Vancouver or Bust!

English Bay, Vancouver, May 2014

Last year I went to Vancouver and ever since that I was itching to get back. I loved that you could both have culture and nature in one city. In one day you can go to the art museum in the morning and lay out on the beach in the afternoon. 

Upon my plane's arrival in Vancouver on Friday I headed to the the hostel, dropped of my bags, and headed straight to yoga at YYoga in Yaletown for their YHot with Music. Total cost for class, towel, and mat rental: $0. At YYoga you get free rentals and a class for your birthday. The studio itself was clean and bright, the locker room was a bit small with just hooks for your belongings, purses and bags can be left up front. The class itself was decent, but it wasn't amazing. You could smell the sweat before you entered and the class was a tie bit overly hot. I understand it was hot yoga, but in my previous class in Montreal the heat seemed to help assist flexibility in positions, while the heat at YYoga seemed just there to produce mass amounts of sweat to give the appearance of working out. 

What the Yaletown location lacked, the YYoga Downtown Flow location made up for. The space is much larger, the locker room actually has lockers, and upon walking into the hot yoga room I smelled...nothing. I took a class Monday before I left Vancouver, a class which was once again free because of my birthday, and had I not had a ferry to catch I would have spent more time to use their facilities. At both locations the locker rooms have shampoo, conditioner, lotion, hair dryers, deodorant, and hair spray for your convinence. The downtown location also has a sauna for your use. The class was better than the one at the other location I had attended and the lounge was a nice peaceful place to grab a cup of tea and relax after the class. 

Tea Lounge at YYoga Downtown Flow

In my 3 days in Vancouver I made sandwiches and binged on the hostel breakfast, which at the Samesun consists of warm and delicious bagels and muffins and a variety of beverages. One thing I've learned about traveling alone though is that if you want to eat well, you can't fear sitting at a table for one. My lunch date I took myself on was to The Flying Pig in Gastown. I read mixed reviews about it online, mostly about the service, and although I was seated at the bar right away, it did take a moment for someone to come and take my order. The food though was amazing. I indulged in the Braised Beef Short Rib Jumbo Macaroni which was absolutely delicious. The beef was tender and succulent and the creamy mushroom sauce was the lovely.

The Flying Pig

The Samesun does have a very active social atmosphere which I chose not to partake in this time around as I opted work on my physical and spiritual health this time around. In addition to my two days of yoga I also spent a day taking a Reiki course. My journeys will bring me to Vancouver again so my next time around I plan on visiting either Granville Island or Stanley Park to see more of what is beyond the downtown area.