🇨🇦 Vancouver

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.”

– Helen Keller

This week gave me a new destination of Vancouver, Canada. It was my first time of visiting Canada so I was keen to discover what Vancouver had to offer. The flight time was around 9 hrs 30 mins with a time difference of 8 hours. As soon as we got to the hotel which was around 9pm local time, I just wanted to get some sleep as it was only a 24 hour stay and I wanted to go out and explore the day after. In theory that sounded like a good plan and although I was asleep for around 22.00 local time, I was wide awake by 2am. For the next few hours I did try to get more sleep but Christmas films on Netflix it was instead.

Myself and a couple of the others had arranged to meet for breakfast around 08.30, visit the Mall and then to go to the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park in the north of Vancouver so at least I was up and ready for that. Breakfast was an all you could eat buffet which we made the most of to set us up for the day.

After the mall, time was pressing on and although there was a regular bus that you can take to the suspension bridge, we took a taxi to save some time.

The Capilano Suspension Bridge was built in 1889 and stretches 450 ft (137 metres) across and 230 ft (70 metres) above the Capilino River.

“Capilano is actually a First Nations name belonging to the Squamish Nation and originally spelled Kia’palano, meaning “beautiful river”. Kia’palano was the name of a great Squamish chief who lived in this area in the early part of the 1800s. Over time “Kia’palano” was anglicized into Capilano”

https://www.capbridge.com/our-story/history/

Considering what I do for a living, I’m not actually a fan of heights. Well to be more precise, I’m not a fan of heights when I’m on a bridge, a narrow bridge that moves from side to side and I can see the fast flowing water below so this was going to be a challenge for me. I had a little peek down before we began crossing the bridge and it did look beautiful below, I just had to psyche myself up to get across. On arrival to the park everything looked festive and even the bridge was lined with twinkling lights and music coming from speakers as you crossed. As we began and I could feel the bridge swaying from side to side as people were crossing from both sides, my hand was gripping firmly on the side. The view from the bridge was outstanding but my eyes were firmly looking ahead over the bridge, not down. Across in the distance, I was able to spot an eagle as it glided above the river so gracefully. I wasn’t quick enough(brave enough) to release my hand from the rail to be able to get a photograph as the eagle moved so swiftly but it was just the wildlife you would expect to see in the forest environment.

Going over the bridge I felt like a contestant on the tv show ‘I’m a Celebrity, Get me out of here’ who was facing one of their jungle challenges so I was happy when I finally reached the other side. Once over the bridge, the Winter Lights Festival continued. This year it runs from the 22nd of November until 26th January 2020 and runs throughout the forest, transforming the Suspension Bridge, Tree Tops Adventure, Cliff Walk, the Canyon and the Rainforest. As I was previously working in care means Ive never really been able to celebrate Christmas for many years as I’ve almost always worked the festive season(This year I will still be working except I will be flying this time). I just adore lights any time of the year but especially at Christmas, just seeing them or anything festive makes me feel like I’m involved and that I have experienced a part of it so to see a forest looking so enchanted and magical was definitely one of my favourite moments. Although it was beautiful to see, it would obviously be more spectacular when it is dark and you could see the lights in their full glory. Unfortunately, we would not be able to stay to experience that or to see many more of the parks features this time, as it was early evening I had to leave to head back to London.

The admission price for and adult was just under $54 dollars. Consessions are available and children under 6 go free.

The Suspension Bridge Park was such a great place to visit so it was great to have the opportunity even if it was just for a flying visit. However, if I was to go to Vancouver again, it is definitely somewhere I would go back to.