I had to pick up the visas to China. The building for their Consular Services is not far from Granville and Broadway. I didn't have to wait in line long at all. I had purposely stopped at a bank machine this morning so I could pay in cash as I knew they didn't accept credit cards. I was surprised to discover that do not take cash either. I had to use Interac on my bank card, and now I've got $100 in extra currency. I don't know how long that'll sit around as I only tuck a $20 in my wallet for emergencies. Perhaps I'll deposit most of it back into the account.
When leaving with passports in hand, I still had time on my transit card to take the Granville bus downtown. The weather was so perfect I didn't get off at Granville Station and head underground; rather, I went down to the Waterfront. Surprisingly, there were two cruise ships docked at Canada Place today. I thought the Alaskan cruise itineraries usually run from the weekends. It was fun to mingle with the tourists in town. I walked completely around the Convention Centre just admiring the views. I shall never grow tired of being reminded that I have chosen to live in one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Just think these folks might have not realized the city is on a peninsular and that there are fantastic water views on nearly all sides of the downtown core!