Vancouver and interesting Canada facts!

We arrived in Vancouver and got 2 taxis to the Fairmont waterfront hotel (It is the only city in the world who will only take 4 people in any taxi!! and we are only 4 & a half really!) The hotel was fabulous and the view over Vancouver harbour from our rooms, with sea planes taking off and landing like taxis. We had been wanting to visit Vancouver for ages and we all really enjoyed Vancouver - a relaxed atmosphere, open, very friendly, a great harbour and very multi-cultural - with many more Asians than we thought there would be. We wandered the wonderful waterfront to Stanley park and visited a great aquarium - Beluga whales and 2 calves, Sea otters, dolphins and Turtles. Ate lunch by the harbour and the kids played in the fountains on the waterfront.

We went to see the recent Star Trek movie at the IMAX and then wandered round the city and found the Harley Davidson exhibition in the main street! It was a great city, with a really good feel about it and we will be sure to come back for longer.

Ottawa is the capital of Canada. Vancouver is Canada's 3rd largest city with 2.5m people after Toronto and Montreal. Canada has 10 provinces - when it became an independent country in 1st July 1867 it had 4 and the Provinces were being courted by the USA to join them. British Columbia said they would join Canada but only if they built a railway across the whole of the country - they did and it was completed in 3 years - 3 years ahead of schedule. We have just been on the new "Skytrain" built in Vancouver for the Winter Olympics in 2010 which was great - but again built ahead of schedule (note to UK architects & builders - ahead of schedule please!!)

It is interesting that 75% of Canadians live within 200 miles of the USA border - most of the influences we saw in Canada were USA - although Asian influences in Vancouver were also prevalent. Leaving Canada will be hard - we have enjoyed it alot - and i have w/skied here on very flat water - so top country!!