Vancouver, Day 2: Getting Lost in Yaletown, Butter Chicken, and More

After waking up, Alex and I had breakfast at Float On.  I had coffee and a frittata, which cost about $7.  The frittata was excellent, containing egg, rosemary, green onion, and goat cheese.

After he left for work, I bought a book of public transit tickets.  I boarded bus 8, and headed for Hastings and Abbott Streets.  From there, I went to Lost & Found Cafe and bought a freshly-baked bun filled with egg, green onions, cheese, and ham for $3.

From there, I walked west.  I didn't know where I was going, but that was the point.  There's so much more you notice when you're lost in an unfamiliar place.  You aren't focused on what you're expecting, so you can take more in.

I eventually got through Yaletown, and arrived at the Hornby Street Pier.  There was a ferry, so I took it to Granville Island.  It was a bit of a tourist trap, but there were two places I liked that made all of it worth the trip.

The first was Granville Island Public Market, a huge building comprised almost entirely of food vendors.  If there is a heaven, I hope it's something like this place.  I overspent my budget here, but I didn't count it toward my $14 budget (who would when visiting here?).  I got two plums grown in the Okanagan Valley in eastern British Columbia, four pieces of crab meat caught in Victoria (on nearby Vancouver Island), some ginger ale, and a polenta pie with mozzarella, tomato sauce, and fresh basil, topped with an olive tapenade.

The second was a cafe mostly specializing in gelato.  I was going to get that, but then I saw a Nanaimo bar in the display case, and got one of those instead.  I had never tried one before.  It was a delicious layered chocolate-coconut brownie, a layer of custard on top of that, all topped with a chocolate shell.

I went back to Alex and Maria's.  When they both were back, we went to Nooru Mahal, a restaurant serving Indian, Sri Lankan, and Singaporean food.  I had butter chicken and mango ice cream, which set me back another $14.  I'll definitely have to spend less tomorrow, or at least start going within my budget consistently.

I'll have pictures from the first full day in Vancouver soon.  Until then, goodbye!