America's Attic - Canada

                               There are no limits to the majestic future which lies before the mighty expanse of Canada with its virile, aspiring, cultured, and generous-hearted people.
   - Sir Winston Churchill

It was raining when I landed in the Vancouver International Airport. Not the pelting rains we experience in the May of Mumbai or the misty showers in Cherrapunji, it was a light drizzle, filled with fog. It was evident that autumn had come and soon would give way to the chilly winters. It was at the peak hour of the afternoon, and though still, a little drowsy and jet lagged, the weather somehow, did volumes to lift my spirits. Though I knew from Wikipedia that “Vancouver was the a coastal harbour city in British Columbia, Canada and located in the Lower Mainland, with Greater Vancouver being the third-largest metropolitan area in the country and most populous in Western Canada”, yet I was taken aback by even the small things I observed in the Airport, like the Huge Reindeers and the flashy, fluorescent banners emblazoned in gold, showcasing the different brands of the famous Canadian Maple Syrup. Life in there isn’t as fast as that in Mumbai or Delhi, but somehow, in spite of the sleepy households and the gloomy landscape of fog and mist, I sensed an inexplicable sense of vitality and life pulsating from within the city.

                                    We were to be with with an aunt, who had being staying in there for a decade now, having shifted way back, after Independence with her husband from Bangladesh.  Right after a sumptuous dinner of Mughlai delicacies (as it was Eid the previous day), I sat down in the kitchen table to hear her tell stories about life in this part of the world, far away from India. She said that life wasn’t easy for the immigrants and the foreigners here, especially in the work sphere. People were still, racially discriminated and sometimes things could get pretty nasty. But she also pointed out the good things of how large hearted some of the Canadians were, the enthusiasm they showed in doing social work, the sense of independence and responsibility the people harboured. How a friend of hers still encouraged her to make regular visits to the beauty parlour as she believed that there was no age to look beautiful. People thought on different lines here and they believed in the ‘goodness’ of things. People were ready for hard work and believed in sharing the fruits of their labour with everyone.

Canada is known for the maple syrup, or so I had heard, but it was incomparable to the actual event of tasting the delicious thing. They grow the trees in acres of orchards and right before autumn came, they extracted the liquid from the leaves and made the syrup. It is usually made from the xylem sap of Black Maple or the Big Leaf Maple. I had tasted maple at home too, but the in here Maple Syrup was a tradition! They had it with waffles and pancakes and made cookies and cakes with it as well. There are beautiful Christmas tales with the Big Reindeer and the Maple and the Mistletoe, which had become the personal favourites of many children in Canada.

Camping and mountaineering or hiking, trekking for that matter, these are some things one just shouldn’t miss when one is here. The river rafting is the best in this part of America and the famous Alpine Mountaineering Club not only offers expeditions but also training to beginners and amateurs for mountaineering. Canada boasts of the world’s greatest winter sports from the Sledding to Skiing which is very popular here. We went to the Whistler Ski Resort, which is exclusively structured to serve the best atmosphere for the sport, went on later to become the famous site for the Nordic Winter Olympics, 2010. Though, personally being a bit of an Acrophobic, I stuck to simple Canoeing and nature walks which were marvellous too, to say the least. It was mid October and Canada is at its best at this time. With the trees being shades of magenta, violet and orange to the volatile weather and winds, the temperatures weren’t drooping as fast as they usually did. The flowers were still vibrant and nature was still very much alive.

In the Victoria, BC islands, off the coast of Vancouver, we have the world class Victoria butterfly Garden, which was exclusively design to showcase the varied species of moths and butterflies in and around the continent. We found more than a hundred different tropical moths, butterflies and birds, flying and fluttering amongst the flora and fauna.

Whale Watching is another popular attraction of the place. Orca Whale watching expedition offers the best packages of whale watching where tourists can not only play and watch the creatures but also feed them with an additional fee for photography.

As it is said, you cannot leave a place without tasting its food, so we did set out for a traditional Dinner in the famous Nelson cafe, in British Columbia. It’s a dingy little place done tastefully with mahogany and dim, shimmery lights. The smell of freshly baked bread wafted through as we settled comfortably in a corner. Smoked salmon is the thing to eat here. The fish is from the sea unlike the river fish which I am usually accustomed to. It is marinated with spices and condiments and baked with herbs and flavours. The fish isn’t cut into pieces but artfully sliced in the body with small cuts so that the juices can flow in between and the fish is cooked thoroughly. It is served with lentils and greens. Bread is the staple there, with varied tastes and colours!!! It is a haven for the non vegetarians with the Rappie Pie in meat casserole and tomatoes. For drinks, there are varied seasonal and tropical mojitos, martinis, and cocktails with the French White Wine, being the hot favourite.

Canada will always be in my heart as a place which, makes you feel as if this will go on forever.

It’s a place of soft colours, of quite elegance and of tall mountains. I strongly recommend it to anyone who wants to experience the exotic beauty and harmony of a place. Though the best time to go would be in the autumn, yet the water lovers can always take a chance during the summers.

And for the bit dicey and pricey bit about the airfare, taking the eastern route via China and Japan is a better option, for it saves the fuel, the time and of course the money!

As I personally put it... When I'm in Canada, I feel this is the place to be.