Catching up

Well, it does seem rather silly blogging about something 4.5 days after the fact, but here it goes (abridged, not expurgated). Thurs Sept 21st, shortly before midnight, Grandview Park. Chit-chatting with the various people I met last week, encountering new people this week. Finding out a little of what the Portlanders (and what a "ZooBomb" is) are like, meet a Sprockette (mmmmm, chili mango from Agent Lapis) and their various rides. Saying hi to some of the people I recognised from other Critical Mass rides, but who were not at last week's M.M. Eventually we hit the road (Midnight is not a time, but a state of mind, appearently, as departure was around 00:30) heading downtown to showcase the core to our visitors, and give the night-lifers a side show. First down Commercial to Adanac/Union, onto Main to Waterfront Rd via the overpass, under Canada Place, through a parkade (fun to hoot and holler in the dead of night in places that echo)and to the Coal Harbour seawall path. Stop for a bit of socialising, ride down the ramp to a floating walkway (like marinas hve for boat moorage, but no mooring here. About 2.5 ft wide, no railings, and the harbour to either side) and back up the other ramp. Ride up Broughton to Robson,over to Granville, wave at all the crowds OUTSIDE the nightclubs (gee, it must be fun to go clubbing, just think of all that wild time spent lined up outside, sheep lined up to be fleeced), down to Drake, up Hornby, along Davie to English Bay for a long stop. Refreshment time. Considerable quantities consumed of various domestic and recently imported types, plus homegrown. I hope we didn't disturb too badly the guy trying to sleep under the small tarp. The numbers had thinned a little by the time we left for food (after the discussion of where to get what, and some whiners about least elevation gain as possible). I didn't hear where we were going, but it didn't matter to me. We went along Pacific and across the Burrard Bridge, onto Cornwall to Cypress...Siegels Bagels. It was pretty funny, some 30 or so of us descending upon the shop, only 1 guy working there, but eventually everyone had some eats. Some bike games in the parking lot and eventually head east. Cypress, 2nd, lamey's Mill and under Cambie Bridge to 1st, through a parking lot south of Science World, and at Science World I called out my good-byes to those carrying on back to "The Drive", as it was now 03:17, and the last NightBus to Whalley would be coming soon down Main (schedulled to leave Broadway & Kingsway @ 03:30). So I wait for the bus. It arrives. An articulated one, lots and lots of capacity, about 8 passengers on board, but 2 bmx's filling the bike-rack and an unsympathetique driver. So now you know how I know how long it takes to ride to White Rock from downtown Vancouver. And incidentally, before I left I checked the bus' ETA for Surrey Central. When the bus got to Whalley, I was on the Alex Fraser Bridge. So had I been able to board it, I might have arrived home 10 mins earlier than I did.