of a small pond and the | | | | behind the mountain chain northwest of Vancouver.At |
| two guys each have a designated side for | | | | about 9:15 I decided to head back to UBC and took a |
| themselves. Then they start to roll the log, spraying and | | | | bus back downtown across the famous Lions Gate |
| splashing each other, performing all sorts of acrobatics | | | | Bridge. The sky was pink and dark purple and a sliver |
| while turning the piece of wood. The final winner is the | | | | of a moon was hanging low in the western sky. And a |
| guy that pushes the other guy off the log into the | | | | bright star was located right next to the moon on the |
| water most often in 3 tries.I talked to the young | | | | left hand side. Somebody on the bus pointed it out and |
| fellows afterwards, 2 nice young men by the name of | | | | another person said that this was an extremely rare |
| Mason Bischoff, a BC native, and Darren Hudson, of | | | | astronomic constellation, as a matter of fact this |
| Nova Scotia. Both guys come from families of real | | | | particular constellation had never happened before. It |
| lumberjacks and they often compete in lumberjack | | | | was almost as if magic had blessed this |
| competitions. Mason has only been doing the show for | | | | evening.Downtown I changed buses again and slowly |
| 5 days, very surprising since he performed so | | | | made my way to the UBC Campus. I noticed how |
| professionally, and Darren has been at it for 5 years, | | | | different groups of people were getting off the bus, |
| working at Grouse in the summer, and doing some | | | | shouting out "Thank You" loudly to the bus driver. Now |
| lumberjack shows in Australia in the winter. It was | | | | that is something that I have never seen before: |
| evident that both of them are having an absolute blast | | | | people thanking the driver on a public bus. I checked |
| doing this job - performing a rather strenuous half-hour | | | | with the bus driver as I got off and asked him if this |
| show 3 times daily, 7 days a week. I found the show | | | | happens regularly. He said it doesn't happen all the time, |
| very entertaining, a great combination of physical | | | | but he appreciates it when people express their |
| strength, endurance, slapstick, and witty repartee | | | | gratitude. A magical evening indeed...Susanne Pacher is |
| between the lumberjacks and the emcee.Following this | | | | the publisher of a website called Travel and |
| I checked out the famous bear habitat, which has | | | | Transitions( Travel and Transitions deals with |
| proven to be a refuge for 2 orphaned bears that | | | | unconventional travel and is chock full of advice, tips, |
| found a permanent spacious 5 acre home on Grouse | | | | real life travel experiences, interviews with travellers |
| Mountain. Unfortunately the two animals, Koola and | | | | and travel experts, insights and reflections, |
| Grinder, were sleeping somewhere under the trees | | | | cross-cultural issues, contests and many other |
| and I only caught a peek at one of them when he | | | | features. You will also find stories about life and the |
| stretched and rolled over to continue sleeping. Right | | | | transitions that we face as we go through our own |
| next to the bear habitat is an area for timber wolves | | | | personal life-long journeys.Submit your own travel |
| and I was a little luckier getting a peak at these white | | | | stories in our first travel story contest( and have a |
| canines.Staying along the animal theme, I checked out | | | | chance to win an amazing adventure cruise on the |
| the "Birds in Motion" Show that features 4 different | | | | Amazon River. |
| types of birds: two Harris hawks, a red-tailed hawk, a | | | | |