On a bright May afternoon I found myself on the
Stanley Park Seawall in Vancouver facing the
Pacific Ocean. This was the ocean hike that I was most looking forward to. Now before I go any further you might ask me.
What is the Seawall?
There you go, the picture below should answer your question very well 👇
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Stanley Park Seawall (Courtesy: Tourism Vancouver)
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How did I get there?
Simple via public transport (
TransLink).
In front of me was a 10 KM hike right next to the Pacific Ocean and I was grossly unprepared (didn't even have a bottle of water with me). But water or no water I wasn't about to back out from exploring this beautiful waterfront trail .
My first pit stop allowed me to take in the sights of
Vancouver downtown along with the
docks.
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Vancouver Downtown |
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Vancouver docks and the Pan Pacific Hotel
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Pan Pacific Hotel from the top (Courtesy: BC Ferries Vacations) |
The next sight to behold my attention was the 100 year old
Brockton Point Lighthouse which was constructed to aid ships navigate the rough waters strewn with rocks. If only there was a lighthouse which guides our lives just like the one which guides the ships.
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Brockton Lighthouse (Courtesy: Wikipedia) |
From the light I walked into the shadow, the shadow of the
Lions Gate Bridge the spiritual twin of the
Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. People built the bridge to foster development and economic growth. Here's to a world which builds more bridges for humanity.
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Lions Great Bridge |
As afternoon turned into evening my walk entered the mythical realm when I saw the
Siwash Rock. Legend has it that '
Skalsh the unselfish' was turned into a rock for his unselfishness. The present day requires the opposite to happen, we need a lot more rocks to turn into human beings and a lot more selfish ones to turn into rocks.
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Siwash Rock basking in the evening sun
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Siwash Rock in the bloom of the day (Courtesy: TripAdvisor) |
Just as I was getting a bit tired, the sands, stones and logs of
three Stanley Park beaches beckoned me as I sat down to watch the sun's rays play with the ocean currents.
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Stanley Park Beaches |
As I left the park, I reminisced about the hike and the profound impact the sights I saw had on me. It's been almost a year since the walk but none of those sights have left me, I doubt if they will ever leave now because now they are a part of me (
just like the walk in KBR).
Stanley Park has been rated as one of Vancouver's Top Holiday destinations and is undoubtedly in my mind the best place to visit in Vancouver. If Stanley Park is a great vacation spot then the seawall is the crown jewel of Stanley Park. Don't miss out on the breathtaking views which will have you clutching at your cameras at every turn. If you are walking or cycling (there are plenty of places from where you can rent bikes close to the park) please do make it a point to follow the designated lanes. Take plenty of water, you will find refreshments after crossing the Lighthouse but there's practically nothing after that until the beaches. Benches became scarce as you approach the Siwash rock so be prepared for a thorough workout. May you all have a memorable walk, for once keep the phones away and let the thoughts flow.
Until Next Time,
Your Travel Guide,
J.J. Chaitanya
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