I loved living in Seattle for over 20 years, and one of many reasons was its proximity to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Which Vancouver?

Explorer and British Naval Officer George Vancouver (1757-1798) slapped his name on a lot of Pacific Northwest real estate, so there’s Vancouver, Washington, at the Oregon border north of Portland; the Island of Vancouver, British Columbia, which includes the Provincial Capital, Victoria; and the eponymous city.

Hello, Old Friend

I took many trips over the years to Vancouver, including a two-week vacation when I was a struggling baby lawyer with more wanderlust than funds; a cosmopolitan city in a foreign country within three hours’ drive fit the budget. My adopted mom and her Canadian-born husband kept apartments there in the early days, and I would go visit.  There were various and sundry other trips for car shows, concerts, shopping, and company retreats, but it had been probably 15 years since my last trip; I was due. In May, I got my chance.

When I made reservations for Vancouver last year, the intention was to continue east across Canada for the entire summer. Then my niece announced she was getting married in Gresham outside Portland at the end of June. That’s the nice thing about my life. Everything is fluid. The Trans-Canada trip will be another time, but I decided to take advantage of the Vancouver reservation and head north for a couple of weeks.

Crossing The Border

I fretted a bit about crossing into Canada with Nellie, even though I had done it to visit friends in Hamilton, Ontario in 2017, and there were no hiccups.  Marijuana is legal in the state of Washington and now also in Canada, but I left a few edibles at a friend’s house in Washington.  Various types of meat can be an issue between the two countries at times, so I worried the steaks in the freezer from Napa and/or the expensive canned dog food might be confiscated.  I took all three animals to the vet and obtained a very official-looking health certificate,  which was probably overkill as I already had proof of their vaccinations.  I made sure I had no fresh vegetables or citrus of any kind.

I was mostly concerned about alcohol,  because the general rule is only 1.5 liters of wine, or 1.14 liters (40 ounces) of liquor can be brought into Canada from the United States.

The agent inquired about marijuana right away, then vegetables, how many animals I had on board, and tobacco.   The conversation flowed easily until she asked, “Do you have any alcohol with you?“ I replied, “Now, here’s the thing.“  She paused and looked at me quizzically. “I live in this rig, so I have quite a bit of alcohol.” She inquired, “How many bottles would you say?” I replied, “At least 10 bottles of wine and 10 or more bottles of booze.” She cheerfully responded with a tone of finality, “Okay! Enjoy Canada!”

Whew!

A Modern Metropolis

Vancouver has always been so sleek and cosmopolitan. It’s a very vertical city, with lots of highrises.

Forty percent of Vancouver residents are immigrants, which gives the city an unrivaled international flavor. There was dim sum for lunch one day, and Japanese the next, where I was the only Caucasian around.

The rugged, natural beauty of the area, juxtaposed with the architecture, makes Vancouver one of my favorite cities in the world.

I parked Nellie at the Capilano River RV Park, on First Nation land in West Vancouver (West Van), on the north side of the Lions Gate Bridge.

While quarters were tight at the park, and the sound of bridge traffic was louder than the babble of the river, the location could not be beat. It was a short drive across the bridge and through Stanley Park to the city. I was within walking distance to all the Park Royal shopping area had to offer. A short walk with the dogs took us to Ambleside Park, overlooking Burrard Inlet and the bridge, with a huge off leash area and beach.

The park was also a brief drive away from the famed Capilano Suspension Bridge. Admission was pricey even with a AAA discount, and even though they added a cliff walk since the last time I was there; I won’t need to go back there again.

Reconnecting

I can thank RVing for the friends I know in Vancouver. I met Susan and Gerry in the vintage trailer days, when I took FiFi to her first ever rally. They played tourist in their own town for the day, as we visited the VanDusen Botanical Garden and the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden.

Marlene and Don, one of the few good things about that dismal caravan on the Baja, live in Abbotsford.  Marlene emailed when Vancouver popped up on my itinerary on the blog, and we spent a sunny afternoon exploring Whytecliff and the adorable ferry town of Horseshoe Bay.

Two Seattle friends also made the trek up for a getaway. Lydia and I explored the markets on Granville Island, one of my favorite places on the planet.

Annmarie arrived a few days later; little did we know when we planned the trip that she would end up playing nursemaid.

Tammy Flu? Tamiflu!

I started feeling poorly while out to dinner with Marlene & Don. My throat was burning, and so was my chest. That evening, my temperature was 101. I struggled through the next day, but the second night, my temperature was 102.4.

Did you know that Eagles band member Glenn Frey died of pneumonia? He had ulcerative colitis and was taking immunosuppressants for his condition. I take Stelara, which suppresses the immune system across the board. (The last drug I took, Entyvio, only suppressed the immune system in the digestive tract.) When I get any kind of cough or congestion, I keep a close eye on things.

I drove myself to the nearest emergency room and got to experience firsthand the exceptional, inexpensive healthcare available in Canada. For those without a health card, the flat rate for an emergency visit is $1,049 CDN, approximately $800 US. That fee covers all care except for a few more detailed diagnostic tests. Bloodwork and a chest x-ray were immediately performed, as well as an ECG, because of the mere mention of chest discomfort. While the waiting areas were full, I was fully assessed, treated and released within three hours.

The ER doc said, “I consulted with our public health liaison; congratulations on being the last patient of flu season!” Even though I got a flu shot in October, and it was the beginning of May, I officially had the nasty bug.

A nurse immediately gave me a Tamiflu pill, with a prescription for five more days. Annmarie arrived the next day, filling the prescription for me at a pharmacy and picking up copious amounts of Gatorade.

Tamiflu was in the news a lot last year. An uninsured woman in Texas did not want to pay a $110 co-pay to get her prescription, and she died of flu-related symptoms. There was also a shortage in some parts of the United States. Even without insurance, my five-day supply was $30 US.

Annmarie drove me back to the emergency room one more time when I was awoken by my chest making terrible bronchial noises. Another chest x-ray was normal, thank goodness. By Day Four, I could tell the Tamiflu was working. My symptoms did not get any worse. By Day Five I felt a little better, but I wasn’t 100% for about nine days total. I extended my stay at the park a few additional days to recuperate before I drove back to the United States.

Even though the flu interfered with sightseeing and socializing, I relished being in Vancouver again. Next time I won’t wait so long to go back, and I’ll stay longer.