I attempted to explain to the kids what they were going to experience and see, but it was too big to explain because I didn’t know what to expect either. So I settled on this vacation as a trip for me and the kids were my tag-a-longs.

For those who don’t know my kids, they are a special breed. Reminiscent of Daffy Duck bouncing and screaming ‘whoohoo,’ they rarely lack energy. And that energy is usually spent pissing each other off. My first concern was keeping the two Daffy’s contained for a 13-hour road trip. Thanks to the technology of Nintendo, we were somewhat successful. Complaints of crossing invisible boundaries with limbs and realizations of having to use the bathroom RIGHT NOW happened, but manageable. Typical sibling rivalries, nothing different from what happened at home, continued to happened.

I never expected the kids to magically change their behavior while on vacation. There were still all-out brawls between my two, ending in hurt feelings and whining, which our tight living quarters made extra challenging. We had some bad moments and we had some good moments too.

But when we got home everything changed.

I can’t really pinpoint when or how it happened. Maybe it was that last night in Vancouver as they weaved in and out of flag poles playing tag. Maybe it was the week after we were home when together they stood up to a bully at a playground. Maybe it was when, in the days following, Auron realized that Keiran was his ‘go-to’ guy for help and vice-versa.

As Des and I were reflecting on our trip; comparing what others had done and experienced; she had a marvelous observation. No two Olympic experiences are the same. Some experienced a constant barrage of parties, others experienced the culture surrounding them, I experienced being surrounded by the world…

…and my boys became bonded brothers.

Totally didn’t expect that.

-Martina

The harbour in front of Canada Place.

Tent city where individuals could be “legal observers” (that’s what their t-shirts said).

This was my favourite sign (on an adjacent apartment building, I guess that guy figured it out)

There were many sightings on the trip, but I think one of my favourites was right in the water near Edgewater Casino. While all the commotion was around – people, boats, buildings – I look over and a heron is perched on the beach.

Ontario is officially sending it’s refuse to BC! This is a sculptural statement found in the Ontario house. If you ask me, they would have been better to recycle the material in Ontario versus shipping it (hello? fuel cost, lighting, carbon footprint anyone…maybe I’m too cynical to see the beauty).

Art or hobo’s next meal?

The kids took turns trying out different equipment. What do you think of Canada’s 2022 gold medalist’s concentration?

Maybe skeleton?

TWO!! Two Olympic torches carried this year! Ah-ha-ha-haaaa

Agree!

The Games have mascots…and so do we! 

Auron, the ice sculpture

DON’T DO IT!

View of Kamloops from my old college, Thompson River University (formerly known as University College of the Cariboo).

We drove both vehicles into North Vancouver, dropped off the rental car, then headed into the suburbs around the downtown area to catch a sky train.

I’m really impressed with the Vancouver transit system. It’s really cheap; $6 for my family of three. The stations feel really secure and clean and volunteers are everywhere to help lost traveller find their way to their transfers.

Too chicken to attempt a transfer, we rode the skytrain the long way around heading towards BC Place. The kids got a nice ride on something cool in their eyes while Des and I enjoyed a different view of the city and a chance to catch up on blogging and texting.

We get off with our goal to check out Live City located in Yaletown. Asking a volunteer we discovered we got off the train too early and had a bit of a walk ahead of us.

It was no matter, because there was lots to see during the walk.

Walking downtown before a hockey game has been my favourite time. Hockey jerseys float beyond the eye can see and spontaneous chants of various countries errupted all around us. Buskers seemed to appear every 50 feet and music blared from every hip establishment.

We stumble on the Yahoo House so Des went in to secure a hotel room for the night. They had free Internet access, as well as some interactive games and free hot chocolate.

She finds a Best Western with a pool. My first thought is, ‘mmmmmm bed; shower; pool; tv; wifi’

Considering Des and I camped for a week, we actually look pretty decent. We always managed to leave camp not smelling and clean clothes, but it was a lot of work to do so. Despite the beauty that surrounded us daily, the convenince of having a shower without having to push a button seemed like heaven. Being able to brush your hair without banging your elbow into someone’s head seemed like a nice idea.

We continued through downtown and came across Live City. It was a sixty minute wait to get in there so we decided to continue to enjoy the walk and go down the seawall back towards Russia House and take the train from there.

The sun was setting and the water was smooth, which made for some of the best expo ball and inukshuk garden photos that I had taken on the trip. The boys were even strangley cooperative and allowed me to pose them into various spots for pictures.

The sun was down when we drove out of the city. I was extremely sad to see it go. The time we spent here re-shaped our lives forever. This was something I would of never attempted if Des hadn’t had the original foresight and to ask me to join her. Eternally grateful to you my friend. I couldn’t of asked for a better mashup of families.

I saw, I witnessed, I absorbed first-hand what many can only witness on tv or online.

Within a 20 minute walking radius I saw homeless people sleeping in doorways, protestors fighting for their beliefs, Russians cheering for their home team, couples fighting in alleys, oversized kids riding scooters through crowds, bronze statues that were human, strangers coming together for a common chant, kids seeing the ocean for the first time and me experiencing 2 oceans within one year.

Amazing. Truly amazing.

PS we had wifi at our hotel but we had trouble uploading photos so I’m afraid pictures will have to wait until we get home. Even though our trip is winding down, we will continue posting till all the stories are told. Please watch for posts from Des coming soon, because she was unable to post during our holiday due to lack of wifi and my addiction to my phone.

Just coming into Hope now! See you all in Alberta!

We started our day early and were out of the campsite by 8:30 to head to the Vancouver Aquarium. I’m thankful we went so early because crowds were low and the weather was beautiful.

Bohemium was the theme that day; both Des and I dressed in warm sweaters and long shirts accessoried by funky yet sensible boots and colourful scarfs.

The aquarium is amazing; probably the best I’ve been to. Too many highlights to mention but I’m sure I’ll post lots of photos on Facebook.

We leave the aqaurium, grab a quick snack and head to the totem poles.

I was disappointed to see them blocked off. The last time I was there in ’86 I don’t remember them being barricaded. Sigh. Luckily it was blocked in such a way that photos were still no problem.

We walked across the grass to see the other side of the shore. Stairs lead down to the rocky beach which was filled with treasures of shells and barnacles. Des and I strolled down the beach with the Lions Gate Bridge as our view, while the kids explored.

After a good leg-stretching, we headed back to the car. By that point it was around 4:30 and to our delight we had spent the entire day at Stanley Park. Des and I made one last pit stop to take in the view before heading back to the campsite.

Throughout the morning and afternoon Des and I were also busy on our phones. The previous day we had bid on 5 hockey tickets to see Russia vs Latvia. We won the item, but reserve was not met, so we contacted the ticket owners privately to negotiate a sale. We were anxiously awaiting an email when he finally got in touch with us as we were leaving the aquarium.

We paid above market value, but not by much considering it was the day of the game and all 5 seats were together. I would have paid more for comparable seating at a Flames game. We took it as an omen to have even found them and agreed to the terms. We arranged to meet downtown to pick up the tickets.

So we head back to the campsite to change and then back to the city. Woefully, I neglect to put on my Habs shirt, which I packed for such an opportunity. But we were all dressed Canadian for sure!

We were to meet our ticket angels at Canada Place, who then texted us back saying they would meet us at Starbucks. The only problem is, there were 3 Starbucks within walking distance and we walked in circles for a bit before tracking them down. They were a group of Americans from South Carolina. They had just come from the US game and were decked out in the appropriate colours.

We exchanged envelopes on the street (not sketchy at all) and continued on our way to Hockey Place.

We went through security and made our way to our seats, then we took in the atmosphere… And I took in stadium beer, of course! Watching the greats of Russia and Latvia play hockey was a thrill for sure! I bought some programs and a Russian scarf as a momento for myself.

After Russia’s victory we headed back to the car, tucked in the kids in the back seat and headed to Stanley Park to take some night shots. There was lots of foot traffic and it was difficult to take a good shot of Canada Place, but I came away with a couple I like.

Weary but still elated from the day, we rolled back into our campsite around 1 a.m.

Best day ever!

PS yesterday we took in the Canada vs Swiss game at north Vancouver Earls. It was nice to sit and relax and watch tv. Even better that they won.

We tucked the kids into the back seat once again and we drove an hour to Whistler. Beleive everything they say about taking transit up there. There was so much to see and take pictures of but not a lick of parking. So after some blurry snaps as we drove by, Des and I, with sleeping kids in the back, headed down the mountain.

Right now were taking the sky train back into downtown. This will be our last day in the city. I’m extremely sad about this. Thoughts of the trip home are weighing more heavily as the minutes pass. The bustle of the city (and warm weather) will be soooooo missed.

Have a great day everyone!

After a Stephen Colbert sighting and watching the boys play in a table hockey tournament refereed by Russians; then drinking bubble tea and eating octopus balls and spiral potato on a stick in the sun with great friends; then taking in a hockey game on tv (currently happening), I have to say this is close to the best day ever.

Whew.

Did I have y’all worried?

We still plan on driving to Whistler tonight so keep your fingers crossed for us.

We picked Wednesday as the day we’d see some pavillions. Each province and some countries have taken over various sites in the downtown area. We’ve heard they ranged from simple stages to all-out venues with activities so we wanted to check them out.

We spent the morning at camp, doing laundry and tidying our home, then drove into the city early afternoon.

We headed to Robson and Howe, the centre of BC Place, where you can wait for several hours to ride a zip line or skate on an ice surface smaller than the rinks my dad used to make us on the farm. I was to meet my friend Scott and this is where the media centre was stationed.

As we waited, Des and Adam headed down to the ice to check it out. To their surprise. Jamie Solei and David Peltier were on the ice skating with the other guests. Des, being a former figure skater, was pretty delighted to take in the scene.

After we found Scott we all headed down Robson to find Alberta house. I only know it’s on Robson because I read it on Scott’s blog this morning. Truthfully, when I get downtown, my sense of direction gets completely turned around, lost among the sea of people. I’m thankful Scott was with us to get us to our destination.

The layout of the land in the middle of the action is a little strange and disappointing to us. Activity is going on all around us yet we feel completely lost. Maps on the street seem scarce and there are no signs on corners that point in the general direction of the provincial and country houses. I get the feeling VANOC’s idea was for people to just wander around and stumble upon things they would like to see. Sorry VANOC, we’re travelling with 3 kids who want to DO something. We gotta have a plan or the very least a direction to follow.

We find Alberta house, which was an epic fail. Nothing to see or do there… Just a stage and no one performing. I had high hopes our home province would represent, but I guess they reserve the fun for after dark.

We continued to walk as a group until we were close to BC Place then parted ways with Scott so he could pick up a ticket from a friend to the medal ceremonies. We decided to head towards the Expo ball where we knew Russia house, Ontario house, Quebec house and the First Nations house was.

We passed BC Place where we came across a team of Alberta Propaganders handing out t-shirts. Score! Alberta redeemed itself a litle bit.

We continued down, having to ask directions the entire way. With a big landmark like the Expo ball, which was the Vancouver Science Centre before it became Russia house, you would think we’d see at the very least arrows pointing in that direction. But we didn’t. We were depending a lot on volunteers and policemen standing around. Luckily there are lots of those.

We finally made it to Ontario Place where the kids wanted to see another 4-D movie. (we saw one at the aquarium the previous day.) If you haven’t experienced one of these, you should. It’s pretty cool and make sure you’re not holding your camera or phone on your lap.

After waiting in line for 45 minutes for a 5 minute movie, we head into the Ontario pavillion just in time to see Canada get presented their gold medal and watch some snow boarding and speed skating finals.

My apologies for not knowing any of the athlete’s names. But here we are, in the centre of the Olympics, and I have no clue what is going on at the events. Both Des and I feel really disconnected. We are spending the week with no TV but we figured there would be tons of opportunities to watch events as we wandered around the activity.

From what we’ve seen, several houses offer coverage to watch but have no seating and little activites to keep kids occupied. Not really an option for us. Pubs and bars are obviously out and anything else has an hour lineup.

Everyday we’re here I get the feeling this was intentionally planned as an ‘adult’ Olympics, because we have yet to find an Olympic themed activity in the downtown area that would occupy the kids for more than 5 minutes. If they lowered the drinking age to five, we’d have TONS to do. Maybe this is how it is at every Olympics?

Perhaps my expectations were high, but I was picturing lots of external screens pointed to the streets, with places to cop a squat and watch while the kids could safely roam in a general area. Haven’t found that spot yet. Ontario house got it close, but the kids were being towered by increasingly drunk fans. It was time to move on.

We left the house and it was dark and cold. We spent the entire afternoon downtown, saw a lot of stuff but only DID one thing. Pretty disappointing from the kids point of view. We have a lot of energy within these three bodies and just walking around looking at stuff isn’t enough for them.

We’re going to try downtown again today. Keep your fingers crossed for us.

PS We heard on the news yesterday that they moved the gate closer to the cauldron and added a viewing platform so people could take unobstructed pictures. Word on the street is it’s still not much of an improvement, but worth another look I suppose. Perhaps today.

The last two days have been a whole lot of everything and a whole lot of nothing at the same time. Activity is all around us and it took us a little bit to get our bearings.

We rented a car to give our dear Sierra a break and to give her a rest before the long drive home. The car rental has been a blessing, allowing to go to places like downtown parkades and narrow park corridors with ease.

On Monday our goal was to see the lit cauldron so after getting the car we headed across the Lions Gate Bridge and into downtown.

For an Olympic host, traffic isn’t all that bad. Congestion is less than Calgary and finding a parkade within a couple blocks of something is easy.

We parked our car and headed into the crowds to find the cauldron.

The mass amount of people rivaled the crowds of the Las Vegas strip except mixed in with way more street art, buskers and displays. Volunteers sit on lifeguard-style chairs at busy foot-traffic intersections directing the crowds.

Our technique of maneuvering 3 small children through the crowd was amateur at best but we finally found the waterfront and the cauldron.

The cauldron is beuatiful, no doubt about it. But I was extremely bitter to find it behind a 10 foot fence and 50 metres away. My disappointment was so huge I almost didn’t take a picture of it.

I ranted via text to my friend Scott who is here covering the Olympics at the media centre and he said it’s a precaution to protect it from people in black masks. Understandable I suppose. But I’m currently writing a full length blog and uploading it to the Internet on a device that fits in my pocket. Clearly they could of invented a better barrier than a 10 ft chain link fence! It’s 2010 VANOC!!!!

People watching has been my favourite sport so far. My favourite has been ‘spoon guy.’ I watched him pull a plastic spoon out of the garbage and then he proceeded to yell and swear at it. Maybe he was expecting a better prize from a garbage? But funny all the same.

We moved through the crowds and before we realized it was dark and getting cold but the people were still warm and exuburant. I dont know how we wasted so many hours wandering aimlessly. We became victims of the crowd, I guess.

We can across a protest at the Vanouver art gallery so we watched for a little bit. It was a war protest and very peaceful. Tons of police followed them away from the protest site.

There is where I met Dan.

Perched on one of the lions in front of the gallery, he yelled warnings to our kids as they tried to climb on the animals. I’m bad at length, but I’d say the statues were 20 ft above ground so if the kids were to fall we would be cutting our trip short.

I proceeded to ask him if it was so dangerous, why was he there?

“This is my lion he proceeded to tell me. I’m here all the time.”

I’m not sure if Dan was homeless or just a guy there to take it all in like we were. But he found the perfect spot to take it in.

“You here with your kids? You’re doing a great thing bringing them here.” He was a great person to talk to and was even in Calgary for the ’88 Olympics. We exchanged brief stories, I shook his hand, took his picture and we moved on back to the car.

The next day we passed the gallery and he wasn’t there. I was hoping he’d be a permanent fixture and I’d see him again. However we still have lots of time to meet again.

But I DID see spoon guy again on Tuesday

Martina

PS For another side of what we’re experiencing please check out my friend Scott’s Olympic blog at http://shmitzysays.wordpress.com He is covering the Olympics from the Robson Square media centre and is right in the middle of all the action!

PPS yesterday we took in the aquarium, Stanley Park, a hockey game and did some night photography. It was a busy day with lots to say but I’m sitting at a laundromat and my clothes are now dry, so those stories will have to wait. Today we’re heading into downtown again to check out some provincial and country houses.

I’m sitting on rocks 10 steps from the back of our camper in my pjs and wrapped in my sleeping bag. The gaggle in the camper are still enjoying their z’s. Five steps in front of me are the waves crashing. February here feels warmer than camping on May long weekend.

I’ve been outside for about an hour now and the sun is up but behind west-coast cloud. I was determined to photograph ‘our mountain’ (aka the mountain we face and will wake up to every morning) as it got hit by it’s first rays of sun, but it seems futile at this point because the sun is now clearly up and I see no sunbeams.

So here I sit listening to the waves crash. The surf is covering the 20-odd feet of shore that was the kid’s playground yesterday. A log they used as a makeshift see-saw now looks like a mini diving board. The waves make a satisfying ‘shu-lunk’ sound as they break, similar to the sound of water hitting an empty cattle trough on the farm.

With the tide high and the weather cool, I was also hoping to see some marine life bigger than a duck this morning, but have yet to see dolphin fins or otter heads pop from the water. It’s no matter, because I’m enjoying everything else I’m seeing. And truthfully, I don’t even know if they would be in the area this time of year.

Right at the crack of dawn a train came through. We’re right beside the track, but the train is somewhat quiet and relatively short because they are passenger trains heading up to Whistler. Brightly coloured on the outside and dimly lit on the inside, the cozy atmosphere seems like the perfect way to travel. I hope we get the opportunity to experience that ride this week.

Today we are heading into the city to experience our first true taste of the Olympics. But with all the sights and sounds around me, I have never felt more Canadian than I do now.

Have a great day everyone
Martina

*photo below: the kid’s see-saw-turned-diving-board with ‘our mountain’ in the background.

We made it to my dad’s farm south of Calgary last night with no incident. The truck ran like a dream and I’m confident we will have no trouble on that front. Thank you again Sean, for taking such good care of the truck. And thanks to Duane for helping us get on our way. Kelly and Corynn, your letters will be hung in a place inside the camper where we will read them everyday!

The boys gave Des and Adam a tour of the farm house and Des spotted the growth chart wall. It once had the names of myself and my siblings as we sprouted through the years, but have since faded into the background with names and notches of grandchildren.

However, there is one mark on the wall, in black marker, that remains…

-Martina Feb. 12, 1984

I remember that day vividly. Mom was none too impressed I measured myself and wrote on the wall in big black marker, while all the other writing was in petite letters of pen or pencil. Looking at it now, I don’t blame her. It’s a bit of an eyesore.

“How old were you then?” Des asked me.

“Ten going on 11.”

“Adam’s 10 now,” Des reminded me.

We absorbed the fact that 26 years ago I had the foresight to permanently record that date; not knowing I would be standing on that very spot 26 years later about to embark on an adventure of a lifetime, sharing it with my own kids, best friend and another 10-year-old. Omens can’t get any better than this. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up a little bit.

We continued through the house, laughing at pictures from my childhood and then we headed outside to the truck. My dad inspected our ride and I think for the most part, it passed the test. After inspection, we all settled in to watch the opening ceremonies.

I haven’t watched an entire opening or closing ceremony since Salt Lake City and my expectations were high. They didn’t disappoint.

Favourite moments of the ceremonies…

Ashley McIssac (apologies for spelling)
When the fiddling started I mentioned to Des I hope he performs. But we both wrote him off because he’s too anti-establishment. So when he appeared, I cheered. It was a great performance and he made Canada look punk-rock-bad-ass.

The Canadian poem
I’m not a fan of poetry and I can’t remember the name of the poet, but when I get an Internet connection and find out, I’m going to support this guy. I haven’t been this pumped up by words since the ‘I am Canadian’ campaign. Amazing!

The whales
Too hard to explain but so beautiful.

The Olympic flag bearers
If you could cut Canada down the middle, these people would represent the exposed layers; arts, entertainment, military, humanitarians, science, sport and more. Great choices to represent what Canada is.

Torch lighting
The realization hit us all that Des carried the same flame as Rick Hansen wheeled into the stadium. (tear) There was a glitch, but if Brian Williams hadn’t said anything, I would have called it dramatic suspense. The cauldron is beautiful and I can’t wait to be in front of it.

We whisked ourselves off to bed after the show and in these early morning hours the house has yet to stir. All-in-all I’m ready to face the day. Think I’ll get up, enjoy a quiet coffee before the chaos starts.