I had done the annotation of the pictures soon after our visit but somehow the index file for the pictures got lost. I noticed it a while back but as I was busy with school was not able to attend to it and then I forgot about it.

I remembered a couple of days ago and started on it yesterday evening, April 12th, 2008. My tax return is looming so it's unlikely that I'll get this done today, especially with the Bahrain round of the MotoGP championship being broadcast this afternoon (tape delayed).

With the help of the Internet for guidance on some of the pictures, and to the accompaniment of The Commodores and Marvin Gaye, I should be able to complete over the next couple of days

A picture of Vancouver harbor, looking west, taken from the promenade over the harbor at the end of Howe Street.

The view from the top of the stairs at the convention center plaza, looking south over the harbor. The Convention Center is built to look like the superstructure of a ship. The boat on the right is a ferry, possibly to Nanaimo. One of the many cruise ships that call her is in the distance on the right. The building on the left in the background is the convention center, built to look like the deck of a sailing ship.

The superstructure nature of the Convention Center is fully revealed in this shot. The upper-crust area is across the inlet in the distance.

Another view of the convention center, with one of the many freighters in the background, under cloudy Vancouver skies.

One of the cruise ships that dock frequently in Vancouver.

Piles, most likely for an expansion of the cruise ship terminals, in the early stages of construction.

The view across the inlet, with Grouse Mountain in the distance.

One of the popular seaplanes preparing to land in the inlet.

Different seaplane about to land.

Okay; so I'm a plane junkie; deal with it.

Did I mention I was a plane Junkie? Sorry; wasn't sure.

Sweeping view across the inlet, with the upper-crust north Vancouver area across the way.

Sulphur loading area. The chemical is one of the more important exports of the area.

'nuff said ...

The Sea Bus, which runs between downtown Vancouver and north Vancouver, which has Lonsdale Quay, a transit center for the extensive bus network.

Joan, standing along the rail of the convention center with the port of north Vancouver in the distance.

Now we have one valiantly trying to get out of the water ...

I think I can, I think I can, I think ...

There is a helipad just off the Sea Bus terminal in downtown Vancouver. This is a chopper preparing to depart.

Closeup of the Sea Bus, with a cruise ship in the background.

Shot of the helipad with the wake of the arriving Sea Bus in the foreground. The buildings in the background are in the historic Gaslight district.

One of the choppers preparing to depart.

Vancouver, we have liftoff ...

And away we go ..., rotoring over one of the many freighters in the sound.

Another chopper winging its way while a police patrol boat races down the inlet.

A rotating restaurant, one of the things we were unable to do this time around. It's on the list to do when we return, whenever that is.

The first of many shots of Stanley Park, one of the biggest urban parks in North America at 1,000 acres.

Appropriately, Canada geese browsing on the lawn.

The Stanley Park Pavilion and Rose Garden, a heritage facility that includes visitor's center, tea room and banquet area.

A well-maintained flower bed on the lawns of the Stanley Park Pavilion.

I'd definitely be proud of pushing up these daisies!

This goose obviously has some Brooklyn background, based on the defiant "You want a piece of me?" stance.

The black squirrel of the family ...

A totem of an orca, back arched, with dorsal fin uppermost, balanced on its tail.

A WW I memorial honoring the 190 Canadians of Japanese descent who died on Canada's behalf in the conflict.

The Lions Gate Bridge, between Vancouver City and North Vancouver and West Vancouver. It crosses the first narrows of the Burrard Inlet.

Closer look at the sulphur loading operation, with the city of North Vancouver in the background.

A lonely rock outcrop just off the park, with the ever-present ocean-going freighters in the background.

Another view of North Vancouver from Stanley Park.

Practical statics. It seems that wherever there are rocks on a shore, there are people who take a delight in stacking them, sometimes in quite incredible fashion.

Closer look at some more of the rock stacks.

See what I mean about unlikely configurations?

And some more ... The stack on the left seems strangely askew but when you remember that it's driven by where the center of gravity is, it becomes easier to appreciate that it only LOOKS improbable.

Presumably the tide came in ...

The steam-operated clock in the historic Gaslight district. The hills in the background on the right are in north Vancouver.

This is a view of Vancouver City from the shopping area just off Lonsdale Quay in North Vancouver. We took the Sea Bus over; it was a quick, uneventful trip. The ferry definitely has some giddy-up in it.

Another view of Vancouver City from Lonsdale Quay.

The Lions Gate Bridge from the roof of Lonsdale Quay.

The smoke-sheathed Lions Gate hills - for which the bridge is named. There was a major peat fire while we were there and it smouldered for several weeks.

Picture from the hotel room of the smoke pouring out of the peat .

The entrance to Granville Island, which is in the southern area of Vancouver City, in the False Creek. It is a popular tourist and shopping area.

The entrance to Vancouver's Chinatown, at the intersection of Taylor and West Pender Streets.

One of the guardian lions at the entrance to Chinatown.

Larger-than-life mural on the side of a building in Chinatown, showing dates important to the Chinese community in Vancouver.

Plaque showing Chinese workers laying tracks for the Pacific railway in Vancouver (?).

The bust of Dr. Sun Yat-sen, who was raised in Hawaii and who briefly ruled China at the turn of the 20th century.

The Chinese dragon insigina, photographed because Joan was born in the Year of the Dragon; a metal dragon to be exact.

Koi Carp (actually Koi means carp, so is technically redundant) in the pool at the Dr. Sun Yat-sen Park.

Stand of black bamboo in the Dr. Sun Yat-sen Park. Had never seen black bamboo before.

Joan standing somewhat nervously on one of the circles of stone in a stream in the Dr. Sun Yat-sen Park.

Another guardian lion, this one in the courtyard of the Dr. Sun Yat-sen Park.

A stuffed black bear in the visitor center at the Capilano Suspension bridge.

Old-fashioned clothes wringer on display at the visitor center at the Capilano Suspension bridge.

Joan posing on the Capilano Suspension bridge. Because of her fear of heights, being in that position took some effort on her part.

View from the Capilano Suspension bridge to the creek below. It might not look like it but we were a couple of hundred feet above the water.

A movie that I hope gives a sense of the area.

Another view of the creek from the Capilano Suspension bridge.

Standing on the edge of a lookout landing, looking down through the trees at the creek below.

View through the trees and across the ravine at houses on the other side.

View of the bridge from one of the look-out areas on the trail on the other side..

Another view of the creek, with a placard on the left showing the importance to salmon breeding.

Joan proudly posing by a trail marker, which is on the other side of the Capilano Suspension bridge, and is proof of her courageous crossing.

Me in the shade against a backdrop of trees.

Joan in one of the lookout areas on the other side of the bridge.

Me in the same lookout area.

Joan and her two "guides" who shepherded her across the bridge, after changing her mind and crossing the bridge after I had gone across.

Collection of totem poles in a clearing just off the bridge.

Another shot of the totem poles.

Totemania, man; what can I tell you?.

For those who thought I was blowing smoke about the height of the bridge ...

Unfortunately, this does NOT do the flower justice.

Picture of the bridge from the outskirts of the welcome center.

Wooden sculpture depicting an unknown pair of climbers at the cable car lift at the base of Grouse Mountain.

The cable car at Grouse Mountain, which was a trip we did not make because it was a bit too daunting for Joan.

Wood carving of a grizzly at the bottom and an adult and young mountain sheep.

Another of the spectacular wood carvings at the cable car lift area.

Mountain lion carving.

A large, working clock embedded in a circular flower bed. I BELIEVE it is in Stanley Park.

Another picture of the Lions Gate Bridge, which lends credence to the assumption that the clock IS in Stanley Park.

Looking out over the water to the west from a point in Stanley Park.