24 Hour Getaway: Victoria

Don’t trust Mapquest. We were on the right track to the ferry in Vancouver, but then I referred to the Mapquest directions and we took a right. It was wrong.

We asked a wandering fisherman for directions to BC Ferries and we made it just in time to board the ferry to Victoria. When headed to the capital of British Columbia, look for the Tsawwassen-Swartz Bay route if you’re shipping off from Vancouver. The journey is about 1.5 hours and you might want to consider hiding stowaways in your car since the fare is $20 per person. But, compared to the cost of flying, the ferry is the way to roll, as it is quick and entertaining.

Located at the southeast tip of Vancouver Island, Victoria is 24 nautical miles (28 regular miles) from Vancouver. We arrived in the afternoon not knowing what to expect, but having high expectations nonetheless. The drive to the city center is straightforward, but typically, our directions weren’t up to par and we had an unscheduled tour of downtown Victoria before arriving at our hotel.

Booked through Hotels.com, the Chateau Victoria Hotel and Suites was in our price range, yet out of our league. At the reasonable price of $89.29, including all taxes, our room was spacious and had a side room separated by a pocket door with a W/C and double bed.

The Chateau was in walking distance to everything you need to see in Victoria and adjacent to Millos, a quaint Greek restaurant and our first official stop in this bustling city. Though the service supreme, the spanikopita delicious and the gyros to die for, the best thing to come out of Millos were the pitchers of ice-cold H20. After five water-free days in Vancouver, the sight of low-turbidity water made the trip to Vic completely worth it.

Our walking tour commenced after our meal at Millos. We sought out the parliament building, the most photographed landmark in Victoria. Across from the harbor, snap a few pics and then check out the Empress Hotel. If you have enough cash floating around, make a reservation for afternoon tea. It’s $50 per person for the clichéd cucumber sandwich, scone, and clotted cream, but it is world renowned. Considering Starbucks is barely in our budget, we moved on to the high street.

Dotted with souvenir shops, bakeries, and designer stores, downtown Victoria is charming and small enough to handle on foot. After several hours of doing just that, we retired to our hotel and visited Vistas 18, the martini bar on the 18^th floor of the Chateau Victoria. Having been cocktail deprived for the past few days, we ordered up some unique concoctions, checked the view, and hit the town for round two of exploration.

The Sticky Wicket, a cricket-inspired pub, is literally around the corner from the Chateau Victoria and was recommended by my dad, a true Brit with a high standard for pubs. We were greeted by live, acoustic music and a crackling fireplace in the main room. After a few rounds, we headed to one of the many other rooms in this unique pub and found the main crowd playing pool, foosball, and darts—all free of charge. With rooftop volleyball and a downstairs dance club, this restaurant/pub has it all for anything you’re in the mood for.

We didn’t let rain or wind slow us down the next day, our last day, in Victoria. The weather is not a myth, you should hope for light rain and prepare for torrential downpour—bring an umbrella, boots, and a raincoat.

Chinatown in Victoria is the oldest in Canada and beat Vancouver’s pathetic excuse for an Asian cultural center tenfold. Even the entrance was more impressive; a large, ornate, red frame towered over the street. We wandered in and out of stores offering kimonos, knick-knacks, and foods from all over.

Fan Tan Alley was once infamous for opium dens and brothels, but now it’s just a cool, narrow, brick-lined shopping area…not as exciting, but interesting no less. Be sure to look in every nook and cranny when exploring Chinatown, we somehow missed the Tam Kung Buddhist Temple, the oldest Canadian Buddhist temple. Damn, Fan Tan.

Fan Tan Restaurant is the reigning Chinese food champion in my book. For $9.95 you have a plethora of options, but I went for the egg-drop soup, miso tea, Mongolian beef, chicken chow mein, and rice. The most bang for 10 bucks I’ve ever seen, all within the confines of a hip black and red restaurant just off Fan Tan Alley. Get a window seat to get a good view of the street, which is hopping with locals and tourists alike.

You may have noticed a trend in the recent travel reviews: most contain a snippet about universities in the area. I’m on the hunt for graduate schools, so I’ve been checking out the possibilities. But even if you don’t want to study in these far away places, look around the universities. If anything, they provide a nice walk and they serve as a microcosm of the city you’re in.

The University of Victoria is about 20 minutes from the city center by car and can be difficult to find your way without getting lost (yet another trend throughout these reviews). The campus is beautifully green and covered with students. The student unions in Canada all seem to contain at least one pub and little shops with anything from jewelry to scarves, shirts to posters. Occasionally, they also provide cheaper accommodation for travelers.

We headed back to the ferry terminal after our short, but sweet trip to Victoria feeling rejuvenated and satisfied with the past 24 hours. Good food, great drinks, and an even better cultural atmosphere made Victoria a great weekend getaway.

Directions from downtown Vancouver to the ferries (NOT from Mapquest)

Where: Vancouver to Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal
Length: 24 miles
Time: Give yourself 45 minutes to get there
Ferry: 1.5 hours, usually $20 per person, check schedule

• Get to Highway 99
• Highway 99 to Highway 17
• Stay on Highway 17
• Follow signs to Tsawwassen terminal

Photo Narration:

Dehydrated, Yet Surrounded by Water: Vancouver

Vancouver is wet. Beyond the fact it is surrounded by water, the rain alone is infamous. But during a week-long adventure in British Columbia, I found myself desperately searching for water everywhere I went, typically without much luck.

After a week of torrential rain, turbidity levels in the water made it hazardous to drink. No ice-cold beverages at restaurants, no stops at the drinking fountain, and horror of horrors, no cocktails.

But my travel companions and I survived the lack of water by exploring the depths of Vancouver and discovering an unexpected and unexplainable love for this Canadian city, even without a martini in hand.

Vancouver is located in the province of British Columbia in Western Canada, where the locals say “eh” and carry umbrellas everywhere they go. Budget constraints forced us to stay at a mediocre hotel about 25 minutes from downtown, but life near the Cassandra Hotel was anything but dull.

The distinct smell of marijuana plagued the first floor and the property was bordered by multiple hookers on Kingsway Boulevard, yet somehow we found these quirky problems more entertaining than appalling. But if scent and security are issues for you, find another place to stay.

An Indian movie theater, ethnic restaurants, Starbucks, and a Safeway are all in walking distance and perhaps the best destination of all is a mere mile away—Jaguar’s. We ended up at the Jags, the bar in the Ramada, three out of the six nights spent in Vancouver. You can’t beat the prices, eccentric clientele, or Sunday night Jam session if you tried.

Back to the tourist basics, Vancouver is full of must-see tourist spots, with a few second-rate sites you can scratch off the list. Stanley Park was an essential stop as one of the biggest urban parks in North America, but after a harsh storm in January, tourist season at the park is postponed.

Deep forests and rolling greens are surrounded by the choppy waters of the harbor, but the park faces $9 million in restoration costs after trees were uprooted and the seawall destroyed. Looks like I had good timing. For pictures of Stanley Park before the rain wrecked havoc, here’s a good site.

Back in downtown, Robson Street is a shopper’s haven, with colorful storefronts lining the street. Parking can be a hassle and locals say to avoid it, but finding an open meter is certainly feasible with enough gumption and parallel-parking skills.

Gastown seemed dead, with soggy leaves blowing in the cold wind as your only company, but follow the red brick road to see the Gastown Steam Clock. It verges on lame, but makes for a good photo-op as it claims to be the only operational steam clock in the world.

Nightlife in Vancouver was hopping if you’re into the club scene. Being that my friends and I are not, our group hit The Railway Club instead. An upstairs bar with a $5 cover, the Railway at 579 Dunsmuir Street was jammed pack for a night of pretty decent beer and rock-n-roll. The Yale Hotel is a cool venue for rhythm and blues, but we took a rain check when we found out it was a $10 cover charge.

As for a spot to avoid, pass on Chinatown, which failed my expectations. It’s not the tourist destination you’d find in the likes of San Francisco, instead it was more for locals, mostly offering groceries. The Punjab Market was another ethnic center that got our hopes up and failed miserably.

We went on a Tuesday evening, the one day of the week all the store owners had an unwritten agreement to close, according to the one guy who stays open seven days a week. But even with the shops open, I found myself disappointed in the lack of stores. Stretching five blocks, there were few restaurants and general interest stores, but rather several boring businesses catering to the Indo-Canadian group.

The Good Eats:

If you’re craving Indian food, there are plenty of restaurants around Vancouver to get your curry on (Masala Restaurant 432 Dunbar St., Maurya 1643 W. Broadway St., Nooru Mahal Restaurant 4354 Fraser St., Original Tandoori Kitchen 689 East 65th Ave., Vij's Restaurant 1480 W 11th Ave., and Rangoli 1488 W. 11th Ave to name a mere few). The Tandoori Palace on Commerce Drive boasts some of the biggest samosas I’ve ever seen and is highly recommended.

A can’t-miss dessert stop is The Buns Master on Marine Drive (5960 No. 6 Road), a place we stumbled upon after being lost on the West side for two hours (note: make sure to have good maps in tow to avoid driving in circles, or in our case, squares). The owner was one of the nicest people we met on our travel adventure and provided us with directions, delicious donuts and a raspberry pie at a discounted price.

We embarked on another culinary taste test in downtown Vancouver on a self-proclaimed pizza tour. Every corner boasts a pizza joint for as low as 89 cents a slice and we stopped at three of them to satisfy our hunger. Most are open until 4 a.m., so after a night of club-hopping, these corner shops verge on perfection.

To get a taste of collegiate life, seek out Simon Fraser University or the University of British Columbia, both located in semi-remote areas of the city, but each on a scenic route. Self-contained and crawling with students, each campus has a few pubs and restaurants that will appeal to youth on a budget and the more refined. The Harbour Centre (515 W. Hastings) is home to the downtown branch of Simon Fraser University, with great views on every level and a Tim Horton's coffeeshop on the first floor (the classic Canadian coffee and pastry shop).


Tips on crossing our border to the north:

When you’re in Canada, eh, your cell phone will be considered international and stop working once you cross that northern line. But if you call your phone company ahead of time, you can get international roaming rates (for Sprint PCS, call 1-888-226-7212). It can cost up to 65 cents a minute, but that’s better than hunting for pay phones, which I’m starting to think don’t even exist these days.

Old passport rules have gotten the boot, so travelers are facing new requirements for crossing the borders to the north and to the south. As of Jan. 23, 2007 all travelers need to sport their passport when going north by air. But feel free to sneak across the line without a passport for the next year, as passport rules won’t be enforced for land and sea travelers until Jan. 1, 2008.

Because it is considered an international flight, make sure to arrive at the airport at least two hours early from departure to secure your check-in and seat. But if your airport is anything like Tucson International Airport, they won’t even check your ID when you do the self check-in. They should probably work on that…

And finally, bring a gigantic jug of water on your trip, because you never know when high turbidity levels will hit and you’re forced to have a cocktail-free vacation and get dehydrated in Vancouver, even though you’re surrounded by water.

Come back next week and discover my namesake as we spend 24 hours exploring Victoria, British Columbia.

Viva Las Vegas: Summing Up the Strip

Whoever called Paris the city of lights and New York the city that never sleeps, obviously never went to Las Vegas.

I hit the strip with my family last week—pretty untraditional compared to how most recently-turned-21-year-olds celebrate their birthday, but at least going with my parents meant I didn’t have to shack up in a Ho-Jo.

The jolly tunes of slot machines are still ringing in my ears. Vegas wastes no time, as the sound of gamblers losing money is the first thing you hear when you reach the airport. Getting a taxi was swift, even though the line looked like a zoo, and for under $15 you can get to the strip.

After reading reviews at TripAdvisor and checking hotel prices, we decided to stay on Fremont Street at the Golden Nugget. A cab ride will cost you about $20 to get there and it’s worth it for the cheaper accommodation. The Golden Nugget was a pleasant surprise, as the cream and gold hotel boasted two 24-hour Starbucks, quality restaurants, a buffet, a hip bar, and endless slots and casino tables. They just reopened their newly designed pool area, alongside which has an aquarium outfitted with sharks.

Though considered the tackier part of town, the nightlife (and daylife) surrounding the Nugget is certainly entertaining. A fabulous outdoor outlet center is just around the corner, with the likes of Eddie Bauer, Charlotte Russe, and Calvin Klein. The Main Street Station is up the road and between the microbreweries and fish-n-chips, you’ll taste Great Britain for under $12 each for a late lunch.

A light canopy hangs about 100 feet above the street on Fremont and a light show appears every hour after 6 p.m. Ignore the travel books; it’s worth checking out if you’re around, but it’s not impressive enough to rush back and see it.

People head to Vegas to escape their daily routine and with that in mind, don’t expect to find any remnants of reality. The entire day shifts when you’re in this part of the country, as 10:30 p.m. is dinnertime and midnight is the earliest time you’d head out to the bars or casinos. Although, any time of day is game for alcohol, as tourists stumble around freely with drink in hand, including yards of multi-colored daiquiris.

Vegas is the only city in the world I can think of where every tourist spot is a hotel. The Bellagio’s famous fountain, the Venetian’s manmade moat, and Caesar’s Palace’s classy casino has to be on your to-do list when you make your way to Vegas.

With my father from Liverpool, it was only natural the Harben clan would head to The Mirage for The Beatles Love: Cirque du Soleil. From the Union Jack on the ceiling to the rainbow of colors on the floor, even the entrance grabbed your attention.

The show was amazing as the seriously flexible performers danced on an equally flexible stage to over 25 Beatles songs. Original recordings from the Abbey Road Studios blared in complete surround sound as the audience was mesmerized by the trampoline-jumping, break-dancing, and roller-blading entertainers.

I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the explosion of visuals appearing not 20 feet ahead of me on stage. Confetti, oversized silk screens, and strings attached to swinging performers made the entire experience surreal, to say the least. At times it was grotesquely similar to a circus act, but it was “Cirque du Soleil,” after all. Here are some scenes from Love.

Some tips for walking the strip: avoid the heels and try not to get lost in the hotels. They build these casinos as labyrinths so you can’t find your way out, which in turn will make you spend more money—or so they think. I only pitched up six bucks for slot machines and lost it all.

The Dishes Buffet at Treasure Island proved to be worth the $15, with enough barbeque, Asian, Italian, and breakfast items to fill you up enough for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The desert aisle was overwhelming, with a bucket of malt balls, homemade ice cream, and a tree of cotton candy, to name a few of the delectable morsels available.

You’ll find all the clichés that you’ve been led to believe over the years about Las Vegas come true. Chances are you’ll spot an Elvis impersonator. There really is a buffet, wedding chapel, and slot machine on every corner. And the shows are unforgettable.

When you land back in your hometown after your trip, you’ll wonder if it had all been a dream. The sounds, the colors, and the lights will all stick with you. Whether you went for a drunken weekend of debauchery or with your parents, Vegas seems like a distant memory that you can’t help but crave more of.

Escaping El Paso: The 9th Circle of Hell

Most of my travel reviews have been on the positive side of things, but I cannot extend the same courtesy to El Paso, Texas.

For years I have lived a mere 45 minutes from this border town, just 35 if you take the service road, and I've never considered it a vacation destination. Until I realized that there is a large number of poor souls who travel exclusively to El Paso in hopes of discovering a wild cowboy town.

Instead, what travelers will find in this West Texas city is a heart-attack waiting to happen and a mini-version of Hell once the left arm finally goes numb. Bad drivers and even worse parts of town will cause the heart-attack, but it's the whole atmosphere that will make you think you're at Hades doorstep.

You won't find Mexican food in El Paso, even though you can see right into Ciudad Juarez from any direction. El Paso boasts the very worst of Tex-Mex, with sloppy beans and a side of fajitas constituting "fine Mexican cuisine." I've experienced the alleged best and the very worst of El Paso dining; from Cafe Central, the city's most expensive restaurant located in downtown to the other extreme, Taco Cabana, a late-night haunt for Juarez-bound teenagers.

Cafe Central looks as though it's stuck in 1985, with leopard-print loungers and pretentious clientele. I half expected a Flock of Seagulls look-alike to snort a line of coke off the baby grand piano in the corner. At about $30.00 a plate for lunch, I was appalled when the server presented me with the wrong order.

Shopping in El Paso is anything but pleasant. Between the horrendous drivers cutting by you at every angle in the parking lot to the sharp elbows that tend to push past you once you're in the store, none of it's worth it for the lower prices.

Trying to get to Juarez for a taste of real Mexico is hellacious at best. Don't take your car below the border, especially if it's a rental, unless you want it to be tagged or stolen. Herds of New Mexico and Texas teenagers stagger across the borderline so they can participate in Tequila Derby Thursdays, so avoid that day of the week if you are so inclined to see the Juarez scene.

However, there is a slice of character and decorum in El Paso and it lies on the UTEP campus. Beautiful white stucco buildings with red tiled roofs make up the university's property. The very best bit of the campus is the Sun Bowl, a football stadium carved into the mountain. So if you find yourself in need of civility while staying in El Paso, follow the orange and blue to get to UTEP.

Better yet, don't even stay in El Paso. Get out as fast as you can. The best advice I can give you is the directions to I-10 that will take you straight to New Mexico. Remember to go West, otherwise you're in for a long drive through the depths of Hell and then West Texas where your only reprieve is a place called Fort Stockten--and don't let the billboards fool you, this town is totally dead.

Once you pass the state line, check out the view behind you. A thick layer of smog over Texas makes the sunny Southwest seem overcast and makes me realize how glad I am that my parents drove West on I-10 after landing at the airport instead of staying in El Paso, Texas: Dante's ninth circle of Hell.


Here's how to get out of El Paso
Head south on Airport Road. Take a slight right on Montana Avenue. Turn right at US-180 W. Continue on Gateway Boulevard. Merge onto I-10 W and remain for 47 miles and then you'll be in the Land of Enchantment.


Thanks to www.studyusa.com for the use of the photo.