GETTING AROUND IN A PLACE WITH LOTS OF WATER.

Back on the train again so I have time to blog!!! After speaking to many of you in person and over email, I realize that many more people are reading the blog than I realized. Feel free to let me know you are reading!

When we arrived in Vancouver, we initially got around with public transport, but then ceded to convenience – and realized that many places would be hard for us to reach without a car. More about that later…
My stepmother and her partner graciously let us stay in their house in North Vancouver, an easy walk to my beloved SeaBus.
Feeling a little old here, but I remember back when the SeaBus got started (1979?) and it cost a quarter to make the 15 minute crossing of the Burrard Inlet to downtown. Now it costs $3.75.
Other than the SeaBus, two bridges span the inlet. The Lion’s Gate bridge, modeled after the Golden Gate bridge in San Francisco, still boasts only three lanes for traffic. In the morning two of the three lanes are given over to funnel masses of commuters into the city. In the afternoon the two lanes allow people returning home that slight advantage.
In Heat (Monbiot’s book), I learned that adding more lanes to a road only temporarily keeps the traffic down. The more lanes are added the more traffic grows. When roads are not widened, the traffic does not grow – and in fact people find other ways around.
The other bridge is the more modern Second Narrows.
Both bridges carry buses, but the Sea Bus us by far the quickest, and most beautiful way to get your skyscraper fix.

People also get around A LOT by bike and many streets all over the city have bike lanes (darn - I can't figure out how to place the photos except at the beginning of the entry! Any help here would be great...)

but if you are too lazy to walk or bike to the store on when you are clubbing, Connie the Condom Lady makes being safe easy. We learned this when Zora and I stopped at a light and admired Connie’s lovely vintage 50s dress. She thanked us and turned away. Almost as an after thought, she turned back around, sweetly smiled at Zora and introduced herself: “I’m Connie the Condom Lady.” Zora replied “oh.”