Vancouver

I have just had my first full day in Vancouver. The weather is beautiful. The sky is incredibly blue. It was sunny all day and about 25C. I walked a lot, got a mobile phone set up, and rented a car.

It feels really strange to have strangers smile, say hello and chat a bit while waiting for a crossing signal. I find it strange that any time I step to the curb, cars stop. It's a little embarrassing. A few times, I was just standing at the corner, admiring my surroundings. I felt compelled to cross the road since they had stopped.

Everything feels really relaxed here.

In honor of the blue sky, I rented a nifty little Toyota Prius (a hybrid car). I had never driven one before and it feels a little strange because the "gear shift" is about 5cm long and is located on the dash board. It has only Drive, Reverse, Neutral, and Park. I've driven a hundred different kinds of vehicles, so I expected to have no trouble. There is no key. What looks like a small garage door opener fits in a slot on the dashboard. When I finally parked, I couldn't get the "key" out of the dashboard and had to call the rental agency. I thought that all the power was off, but, after pushing the Power switch one more time, everything was okay. I was more than a little embarrassed.

In Vancouver, I expect that an environmentally friendly hybrid call will be a chick magnet. In fact, I'm sure I got a couple of good long looks. I've changed a lot since I used to drive a red Camaro.