The last few days have probably ranked as the best on the trip so far, I feel like I’ve done so much without really having done anything at all. I’m currently chilling (again) at Ivan’s place while he takes a nap.

Lynn Valley Canyon

After what seems like a standard morning of waking up, watching the football and eating whatever food I could throw together. Curt, Mike and Zach decided that it would be good to take a trip over to Lynn Valley and check out the suspension bridge. We took a drive across the city, going down a few roads that claimed to still be closed following the winter before we eventually found our way to Lynn Canyon Park. The gates were due to close at nine and we’d arrived just a few minutes before so parked up on the road and took a short walk in an attempt to find the bridge.

We made our way up to another car park which was assumed to be the right direction only to find we’d gone the wrong way. Once on the right track we made our way down to a beautiful green pool fed by a waterfall and climbed in and around the rocks for a while, still debating whether or not we were actually on the right path.

Once it had begun to get dark we decided to continue walking down stream in the hope that we would eventually find the suspension bridge. Mike and I went on ahead while Curt and Zach ended up going back the way we had came for reasons unknown, and the two of us eventually came out on the bridge. While we waited for the others to catch up we discussed how hard you would hit the water if you were to jump or fall and what we would do if a bear appeared at either end of the bridge, trapping us on it. Jumping wasn’t out of the question.

Once we were all back together we crossed the canyon and found our way to the Baden Powell trail and found our way back to Curt’s car. The journey either began or ended with a slurpee run, I can’t remember which but I know it happened. Once back in New Westminster I headed over to Ivan’s to head down to the Thirsty Duck for a few cheap beers, picking up his friend Larisa on the way. We didn’t stick around inside for too long and ended up walking around New West for about an hour before we eventually called it a night.

Downtown In The Rain & A Good Night Out
Friday was spent watching the football and hanging out as most of the guys either didn’t have work or got off early. That evening Curt and Mike left us, heading away for the weekend. Friday also happened to be one of the few days that I’ve spent here where the weather wasn’t constantly on the verge of terrible. The sun was shining and the city looked great. The next morning Ivan and I had agreed that we would head into downtown Vancouver, watch the Russian game in one of the bars and then check the sights, regardless of the weather.

When we woke up we found that the weather had gone beyond the verge and was settled very comfortably in the middle of terrible. We still went out, watched the game and then walked the streets of downtown getting more and more wet as the day went on. The only thing that kept our spirits up was more spirits as we found somewhere to drink at every opportunity. At the time this seemed like a brilliant idea, but by the time we’d made it back to New West we were both safely hammered.

Later that evening, Ivan’s friend Jonas joined us and after Ivan and I had done our best to clean up and sober up we went back into downtown looking for a place to spend the evening, settling on Joe’s Apartment having picked up free tickets on our way through. Once inside we just caught the end of a live band who sounded like they might have been quite good before the stage became a dance floor and we spent the rest of the night mixing our drinks and having too much of a good time. When the time came for us to head out, we’d lost Ivan in typical fashion. It seems that in Vancouver there is such a thing as “doing an Ivan” something that those of you who might have met him at Reading Festival might be familiar with. Jonas and I caught the night bus back, eventually hearing from Ivan and discovering he was already back in New West and he met us not long after we got off the bus. Once back at Ivan’s place there was only one thing left to do; pass out. The following day the two of us agreed that it was time for a detox and we made it through the day staying inside and keeping away from any sources of alcohol.