Chinatown

We all arrived back to Vancouver feeling like a slow paced day after all the Whistler excitement & hadn't anticipated that a visit to Chinatown would be quite so exciting! On our search for yum cha we must have stumbled across a different part of the neighbourhood. The first clue was the ambulance roaring through the streets to pull up outside a decrepit looking hotel, then there was the obvious drug deal that took place across our path- they all smiled very pleasantly as they backed out of our way and continued to exchanged goods and cash. We hurried along, with the boys oblivious to the interesting happenings around us. The shops were sparse & mostly boarded up, there were large gatherings of homeless people lining the street & there was just a sense of desperation. We were relieved to find our way back amongst the bright shop fronts of Chinatown, feeling grateful for our comfortable home & good fortune. We are not naive to the realities of the world, but we weren't keen to expose our children to drug deals & drunken rants. It was just one street, but the sense of despair was palpable. The fabulous array of goods that tumble into the street once you turn the corner provided a very stark contrast. 

We never did find that yum cha and decided to head further downtown towards Gastown for another look around the harbour & to find some lunch.  A side visit to Stanley Park on our way back to the apartment to see the totem poles was a cheerful end to our eventful day .