Vancouver Blues: Freezing My Toes Off and Finding the Best Pho
okay, so vancouver. i’m not gonna lie, i wasn’t expecting this. i’d seen the pictures, all sunshine and mountains, and thought, ‘yeah, i can handle that.’ i just checked and it’s currently a damp, grey hug from the sky, hovering around -15.87 degrees. feels like -21.22. pack layers, people. seriously.
I’m a touring session drummer, which means my life is a constant blur of airports and questionable hotel breakfasts. Vancouver was a stopover, a chance to… well, to not be on a tour bus for a few days. I needed a reset. And honestly, the sheer chill of the place was kind of therapeutic. It forces you to slow down.
I ended up wandering around *Gastown, which is… interesting. Lots of cobblestones, lots of tourists, and a surprising number of really good coffee shops. I’m a sucker for a decent latte, and Vancouver delivered. I found this tiny place called Kafka’s Coffee Roasters - seriously, look them up on Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/kafkas-coffee-roasters-vancouver. The barista, a guy with a serious beard and even more serious opinions about espresso, told me it was the best in the city. I’m not sure about that, but it was pretty darn good.
I spent a lot of time just… walking. The Seawall is incredible. Even in the freezing weather, people were out there biking, walking their dogs, just generally existing. I overheard someone complaining about the price of real estate - apparently, it’s insane. Like, buy-a-small-island insane.
“Don’t even think about buying here unless you’re selling your soul to a tech company,” a woman muttered to her friend while waiting for the bus. “Seriously, my cousin just paid half a million for a closet.”
Food-wise, I was on a mission. I’d heard whispers of amazing Vietnamese pho somewhere in Richmond. Richmond is just a short drive away, by the way, if you get bored of the downtown scene. I finally tracked down this place called Pho Bo Ga - it’s a bit of a hole-in-the-wall, but the broth… oh, the broth. It was like a warm hug for my soul. Someone told me that the owner’s grandmother invented the recipe, and I’m inclined to believe them. Check out their TripAdvisor page: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g607597-d1287887-Reviews-Pho_Bo_Ga-Richmond_Vancouver_British_Columbia.html
I also stumbled upon a vintage clothing store in Mount Pleasant - “Lucky’s Vintage” - and nearly lost an hour sifting through racks of amazing finds. I snagged a killer 70s velvet blazer for like, twenty bucks. Seriously, if you’re into that kind of thing, you have* to go. They have a Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/luckysvintagevancouver/
I’m not gonna lie, the weather was brutal. My toes were numb for a good portion of the trip. But there’s something about Vancouver that just… sticks with you. Maybe it’s the mountains, maybe it’s the coffee, maybe it’s the sheer resilience of the people who live there. I heard that the locals are pretty tough, used to the rain and the cold. They’ve got a certain… stoicism about them.
“Just embrace the damp,” a guy selling hot dogs on the Seawall advised me, his breath clouding in the air. “It’s part of the charm. And if you complain, they’ll know you’re not from around here.”
I’m already thinking about going back. Maybe in the summer. Maybe when it’s not trying to freeze my face off. But definitely back. I need more pho. And that blazer. And maybe a slightly warmer pair of socks.
Oh, and one last thing: if you’re looking for live music, check out the Commodore Ballroom. It’s a legendary venue. https://www.commodoreballroom.com/