On Sunday we decided to go exploring somewhere different so we opened up google maps on our iPhone's and plotted our journey to Coquitlam via public transport. We got on the Skytrain from Joyce to Lougheed station and then caught a bus to (what we though was Coquitlam). On the bus we went though lots of housing and it seems like a really nice area to live, we could tell why it is popular for families and people wanting to escape some of the hustle and bustle of Metro Vancouver. We got off the bus and proceeded to walk down a long road with lots of small shops and restaurants on both sides, however as nice as the area was to be honest there wasn't too much there that interested us. We had become quite warm so headed in to McDonalds to get a cheap drink (they have $1 for any drink offer at the moment). Whilst we were in there we checked our phones only to find out we were in the Coquitlam area but not actually in Coquitlam Center, no wonder we didn't see a great deal here! We hopped back on the bus which after a further 15 minute ride we arrived at Coquitlam station (this is not part of the regualr Skytrain Millienium or Expo lines, it's a separate train service hence the need for us to catch the bus). Just opposite the station there is a big mall so we had a quick look around there and found it quite pleasant, I am slightly tired of malls though because of visiting them so much recently but I think Lou will always enjoy them! Coquitlam mall has more of a Canadian feel to it (all wooden beams on the roof etc) and it is less busy and also neater and tidier than others we've been too. We then realized we still weren't in the Town Centre which was another bus ride away but by this time it was nearly 6:30pm so we decided to go back home and leave that for another day. We caught a bus to Braid SkyTrain station and on the way we went through the place were Lou will be working. It was nice to see the area in person and it was also surprising to see how big there grounds actually are as they have absolutely tons of land. It took us an hour to get home via public transport from there, so it definitely highlights the need for a car once Lou starts her job.
On Monday it was raining all day, (oh lovely rain, so cool and refreshing!) and the temperature didn't exceed 18c. After the heat-wave we definitely weren't going to complain about it and it actually felt strange to wear jeans again as I've spend most of my time here wearing shorts so far. We decided to head over to North Vancouver as we hadn't been on a
SeaBus since we got here (which you need to take as North Vancouver is over the water from downtown). We caught the SkyTrain to Waterfront station and the SeaBus terminal is directly connected which makes it easily accessible. They leave every 15 minutes and the actual journey seems to only take about 7-10 minutes. The SeaBus is certainly an efficient way of getting there, though it's not quite as glamourous as it sounds - lets just say you can tell they are "Well used".
From North Vancouver you can catch buses to many places such as Grouse Mountain, Capilano Suspension Bridge and Lynn Valley Canyon but as it we don't have all the appropriate attire yet for walking about in the rain etc we decided to just do a bit of browsing near not far from the terminal, it's nice not having to rush to see everything. We had a walk around
Lonsdale Quay Market which is quite nice and has a nice local vibe to it, however other people have informed their are even better markets around so that's interesting to hear. Lou has become interested in fresh Tea recently so she was happy to find a small Tea shop inside. Lou brought some green tea called "Japanese Treasures" which contains strawberry and red currants amongst the ingredients, it smells fantastic and tastes nice unlike a lot of other green teas we've tried before. Lou also managed to get some more of her new favorite drink too - bubble tea. Bubble Tea apparently originated in Taiwan in the 1980's, soon becoming popular in other East Asian countries before later making it's way to Canada (no doubt probably because of a demand for it from the high amount of people from those areas that moved here). Bubble Tea contains shaken and flavored milk (Lou opted for coconut) and it has boba balls (made from tapioca & seaweed extract) in it. You drink the bubble tea through a large straw and as you do this the boba balls are sucked through. I'm guessing this is wear it gets it's name from as it gives the illusion of the drink bubbling (but I'm not sure I'm just presuming). I personally don't like the combination of drinking cool milk whilst eating sticky / chewy tapioca balls at the same time, I guess it's not for everyone!
