Watching the opening ceremonies to the Winter Olympics while sitting on my friends couch, was my inspiration for a road trip that took myself and two friends to the centre of it all: Vancouver, British Columbia.
Vancouver is a vibrant city for people to visit. Nestled between the Coast Mountains and the Pacific Ocean, Vancouver is in one of Canada’s best geographical locations. Vancouver’s climate is much milder than that of its eastern neighbors, the city is surrounded by natural beauty, and it offers some of the best outdoor activities in the world. Vancouver has also been awarded “best city to live in” numerous times.
It’s not surprising then, that Vancouver would be given the honor of hosting the 2010 Winter Olympics. During these Olympics, the eyes of the world were on Canada. Vancouver was at the centre of this and I was only a one-hour ferry ride away from the action.
The workload at school was building up, but there are not many chances to witness the Olympic Games first hand, let alone have them hosted in your own backyard. With that in mind, on Saturday, February, 20th, my two friends and I woke at 5am to catch the ferry to Vancouver. It was a good thing that we left so early, because the line to board the ferry had already started to spill out the front doors. Eighteen hundred people boarded the ferry that morning all decked out in white and red. They were feeling the same sense of pride that we were and were heading to the mainland to show it.
Once in Vancouver, we got off the Sky train at Waterfront Station in search of the torch that ‘The Great One’ himself, Wayne Gretzky, had lit only a few days prior. Although it was still early, the city was buzzing with excitement. The streets were busy and there were so many people, that they spilled into the streets.
From the tourch we proceeded walked through downtown. We watched different street performers showcase their talents, from juggling fire while riding a unicycle, to break-dancing in a spandex one piece. We were tempted to zip line across Robson square, but we couldn’t justify the seven-hour wait in line. As the night settled in and the sun went down, when on a normal evening people in Canada would be going to bed, Vancouver was just waking up. The streets became one large party; people were yelling and cheering all in support of their home country. I have never before seen such a sight. People from all walks of life all joining together for one common purpose, celebration.
Bright Side Of The Road 