Vancouver: Friendliest City on the Pacific Rim

The Pacific Rim refers to the string of volcanos that unite both the west coast of the Americas and countries on the other side of the Pacific Ocean. Vancouver is cosmopolitan, urbane, diverse in culture, and has the best Asian food on the continent.

Vancouver, Canada has been voted many times as one of the most inhabitable cities in the world. It boasts an array of ethnicities, a surplus of jobs, beautiful topography, an active lifestyle, it has great beaches and is surrounded by majestic mountains, provides thriving art, theatre and music scenes and the people are warm and friendly.

And if you’ve been living under a rock and don’t know that their their Prime Minister is as handsome as he is bright, you may want to cyberstalk him. (Google Search: Justin Trudeau) While downtown Vancouver can be a little gray and boxy in its architecture from street to street, there are a handful of local marvels that will fill your entire field of vision with wonder.

Often, Americans head south of the border to take their vacations. Well, Canadians speak the same language as we do, and many of the customs (although not all) are the same. You will have to exchange currencies, but many local shops and eateries will be just as happy to take your U.S. dollars. You will find the teriyaki and sushi head and shoulders above most of what you’re used to in the states, and the gay nightlife will have you dancing those carbs off long before dawn.

Enjoy new highlights of travel photographer Edwin Santiago’s journeys each week.