The only proper way of seeing Blankenese is to walk it.  It is very hilly with plenty of steep climbs and valleys. There are very few roads and many houses can only be reached by climbing up or down countless steps to be found in the maze of small ways.  In fact the whole area towards the south of Blankenese and facing the Elbe is known as the “Treppenviertel” - the Steps Quarter!  Indeed it is very unusual sight compared to the most of the North German plains, and I felt like I was somewhere in Italy rather than in the suburbs of Hamburg.

The second highlight of the day was the visit to the park “Planten un Blomen”  (Plants and Flowers) located in a close proximity to Alster Lake.  It is an oasis of tranquility in the heart of the city, with old Botanical Gardens, tropical greenhouses, and one of Europe's largest Japanese Garden.  A small lake inside the park futures water games during the day and a colourful water-light show at night.

We arrived  at Planten un Blomen  on our way back from Blankenese, after loading our bikes onto a river boat, which took us close to the center of the city.  I was glad to experience the water-light-and-music show that starts at 10pm each night in the summer.  It is a great experience, absolutely not to be missed by any visitor to Hamburg.

First of all, bicycles are a very popular means of transportation in Germany, even in such large cities as Hamburg. At almost each street there is a paved way for exclusive use by the cyclists.  I learned that my friend Mark rides his bike each day almost 20km from home to work and the same distance back. That makes the total of about 40 km of cycling a day!  Surely that converts into his great fitness level, as well as into substantial saving on petrol which is rather expensive in Europe. 

Both of my hosts (Teresa and Mark) took vacation for the week of my visit so that they could devote their time to the enjoyment of my stay in Germany.  It had been decided behind my back, that we will be seeing Hamburg on bicycles.  They had several of them in their garage for me to choose from.  Hamburg is a large city, so it is difficult to get everywhere on bicycle.  However, the good thing is that except for rush hours, you can take your bicycle with you to the underground (subway) if you need to take it to a far away destination.  There is no additional cost for doing that.

I did not ride a bicycle for many years, and cycling the streets of Hamburg was quite an interesting experience.  We had a very pleasant and long ride in the first afternoon after my arrival. We stopped for a snack in a Turkish bistro around Harburg Rathaus (Harburg is a suburb of Hamburg were my friends live) and continued to the center of Hamburg.  We were planning to circle the Alster See, a lake in the center of Hamburg that was created in 13th century by damming a tributary of the River Elbe. 

The lake, surrounded by parks and trees, is now an integral part of the cityscape and lends Hamburg its unique atmosphere.  In the 17th century the 18-hectare Binnenalster (Inner Alster) was separated from the 160 hectares Außenalster (Outer Alster) and is flanked by three promenades: the Ballindamm, Jungfernstieg and Neuer Jungfernstieg, with elegant shops and hotels.

After having a beer near Hamburg Rathaus (home of the City Council and Senate) we just started our tour around the Alster See when the rain came.  We were forced to abandon our farther cycling plans, and to seek shelter at one of the many restaurants.  Then we had a quick dash to the underground station and took a train back home.

I was tired in the evening and my butt was hurting but I did not have this kind of fun for a long time…

Out of curiosity I checked the cost of the flight with another European cheap airline that I heard about, the RyanAir  from Ireland.  It turned out that they offer a similar flight from London Stansted (LBC) to Hamburg Lübeck (STN), for only £0.10 each way and with lower additional fees. So their offer was, I think, thirty-something British Pounds for a round trip.  I did not know where the airport London Stansted is, but I had been to Lübeck in the past, and I knew that it is at least one hour drive away from the outskirts of Hamburg.  So, since German Wings were actually landing at the Hamburg Airport (HAM) the choice was simple.  I made the decision to spend a week in Germany, flying from London to Hamburg with German Wings.

“It’s about time to figure out, what the cheep flights are all about,” I said to myself.  “There is no problem with cheep flights,” said my London friend, when I broke the news to him, “except that you just have to take your own wrench with you in case you need to secure your seat to the floor,” he added jokingly…

Well, I decided to try it even without the wrench. And it worked pretty well!  To tell the truth, I did not see much difference between this flight and most other flights.  The most significant difference was that the seats were not assigned and I noticed some passengers trying to elbow their ways to get to the best seats.  I guess I was lucky as both times I got a seat in the first raw, just steps from the exit door…  The other difference was that there was only one flight attendant and there was, I believe, only one free drink offered during the flight.  However, since the flight doesn’t even take two hours, I might have as well done without any attendant at all…

To summarize, my first cheep flight was not a bad experience at all.  I got the chance to visit my friends in Germany and saved a bunch of money while doing that.

The North Rim and the South Rim of Grand Canyon are both about 110 miles (176 km) from the town of Page, Arizona which means about 2 and ½ hour drive.. Since we have visited the South Rim in the past, and Bryce Canyon in the north was next on our agenda, we chose to drive to the Grand Canyon's North Rim.

Although the average distance across the canyon is only 10 miles (16 km), it is a five-hour drive of about 215 miles (346 km) between the park's South Rim Village and the North Rim Village.  For those with time on their hands there is an option to hike from one rim to the other. However, it is a difficult trail 21 miles (34km) so you'd better be well prepared for it.

To reach the North Rim of Grand Canyon from the town of Page first you have to drive route 89 South to Bitter Springs (23 miles/37km), then 89 ALT to Jacob Lake, and then 67 south to the Grand Canyon's North Rim entrance.

On the way from Bitter Springs to Jacob Lake we crossed steel arch bridge. After passing the bridge we stopped at the Navajo Bridge Interpretive Center to view two bridges across the Colorado River. One of them is the historic Navajo Bridge opened in 1929, that served for 66 years until new stronger, wider bridge was open in 1995. Both bridges are about 470 feet (142m) above Colorado River. You can still view Colorado River from Navajo bridge which is now open for pedestrians only.

We were still in the hot desert area but once we got to the Jacob Lake junction, the scenery changed completely. We drove now through Kaibab National Forest. We were finally able to open our windows to breathe fresh, much cooler air.

The entry fee to Grand Canyon is $25 per vehicle and is valid for 7 business days.

There are three viewpoints at the North Rim. Point Imperial is about 11 miles (18km) one way from the Visitor Center.  At 8803 feet, or 2684m. it is the highest point of both rims. Here you can enjoy the views of Mt. Hayden, Saddle Mountains, and Marble Canyon. Cape Coral is 23 miles (37 km) from the Visitor Center, and Bright Angel Point is just about half a mile (800m) away. You can enjoy great views from all the viewpoints but the views of the Colorado River itself on this north side of the canyon are rare and distant.

There are also 13 trails for everybody to explore, from 0.5 miles/0.8 km to 28 miles/45 km both ways. To enjoy hiking in Grand Canyon you have to be well prepared before you arrive at the canyon.

I found both Rims equally amazing. The position of the sun makes the South Rim look more colorful then the North Rim which makes the South Rim more attractive to see and to take pictures. The only way to get to the North Rim is by car (no railway or airport in the neighborhood) which makes this part of Grand Canyon more difficult to access. That's why North Rim draws only fracture of visitors to Grand Canyon. 

If you're lucky you may also see a condor soaring over Grand Canyon. Currently there are about 60 condors in Arizona.  Many of them visit Grand Canyon especially at summer time. In the 1980s there were fewer then two dozen California condors left in the world.  Their population increased as a result of captive breeding program to ensure the continuation of the species.  The condors were released in Grand Canyon and central California.  To call the program a success, the birds must not only survive, but also reproduce.Two condors fledged in both 2004 and 2005, and one in 2006.  Presently there are several acrive nests in the Grand Canyon area.  As you enjoy your next Grand Canyon viewpoint, look for these massive scavengers soaring on their nine-foot (3-m) wings over the canyon. If you see a condor, do not approach and do not try to feed it.  Read the number on the wing, if you can, and report it to a ranger. 

The main reason of our visit to Page was to see the Antelope Canyon which is about 20 minutes driving time away from the town.  Since the canyon is located at the Navajo Reservation we had to book in Page a guided tour for the cost of $25 per person.  The entry to the Navajo Tribal Park cost additional $6 per person. 

The whole tour takes only about 1.5 hour.  Considering the driving time of 20 minutes each way, only about 50 minutes is left for the canyon itself.  It's definitely too short!

We stopped at a red sandstone with a narrow entrance. The temperature inside was at least 20 degrees lower, which was a great relief from the outside heat of over 100 F. The canyon inside curves and turns, narrowing in some places to the point that you can touch both walls of the canyon by streching your arms to your sides.

It is amazing to see the work of sun filtering down and creating magnificent patterns on sandstone walls, changing colors from one minute to another -- from yellow to orange to rust, next to dark spots where the sun does not reach. The tour guides know well how to take good pictures and they point you to the most appropriate places for you to stand to get the best shots.

If you walked just through the canyon from one side to the other it would probably take you no longer then 4 to 5 minutes, but it took us 25 minutes to walk each way. Everybody had opportunity to take pictures, enjoy the place, its colors, and  the amazing shapes and patterns created by the light. We were so captivated by this place that 50 minutes felt like a blink of an eye...

For everyone that has more time to spare, there is another point of interest, deemed sacred by several Southwestern Indian tribes.  It is the Rainbow Bridge National Monument. Rainbow Bridge is a rock formation and it is the world's largest natural bridge. It cannot be reached by car, but it can be reached by a long hike (a permit from Navajo Nation is required) or by a boat.  It is 50 miles up Lake Powell and by commercial tour it takes about seven hours by boat, and  then over one mile on foot.  You can speed up the trip by renting a private powerboat.

The next day we continued our journey to Monument Valley.  Just 15 miles south of Moab we stopped for an ice cream at this unique 5000 square feet home called Hole'n The Rock. As it turns out Albert Christensen spend 12 years creating this place inside a solid rock using only hand powered drills and dynamite.

Route 191 from Moab would take us straight to Monument Valley but we decided to take a road less traveled, and we were pleased we did! One hour after Moab we approached Blanding.  Here we left route 191 at exit 95 and after about 40 minutes we arrived at Natural Bridges National Monument.

Utah is the state where you can really enjoy star gazing at night, and Natural Bridges is one of the best spots to do so. The International Dark-Sky Association designated Natural Bridges as the world’s first International Dark Sky Park because of its one-of-the-darkest-night-skies in the country.

It was another hot day with over 100F at about 3 pm. We wanted to reach Monument Valley at the border of Utah and Arizona before sundown. After exiting the Natural Bridges Park we took a desolate road 261 south, and drove about 30 miles to unpaved turnoff for Muley Point. After 5 miles of driving on sandy red dirt, speeding 15 to 20 miles per hour and shaking in our Toyota Matrix (not the best choice for these unpaved roads), we arrived at an amazing dead end road. There was nobody there at this time -- a perfect time of solitude. The panorama of San Juan River and Monument Valley was just breathtaking. No picture can really express it. One has to experience it to really appreciate it, and we really did.

We went back to route 261 and headed towards Monument Valley.  The last part of the route 261, called Moki Dugway, is a decent of about 1100 feet, with 3 miles of sharp  switchbacks down a steep gravel road.  Here your really have to drive slowly  (recommended 5 mph) both for your own and others sake, as well as for great vistas.

Before arriving at Monument Valley we took a quick peak at yet another great spot – the lookout over the San Juan River (Gooseneck State Park).  Later we stopped to take a picture of the Mexican Hat, 25 miles away from Goulding trading Post, which is located at the entrance to the Monument Valley, Navajo Tribal Park (heart of Navajo Land). This red land made famous by John Wayne movies may not be missed.

As it was a very hot night (air condition was too loud to keep it on) it wasn't very hard to get up the next day for the sunrise. This early rise really paid off. In just few minutes we were at the visitor center watching spectacular sunrise, but the best part was yet to come.

After paying the entrance fee ($5 per person per day) we took the rough, red road for a 17 mile ride through the park, watching beautiful monuments of rock formations.  The road is difficult for any non-4WD vehicle, but luckily our Toyota Matrix was able to handle it.  It felt wonderful driving through this red, dusty road, watching magnificent red sculptures created by nature with hardly any cars around.
More pictures Natural Bridges, Monument Valley.

 More pictures of Natural Bridges, Monument Valley

Vancouver real estate prices shot through the roof making it the most expensive Canadian real estate market.  Mansions with waterfront access that were valued at around five millions in the nineties, are now priced over 30 millions.

But this seems to be only the beginning of Vancouver’s recognition in the world.  With the countdown to Vancouver-Whistler 2010 Winter Olympics more and more big money turns its interest towards the Pacific metropolis.  The constriction of Living Shangri-La building is presently underway in the downtown core.  After its completion it will be 61-storey skyscraper with first 15 floors occupied by the luxury five stars Shangri-La Hotel. The chain of deluxe Shangri-La hotels is well established in premier city addresses across Asia and the Middle East.  Vancouver will be the first hotel of this kind in North America. The construction is scheduled for completion in the late 2008.  The floors over the hotel will be occupied by 293 luxury condominiums with a price tag of at least one million dollars.

The construction of Ritz-Carlton Vancouver, a block away from Vancouver Shangri-La, is scheduled to begin soon.  It won’t be ready for the Olympics as it is not going to be completed until 2011.  This 58 floor tower, designed by Arthur Erickson, will be triangular in shape, twisting gradually with height up to 45 degrees from bottom to top. Like in case of Shangri-La tower, only first 20 floors will be occupies by Ritz-Carlton Hotel, the remaining floors designed for private apartments valued between 1.4 to 13 million dollars.

What comes next?  Ninety percent of the hotel rooms have supposedly been already booked for the Olympics.  It seems that the demand for more accommodation will have to be filled by Vancouver Vacation Rentals, Whistler Vacation Rentals, Bed & Breakfasts, and Hostels.  You might also try your luck by the way of Vancouver Home Exchange, especially if you live in another attractive tourist destination.

With this exceptional growth, the Vancouver city planners are doing their utmost to avoid traffic congestion and to keep the city green by establishing many gardens of various sizes. To add to the newly opened additional line of Vancouver SkyTrain (a fast, over-the-street train system) an underground line is presently being constructed that is due for opening in November 2009, just in time for the winter Olympics.  It will connect Vancouver downtown with downtown Richmond and the neighboring Vancouver Airport.

Vancouver Olympics Village is being developed by the City of Vancouver in the Southeast False Creek area, across from BC Place Stadium -- the site of the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.  The Olympics Village will be set in a large park and provide accommodation for 2 500 athletes, coaches and officials.  After the Winter Games the Olympic Village will be converted into mixed-use, model sustainable community.

We were happy to arrive there before sundown. It was still very hot, with about 100°F/38°C, but that is what you get when you travel there in August! Actually from May to October you get day time temperatures of above 100°F and night time temperatures of 30°F to 50°F.

$10 fee covers your entry to the park for 7 days. You also receive a free map and a guide with description of major viewpoints, trails, best times to take pictures of specific arches, and other interesting park information.

The best time for taking pictures is in the morning and late afternoon when all the arches, rocks, towering spires, pinnacles, and balance rocks look their best (deep red color). There are over 2,000 catalogued rock arches ranging in shapes and sizes. It took over 100 million years of erosion to create these masterpieces of natural art. The look of the arches is constantly changing due to water, extreme temperatures and underground salt movements, so what you see today may not be there tomorrow.  Of course it takes years for major changes but in 1991 a 60 feet long rock slab fell down from the underside of Landscape Arch, and according to park rangers, you do not know how long this arch is going to be around.

18 miles long paved road runs through the park allowing travelers to see all the major viewpoints. For those in a hurry, or those who can not bare the hit, driving through the park gives only one glimpse of this magnificent place created by nature.  If you have more time and the desire to get close and personal with the arches, there is no other way but getting out of the car and hitting the trails which start at each viewpoint's parking lot.  Just don't forget taking plenty of drinking water (at least 1 gallon per day per person) and a hat with you!

After entering the park you arrive at Park Avenue, followed by Courthouse Towers, Three Gossips and Sheep Rock. Then the road passes by Balanced Rock and turns to the section of Windows (North Window, South Widow, Turret Arch). The next stop is Delicate Arch Viewpoint, followed by Fiery Furnace and at the end of the road you will find Devils Garden. More pictures of Arches

We stopped in all viewpoints and walked the trails of Windows, Delicate Arch and Devils Garden. The entire time spent in that park that day was just one magnificent experience.

We just had one more day for Arches National Park so the next day we chose  to hike to Landscape Arch (longest Arch in Arches National Park, measuring 306 feet from base to base) and Double O Arch.  Normally we aren't early birds, but after experiencing the heat of the first afternoon we decided to wake up very early the next morning to really enjoy our hiking.

We spent the night in Moab, 5 miles south from Arches National Park. At 7 am of the next day we were already at the Devils Garden Trailhead – the starting point for our hike.  The distance to  Landscape Arch is about 1.5 miles or 2.6 km (round trip) and it is considered an easy trail. We decided not to go back but to hike through a little bit more strenuous trail to Double O Arch. The views are breathtaking so we took some time to sit and enjoy this part of Devil’s Garden.

At 11.30 am we were back at our starting point. I was so happy that we started our hike so early as the temperature was already 66°F/19°C at 8 am and it went  up to  95°F/35°C by 11:30am.  I was sorry for people starting their hike at that time. I highly recommend very early start, and with plenty of drinking water.

We wanted to sign up for a hike to Fiery Furnace (mazelike labyrinth of narrow sandstone canyons) but the ranger-guided hike was only available at 4.30pm  and we just did not feel like waiting for the next 5 hours for a 3 hour hike. I have seen some beautiful photos and would recommended this hike for people who have more time to spend at the park.  It is actually a very popular, guided hike with a rather limited space, so I advise registering for it a day or two in advance.  There are only two hikes a day -- one at 9am and the other at 4:30 pm.

I noticed later that there are a few companies providing similar bus tour services.  The one I was on was called The Big Bus Company www.bigbustours.com. It provides live commentary on the Red Route (English language only), and 8 different digitally recorded languages on the Blue Route. Both routs are almost identical (follow the same streets and stop at the same stops), and if you understand English than it does not make much difference which rout you happen to be on.  Red Route has the advantage of being more personal, as you can ask questions and interact with the live tour guide.  On the other hand Blue Route gives you the option of listening to the commentary in 8 different languages.  In addition Blue Route is a little longer as it goes around Hide Park and up to Regent’s Park, which Red Route does not. 

It does not really matter on which route (blue or red) you happened to start your tour, as you can hop off the bus at any stop and change for the other one.  The ticket is valid for 24 hours from the time you first enter the bus, so you may make as many stops as you wish.  Actually it is a good idea to hop off the bus and explore an area that you find interesting, have a snack, or a drink, and then hop on the bus again and continue your tour.  The buses come every 15 to 30 minutes so there is never a long period of waiting for the next bus.  In the summer the service starts at 8:30 and continues to about 6pm (depending on the location).  The ticket of The Big Bus Company also includes a free river Thames cruise from the Tower of London to Westminster Pier (near the House of Parliament and Westminster Abbey), or in the opposite direction.

I think taking a bus tour is a good idea for anyone coming to London for the first time.  It will give you a general idea of the city and its main attractions.  After that you can decide which places to visit again for a more thorough exploration.

Tourist Traps.  This is probably rather subjective as something that might seem to be a worthless tourist trap for one person, could be perceived as a major attraction to others.  In any case, my well-traveled friend Carolyn from North Vancouver, warned me about the Tower of London.  At that time it was for me just another meaningless name of a place in London so naturally I forgot about it.  And indeed the Tower of London is nothing else but a tourist trap.  All there is to see can be seen from the outside.  I do like the exterior of the castle so naturally I put one day aside for the visit to the Tower.  The cost is £16 plus extra £3.50 if you chose to rent headphones with recorded guided tour of the castle.  Big mistake!   If you decide to rent the guided tour, you will hear a few bloody stories of people being imprisoned and/or beheaded there throughout the ages but that’s where the whole attraction ends as there is practically nothing to see inside.  The interiors are nonexistent – just bare walls!  The display of Crown Jewels being kept in the castle seems to be the main attraction there.  Sure, since I was there, I lined up with the others to see the jewels but I was not amused, to say the least …

However, a friend of mine pointed out that, the Chapel Inside the Tower of London is a magnificent piece of architecture and that the Tower has great historical significance for the British.

Another thing that I found rather unfortunate is the fact that it is practically impossible to get into to St. Paul’s Cathedral, the Westminster Abbey, and to possibly other significant houses of worship without paying an entry fee of about £10.  In Westminster Abbey I inquired about an option to come for a simple prayer.  It turns out that indeed one can get a free entry but only to attend specific services at very specific times…

It is true that places like Westminster Abbey and St. Paul's have only started charging for admission in recent years.  The problem was that they receive no funding from the State for maintenance and  have few other sources of income.  On the other hand, those older buildings are very expensive to maintain.  The other thing is that they were being visited by many groups led by professional guides, who charged their groups quite heavily - and none of that money was going to the church!  In addition, it hardly seemed like a church, as it was so packed with guided groups.

I don’t know how others cope with a jetlag but my way of dealing with it is to simply accept the local time and ignore my body’s biological clock.  I figured that if I keep myself sleepless long enough I am able to get a good few hours of sleep in the new time zone even though it is still the day time in the old time zone.  However to fight the sleepiness off I need to be active. 

As I flew against the sun, the night of my flight from Vancouver to London became extremely short and I was only able to catch two hours of sleep.  I arrived at my friend’s place in London at about 1pm which was only 5am in Vancouver.  In effect I slept for only two hours during the last 21 hours and I was committed to fight my tiredness for at least another ten hours.

The most effective way to do that is to hit the streets.  I was staying near the Marble Arch and the Speaker’s Corner of the Hide Park.  I think it is a perfect location for exploring London. According to my friend this was also one of the safest parts of the city with extra police presence due to the very close proximity to Connaught Square and the residence of former Prime Minister Tony Blair. 

The only plan that I had for this afternoon was to not fall asleep.  So I just walked around, breathing the London air, and getting the first impression of the city.  I went along the edge of Hide Park following Park Lane from Marble Arch to Wellington Arch.  I resemble a royalist as much as a night resembles a day.  I think that kings and queens are simply a relict of the Middle Ages (for a good reason also called Dark Ages) and I have as much respect for them as for last year’s snow, but being in London and not seeing the Buckingham Palace could be perceived as ignorance, so from the Wellington Arch I headed towards the home of her majesty…

After giving whole 15 minutes of my undivided attention to the BP I turned my steps towards the Green Park. (Why would anyone pay, I think about 30 Pounds, to see the living quarters of her majesty, is beyond my comprehension). In the Green Park I noticed several beach chairs at the north end of the park.  “Well”, I thought, setting my butt in one of the chairs, “it is really generous of the Queen to make them available for us poor folks” my respect for her slightly rising...
‘Two Pounds please!”
“Excuse me?!” – I opened my tired eyes.
“Two Pounds for the use of the chair” – the attendant demanded the pay not more than two or three minutes after I sat down.
”No way!” I answered getting up.  So much for the Queen’s generosity… 

Due to British Pound being the strongest currency in the world any trip to England becomes very expensive.  At the time I was in London (August, 2007), one British Pound was worth about 2.25 Canadian Dollars.  As a result I had to pay double the Canadian price for most of the things in London.  As an example, for a pint of beer that at a pub in Vancouver, Canada would cost me $3.50, I had to pay £2.90 which was about $6.50 (Canadian Dollars).  The relation in absolute figures in case of other products is not always the same as in case of beer, but nonetheless London is an expensive proposition for any foreigner.

I was lucky to have at least prearranged my accommodation and did not have to add to my budget the high cost of staying in a hotel.  Having friends in other parts of the world does definitely have some measurable advantages…   If you don’t have friends in London, try Bed and Breakfast, a Hostel, or a Home Exchange.  If you travel in a group a good idea would be to rent a furnished apartment or a house.

What struck me just upon my arrival at Heathrow Airport was the fact that on top of everything one has to add the cost of information (or the lack of it).  You can catch a train from Heathrow to the city of London.  There is a well marked passageway to the Heathrow Express which will get you to the city center for mere £15.  If you are better informed you may opt for using so called Heathrow Connect which will do similar job for only £6.90.   However, if you do a really good job asking around you will find out that you can also use the subway service (the Tube), which is a totally separate entity from the other train services, and it will cost you only £4.  The only problem is that you may have to change trains and that it will take longer to get to your destination.  Now, if you are REALLY smart, you may get one of the so called Travelcards that are valid for a certain period of time (Day Travelcard, 3 Day Travelcard, 7 Day, Monthly, etc). Travelcards can be used on the Tube, DLR, Tram, and National Rail within the zones covered by your ticket and on all London Buses displaying London Transport sign.  Since I arrived early in the day I had a lot of time to ask around and to do a good investigation at the airport concerning the cost of getting to the city.  As a result of it I got ONE WEEK Travelcard for only £23.20. Since this Travelcard was only valid for Zones 1 and 2 (London Center) and Heathrow is in Zone 6, I only had to pay additional fee of about £2.  In effect I paid only about £25 to get from Heathrow to the city center and for all additional travel for the whole week.  If I wasn’t paying attention, and just followed the signs to the Heathrow Express it would cost me £15 just to get to Paddington Station which was in the area of my accommodation.

In fact I got something called Oyster Card.  It is a magnetic or electronic card, which supposedly gives even more advantage than simple paper Travelcard.  However, I never figured out the difference, and in my opinion it only adds to the whole confusion about London transportation system.

The other odd thing that I noticed in the London Railway system is that there is no central railway station.  Instead there are a few independent stations in London such as Paddington, Euston,  Victoria, Waterloo, etc. with trains going to various directions.  As a result you cannot go to a main railway station to figure out what train to catch to a destination outside of London.  You need to know first to which station to go, before you do that as various stations serve only certain directions of travel.  As an example I had to know that I needed to go to Victoria Station to catch a train to Gatwick Airport before flying to Hamburg.  Once there, I also had to be careful not to pay £15 for the express train to Gatwick, as the normal train takes only 10 minutes longer at the cost of only £8.90.

One more saving tip.  If you want to save on train travel in England, book your trip and buy your ticket well in advance.   If you just go to a station and buy your ticket the day you travel (just before boarding the train), you will be throwing a lot of money away…

We met at 8am in West Vancouver.  As there were only eight of us, it was easy to divide into two groups of four people each to continue our journey in two cars only.

To get to the Garibaldi Park from Vancouver you need to take the Sea To Sky Highway (Hwy 99) past the intersection for downtown Squamish. There is a BC Parks sign for Garibaldi Park/Diamond Head. You need to turn east here off the highway onto Mamquam Road. The paved road changes to gravel one, and about 8 km from highway the road forks. Stay left for about another 8 km to the parking lot.

The hike from the parking lot to Elfin Lakes is relatively easy. It stretches through 11 kilometers with about 600 meters elevation gain. Most of the time the trail follows something that looks like old logging road. The trail seems to be also popular among mountain bikers.

First part of the hikes leads through the forest where I spotted a huge mushroom. I am not an expert mushroom picker but I had a fair share of this activity in my native Poland and I know a few most popular mushroom varieties. The specimen I found at the edge of the road looked very much like “boletus edulis”  also known by the popular name of “Porcini”. The only trouble I had with it was the size. It looked like at least three times larger than any such mushroom I have ever seen in my teenage years in Poland. Although this kind of mushroom is very much sought after I decided to leave it there untouched as it seemed to me simply too large to be true… However on my return home I searched the net and I found out that indeed a fully mature specimens can weigh about 2 pounds or 1 kg. So I realized once again that everything is indeed much bigger in Canada. I regret having left this mushroom untouched as it would probably provide me with two delicious dinners. Well, next time I will know better…

After about 5 kilometers we arrived at Red Heather. It is a day use shelter with two picnic tables, cooking facilities, toilet and even a wood stove for winter use.

From now on the trail meanders through red heather fields with fewer and fewer trees, to eventually give way to sub-alpine area. That’s where the views are really breath-taking. The air is clean and crisp. The nature astounding: snow-capped mountain peaks, glaciers, lakes, and… serenity.

There is another shelter at Elfin Lakes. I was surprised to learn that this actually is a night shelter with several bunks to spread your bones on. There are also the usual cooking facilities, toilet, etc. I think it is a good idea to stay overnight in this shelter and continue the next day for other destinations in the area. If you do not stay there, you will have to go back 11 km to the parking lot at the bottom of the trail. Give yourself 5 to 6 hours of leisurely hike from the parking lot to Elfin Lakes and back. For more info visit Diamond Head Area of Garibaldi Provincial Park.

 
The climb to the top of the Chief is rather steep and reminds me in its nature very much of Grouse Mountain Grind in North Vancouver, except that it is about 30% shorter than Grouse. But still, it's like constant climbing stairs over 500 meters high…  Similar like Grouse Mountain the Stawamus Chief trail is very well maintained and marked.  It is also very popular and well attended especially in the weekends.

On the way from second to the third peak the trail leads very close to the edge of the cliff.  I laid myself down on my belly to have a peek down…  It must have been at the place of some kind of an overhang as there was nothing until several hundred meters below…  My imagination started running and I backed off without even taking a picture of it…

On my way down to the parking lot I looked again at the cliff.  There were indeed two rock climbers teams climbing the vertical wall.  I felt like shouting out to them that they don't need to take the shortcut as there is a longer but much faster and easier way around…  I talked to a few rock climbers at the bottom of the wall.  According to them it takes most of the day for an average team to climb to the top.  Supposedly the record is set at about three hours…  Well, I decided for the longer route but it took me only a little over one hour... :-)