Beach, party and buying a van in Vancouver
I’ve been sitting on this bench for an hour, overlooking beautiful English Bay Beach and just taking in the mountains in the distance, the woodland of Stanley Park on my right followed by the apartment blocks of downtown Vancouver. It’s already 7 pm but people are still swimming just off-shore, or jumping into the waters from the diving platform that also features a slide. Others are chatting and snoozing at the beach or on the grass dividing the road and the cycle and running paths along the beach. I had only intended to walk past here on my way back to the hostel but the sun is already standing lower in the sky and I think I might as well just stay and enjoy the sunset. I mentally delay the dinner I planned at the hostel to the next day and get myself a barbecued hot-dog, called smokey, from the vendors on Sunset Beach instead before I set up at the beach, waiting for the sun to set in a couple of hours.
I had arrived in Vancouver the day before, after another, 15-hour bus journey with the Greyhound from Calgary. The Skytrain terminal is situated just next to the Greyhound station and the train direction Waterfront drops me a less than 10-minute walk away from the hostel. I am booked into Samesun Vancouver, the biggest hostel in town which also has the best reviews, situated right on Vancouver’s entertainment mile, Granville Street. I arrive late and the Beaver, the bar downstairs in the hostel is heaving with people. As I check-in, the receptionist informs me that my bill for eight nights is 454 CAD (268 GBP / 314 EUR). I am shocked. I heard before that Vancouver is the most expensive city in Canada but this is almost double per night than I’ve been paying in other places. It’s now peak season and Canada Day is coming up so the prices have reached their peak as well. I move into my stuffy room on the 3rd floor, facing the street, the open window making it almost possible to follow conversations downstairs and retreat to my bed, earplugs in and drift off.
The next morning, the sun is shining brightly and the day is starting well with a hearty breakfast at the Beaver which is included in the room rate, making the price somewhat easier to swallow. Then I head off to explore the city. I have been sceptical about Vancouver because it’s hyped that much but I have to say, I immediately get where people are coming from. This is just a fabulous city, it’s skyscrapers creating a beautiful contrast to the mountain range behind West and North Vancouver. I take in the scenery from Canada Place before turning left and heading to Stanley Park to check out Second Beach. The walk is longer than I anticipated so by the time I get to Second Beach, I just fall asleep on the beach for a bit before getting into the waters for a refreshing bath and reading a bit. This is just what I needed. Some “me” time and some rest after all that moving around in the last month or so. There is a lagoon next to Second Beach and lots of families have taken their kids there on this sunny day. The weather in Vancouver is generally less hot and rainier than for example in Toronto but on a day like this, Vancouver is without a doubt one of the best places I have ever been to.
Heading towards English Bay Beach and Sunset Beach, just opposite Granville Island, the scenery and the vibe just seem to be getting better and better. After watching a glorious sunset I fall asleep happily in my room, not caring anymore about the humidity, price or the noise. Tomorrow, I’ll be checking if there is a camper van for sale.
On the corner of Burrard Street and Beach Avenue is the Vancouver Aquatic Centre. It features pools, a gym, steam room and hot tub for as little as 6.15 CAD (3.64 GBP / 4.27 EUR). This is where I’m heading the next day after having done my research on vans and after a little run along the waterfront. It’s really hot again so my head is about to explode as I enter the little but very comprehensive gym. It seems I got a little too used to the British summers now because it’s in fact only 25 degrees. Happy with myself, I drop by the supermarket to get some steak and salad for the evening.
In the kitchen, I meet some of the hostel crowd. I have already met some very nice people, Kate from Australia and Andy from Ireland in my room and the people in the kitchen are from Germany, Switzerland and Ireland. Everyone is really excited because it’s Canada Day tomorrow, and knowing what Australia Day is like, I’m definitely in. My roommates are willing to join as well, so the next day, our little group of eight heads off, past the fancy dress shop to get some Canadian, maple-leaf-featuring, red and white accessories for the occasion.
Now Canada Day is not quite like Australia Day; people are actually a bit surprised to see us in full gear at 1 pm in the afternoon. But we have a great day with some beers around our hostel then heading down to the waterfront for the parade and to watch the fireworks. Within only a day, our little group has bonded so we head down to the beach the next day to cure our hangovers, which ends in another evening at Doolin’s pub just around the corner from the hostel.
I have to get up early the next day. I am going all the way to Vancouver Island, which is a 50-minute bus ride to Horseshoe Bay in West Vancouver and another 1 hour 40 minute ferry ride to Departure Bay in Nanaimo on the island. Vancouver Island I hear is a must-see but I’m not going there to explore this time but to check out a van. My friend Mona is coming soon for a road trip and we have hired a Wicked Campervan, a brand I know from Australia, but as its peak season, the rental is almost as expensive as buying a used van. So I’ll check out if the van from a German backpacker in Vancouver Island will be any good.
The ferry ride alone makes the journey worthwhile, and so does scenic Horseshoe Bay, with boats rocking gently in the harbour framed by green mountains descending into the blue sea. The van is a converted minivan which has a wooden bedframe built in, and ticks all the boxes. I only have time to make a decision by tomorrow morning 10 am because until then, I will have to cancel the Wicked Camper or I will have to pay the full rental price. So after checking out some prices for insurance, cancellation fees from Wicked, who don’t refund the 500 CAD deposit but give me a credit for this amount available worldwide for rentals with Wicked, I decide I will go for the vehicle which has just had its inspection and seems to be running fine.
And after two stressful days of managing the sale, registration and insurance, Mona and I are on the road to Whistler, just above 100 kilometres North of Vancouver, to sleep in our new home for the first time.
Tips for buying a vehicle in Canada
- Good websites for checking offers are kijiji.ca, craigslist.ca and the various Facebook groups for Backpacking Canada, Work & Holiday Canada where other backpackers often sell their vehicles
- Don’t forget that on top of the sale price, you will also have to pay a province-depending tax to the government for the sale upon registration (in the province of British Columbia, this is 12%)
- To register and get your number plate, you can just go to an ICBC autoplan broker, you can google offices that are often e.g. in Walmart.
- ICBC will also arrange insurance for you. Don’t forget any (English-only) documents proving your claims-free years you have earned from previous vehicles. This will save you lots of money. Insurance in Canada is expensive. If you have documents from non-English speaking countries, they have to be translated by an ICBC-certified translator. A list for this can be obtained at ICBC.
- On a German driving license, you can also license a vehicle (and it isn’t more expensive than with a Canadian license) but you need a second piece of ID, e.g. your passport
- If your vehicle is from another province, you will need to get an out-of-province safety inspection done to get it registered. My seller did this for me and I would insist that anyone selling a vehicle which has been registered in another province would do so too.
- All regulations around vehicles are province-related, which makes purchasing vehicles more difficult. E.g. in Nova Scotia, only one number plate has to be attached at the back of the vehicle. In my case, in British Columbia, number plates are required at the back and the rear of the vehicle, which means I had to go back to the dealership to get the front license plate mounted as there wasn’t any mount for it on my vehicle from Nova Scotia.
