The Capilano Suspension Bridge.

I had one more thing to achieve before I left Vancouver.  I didn't know too much about it but my trusty advisor from the hotel said I had to walk across it with a glint in her eye.  My thoughts were Sounds interesting.  I'll give it a go.  So I paid my money and in I went.  my first impression was one of peace and calm and cool shade.  It is a rain forest setting with birds in the trees and lots of lush vegetation all around.  i followed the path around and decided the first thing I would do was have a snack as I was getting hungry and I sat a rested for a while.  It was beautiful.  To add to my pleasure, there were fushias growing everywhere in all different shades.  I love fushias but they don't love me.  So once I was rested and refreshed I set off in search of the bridge.  As I turned a few corners, I started to hear screams and I knew I was getting close.

And there it was.  A suspension bridge that was 137 m across and 70 m above the Capilano River.  I had heard something about the Golden Gate Bridge being a suspension bridge but this didn't look much like that.  However, I was sure it wouldn't be too scary.  A little bit scary is fun, isn't it?  You walk down three rather steep steps and then you step on to the bridge.  I had expected to have problems looking down into the river but the bridge was also very wobbly and I'm scared of heights.  I was about a quarter of the way across.  Then some little  #*^! started to jump up and down and send ripples through the thing and then he started to sway the bridge from side to side.  Oh help!  This must be a regular occurrence because god told him to stop over the loud speaker.  He stopped the funny business but he laughed his head off at all the terrified people hanging on for grim death on the bridge.  I told myself I hadn't come all this way not to get a view of the river from the bridge but myself wasn't sure I'd be able to look down and myself could hear the river rushing under the bridge.  In the end, I held my head perfectly still and just moved my eyes and then got to the other side as fast as I could.  When I climbed up the stairs at the other side, I realised I had the wobbles all over.  So I sat down and calmed myself down and then myself was ready for more sedate pursuits.

It really is very pretty on the other side of the river.  I always enjoy being in forests and this one is beautiful.  Vancouver had a big timber industry initially and a lot of the forests have been cut down.  This one remains and there are some huge old trees as you walk through.  It has been dollied up a bit with ponds and cabins added but it smells like a forest and sounds like a forest and feels like a forest.  There are quite a few paths through the area and lookouts over the river (on solid ground).        

I wandered around there until the sun was getting low watching the fish and the insects in the ponds and looking at their bird display and decided it was time to go back to the hotel.  I was tired and hungry.  Going back across the bridge wasn't half as difficult as going across and I even managed to look down but I still didn't let go.  I got outside and couldn't decide which side of the road I should stand on to catch the bus and had to get some advice from some poor gut walking his dog.  Back to the ferry terminal, across the bay and then onto the bus.  Where's the bus stop?  I'll just walk up a block or two and see if I can find the right number.  Maybe one more.  Where am I?  Oh I know.  These b***** one way streets.  I have to walk across to a street going the other way.  I'm so close now, I may as well walk back to the hotel.


And so ended my stay in Vancouver.  It is a great place to go and so much more to see and do than I managed during my stay.  The next day I flew back to Portland for some R&R and more exploring down there.  Not too long before I head off to Turkey.

One more blog before I sign off from the US.

Lotsaluv

Carmel