Over the Fence: ALASKA - Leaving Canada Behind!

Friday morning we arrived in Vancouver at the harbor early enough to first make a visit to Stanley Park. The Delta Valley is lush and green but I wouldn't say Vancouver is a beautiful city. Maybe Stanley Park is to make up for some of that. Only blocks away though is one of the saddest areas of the city - Gastown. In it's early days it was probably beautiful. Now the once glorious buildings are boarded and dirty with years of grime and neglect. What is most heartbreaking is the lives of those hiding within those walls. Lost to crime and drugs and more than we could probably imagine.

On to other things!

ANOTHER PRETENDING TO BE OUR KIDS PICTURE!
THESE ARE FUN PICS TO TAKE!

THERE IS OUR SHIP - THE STATENDAM
ACROSS THE HARBOR FROM STANLEY PARK!

FLOWERING BUSHES AS BIG AS TREES!
WHAT IS IT?

After a quick drive around the park we managed to make our way back to Canada Place. (Downtown Vancouver has lots of one way streets just like Calgary!) Once leaving the truck at the carpark we were escorted over to the entrance into Canada Place to go through a lineup for security check, a line-up for US Customs and a final lineup for checking on board with Holland America. Murphy said we would be the ones at the front of the last que when all the computers would shut down for every check-in booth. So Ron and Bev were onboard, freed of their carry-on in their stateroom and on deck to watch us walk up the ramp to board our floating home for the next week!

After a quick walk about through the ship we made our way to the Lido Deck for a great lunch after which we went to the bow of the ship to wait for cast off. There is nothing like the mix of emotions - relief to be going, excitement about going, and slight apprehension over actually going and what the next week will be like.