Family trip to Vancouver, Canada (Night Market and Casino)

**Warned! Loaded with pictures**

Hi guys!! I just came back on a mini family trip to Vancouver AND also did a day trip to Seattle as well. (Pictures from me and my sister)

Tan family in Richmond Night Market

It has definitely been a long time since my family and I went on a trip together to anywhere! Probably about 6 years or more? Hahhaa! I checked the stamps in my passport^^ Last trip I remembered was going to China with the family for my grandparents.

I am actually very excited for the trip. A bit of stress from doing researches for the trip last minute due to homework and  Darrin's internet was down. You see... I wanted to make this trip memorable and fun for my parents and! traveling with my daddy and mommy is different from traveling with friends or Darrin in my case. Each have different preference. If you have been following me or have been reading my blog, you probably figured out that I do not like traveling on a tour. I think tours take me to places that is not quite necessary to visit and I have to do things according to their schedule, not mine. My parents never went alone to any countries to explore without being in a tour... except China (Kai Ping) and Hong Kong. Back then we joined a tour in China which took us to sight-see Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou, and four more other cities... too long ago so I don't remember the names. This is a first for us to visit Canada on our own as a family^^ (I also have a younger brother, but he didn't come tho...)

Surprisingly, the flight time to Vancouver Airport (YVR) is just 2 hours. Pretty amazing huh? In such a short amount of time, we are in another country!! Once we got off the plane, we headed to pick up our car at the car rental, then headed out to fill our tummy. Since Canada is considered as international, we didn't get any international plans for our phones so the whole time, we kept it on airplane mode and used wifi.

The hotel we booked was Pan Pacific Vancouver located in Downtown Vancouver. The hotel also have their own cruise ship terminal. Have to say that the exterior is very nice! On contrast, the interior did not amaze me... If you are staying at the hotel with a car, be prepared to pay $39 CAD a day for parking. Sucks that it's not free parking wtf! And... no complimentary in room wifi! Wifi is $5/day ><

Entrance of the hotel

Hotel exterior (credits: pan pacific)

(photo credit: axistech)

Daddy and Mommy

My sister (Ma), mommy, and me

The room we got was a city view room with 2 beds. Very spacious and comfy beds^^ We messed up the bed before I could take a picture, so I'll show you guys a similar picture taken online!

Our room looks bigger than the picture (credits: pan pacific)

The roads and everything in Vancouver seems like California. Therefore, we didn't feel like we have stepped into another planet... Hahaha! I was expecting it to be more different tho! Richmond night market is our first stop after we regained our energy.

Admission and ticket counter

 ~ Picture with the ducky ~

The opening time for night market is 6:00pm to 12:00am! Opening until October 14th!! There was a line to enter when we arrived. Luckily parking was free! So much to eat and buy!! (Not free tho) My coworker told me about it and I was like "are the food free after I pay to enter?" Silly me^^

Best egg puffs I've eaten!

Mommy tried to feed me egg puff but it dropped... ><

Silly mommy (She wears my jacket and I wore hers)

~ My cute daddy eating "nao jap" ~

My sister and her food (That's the egg puff stand ^)

Such a lively night market

Lots of food!!

And lots to buy^^

Soft and fuzzy panda hats

Food in the night market is pretty expensive. Especially the tornado potato and the coconut juice! Oh my... they are like $6 CAD each! No worry about $$ because daddy's here^^

Thing to do with a potato

~ Mommy just kept on buying and eating ~

There she goes...

Mommy waiting for skewers

Guess what? After the night market, we decided to head back to the hotel with our favorite "dan churn" (egg rice roll) BUT for some reason, there's a casino near the night market! Daddy decided to go and "play a few rounds". Did I mention that we are a family full of gamblers? Hahhahah! Not addicts tho...??

Daddy leading the way

Daddy already went into the casino! Haha

The casino need to check 2 forms of identifications! More strict than Casinos in Las Vegas and in California? That's what I thought until I saw the dealers in the tables. Majority of the dealers were in their 20s wearing casual clothes and stylish earrings... Totally different from casinos I have went to. Seems like they do not have a dress code or grooming standards. Blackjack is me and my sister's favorite, but not in this casino. In Canada, the dealer gets only one card to start with. I think that it's a huge advantage for the dealer and disadvantage for us. Pai gow poker is fun! My mom gotten me into it. I think it's beginner's luck or something! Me and my sister won $$$. Actually, the whole family won and headed back to the hotel^^

Canadian $$ looks like monopoly money

Haul from the night market!! 

Our first night was awesome!! Part 2 will be coming soon^^


Much love,
              Jamie