Being the fan that I am of driving videos, I was stoked to find this video on the Vancouver Province's website of some reporter biking down the new bike lane on Hornsby Street in downtown Vancouver. I love the idea and it's a great way to tell the story.
My good friend and fellow Canadian ex-pat over at chungkingmansions.com posted iPhone video of his bus commute to work. It's a very interesting experience and just the kind of transportation video we love here at distracteddispatches.com. I urge you to take ten minutes and watch the videos maximized on your screen. You can totally imagine as if you are taking the 109 through Shanghai!
"Some highlights:
- PLA marching band! (1:58 mark in first video)
- Fire off of Shunchang Road (1:30 mark in third video)"
Vancouver is such a beautiful city, and on a trip this weekend for my late dad's "Celebration of Life" (which went wonderfully, by the way), S. and I had a kick ass time taking it all in. The weather was perfect for our stay: clear blue skies and pleasantly mild temperatures.
The city is aesthetically pleasing up close, but it's also a delight to see from high above. Here are two videos I took that offer elevated views of Vancouver.
This is the view out the window when coming in for a landing at YVR. You can see the Vancouver neighborhoods of Burnaby, New Westminster, and Richmond. Unfortunately, downtown is just out of view. It's still a nice view!
Here's a look at downtown from the 23rd floor of the Sandman Suites on Davie. It's a centrally located hotel right in the Gay Village/West Van that offers relatively affordable suites. The hotel is not perfect but it puts you right in the middle of a bustling commercial district and a few blocks from the beach. The room is equipped with a kitchenette, hardwood floors, and stunning views.
I can't wait to visit again!
I swear this would happen to me all the time. Press the button and BOOM, the light changes.
Okay, so it's not Germany or the Netherlands, but for North America, it's pretty damn good!
Vancouver's Skytrain is my favorite public transit vehicle. It has all the speed and efficiency of a subway, but is mostly above ground so you can see where you're going.
Strangely, the Skytrain fares are based on an "honor system". There are no turnstiles, you just walk right on the train. Inspectors are rarely seen, but if they catch you without a ticket you'll have to pay a fine. When I was a teenager, my friends and I used to ride the Skytrain for free all the time, until one day we were busted. But for those instances when you need go one stop and your transfer just expired, it can be nice not to have to pay the $2.50.
Here's some video of the ride between Main and Broadway stations. It's not the most scenic stretch of the Skytrain line, but it gives you a feel for what it's like to ride.
Buying a ticket at the Skytrain station with Andrew.
I was waiting for a connecting flight to Vancouver the other day at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston. It's not exceptionally remarkable as far as large airports go. But hey, it has a bunch of Texas kitsch, and it's named after Dubya's daddy!
Sitting here in the airport in Portland, OR en route to Vancouver with two hours to kill and free WiFi so I thought I'd upload this video of a nifty Skylink train we rode today at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. Apparently, DFW is the third-busiest airport in the world by traffic, so sometimes you need a fast, light train to get you to your connection on time.
