My Getaway

Last month I took my cat to Vancouver for radiation therapy. It was a rushed, impulsive affair. Some the details are in my cat blog… My plan was to keep her with me in the cabin, but the space  under the seat was so small I opted to put her in cargo. Despite my not needing to accompany her, I couldn’t bear to not be as close to her as possible for the journey. So we hopped the plane and zipped off to the South Terminal of the Vancouver Airport.

Rozsa then was borne off by  the Petstovets couriers. incredibly friendly, calm people, and I was left to get to my hotel. I had seen the ocean out the airplane window, and had felt such a thrill I gasped out loud. A freighter was down there– a toy in a giant bathtub. When I  landed, the burst of moist coastal air in my face and into my lungs made me want to just breathe and breathe and breathe…

Sea Island, home of the Vancouver Airport, is well known to me from years of living just across the Middle Arm of the Fraser River from it. I had bicycled over every public inch. I chose to walk to downtown Richmond, towing my suitcase along behind me. I stopped often at park benches along the river bank.

It was more difficult, and hotter, along the sidewalk over the Dinsmore Bridge. My second bag kept falling off. A lady walking by kept turning around to look at me as I sat on a curb reorganizing my load. The city of Richmond, on Lulu Island, is becoming extremely developed. There were park benches along the rest of the way for me.

I arrived at the hotel, dumped my bags off, and headed out the back door exit. Across the lane was Minoru Park. Despite some maintence draining of the lake and waterways, I enjoyed  my walk. I carried on past the park, just walking and walking, vaguely heading toward a shopping centre.

I passed masses of construction work. Towers going up, jammed up against each other. The New Richmond, built on Lulu lsland, an island of silt at about sea level. I then walked though many streets of older 3 floor apartment buildings which may have been condos.

At long last I found the shopping centre. I shopped at T & T for supper of baked tofu and noodles. I wandered back to the hotel. Day One done.