New York, USA

When you’re the cultural and financial centre of a country who cares if you’re not actually the seat of government? New York certainly doesn’t. The melting pot of theUnited States has over 160 languages spoken across its five boroughs by 8.2 million inhabitants. Visitors are attracted by skyscraping architecture that struts across the skyline like an international supermodel and nightlife that puts most actual capital cities to shame. The city is home to the UN – who needs to be the national capital when you can justifiably claim to be capital of the world?

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Sometimes losing your status as capital city can be a liberating experience. Take Rio de Janeiro which waved adeus to the national politicians in 1960 when they decamped to the jungle and newly built Brasília – and said olá to what the Cariocas (Rio’s inhabitants) do best: partying. Whether it’s two million people seeing in the New Year on Copacabana beach, or neighbourhood blocos and traditional samba schools thrilling the Carnaval crowds, locals know how to celebrate. With everyone invited, there’s nothing stopping you packing your smallest piece of swimwear and heading to the party capital of the world.

Sydney, Australia

Like its American counterpart, Sydney doesn’t lose any sleep about the fact that it’s not the Australian capital. Manufactured Canberra is a dull, suit-wearing place filled with scheming politicians, while Sydney is the kind of town that heads for the beach to top up its tan and catch a few waves before inviting a few mates round for a barbie. The original (in terms of European settlement) and still the best, Sydneysiders will happily extol their city’s virtues to the visitor. Just ask the visitor what they think, and they’ll undoubtedly agree. Canberra who?

Marrakesh, Morocco

When your name is good enough not just for you but for the region you’re located in, you’d think you deserved some recognition. But while it’s been Morocco’s capital on and off over the years and is still the country’s most popular destination, Marrakeshhas to be content with containing Africa’s busiest square, Djemaa el-Fna, and with being the burial place of the Seven Saints, Muslim holy men who brought pilgrims to the city from the late 17th century on. And if it’s good enough for saints…

Toronto, Canada

If you’ve heard of one Canadian city, it’s likely to be Toronto. The nation’s largest urban centre is like a major US city without the crime. With an amazing 49% of the population born outside Canada, this is the most diverse city on the planet. Ironically, in light of its contemporary multiculturalism, Toronto’s lack of capital status today is due to the fact that back in 1857, when the capital was chosen, Toronto was just too English for its Francophone compatriots in Québec to accept. Still, it can content itself with being the Canadian city everyone’s heard of.

Mumbai, India

If population size, cultural importance and financial clout were gauges to judge what makes a capital city then Mumbai (formerly Bombay) would be up there with the best of them. Remnants of British imperialism, such as the Gateway of India, contrast with slums that house many of the city’s 13 million inhabitants. Bollywood, the world’s biggest movie industry is here, and the city controls most of India’s booming economy. Not bad for a city that’s a relative latecomer in terms of India’s history.

Istanbul, Turkey

Istanbul has had a hard time coming to terms with the fact that it’s no longer the Turkish capital, and who can blame it? The centre of two world-class empires (Byzantine and Ottoman) which lasted over 1500 years, it holds an embarrassingly large number of monuments worthy of any great capital – embarrassing, that is, forAnkara, the dusty Anatolian town that became the nation’s capital in 1923. And today it’s those same monuments – the Aya Sofya, the Blue Mosque – that continue to convince tourists and locals alike that the real heart of Turkey is still Istanbul.

Amsterdam, The Netherlands

OK, we’re cheating a bit here as Amsterdam is kind of joint capital city of the Netherlands. But that doesn’t mean it’s full of dreary parliamentarians. Oh no. While they’re discussing the political issues of the day over in Den Haag, Amsterdamenjoys all the splendour and culture of a capital but without the boring governmental stuff. One of the city’s great draws is its laid-back attitude to most things, best demonstrated on 30 April every year when Queen’s Day sees the whole place go wild.

Auckland, New Zealand

‘He’s a JAFA, mate’ is something you hear a lot travelling round New Zealand and it’s easy to see why the rest of the population refers to the inhabitants of the country’s largest city as Just Another F***ing Aucklander – they’re jealous! Auckland has the best weather, the fanciest restaurants, and the coolest bars. So what if Wellington has the famous Beehive parliament building and an internationally acclaimed film industry, Auckland’s got the tallest building in the southern hemisphere. So there!

Cape Town, South Africa

Take a magnificent setting at the point where the Indian and the Atlantic Oceans meet, a suitably impressive backdrop of one of the world’s most famous mountains, a vibrant mix of nationalities from around the globe, and a range of architecture, cuisine and nightlife second to none in Africa and you’d think you’d have the best darn capital in the world. Instead you get Cape Town which, though South Africa’s legislative capital, has to share the title with Pretoria (administrative) and Bloemfontein (judicial). We know which one we’d prefer to visit.

Source: LonelyPlanet.com

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And there came Vancouver. WAUW what an amazing city again! My expectations were pretty high and I was really looking forward to visit Vancouver.

Flashback – I arrived in White Rock, small town near the USA border. Jordan picked me up and we chilled a bit at his place until his girlfriend Christianne came back home from work. I met them both down in Peru on the beach of Mancora. Actually, it was not on the beach but during a night out in Mancora. I remember that I was in a very boring hostel called Hostel Sol y Mar, and in the evening I just needed a beer. So I went walking down the street and randomly sat down at one of the many bars. I didn’t know anyone around me but during my second glass of beer, Jordan – or was is Christianne? – starts talking to me and we ended up talking about all kinds of stuff and drinking more beers and Caipirinha’s. I ended up being a really fun evening. So, in the next days we met up on the beach and just chilled out.

Anyhow, as with many people I kept in touch and now that I ended up in Canada I took the opportunity and called them up for a meeting. White Rock is about an hour away from Downtown Vancouver so I spend the night at their place. But not after we went out for dinner of course and talked about the whereabouts, great times we had in Mancora and future travel plans. Thanks so much guys for your hospitality!

The next morning I was excited – it was time to move to Vancouver. Jordan dropped me off at the SkyTrain which on it’s case dropped me off right in the middle of Downtown. I was able to crash at David’s place for a few nights but while he was working I just dropped my bags at a hostel and started wandering around in Downtown.

My first impression was really awesome – great buildings, very modern, clean streets, lots of nice shops and cafes, and many different neighborhoods. I walked towards the waterfront, turned right into Gastown with its little shops, many restaurants and cafes. It also has the famous Steam Clock build in the late 70′s. Great to see that it’s still working, but why the heck was the time wrong?

I continued to Chinatown – yes again another Chinatown – but as I walked over there I noticed the many homeless people hanging around in the streets and alleys. I think you can put the homeless people on the list of top attractions in Vancouver during the Olympics! So, Chinatown. Well, it turned out to be a boring place to walk through. Maybe I am just not a big fan of Chinatowns, I prefer the real China.

I quickly moved on to the waterfront and walked all the way to Stanley Park – saw many amazing huge yachts – and walked back again. It was time to get my bags and take the bus to Kitsilano where David settled down for a while. He is renting a small room there. After my arrival we left again for some beers and food in Kitsilano.

Chapter 2

The next day we headed to downtown again and this time the plan was walking along the waterfront all the way around Stanley Park. A roughly 12 km walk. The weather was really good so before we went walking we went up the Harbour Centre – Vancouver’s fourth highest skyscraper which has a 360 degrees viewing deck this “Lookout” tower is a must see! And best thing is, the ticket you buy – with an HI or student discount – is valid the whole day. So go in the morning for a wonderful day view and go in the evening for an even more impressive night view.

After wasting enough hard disk space on my camera it was time for the walk!

It took us nearly three hours to complete the walk around Stanley Park but that is because we stopped here and there to take some photos and to take a good look at the nearby mountains. Can’t believe that it is only a 40 minute bus ride to get there. That’s why many local people go there just for a day to have some fun. SO JARLOUS!

Anyway, we finished the day in Kitsilano again, this time at a Mexican restaurant with two other people. Mike and Jeanna joined us this time, a biking couple we met down in -guess from where? – yes down in Peru again. Both were on a journey all the way from Vancouver down to Ushuaia – on a bike! CRAZY! We met them during the Inti Rymi festival in Arequipa – we (or they) just happened to sit next to them (or us). I remember – flashback again – that we got talking and after all the riots and stuff an older guy passed out in front of us and we all helped out. After the rescue people arrived we followed them to get out of the madness and walked down in the center to get a drink.  We only met that one day in Arequipa, but as so often, we exchanged email address and so I emailed them.

We had a lot of drinks during the dinner and chatted about our travels, our experiences, memories and stuff until it was time to move to the next bar. And again the beer was running fast and we (or I) ended up drunk. But it was an amazing evening and great seeing them again after nearly 7 months!

Chapter 3

The following day we slept in until noon. And still a little hangover I headed out for a walk to Granville Island. On Granville Island there is a huge Public Market with many sorts of food and drinks. Great place to take a small rest for a while.

In the evening I met up with yet another person I met on my travels – yes AGAIN and guess where! – well no, not in Peru this time but in Argentina. While I was traveling with Kelsey and David in Mendoza I met Janna. A wonderful girl from Vancouver where I spend a few days with. We exchanged email addresses back in the days and here we are again, sitting in a restaurant drinking a beer and having some food. I also switched couches because hers was much bigger than David’s.

So, to make a long story very short: Vancouver is amazing! I think Vancouver just beaten another amazing city from being number one – sorry San Francisco! Vancouver’s atmosphere, the people, the climate, the marvelous views on the mountain and the sea, the beautiful walks you can make, the architecture of all the buildings, the public library, the many cafés and two other facts:
1. Vancouver’s name comes from a British guy called George Vancouver – BUT – the name Vancouver comes from ‘Van Coevorden’, and Coevorden is a place in Holland!
2. A great Sci-Fi serie called Battlestar Galactica was shot here in the 70′s.

Chapter 4

As always I need to say something important: THANK YOU SO MUCH! Thanks you Jordan and Christianne for the pick-up in White Rock, the dinner and the couch! Thank you David, once again and this for the last time because this is where out ways split. Until we meet again! Thank you Mike and Jeanna for the wonderful night out in Kitsilano. And thank you Janna for the last two nights on your couch. I enjoyed seeing you all again and bringing up some great memories we had. Until we all meet again, somewhere sometime!

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After spending a lot of time in the snow and in the cold, in cities like Edmonton and Calgary, doing fun things on the ski runs in Jasper and Lake Louise, and of course spending a really good time with my friends David, Kelsey, her family and friends, it was time to say goodbye. David left Calgary on the 4th of January, and I took a plane to Victoria on Vancouver Island on the 6th. This goodbye was a goodbye for a long time. I think the next time I will see them again – together – will be somewhere in Europe, sometime in the future.

Anyways, as said, on the 6th I took a plane to Victoria. After I was told this is one of Canada’s most beautiful places I just had to check that out. I arrived early in the morning and found my way to Saanich, a part of Victoria near the University. On CouchSurfing.org I found a place to stay, because hostels here are charging a ridiculous amount of 25 CAD a night. My host was friendly and explained a lot about his city, although he wasn’t from here and I had a hard time understanding him sometimes.

I explored Victoria in two days only, and that was enough. The first day I took a bus to Downtown and walked around in the oldest Chinatown of North America – believe it or not, Victoria’s Chinatown is the oldest in Canada – founded in 1858 – and second oldest in North America after San Francisco – founded 1848. I walked through it but I wasn’t really impressed. There is nothing special to see or to do, nor did it really looked old. I visited the botanic garden in the middle of it, but once again, I wasn’t impressed. But, maybe I didn’t saw what I should have seen there, or maybe I wasn’t on the right day or time.

So I continued towards downtown, made the ‘scenic waterfront walk’ along the harbor. Nice views on some old buildings – well, old is here relative of course – and visited the British Columbia Parliament Buildings – 1893 – which is free. There are guided tours available but you can also take a tour on your own. An information book is available in many languages – even in Dutch! – and finding your way through the building is very easy.

After that I crossed the street and visited the Royal British Columbia Museum which is in the same building as the IMAX Theater. That day, the entrée fee was a donation – free! I was impressed by this museum. The expositions were great and the museum was bigger than it looks from the outside. The most impressive part was the natural history gallery, finally something other than Inca’s, Mayas or masks. The popular woolly mammoth – in real size – was amazing! One part of the museum had a classic theme and displayed ‘gadgets’ from the 70′s and 80′s, and even played Charlie Chaplin’s ‘The Gold Rush‘ from 1925. This museum is definitely worth the money and the visit!

The Scenic Beach Drive on foot

The next day, I started early, crossed through the UVIC and headed to the edge of Victoria. From here I followed the Scenic Beach Drive all the way to downtown. Normally you do this by car but it was a nice sunny day and I was up for a walk. It took my nearly 4 hours to walk the whole 20 km but it was more than worth doing it! I stopped at many wonderful view points, saw the Snow Mountains in the distance and even took off my jacket because the sun was nice and warm. 20 km seems far, but there are no mountains to cross, which makes this walk very easy.  I entered the walk into Google Maps – http://bit.ly/7yr2WX – for those of you who want to do the same walk. There are two points of interest, and you can find them on these GPS locations:
1. Viewpoint at http://bit.ly/4Yz5hd
2. Blue Chair at http://bit.ly/90irFj

Okay, enough about Victoria – been there, done that – because the same night as my walk I met up with Seb and Natasha from the UK. Seb is Bella’s brother where I traveled with in Colombia. We emailed a few days before I came and they invited me over to their place. So after the dinner we picked up my bags – I quickly said goodbye to my CS host – and we drove off to their place. Seb and Natasha are teachers at the Pearson College in Metchosin. Surrounded by beautiful nature I stayed with them for a few nights. I explored the woods surrounding the college, did some bigger walks, went with Natasha and their dog to China Beach, rented a car and drove all the way to Tofino and Ucluelet, back to Metchosin and up to Port Renfrew. 1000 km in two days.

I love Vancouver Island! There are so many wonderful places, so many incredible hikes you can do. My favorite places are China Beach and the hike along the beach. You can hike as much as you want because a one way is about 60 km. Near Tofino and Ucluelet are many more hikes and the beaches are easily reachable by car. I was there with stormy weather, so I did some storm watching. I also went to Port Renfrew from where the famous West Coast Trail starts. If you love nature, and you like hiking, this island is the place to be! Oh, and of course also if you are into surfing. Great waves are found on several beaches.

I enjoyed staying with Seb, Natasha and their dog Ridley. Thanks for letting me stay guys!!

From Victoria I took the ferry up to Vancouver. It’s a 1,5 hour boat ride and costs only 13,50 CAD. Once here, I took some buses to make it first down to a small place called White Rock where Jordan picked me up. I once again met two wonderful people where I spend some time with in Peru.

More photos are here.

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From Jasper it was a long way to Calgary. We couldn’t take Highway 93, and where forced to go all the way back to Edmonton and from there down to Calgary because the weather was terrible. It was snowing the whole day and there was ice on the roads. But Kelsey drove her Betsey safely all the way down and around dinner time we arrived at our destination.

Calgary itself didn’t had much to offer, except that we celebrated New Years Eve there. The five of us – me, David, Kelsey, Todd and Krista – went to a bar in Downtown, sat down at a table and started drinking local beers. Just before midnights we moved to the dance floor and counted down till 2010. For the first time I didn’t had a glass of champagne in my hands and I didn’t see any fireworks.

But 2010 started AWESOME! We drove down to Lake Louise where we once again went skiing for a day! We stayed at an HI hostel near the lake and near the ski area. It’s so much more different than Europe, because none of the villages are near the ski lifts. To get there everyone has to go by car. Once there it’s a chaos finding a parking spot but that’s all part of the game.

Skiing was absolutely fantastic, due to the great snow conditions. It snowed the days before and there was tons of fresh powder snow. We even went down a double black run with at least 20 cm of new snow. AWESOME!

We finished the day at the Canadian “Après Ski” bar – which is, just a regular bar outside with the radio on. Nothing compared what the Austrians do. But there is us and there is beer. We continued the Après Ski party in the hostel with more beers and good food.
But then came a sad moment, the moment David left, and the moment I had to leave as well. David went back to Vancouver on the 4th, and my plane left the 6th. I spend the last day with Kelsey talking about the fantastic time we had – here in Canada but also in South America – and working out at an enormous indoor gym.

Unfortunately I can’t stay forever. I had once again to move on to my next adventure. Kelsey, I will never forget you, and everything you did for us during our stay. You made us feel like being home again, you entertained us all those days, you drove us everywhere and you never got bored of us. You did a wonderful job and for that I am very grateful! THANKS KEL!! Also a big thank you to Todd, who let us stay for a few nights at his house and who joined us skiing in Lake Louise. THANKS TODD!

Next stop: Victoria!

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