Days Seven & Eight

Yesterday we went to Granville Island and Chinatown. Granville Island is really cool. It, like Pike's Place Market, is very similar to the St. Lawrence Market except on a larger scale and with, what looks to me, fresher food. I didn't buy any of the fresh food because I have nowhere to store it and I didn't want to carry it around all day. I did however buy a maple ice cream bar from Roger's Chocolate. Roger's Chocolate started in 1885 and has about 10 locations in the Vancouver area. They were listed in just about every guide book I looked at as the number one place for chocolate. Ahnes has never heard of them. She doesn't get out much.

The Vancouver Chinatown is similar to every other Chinatown I've ever visited. Stores crammed with wares for ridiculously low prices. Eleven shoes for $3.00. Not pairs of shoes mind you, just eleven shoes, various sizes. They have a couple of funky little shops interspersed among the Chinese stores.

We went to a charming little restaurant for dinner. I believe the name of it was the Keg. I think that's about it for day seven.

Day eight was the last true day of our vacation as we fly out tomorrow at 7:00am. We had to drop of the rental car by 11:00am so we (I) decided to go to IHOP for breakfast. I had never been to an IHOP before and it truly was a magical experience. A dirty crowded diner with crusty old waitresses reminiscent of the kind you'd find in a truck stop serving massive portions of artery hardening food. I had the bacon lover's special because, based on every Cosmo quiz I've ever taken, I do love bacon.

The rest of the day was spent shopping. I tried to explain to the ladies that possessions are fleeting but they counter- argued with shoes are pretty. I went back to the hotel early and rested my weary bones. We met Ahnes, Charles, a former student of Charles's and a friend of hers for dinner. Charles introduced me to his former student who said, "I'm Minjung from Korea." I replied, "I'm Dave, from my father's penis." That got the evening off to a great start. Her friend Tomoko, from Japan, was rail thin and ate like a horse. Bitch. We went to a Greek restaurant named Stephos which was excellent. Big line-up though so either make reservations or be prepared to wait a bit.