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From LA I went to Redmond (WA) where I will be in our US Office for a week before returning to India. Since I have been to many places around Seattle, I decided to go to Vancouver (BC) for the weekend. This is my first trip to Canada. Canada requires Indian Citizens to have a valid VISA to enter, I had got mine from India itself.
We booked for the trip from Seattle-Vancouver-Seattle through Clipper Victoria for about USD 212 per person including the hotel room at Vancouver, entrance to Aquarium, hotel transfers and Grayline tour on Day 2. Today morning (Saturday) we left by Amtrak from Seattle at around 7AM and reached Vancouver at 12PM. Just like in an airport, you have immigration happening at the arrival. We stayed at Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, which is a nice hotel and well in the downtown accessible to all places easily. Taxi's are easy to get by calling in Vancouver and many places cost about $10 per trip. Since this is Winter, it was drizzling almost through out the day, but it seems to be a beautiful city.
The Vancouver Aquarium at Stanley Park is hyped a lot, I found it ordinary especially after seeing many of them around the world. One show that was worth seeing there was a live Necropsy (autopsy done in a fish) performed for a dead Shark - though the event was staged it showed live the inner organs of a shark. In the same park we walked for about 20 minutes or so and saw a live Rugbe match being played and little far the Totem poles.
After this, we went to IMax Theatre and saw a 3D Movie on Dinasours, on our way back we went to Chinatown - where most of the shops got closed at 6:30PM itself. For the dinner, we went to a nearby Indian Restaurant (Original Flavours of India) on 1232 Robson Street, though the food was little pricier it did tasted good. Sunday when we went back to the area in Robson street we found atleast 2 other Indian restaurants with in the same block.
On Day 2 (Sunday) we took the Grayline half-a-day tour of the city which took us to Lookout point, Chinatown, Stanley Park, Lions Bridge & Granville Island Public Market. The public market was an World War II abandoned warehouses (5) that were converted to shops - now they house few hundred eateries. Being a Vegetarian I didn't find anything that interested me. Post lunch we went around the shops in Robson street.
In the evening we took the Amtrak back to Seattle. Unlike in an airport, the immigration for USA happens in Vancouver Station itself, customs happens only after the train enters the first station in USA - just like in India State to State buses border checking, the US Custom officials come into the train seat by seat and check.