Apr 12, 2006

what you should and should not do while in Vancouver, British Columbia

Do buy lunch at Hon's in Chinatown. Split an entree, though. The portions are huge (unless you spring for soup). There are 300-odd items on the menu. Give yourself time.

Do not smoke where it is forbidden. In Olympia, you'll get dinged with a piddly $100 fine for lighting up in a public establishment. In Vancouver, you'll be set back as much as $1500. Canadian money, yes, but still painful.

Do not visit Granville Island, home of a cutesy public market, especially if you've already experienced Pike Place. You will be disappointed. Unless you really, really, reeeeallly like to shop.

Do stay at the Days Inn Vancouver Metro, if pinching pennies is your supreme concern. Upsides: room entrances face the inner courtyard (it's a motel, after all), free muffin and OJ at McDonald's next door, free parking, free cable, and low, low prices. Proof: while we were waiting to order our free fast food, some nice-but-nosy fellow, noticing our coupons, somehow wheedled out the fact that we spent less than $200 for three nights. "Amazing!" he said, wiping fog off his spectacles in disbelief. (We are cheap. When we picked up our order, the young woman behind the counter smiled and said, "See you tomorrow!" We didn't have the heart to tell her that three days was our limit.)

Do not patronize The White Spot. You've had better burgers at better prices. $3.99 for a "Happy Hour" beer is an outrage in any economy.

Do eat at the Afghan Horseman--and make reservations beforehand, since dinner will take a while. Doff your shoes and plop down on a cushion at a low table. Mary had a little lamb, and so should you. Kebabs or karahi.

Do not buy gasoline if you can avoid it. $1.06 per litre. (Liter?) Caramba.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

So, when we're in Canada we should eat....annnnnnnnnnnnd....sleep. Yep. Seems about right.

Jim Anderson said...

I was too lazy to dispense opinions on Whistler, local wineries, and Vancouver's bizarre street planning.