When a friend raved about good, inexpensive food at a restaurant in Vancouver’s Robson Street — serving Singaporean cuisine, to boot — I couldn’t wait. Delicious Southeast Asian dinner before a movie? Count me in!
Little did I know.
If you’re looking for tasty, permeating flavors, steer away.
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If you’re visiting Vancouver and the sheer sense of city life starts to wear you down after a while, flee up north for a soothing retreat. That is to say, enjoy a good deal of repose — and green — at the Capilano Suspension Bridge.
It’s not something you can indulge in every day, certainly — admission rates are at least CAD$25, depending on the season — but it’s definitely a must-see, and you should certainly enjoy it at least once while you’re in the area (and if you live within Greater Vancouver, well, you really have no excuse not to go a few more times).
To get there: Take the Seabus from Waterfront Station to get to North Vancouver, that grab the #236 bus to Grouse Mountain (check the Translink website for schedules).
A few tips:
View for the strong. The landscape steals your breath away as you gain a whole new respect for Mother Nature, but keep in mind that the Capilano Suspension Bridge isn’t for the tender-hearted. If you’re afraid of heights, this must-see is a strong mustn’t, and if you’re prone to motion sickness, be warned that the bridge does sway slightly with every step (the more people on it, the more it sways, so going in large groups will definitely not make it feel any better).
Ladies, leave your heels at home. Flats are the only kind of footwear you’d want to venture forth with here, and not just because of the obvious reason of crossing the bridge. If you want to venture down the Cliffhanger Boardwalk — and believe me, you won’t want to miss it — one end consists of a path made up entirely of loose stones, at a slightly steep angle. You’ll want to be able to plant your foot down sturdily.
Come out with the sun. Clear, sunny days are the best times to visit, not just because of the bright blue sky and crisp air adds to the view, but also because the bridges and platforms are slippery when wet. Certain paths and walkways may also be closed for safety reasons then, so make sure you don’t go on damp days if you want to make the most of your experience.
After crossing the main suspension bridge, you can engage your inner Ewok by going on the Treetops Adventure. One may feel that after crossing the suspension bridge the first time round, these mini-bridges don’t really feel that high off the ground. But there’s no denying the view as you make your way through. There are signs all over that provide fascinating tidbits about the forest, such as the various types of trees growing. or the fact that the platforms around the trees have to be adjusted every several years to accommodate the trees’ growth.
After walking high above the ground, through a canopy of trees that are many generations older than you, you’ll leave feeling refreshed and content, knowing that there’s not much a city can do to take you down after this. I know I did.
To travel is to expect much of the places you visit; to move to one of these places is to expect much of yourself.
— Mark Jenkins, “Leap Year”, The Best American Travel Writing 2005
My whole life, I’ve always been going. Just going. Sometimes it’s a small distance — growing up in an oil palm plantation, the mere act of grocery shopping required a family-planned excursion to town. Sometimes it spans oceans — at age 19, I hopped off a plane onto US soil and stuck around since.
I’ve been traveling since before I can even remember. Literally — my brothers and I were born in three opposite ends of the country. By the time I was in primary school, my family were making regular weekend trips to Singapore. Every year until I departed for college, we joined other families on three-day ventures to various destinations, chattering on tour buses while some brave soul with a microphone in front attempted to keep order.
People have asked if I ever get homesick for Malaysia. No, not really. I may get a really intense hankering for mutton soup, spicy rendang, mihun goreng, and especially roti canai with some good chicken curry — hey, what can I say? Food is key — but the truth is, I’m so accustomed to traveling that I couldn’t imagine anything else. In fact, “anything else” would equal cabin fever. One of the most agonizing years of my life was when I was not able to travel at all. Now that drove me stark raving mad.
Of course, that doesn’t mean it was any less of an enterprise for this Malaysian girl to get used to brutal Midwestern winters. We’re talking born and bred in the tropics, after all.
But now it’s time to move on again, and this time, it’s even further north. Yes, the irony of that strikes me too. I will be pulling up stakes, packing all my worldly belongings, and moving to Vancouver, Canada.
The last time I made such a major life move was ten years ago. I’ve accumulated quite a whole lot since then, both in terms of physical belongings and actual experiences. As time goes by, I’ll be sharing my adventures, tips on the process, and learned lessons on such a move. Watch for ‘em.
Because traveling isn’t always something short-term and limited; sometimes it’s a way of life.
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