Hello from Vancouver (3) - The Grouse Mountain Experience
December 11, 2008
Hello from Vancouver (3) - The Grouse Mountain Experience
by: Susanne Pacher
No visit to Vancouver could be complete without a real mountain experience. So after covering the Servas conference I left at 2 pm for downtown. To get to Grouse Mountain was quite an experience in itself, I got to take 2 buses downtown, then I boarded Vancouver’s light rail rapid transit system, the Skytrain, which runs underground downtown, just like a subway. Then I hopped on the Seabus, a regular ferry that connects downtown with North Vancouver. Buses were waiting for passengers right when the ferry docked and I jumped on the #236 which takes you right to Grouse Mountain, passing the famous Capilano Suspension Bridge. At the base of Grouse Mountain I entered into another means of transportation: the Skyride, a 6 minute gondola / tram ride to the main complex at the top of the Mountain.
Grouse Mountain is also called the “Peak of Vancouver”, and it offers recreational possibilities all year long. The elevation at the top is 4100 feet and in the winter Grouse offers 22 runs for skiers and snowboarders as well as 13 lit runs for night-skiing. The top base of the gondola features a fine dining restaurant, contemporary dining, a more casual cafe as well as a gift shop and a store called “Outfitters” that provides all sorts of outdoor gear. The dining areas have sweeping views of the city all the way down to Washington State.
Hello from Vancouver (4) - A Walking Tour through The Downtown East Side
December 10, 2008
Hello from Vancouver (4) - A Walking Tour through The Downtown East Side
by: Susanne Pacher
The University of British Columbia has a drop-in centre downtown in Vancouver’s East side called the Learning Exchange where it provides educational opportunities to people who live and work in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside and other inner-city communities.
Vancouver’s Downtown East Side is an inner city neighbourhood that has been experiencing problems with drug addiction and prostitution for many years. The area consists of several diverse neighbourhoods, including Strathcona, Chinatown, and Gastown, as well as the central area around Main and Hastings. The Downtown Eastside is currently facing significant social, economic and health-related issues. While there are undeniable problems, the community also has significant strengths. And, important community-building work is being undertaken and some of this important work is done by the UBC Learning Exchange.
The Learning Exchange provides opportunities for UBC students to develop an understanding of society through first-hand volunteer work and promotes the formation of partnerships between people at UBC and people in the Downtown East Side and other inner-city communities that make the sharing of expertise and resources possible. The program started very small and still has a very tight budget, but today more than 800 UBC students volunteer here in a variety of community assistance groups.
Hello from Toronto (4) - An Exploration of Toronto’s West End
December 10, 2008
Hello from Toronto (4) - An Exploration of Toronto’s West End
by: Susanne Pacher
One of the beauties of Toronto is its diversity, the fact that hundreds of ethnic groups from all over the world congregate here in this metropolis and give their distinct flavour to this urban mosaic of cultures.
Since I had already taken my European visitors on a walking tour of downtown, covering most of the main sights, as well as on a bicycling tour of Toronto’s waterfront, I decided it was time to show them some of Toronto’s residential neighbourhoods for an authentic feel of the city away from the big tourist sites.
We started in the East end and drove through East York, an up and coming neighbourhood, originally working class, where many of the older bungalows are now being upgraded into two-story homes. Crossing the Leaside Bridge over the Don River, we explored the upscale Leaside Neighbourhood, featuring beautifully kept houses sheltered by a canopy of huge trees.
Nervous and Excited - My First Solo Trip in 20 Years!!!
December 9, 2008
Nervous and Excited - My First Solo Trip in 20 Years!!!
by: Susanne Pacher
So I am leaving to go to Cuba tomorrow, really early in the morning, to be at the airport at about 5:30 am. The last few days have been absolutely nuts, 16 hour days just to take care of work and get ready for the trip… And for the first time in a long time I am really nervous before a trip.
Over the last few years all my trips have basically been to nice, predictable and safe places like Canada, New England, Florida, California, Spain, tourist areas in Mexico. All these trips have been with my husband and/or friends.
Now I am venturing to a real 3rd world country - Cuba - and it’s my first solo trip in 20 years! The only other time I went on a trip by myself was 20 years ago when I booked a package deal to Spain’s Costa Brava (my fascination with Spain started early….) all by myself.
A Meeting of Kindred Spirits
December 8, 2008
A Meeting of Kindred Spirits
by: Susanne Pacher
I admit it: Yesterday I was playing hooky, away for the whole day from my office, something that always makes me feel guilty. First thing in the morning I had a networking meeting of local female home-office business owners that I was invited to by my strategic consultants. In my jeans and hiking boots I was hopelessly underdressed and I had to run out in the middle of it since I had another meeting to go to.
Well, off I was to to the ferry at the bottom of Bay Street, to go to Center Island and meet my friend Sue Kenney, a fascinating woman who I have already written about a couple of times. What a beautiful feeling, for an occasionally frustrated office worm like me to get out in the middle of the day, hop on the ferry and enjoy the skyline of Toronto, viewed from the tranquility of the islands.
Hello from the Kawarthas - Early Fall Colours, Scarecrows & Frogmen
December 7, 2008
Hello from the Kawarthas - Early Fall Colours, Scarecrows & Frogmen
by: Susanne Pacher
Fall is one of the most beautiful seasons in Ontario when forests light up in hues of yellow, orange and red. It’s the perfect time for drives in the countryside, to visit small villages, check out farmer’s markets, attend country fairs. We’ve had a long hot summer this year, even as I write this we are expecting temperatures 10 degrees Celsius above average. As a result the fall colour season is a little delayed, but that did not change the fact that it was time for a country driving tour.
During the Servas conference in Vancouver I made a great connection, I met a fellow Ontarian, a lady in her 50s by the name of Julie who lives north of Peterborough in Ontario’s Lake Country. And as is the Servas tradition, she generously offered her hospitality and invited me to come up and visit her on Buckhorn Lake. I left on Saturday at around 4 pm and although I got lost a couple of times, barely two hours later I arrived at her beautiful house on Buckhorn Lake.
Taking Stock - The Last Few Months
December 6, 2008
Taking Stock - The Last Few Months
by: Susanne Pacher
So every few months I take stock of what’s been happening, where I stand now and where I am going. You probably know by now that www.travelandtransitions.com is a project that has grown out of some of my true passions and I work on it part-time, in addition to running a full-time translation and language services business by the name of Textronics Communications Ltd.
This process of taking stock has actually worked very well for my full-time business, where I meet with my strategic consultants every few months to lay out detailed strategies and double-check where we stand now in comparison to the plans we had laid out.
I find sometimes the hardest thing as an independent entrepreneur is to develop strategies and new ideas by yourself, and even more so, to consistently implement them. Particularly when you are a sole entrepreneur and you don’t have business partners or a network of other entrepreneurs to bounce ideas off of.
Hello from Vancouver - Reporting on the Canada-US Servas Conference
December 5, 2008
Hello from Vancouver - Reporting on the Canada-US Servas Conference
by: Susanne Pacher
One of the things I do for the website is I continuously search out individuals and organizations that have accomplished unusual things or made special contributions. Through my research I had come across an organization called SERVAS, an organization of hosts and travellers world-wide throughout 130 countries that intends to foster peace through intercultural exchange.
Hosts throughout the member countries generally receive travellers for 2 days (or longer if they wish) and accommodate them in their home. Sometimes if they don’t have the facilities, the hosts take their guests on tours of their local city or have lunch or dinner with them, in which case they are referred to as day-hosts. Many times the travellers become part of the family, helping out with chores around the house, or even being invited to participate in family reunions or other local activities with their hosts.
Local Explorations - Hello from Lake Ontario’s Waterfront Trail
December 5, 2008
Local Explorations - Hello from Lake Ontario’s Waterfront Trail
by: Susanne Pacher
In our neck of the woods the summer has been absolutely gorgeous, a little on the hot and humid side occasionally, but I am unable to recall a summer that has been so warm and sunny as this summer of 2005.
The weekend before last I just felt like exploring the local area a little bit and since I was unable to pry my husband away from watching some of the season’s first football games, I struck out on my own and laid out an itinery for a little local discovery. I’ve said it before - this website is about exploration and discovery, locally and abroad. The places right underneath our noses often have so many things to discover, we don’t always need to get a plane ride away to uncover something new.
Since we spent so much time along Toronto’s waterfront during my brother’s visit, and since I am big suck for water in all shapes and forms, I thought let’s stretch the envelope a little further east and see what Lake Ontario has to offer outside of Toronto’s eastern city limits. More specifically, let’s check out the shoreline and Lake Ontario’s Waterfront Trail.
Hello from Vancouver (5): Gastown and My Final Explorations
December 4, 2008
Hello from Vancouver (5): Gastown and My Final Explorations
by: Susanne Pacher
After my extremely interesting walking tour of the Downtown East Side I decided to round out my exploration of the city with another bicycling trip. In my mind, bicycling is just the perfect way to discover a city, it gives you greater range than walking, you don’t need to wait around for buses, and you get exercise at the same time -bonus!
I realized that I had not even seen Gastown yet, which gave me a perfect excuse for another round of exploring. I went to Spokes Bicycle Rentals again, talked to Phil who had been so helpful to me on Saturday in my exploration of Stanley Park and off I went for another few hours, to see just a bit more of Vancouver before I had to leave. I decided to ride back to the Downtown East Side since I wasn’t able to take any photos during the walking tour. I rode along the waterfront trail past Canada Place and the Harbour Centre to the east side of town.
