| Well, I finally did it. I took a bunch of Airmiles and | | | | way to break down barriers and prejudices, in effect |
| booked a flight yesterday to Vancouver. I'll be out in | | | | paving the way for a more peaceful co-existence. |
| beautiful British Columbia from August 3 to 8 to cover | | | | While in Vancouver I will naturally explore the city. I am |
| the Canada-US Servas Conference and to explore | | | | planning to discover the city in two half-day bicycling |
| and report on my West Coast adventure first-hand. | | | | tours to get a good lay of the land. In talking to the |
| In all the almost 19 years that I've been in Canada, I | | | | people at Tourism Vancouver yesterday they |
| have never made it out to the West Coast yet, so I | | | | recommended that I get in touch with a small company |
| am really excited. Some of my absolutely favourite | | | | called Spokes Bicycle Rentals. I had a nice chat with |
| landscapes can be found where the sea meets the | | | | Phil from the rental company who will assist me in |
| mountains, and from everything I have heard, | | | | developing the routes for my bicycling adventures so I |
| Vancouver has it all. It has one of the most scenic | | | | get to see all the major sights in the city as well as |
| locations in the world where the Rocky Mountains | | | | Vancouver's beautiful waterfront, including the famous |
| converge dramatically with the Pacific Ocean. | | | | Lion's Gate Bridge and Stanley Park. |
| It'll be a very compressed trip since I'll head straight | | | | My good friend Shauna, a native of Vancouver, gave |
| from the airport in a bus to the ferry docks to cross | | | | me some tips a while ago, and she recommended that |
| over to Vancouver Island where I'll meet meet my | | | | I head up to the top of Grouse Mountain, the Peak of |
| associate Clare in Victoria. Victoria is known as the | | | | Vancouver. Vancouver is one of those extremely |
| "City of Gardens" and with the mildest climate in | | | | fortunate cities that actually has a real ski mountain |
| Canada, Victoria offers visitors a natural beauty that | | | | right next to the city. In addition to skiiing, snowboarding |
| lasts year round. Victoria is the capital city of British | | | | and other winter-time delights, Grouse Mountain also |
| Columbia located on Vancouver Island and offers | | | | offers opportunities for hiking, mountainbiking, wildlife |
| visitors a touch of old English architecture. | | | | watching and other outdoor activities. And apparently it |
| I'll spend about a day and a half in Victoria and return | | | | has delicious dining options right at the top of the |
| back on Friday to the mainland to cover some events | | | | mountain which can conveniently be reached by cable |
| that are part of the US-Canada Servas Conference. | | | | car. So that sounds like a place I'll need to check out |
| Servas is a non-profit organization, an "international | | | | for sure. |
| host and traveler network of peace builders" that | | | | It's hard to contain my excitement at this point, I have |
| fosters peace through travel. The motto of this year's | | | | been dreaming of heading off to the West Coast for |
| joint US-Canadian conference is "Servas - Making The | | | | a long time now, and now this dream is coming within |
| Connection". It has been my own personal experience, | | | | tangible reach. All I can hope for is some decent |
| particularly through living in Toronto - one of the most | | | | weather that will allow me to explore Vancouver and |
| multicultural cities in the world, that exposure to and | | | | Victoria and sample some of its unique delights in the |
| interaction with different cultures is the most effective | | | | short time that I'll have there. |