The Cold Plunge: A Day in Vancouver

During my six days in Victoria, for the first time in my life, I finished reading a book in under a week. I had brought a few to read on The Cold Plunge, and while I considered them some of the more important items in my luggage, they did take up considerable space in my suitcase. I had found a copy of Miracle in the Andes by Nando Parrado in a book-sharing box at Cardboro Bay on my first day on Vancouver Island. At the risk of weighing down my suitcase even more, I took the book, but as it turned out, I powered through it over the next six days.

On one of my walks around the UVic campus grounds that week, I found another book-sharing box. On my last morning in Victoria, I donated the book to the box for the next reader to discover.

I squeezed in an hour of trip planning after breakfast and before checkout. I caught a bus to the ferry terminal at Sidney in the early afternoon. On the ferry, I set myself up with my computer in the communal dining area. I wanted to squeeze in some writing time before the busy weekend ahead. I looked up and saw the view out the window, of escarpments plummeting into the emerald-green water, and instantly ditched my writing session. I returned to the general seating area and spent the 90-minute voyage gazing out the window at the spectacular views. The sun was shining, so I took a few minutes to step out onto the open-air deck.

It was late afternoon when we docked at the ferry terminal in Tsawwassen, where I waited for Janine to pick me up. She had made the four and a half hour journey by car. We met with Janine’s friend Karen at a pho restaurant for dinner, and then drove 40 minutes to the University of British Columbia campus, checked in and crashed out.

Janine had lived in Vancouver for many years during college, and the next day, she took me sightseeing. We started at Kits on Broadway for breakfast and window shopping. We bought an all-day pass for the bus, and our first stop was Granville Island.

Steeped in a rich industrial and maritime heritage, Granville Island is now an artistic and cultural hub. We wandered through the Public Market, an indoor market hosting a vast selection of food, produce stores and farmers stalls. Market Artisans showcase locally made, handcrafted products and the very finest in unique goods. My favourite shop was The Crystal Ark, which was full of, you guessed it, crystals!

We then jumped on the bus again and headed for the Olympic Cauldron, a massive, modern Olympic torch built for the 2010 Winter Games, which is occasionally lit for special events. Here, we also found the Digital Orca, a sculpture of a killer whale installed next to the Vancouver Convention Centre.

For lunch, Janine introduced me to the culinary offerings of T & T, a Canadian supermarket chain offering a wide range of fresh produce, meat, seafood, and authentic specialty items from various Asian cuisines. In addition to the many departments found in a regular supermarket, most T&T stores also have an in-house bakery, hot food bar, dim sum counter, sushi counter and Hong Kong style Chinese barbecue. Our selection included pork buns and dumplings, sticky rice wrapped in a lotus leaf parcel, and turnip cake.

In the afternoon, we set out on an electric-powered, two-hour self-guided tour of Stanley Park. Janine chose a bike, while I opted for a scooter. We couldn’t have asked for better weather, and it was the perfect way to round out our day of exploring.

That evening, Janine took a drive to visit a friend, and I spent the evening writing. We had both been full from our T&T feast earlier in the day, but I started to feel hungry later in the evening, so went for a late walk to get microwave mac n cheese from the campus convenience store. It was a clear night, and on my way back to our room, I paused to watch the sunset at 9.30pm.

On Friday morning we checked out of UBC and had T & T again for breakfast. We were meeting more of Janine’s friends for lunch in North Vancouver. While we waited, we took a walk around River Market, a small, waterfront retail complex with boutiques, trendy eateries, plus activities for kids, including Vancouver Circus School. Here stands The Tin Soldier, a sculpture containing a time capsule to be opened in 2025.

After lunch we drove to Horseshoe Bay and joined the queue of vehicles waiting to board the ferry to the Sunshine Coast. The road leading up to the terminal had turned into a carpark, and Janine waited with the car as I took a walk around. The ferry ride to Langdale took 40 minutes. We checked into our Airbnb, and spent a quiet evening watching Brooklyn 99.

I hope you’re enjoying coming along with me on The Cold Plunge. If you would like to help me along on this adventure, consider donating below. There are preset amounts, or you can customise an amount too. Whatever you choose, your contribution is deeply appreciated.