Canada Trip Day 7: Capilano Suspension Bridge

19 June 2010 - Another one of Vancouver's popular attractions with thousands of visitors a day is the Capilano Suspension Bridge with a length of about 450 feet above the Capilano River. The visit offers both thrills and education, from the exciting bridge crossing to the study of the native people's culture and Capilano Suspension Bridge's Rainforest.

Personally, I found the visit enjoyable as there were several totem poles erected in the park and Canada's award winning attraction, wooden stilt trails, known as the Treetops Adventure, that allow you to walk among the trees sort of in mid air which gives you a different perspective, some what bringing you closer to nature. The spectacular view of the thick coniferous trees and the clear Capilano River overlooking the mountains and the bridge trembling with the footsteps of throngs of fright-stricken tourists add a refreshingly pleasant experience.

Our trusty guide, my uncle had given us an hour of visitation while he waited at a nearby parking lot with my aunt. So quickly was the time spent that we ended the tour by rushing along wooden stilt walkways to return to the suspension bridge where we crossed before exiting the area.
Entrance to the Capilano Suspension Bridge with visitors lining up for tickets


Sign post


Capilano Suspension Bridge in the distance


Totem poles, monumental sculptures carved out of cedar trees by the natives. These structures can represent a legend, a family clan or for artistic purposes such as telling a story.


Close up of a totem pole


Kia'palano is a cultural centre of the First Nations (term used for the natives in Canada). The signboard below details the significance of ravens in totem poles


A native guide explaining about totem poles


Totem poles at the Capilano Suspension Bridge's cultural centre, Kia'palano


More interesting totem poles


Crossing the Capilano Suspension Bridge


Capilano River in the midst of thick coniferous rainforest


A viewpoint (wooden balcony) in the forest to see the Capilano Bridge

Another view of the Capilano River with the forest and mountain


Map of Capilano Suspension Bridge


Trout Pond with plants sprouting out of pond bed


A wise-looking owl in a cage at Raptors Ridge


Boardwalk around the rainforest that gives you a mid-air feel, like you are a squirrel hopping from one tree to tree or maybe going around trees


Treetops Adventure


Boardwalk from a tree house


Old style weather measuring equipment


A chalk board noting weather conditions


Trees and tree stumps


Boardwalk all around the rainforest


View of Capilano River from Nature's Edge Boardwalk


Visitors on Treetops Adventure


View of Capilano Bridge from the Lookout Deck


Ponds along the boardwalk


Giant grizzly bear doll


Two children playing checkers? The little blond child was crying because his brother took away his piece.

Visit to the Iban Longhouse in Temburong

We visited Igat Anak Tarang's Iban longhouse. The head of the longhouse is usually the eldest male member of the family although some families may appoint the head based on a merit system. As Igat's family grow in size, for instance, when his son marry a wife and start his own family, his son would build his house by extending the current house. Eventually, the house would get longer with each of Igat's descendants starting up their own families. Thus, the longhouse is actually a train of joined stilt houses. In each house or section lives a family of 3 to 6 or more members, furnished with living rooms, bedrooms, a kitchen, maybe several washrooms and a storeroom. When a family moves away, the longhouse shortens by taking a bungalow down at one end. What's nice about the longhouse is they have a very long common area shared by all the families which stretch from one end of the house to the other. So, the children play in this common area, protected from weather and adults rest their bodies or mingle with other family members.

Our guide used to live in one of the longest longhouse in Temburong until his extended family members decided to move out and have their own place one by one. Today, the longhouse he lives in has about five families.

While the longhouse we visited is interesting, I begin to realise the contrast from the less modern longhouse in the more rural areas of East Malaysia after skimming through an extensive piece titled "The Iban Longhouse – by Stephen Anggat" which has been published on GNMawar's blog of Iban heritage.

The longhouse's name on a sign post

Freme Travel's van right in front of the longhouse

Longhouse's verandah

The very long common area. Notice the doors on the walls on the left, each door is the main door to each family's section. There are a few elders who are lying by the wall in the common area. Our guide told us that they were drunk from "tuak" (Iban rice wine).

Along the walls, handicrafts made of rattan and recycled phone cards were hung.

A painting of a waterfall and steel towers that lead to the canopy walk hung at the wall.

I like this section of the painting. :)

Outside the longhouse, I noticed this huge cactus plant which was sprouting many flower buds.

That night, our guide invited us to his house for the "Gawai" (festival of harvest) celebration. According to him, Gawai is celebrated like "Hari Raya" (the Muslim New Year) in his family. They visit houses of relatives where they serve light snacks or meals. We were served snacks and "tuak". We were showed the traditional clothes of the Iban ladies and was told that these are rarely worn nowadays. Our guide's mum explained that it is becoming difficult to find tailors of Iban costumes as many Ibans have lost the culture of making the dresses themselves. She added that the dresses are expensive to make. Please click here for some pictures of Iban costumes.

We were then ushered to our guide's aunt's section of the longhouse for dinner. There was pulut (beef stuffing in glutinous rice wrapped in leaves) and chicken curry, which both tasted very delicious. BT seemed to be enjoying his cultural education very much.

Thanlyin & Kyauktan: 100-Nats Temple

We made a brief stop at the Hundred Nats (spirits) Temple. I am not too fond of nats as I found myself a little spooked when I read stories about them. I also find their statues creepy. Perhaps, it's because I never considered them as celestial being but rather creatures of the unknown which amplifies the fear in me. Min-U was delighted to bring us here as he urged for us to go in when we stood at the entrance, looking clueless. R and I kept throwing blank faces at each other. As usual, when I am chickened, I stayed close beside R. Hehehe.

We entered the building, which to our surprise is actually someone's home! I felt as though we were imposing on the residents. How untimely we arrived as they were in the middle of having lunch and was soon clearing away the dishes. Feeling extremely awkward, I grabbed my camera to take pictures of whatever to hide the feeling. A monk came and guide us to the side of the building where several nat statues stood.

What really held my interest about this place is the Goddess of Mercy statue, which also made it all so Chinese. Is she considered a nat? I've not seen statues of her in all the temples I've visited and here she is in a nat temple. Perhaps, she's not considered a nat but a deity worshipped by the people of this temple? And, there were joss sticks offered to her while joss stick offerings have not been found in any of the other temples, neither to the nat statues.

We didn't venture too deep into the woods behind the building for two obvious reasons. :p

Children being picked up by family members after school hours


Snake nats statue near the entrance


Statue of a nat on an elephant


Goddess of Mercy statue


Close-up of the Goddess of Mercy statue


Pouring contents out of a vase


Phoenix statue


Dragon statue with its mouth open to catch the contents from the vase


More statues


A pretty tiled painting of horses and mountains


Lake


A lady carrying a tray of sliced watermelons on her head


Walls made of wooden poles tied together and other poles on sale


People waiting


A group of nuns walking along the street