Continental Breakfast? What’s that? (#6)

Good morning! It’s day 2 in Vancouver! We have another exciting day ahead of us, but, before that, breakfast! Many of our students tried the standard “Continental Breakfast” that is common in Canada and the US. There were different fruits, croissants, pastries, danishes, potatoes, eggs, bacon, sausages, and orange juice! The variety was surprising, but everything turned out to be very delicious. “It was good! We’re all very satisfied.”

Next, we finished packing and got ready to go to our next stop, the prestigious University of British Columbia.

Stanley Park, Hotel, & Dinner (#5)

Our final stop for the day was Stanley Park, a large forest park on a peninsula (半島) in the middle of the city! We stopped for some pictures in front of the totem poles and then explored and looked at some souvenirs with designs by the First Nations in Canada. From the park, you can see downtown Vancouver very clearly! From the other side, you can see the sunset on the water, through the opening of Burrard Inlet and Vancouver Harbor.

Did you know that Vancouver is more north than Hokkaido? That’s right! That’s why sunrise is at 8am and sunset is at 4pm these days.

After our bus tour, we finally made it to the hotel where we ate a wonderful dinner all together! With this, we can rest and recharge for another fun-packed day! Starting tomorrow, we’ll be staying with our host families. So exciting! Good night!

First Stop, Granville Island! (#4)

A hop and a skip away from the airport, we first made a short stop at Vancouver’s famous Granville Island. Granville Island is a popular tourist attraction full of interesting food stands and shops! We stopped for a bit of lunch and some of us even bought postcards to send back to Japan!

Next, we hopped on the bus for a bus tour of the Vancouver’s downtown and Gastown areas. There were many interesting decorations, lights, and even a “steam clock” that sounds every 15 minutes! According to our tour guide, there’s a similar clock in Otaru, Hokkaido. Although we didn’t have time to explore today, we’ll have the time to visit shops and take pictures tomorrow!

Touchdown! (#3)

We arrived safely in Vancouver around 11:40am! We traveled back in time 9 hours! It was a short flight – between take-off, landing, and 2 meals, students only got about 3~4 hours to sleep. “I’m tired, but excited!” say many students. From here, we will continue on to sightseeing in the city. It’s a cloudy day with a bit of rain and wind, but it’s not at all freezing.