Vancouver cyclists are hitting the pedals with Lance Armstrong this weekend in support of the BC Cancer Foundation. I want to raise over $1000 in less than 7 days and be one of the ones riding alongside Lance this weekend.
The money raised will support leading-edge research into improving diagnosis and treatment of cancer at the BC Cancer Agency, throughout British Columbia.
I have been a fan of Lance’s for many years. I wear yellow. I wear the bracelet. I try to live strong.
Really, all I really want is to be on a bike beside him and have him tap me on the ass and say “No Gifts!”
It will be a dream come true.
That, and curing cancer. It has devastated my family, just like it has yours. Lance beat it. He’s a hard ass and an inspiration as I try to live a healthy life and do more for others.
Bring it. Just a few bucks. Click the button, and BRING IT! [BuzzBishop]
To sponsor his ride you can visit his online donation page and support this excellent cause.
I try to cut down on paper bills so I request online billing whenever I can but sometimes that’s not an option. Either that or you forget your login information so instead of resetting your account password they just start sending you mail again… people powered… whatever……
Today we bought a Mailmate and I spent the entire afternoon shredding pieces of paper that contain personal information about John and I. The Mailmate handles BC Hydro bills perfectly although I find folding Rogers statements emits a more satisfying crunching noise. My lungs are now filled with paper dust but it was a blast and I totally felt like Kevin:
Not a week goes by that I am asked some sort of question by a tourist on the street and usually it’s about the bus. Sure, the Translink “Trip Planner” seems to be a decent “A to B” service, although getting from the Westin to Granville Island really isn’t an FAQ I encounter. It’s more like: “How much is the bus”, “How long is this ticket valid”, “Where will this take me”?
Dave currently has some friends in town so he asked me if I knew of any special visitor fare passes since he’s experienced this in other cities. Off the top of my head I couldn’t think of anything, and after further research we both decided that the best short term fare option would just be a book of blank “Fare Saver” tickets although even those are separated in value by zones.
This inspired me to look at a few other North American cities to see how Vancouver, whose main industry is tourism, stacks up.
I compared Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Boston and Seattle as they are all cities I have either lived in or visited. The image below shows just a few of the criteria I think would be useful to visitors or those new to town.
All cities offer day and monthly passes. Visitor passes are available in 3 of the 5 cities listed although they are in different forms.
In Calgary they have the “Show n’ Go” which is a 2-14 day pass you can obtain for the transit system if you are attending a registered conference or event ($4/day). Toronto has a weekly pass available, as well as the same type of “Convention Pass” as Calgary, available for 3+ days (from $3.75/day). Boston also has weekly passes for bus or ‘T’, which is the subway system ($15/week). Seattle doesn’t have any short term passes however they do have more long-term options, offering an annual pass for the system. Translink’s “Fare Savers” start at $18 for a book of ten 1 zone tickets.
The best transit system that I have used has got to be the MBTA in Boston. When I moved there in 2002 I was able to download schedules to my PDA and plot out routes across town and state just using their website and maps. Five years later and looking up information for this post, I still find the MBTA website to be the most useful (and it’s the nicest looking of the 5 as well). They have even introduced the “Charlie Card” which is a reusable, re-loadable fare card that you can manage online.
You would think that such a tourism-minded like Vancouver would offer better resources and options for tourists especially when it came to fares. Information kits explaining zones and time limits, weekly passes, convention passes or even special fare saver tourist bundles available from hotels would be a start. I think visitors would really benefit from more information about public transit to get around the city (and out to other regions) then maybe they won’t always have to ride in some big red bus that looks like a double-decker with its roof chopped off.
Interesting article/review of the new BART EZ Rider Smart Card – they mention Translink… but not this Translink
I really wanted to put together a post about where to get Mexican food in Vancouver since some of my earlier attempts to collect such information were less than successful. I then decided to enlist a fellow blogger who I’ve noticed has made numerous food review posts. The following are Raul’s recommendations for good Mexican eats in Vancouver.
It’s a drag to try and find decent Mexican food in Vancouver, despite the increased influx of Mexican immigrants and the growth in number of restaurants that offer this type of food (I wouldn’t include Red Burrito nor Taco Shack nor Taco del Mar in the list of truly Mexican places, but they offer fairly ok grub). Here are my top 5 choices for Mexican food in the city of Vancouver, in order (disclaimer, I am in no way associated to any of the places, and my taste might be different from yours!):
5 – Las Margaritas – Many people may hate it but truth be told, this was the first restaurant that served Mexican food where I didn’t see blatant failures. The chiles rellenos (stuffed peppers) here are fairly decent, as is their brunch. Located on 4th Avenue in Kitsilano, the prices may be a bit steeper than other places, but the food is very decent.
4 – El Rinconcito Salvadoreño – And this is perplexing, because the owners of this place are actually Salvadorean. This tiny place is located on Commercial Drive. I think the wife of the owner is actually Mexican and thus that’s how they have managed to offer decent Mexican food. The pozole (a type of broth that has chili, spices and corn) is very good here.
3 – Taco Loco – This is another “hole in the wall” but the food is fairly authentic. It’s not a dine-in experience, to be truthful, but hey if you need some quick grub and don’t mind the decor, this would be a place to grab a quick bite to eat. The food is good, the place leaves much to be desired.
2 – Casa Blanca – This was a total surprise to me, because this place is a “hole in the wall” on Davie Street. The food is actually quite good and the prices aren’t that bad. The only downside that I see to Casa Blanca is that it has sort of a “fast Mexican food” feel to it. But I can’t complain about the food. And you can’t really go wrong with a place that has lots of Mexicans eating there.
1 – Tio Pepe’s– The truth is, once I got in the restaurant and I was able to speak in Spanish with the owner and ask for the food I wanted and how I wanted it, I fell in love with Tio Pepe’s. Located on Commercial Drive. Again, I recommend the Mole con Pollo. This place offers good comfort food. I would recommend that you inform the owner about your heightened expectations 🙂 just in case! Definitely good.
Other places that people have suggested and I haven’t tried (mostly out of fear of disappointment) are:
Doña Cata – on Victoria Drive and I think about 38th Avenue – Some people say it’s really good. This geographical area seems to have a few Mexican places.
Casa de Amigos – on Granville and about 71st. – I saw this on the way back from the Airport and boasts itself as having won many awards, but haven’t tried it.
Poncho’s – on Denman St near Robson. – Don’t know it, not very excited about it either.
Zocalo – on Main St. near Broadway. When I walked by this one I saw the prices and I was like “holy crap, talk about overpriced“).
La Casita – on Cordova St. – I have read mixed reviews about it, but it looks quite dark. To be frank, I will probably give this place a try soon.
Chilo’s – Initial location near Doña Cata and new location in Yaletown. Beyond Robson reviewed this restaurant but I would have to try it by myself.
Sadly, Hola Churro closed down a few months ago. I am not that convinced with Jalapeño and Cilantro (I think that’s the name of the place), particularly since it sells “gourmet Mexican food” (excuse me!?) and I have heard horrible reviews of The Mouse and Bean. But again, I probably need to just shake my fears and start trying out more Mexican restaurants again. I am very tempted to try Lolita’s on Davie Street. Still, Tio Pepe’s tops my list.
I accompanied my niece’s preschool class to the Surrey Reptile Refuge several years ago. Tucked away off 176 Street it houses reptiles that have been abandoned i.e. that cute little alligator Timmy got for his birthday that soon grew 6 feet thus being too big for the family bathtub.
You can view nearly 400 animals including snakes, crocodiles, spiders, frogs, lizards, turtles and more. The Refuge is run by the Rainforest Reptile Refuge Society, which is a non-profit organization dedicated to educating the public and raising awareness about these exotic, often misunderstood, animals. [SurreyAttractions]
Mission Statement: To provide shelter and care for unwanted, abused and abandoned reptiles, amphibians and other exotic and native animal species, and encourage an awareness related to the behaviour, habitat and conservation of these animals for the benefit of the global community. [About]
The individuals who run the place are passionate about the animals, very knowledgeable but always seemed to be under a lot of stress as there was an obvious lack of funding for quite a while. Now at least 5 years after my visit, the refuge has closed its doors to the public.
The Fraser Valley’s only reptile refuge has closed its doors to the public as it runs out of funding. On Monday, the curator of the Surrey sanctuary asked council for $11,000 per month to continue operations. The request was referred to staff…
…The full-to-capacity shelter has been in financial trouble before and does not receive government funding. While the refuge is now closed to public guests, staff will continue to care for the animals as long as they can. [TheProvince]
I think the quote of the day in that Province article is, “it’s not really feasible to house crocodiles beside kittens.” No, no it’s not. These animals cannot go to the SPCA, they need this special place. But in order to even prevent this need, there has been a request for the government to step in to prevent the sale and keeping creatures like these as pets in various municipalities, at least without a specific license.
In the meantime, I think it’s wise to stick to puppies, kitties, hamsters etc. as pets because I certainly don’t want to end up in a city where a python doesn’t have a safe place to go.
To make a donation to the refuge, you can call (604) 538-1711 for more information. They also have a ‘wish list‘ up on their site including: Building supplies (wood, tools, etc.), food (fruit, vegetables, meat…), UV lighting, vet supplies and labour.
“The bottom line is these animals don’t belong in captivity; they are wild animals which aren’t domesticated.”
Vancouver cyclists are hitting the pedals with Lance Armstrong this weekend in support of the BC Cancer Foundation. I want to raise over $1000 in less than 7 days and be one of the ones riding alongside Lance this weekend.
The best transit system that I have used has got to be the MBTA in Boston. When I moved there in 2002 I was able to download schedules to my PDA and plot out routes across town and state just using their website and maps. Five years later and looking up information for this post, I still find the MBTA website to be the most useful (and it’s the nicest looking of the 5 as well). They have even introduced the “
