Vancouver Ventures | DAY 1 (Pt. 1): Rainy Arrival + Paragon at YVR

At around 5 AM, I grudgingly peeled away the covers. Moving slowly, I readied myself for the imminent flight, stuffing everything and anything I could possibly need into my luggage.

My browsing partner showed up on time, hands placed on waist while I scurried about the house, gazing upon me with a knowing look. "You're late."
"Ahhhh!!" I hastily grabbed chargers I had forgotten to pack, then bid farewell to Larry, Mr. Buttons, and Mini Sulley.

​Around 6 AM, we'd depart for the airport. As expected, the highway was as serene as could be.

​Naturally, this didn't last long. Once inside the terminal, I learned of the minimal buffer I had allocated for myself. Between weaving through crowds, printing baggage tags, and queuing for carry-on luggage size checks, I'd be sent to the international side for screening. There, nearly 20 minutes would pass as I waited for my bags to be inspected. Increased security meant that, beyond laptops, tablets and even cameras would be pulled aside.
Many other fliers experienced similar frustrations with empty water bottles, artwork wrapped in layers of bubble wrap, and small electronics. After finally being permitted to take back my belongings, I ran back to the domestic gates, arriving just in time for boarding.

My neighbour arrived within seconds of me, comfortably seating herself in the middle of the section and hanging her denim jacket on the hook adjacent to the screen. She was exceptionally pleasant and smiley - just what I needed after a morning of chaos.

​Breakfast was served within the first hour of takeoff. Having consumed nothing thus far, I happily munched away at the fluffy omelette, chorizo sausage, and semi-soggy hash browns. Fresh fruit and warm bread rolls with butter and strawberry jam also constituted lovely accents.

​As far as beverage choices, my go-to of cold brew was, as anticipated, unavailable. However, the flight attendant was more than willing to combine hot brew with ice in a ceramic mug to emanate the effect of iced black coffee.

​In spite of the hectic morning that had preceded the flight, I didn't succeed in catching up on slumber. Majority of the sedentary period would be spent watching Nadiya Bakes and playing Bejeweled.

Before long, we'd cross over the mountainous terrain of British Columbia. The flight had departed on time and arrived on time with minimal turbulence. Frankly, it was probably one of the least stressful flights to date - baggage assistance and smiles from neighbours also contributed greatly to the experience.

​Before long, we'd cross over the mountainous terrain of British Columbia. The flight had departed on time and arrived on time with minimal turbulence. Frankly, it was probably one of the least stressful flights to date - baggage assistance and smiles from neighbours also contributed greatly to the experience.

Aside from quicker boarding, a dedicated overhead bin section, and more spacious seating, the Premium Economy tier also enabled Priority Check-In. This would translate to retrieving one's luggage sooner, allowing for greater schedule flexibility.

Upon landing, there were two agenda items to fulfill at YVR Airport.

The first was finding Paragon Tea Room and their exclusive ice cream float. Social media had confirmed the location to be within the "domestic terminal, before security". With four pieces of luggage in tow, the elevator was summoned to facilitate my journey to the ground floor.
Past the baggage drop was a new food hall, into which Japadog and Paragon had been introduced. The latter was connected to its adjacent souvenir shop and seemingly newer, given that it still bore the name of the previous occupant on its storefront name.

​Inside the specialty tea boutique were shelves stocked with their best-selling tea powders, a display case of Japanese-inspired baked goods, and a small refrigerator for ice cream. Three oat-based flavours were available: Matcha, Earl Grey, and Vanilla.
I took to sampling the Matcha and Earl Grey, though it was difficult to differentiate between the profile of the ice cream and the wooden properties of tongue depressor-like wooden spoon. The Matcha rendition exuded grassiness, though the Earl Grey was, simply put, woody without any discernible traits of tea.

​The heavily advertised YVR exclusive Ice Cream Float was learned to ring in at $9.95 before tax. Although it was the item that spurred the visit in the first place, I ultimately turned away due to its hefty price tag. Instead, a single scoop of Matcha Oat Ice Cream would be procured. It was perhaps the only item I could justify, for cookies and mini pound cakes were associated with similarly staggering price points of $5.50 per unit.

When the cup was slide across towards me, I gasped at its scanty portion. The paper cup, which bore Mister's royal blue hexagon logo, was only slightly greater than the samples supplied. Probing at its tacky texture, I detected strong notes of matcha, thus declaring it a rich and potent concoction. Predictable was its rapidly disintegrating state, for oat holds far less fat than dairy.

Upon depletion of the teensy cup, I ventured next door and obtained a souvenir magnet for my browsing partner. Detouring about construction banners, the airport's Vancouver Aquarium outpost was perused. Early departures tend to cause me to miss their hours of operation, and I was curious as to whether Larry's relatives would be sighted. (They were not.)

​Next up was locating a Translink kiosk to reload my Compass card. Despite multiple attempts, the online portal had failed to approve the transaction. Embracing continuity in their transit systems has never been Vancouver's forte. One was required to return to the baggage claim level, then transfer to a different elevator to reach the SkyTrain overpass. 

There, a member of on-site staff was present to assist in newcomers/tourists, similar to YUL. A luggage cart return station was also present.

Travelling solo with more baggage than hands is no easy feat. Extremely thankful was I to have encountered many helpful people that assisted me with such baggage while passing through the station gates and transferring between stations. The gesture deeply moved me, and was unlikely to ever been bestowed upon back home.

The second-last leg of my trip involved transferring at Bridgeport to Lansdowne. A fellow rider watched as I struggled to disembark on to the platform before the doors closed. Not only did she extend a hand at moving the luggage off the train, she even offered to accompany me down the elevator and through the transit gates - What a tremendously kind soul!
"Do you know how to get back?" she expressed with concern, as we both looked outside at the ongoing downpour.
"Yes, I think I'll manage!" I responded gratefully.

In light of the heavy downpour, an Uber was called to assist in the final leg of my commute. Considering the drivers' tendencies to stop on the side of a major road, I made sure to alert my driver of my luggage and requested stopping inside the mall parking lot instead. He was receptive and very prompt in his response, and happily lifted my bags into his pristine white Tesla with vigor. It was a customer service encounter deserving well above the five star rating.

Over the course of the seven-minute drive, I learned that he was a realtor from Surrey, but often undertook short trips in Richmond. Needless to say, it was doubly beneficial when he was conducting showings for clients in the area anyway.

​At long last, I arrived at the unit, my home for the next two weeks, and immediately taking it upon myself to administer a deep cleanse.

Read Part 2 HERE !