If you are from outside Canada and are keen on wildlife, a couple of points:

1. Don't point out the raccoons scuffling outside the restaurant window to your waitress and excitedly ask "have you seen the raccoons?!" She has, every evening since she started working there.

2. In Stanley Park, if you are confronted by black squirrels and think "aw, how cute" and aim your point and shoot camera at them from 30 feet hoping that a four-by-four pixel image of them will satisfy you later, desist. Instead, wait a while - they are so human-habituated they will come over to you and may even, as they did to me, climb up your leg - result: better pictures.

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I wouldn't recommend this hostel, no matter how cheap and central it appears from the website. Unless you like the smell of boiling blood and junkies EVERYWHERE. Apart from that Vancouver's a decent place from which to get to other nice places.

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Had the misfortune to book a 10 day break in downtown Vancouver. The place was depressing and full of tramps, beggars and vagrants. They would think nothing of following you up the road asking for money. One of the alleged tourist attractions is the Gastown Steam Clock - don't even bother with making the journey. The place is dirty, rundown and full of drugged vagrants.

Yes there are shopping centres galore but that is really the only good thing to say about downtown Vancouver. Don't let Canadians big it up - the news channels reveal a different picture and make London look like a fairytale palace.

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