We didn't sleep that well as the time difference was messing with our heads. Seven hours from Hong Kong to UK and another eight to Vancouver makes a mighty 15 hours to deal with! At 6am a cruise ship pulled in just outside our window, bellowing instructions to passengers over a very loud tannoy system. At the same time the hotel staff started setting up the spa deck just below our window so we gave up all attempts at sleep and watched Australia play the Netherlands in the World Cup instead.

On leaving the hotel we set off in search of a data sim card for our portable wi-fi. If you believe that in this modern, hi-tech world, in a big city like Vancouver, such a simple quest would be easy to achieve then you are sadly mistaken. After queuing for hours in various phone providers who all looked at us as if we were quite mad, we had almost lost the will to live. However, persistence was rewarded and we eventually found success in Fido’s so everyone else be warned and please try there first.

Walking round the central shopping area we were very surprised to see so many beggars and homeless people and other down and outs around. Worse than in UK but we didn't think that Canada had been hit so hard. Many were quite aggressive beggars which was a little alarming, but we saw one lady begging with her pet rabbit on a lead. We were told that the drug problem is very severe in Vancouver, with lots of gang activity so maybe that has something to do with it.

By now we were in need of sustenance and Jimmy’s Tap House was just at hand so we walked right in. It was very busy and we were seated outside. Very glad of the heaters! We enjoyed a pint of local beer and some delicious chicken quesadillas while watching Spain go out of the World Cup to Chile. The matches are on at a much more civilised time here!

After lunch we crossed the road to wait for the Big Bus as we had a two day ticket included in our package. A charming and very solemn young man exchanged our vouchers for tickets and ushered us onto the bus when it arrived and we set off to do the whole circuit. We passed football and hockey stadiums, art galleries and an old military building with tanks outside which is one of the oldest buildings in Vancouver. It is called Jericho Garrison and is home of the 39th Canadian Brigade. Continuing on we passed under the millennium arch into Chinatown which was built by Chinese businessmen in the area, the second biggest Chinatown only to San Francisco. It has its own Sun Yat Sen Park, and plenty of little shops selling Chinese goods.

We moved onto Gas Town, which was Vancouver’s original downtown named after 'Gassy’ Jack Deighton who was the owner of the area’s first saloon and there is a statue of him outside. The area is quite charming with hanging baskets of flowers everywhere and many pedestrians strolling about enjoying the atmosphere. We were surprised to see the historic Steam Clock (on Cambie and Water Street) built by Raymond Saunders with steam actually spouting out of the top. It is one of only a few in the world and was built to solve the issue of a steam vent in a popular sidewalk. By chance we were there at the moment when it played a little tune. Quite unexpected and it even tells the time!

The Big Bus took us into Stanley Park which is a beautiful, green area down by the water and even bigger than New York’s Central Park. We passed the rose gardens in full bloom, and the lost lagoon and saw numerous trails and walkways which would be fun to explore on a sunny day. We moved on to Granville Island, a popular open air market and artisan shopping district, before heading back to the waterfront and our hotel.