Another Day, Another Greyhound

I’m sitting at the Greyhound station (the very busy one, as you can see in the photo), waiting for a bus to take me to Lake Louise, which people have endlessly praised. Here in Banff, there are animals all over as the people like to say that they “share” the environment and surroundings with the wildlife. Some of these squirrels become aggressively brave and will try to ask for food. “Please do not feed the animals.”

Snowcones for Everyone

While at the bar last night, Storm Cellar, I met a couple from Vancouver, Jeremy and Rika. Jeremy is a Jewish guy who’s a huge Japanophile. He trains in Akido and has only dated Japanese women in his life, and may be in Osaka in November, which would give us a chance to reconnect. He was a cool guy; he did buy me a drink.

As I’m talking to the couple, I also bump into Ainsley, the cheery Aussie girl I met while sharing a cab from the Greyhound station to the HI Banff Hostel. We’re talking about her new job at the Fairmont and how long she could stand being in this tiny little town until she goes absolutely berserk. Then I realize there was someone behind me, and I turned around and started a conversation with Kelly, who, in my inebriated state, became my instant adventure mate. Within our ten minutes of meeting each other, we planned a trip North to the Columbia Icefields. 

On the Streets of Vancouver

Walking around the streets of Vancouver, I scan around and see many attractive girls. Any ethnicity I can imagine, but they are mostly in good shape and could pass as yoga teachers or lululemon pants models. Anyone who knows what I’m talking about knows about that colored stripe – the most flattering stripe in all of clothing.

Last week, I was standing outside the Van Art Gallery, opposite the side of ‘Cannabis side’ and someone taps me on my shoulder. I turn around and there are two girls, asking me to take a picture for them. Quickly agreeing, I grab the camera, direct them to stand still, pose as if I’m taking the picture, then abruptly, I walk briskly towards a bar/restaurant called Ebisu on Robson St. They chase after their camera thief

Scenery of Vancouver

While these pictures are not extraordinary, they do show the beauty and natural surroundings of Vancouver.

The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth

That is the self proclaimed tag line the Calgary Stampede uses to attract it’s 1.2 million tourists every year, during the first weeks of July. I’ve attended county fairs and the like, but this is quite the spectacle. Every other person is wearing a stetson AKA cowboy hat or cowboy boots, with vendors on the street selling them.

You know it’s big money when multi-billion dollar companies are sponsors for many of the events. Agrium, the big fertilizer company has it’s name on an entire part of the Stampede, with others such as Fluor sponsoring the smaller events, like the ‘Fluor Square Dancing’ I witnessed at Olympic plaza and Fluor Rope Square today. Other big companies include: Petro-Canada, Encana, and Bank of Montreal.

Most of the companies with sponsorships trade on the NYSE as ADRs and on the TSE, and they have been good performers (trailing twelve months as of close on 7/10):
AGU: +133.4%
PCZ: -3.72%
ECA: 33.25%
BMO: -36.2%
FLR: +42.74%
S&P 500: -16.98%

In terms of putting money to work in any investable asset for the next few years, there aren’t many other places where you’ll find good returns than the industries of agriculture and energy, as opposed to financial companies or the S&P 500 Index (via funds or ETF). The method in which you invest or trade them will depend on your particular risk profile. Send me a message if you want a more detailed explanation.

Back to the cows and rodeo:
The entrance fee to the event at Victoria Park was C$13 and granted entry into the large stampede grounds.

In honour of Queen Victoria

According to the city of Victoria’s website, the name “Victoria” was adopted when the townsite was laid out in 1852, in honour of Queen Victoria of the UK. The discovery of gold in Vancouver sprouted the growth of the city into a port and commercial center. Along the harbor, where the British Columbia Legislative buildings (more commonly known as the parliament buildings), the instantly-recognized buildings are admired by tourists and passengers of cruise ships. It was completed in 1898 and cost $923,000, compared with the initial budget of $523,000. It is located diagonally across from the The Empress Hotel, which is an Edwardian building with 460 rooms, which has been recently restored with antique furnishings and decor. And at night, anyone walking along the harbor will be pleasantly delighted by the lit building.

Vancouver Harbour to Victoria Harbour and back.

The quickest way to get to Victoria from Vancouver is by seaplane or helijet. The ferry boat/bus combination is a long, four hour journey, which is not my type of efficiency. I opted for the Harbour Air Seaplanes, which was $135-$140/one way. It’s not cheap, compared to the $40/one way for the ferry/bus combo. So off I went on a DeHavilland DHC-3 Turbine Single Otter.

The view coming back is equally amazing from above:

Squeaking in Victoria, BC

It’s 6:15am and I find myself in familiar territory – at a Blenz coffee shop, utilizing their free, and might I add, fast, wifi access. After a restless night at a hostel called Ocean Island Backpackers’ Inn on the corner of Pandora and Douglas Sts., I’m relieved to be outside the confines of my dorm room. 

This hostel is the ultimate nickel and dime shop:
Packet of peanut butter: $0.25
Towel: $5 <— I refused to pay this based on principle and now I have a wet t-shirt from drying myself
Wifi: $1 for 15 mins, commensurates with time desired
Toilet: $0.50 <— Just kidding, no fee, but I wouldn’t have been surprised if they accepted tokens to use the loo.

Cramming six full grown adults into a room with three bunk beds is quite a feat, but apparently, that’s how hostels are nowadays. As I climbed onto the top bunk, which were my quarters for the night, I heard ’squeak, squeak’. The bunks were made of blue metal that squeaked with every movement. Every toss and turn produced a squeak. I continuously pictured all five other bunkmates staring up at me as I tried to get comfortable. I was frozen still in my bed.

Hostels are also quite profitable if you calculate it. They have minimal maintenance and very low expenses. This particular hostel offered guests and travelers the opportunity to work for their paid stay at the hostel. The dorm room I stayed in last night would equate to $172.80 per room. The linens for the beds are provided, but those thin sheets would be better used as urinating sheets for dogs. But who can really complain when it was $28.80 for the night, and given what I know now, I’d stay there again, but armed with towels in hand. I know I’ll appreciate my warm bed when I’m back at my Uncle/Aunt’s comfortable, big house tonight, which reminds me of an old proverb my dad used to spit at me often: “First bitter, then sweet” (translated literally).

Would panhandlers make good car salesmen?

Having lived in San Francisco my entire life, seeing homeless and panhandlers is not exactly an eye-opening event. Outside of Washington, DC, San Francisco has the highest number of homeless people of any US city. As of 2007, one study put DC at 5,518 homeless, which is considerably high since DC is ranked second to last in population statistics. 

In Canada, I’m fairly certain Vancouver takes the homeless trophy. Being liberal and having many hippies, along with embracing the counter-culture most likely contributes to this phenomenon. 

The main location of many of the panhandlers is E. Hastings, but you will also find them downtown, near shopping areas. Their aggressiveness is what surprises me. Not only will they ask if you have any spare change, but they will go into their full-fledged car salesmen act/sob story, while they’re reciting from their mental “rebuttal books” from any response you give them. I can picture a few panhandlers walking into sales trainee meetings going, “Don’t take no for an answer. ABC people. Always Be Closing!”

Less aggressive homeless on Robson, E. Hastings:

Japa Dog

On the corner of Burrard and Smithe, in Vancouver, is the famous Japa Dog hot dog stand. It is, by far, the tastiest and most unique hot dog I’ve ever had. There are several Japanese styles to the hot dog, with my favorite being the Misomayo – combination of miso sauce and Japanese-style mayonnaise. Here’s a look at the menu. The cart has been featured in local television, newspapers, and several celebrities’ pictures are on the cart (along with which style of Japa Dog they ate). Here are some pics of the stand and a Terimayo and Misomayo Japa Dog.