The Paralympic Games are coming to a close in Vancouver... The Paralympics arriving almost two weeks after the Olympics, they gave a chance for the city to recover from all the Olympic madness and the city residents to shake off those post-Olympic blues. But, the city life did not completely die down..

One thing I noticed walking around Vancouver was the number of flags still hanging in people's windows and balconies. I saw the bright colours of the flags of Sweden, Korea, Australia, USA, Russia and of course Canada beaming through the rain-washed windows of Vancouver (see photo). There are not as many of them now, but there are still some around reminding the fans that the spirit lives on.

Although most of the Olympic "houses" and pavilions are already gone, a few celebration spots, including the so-called "Live City" sites, are still open to visitors. Reluctantly, I went down to check out "Live City" Downtown on last Saturday of the Paralympic Games, cautious that I might not see the same excitement and buzz around the Paralympics there.

But, I was wrong. Yes, the place was quieter and less crowded than it was when I was there during the Olympic Games, but the line-up was still over 30 minutes long. In fact, the line-ups to see anything in the city during the Paralympics were something Vancouverites and visitors had to patiently wait through during the Games.

So after waiting in "Live City" line-up for good half-an-hour, I finally got in to Canada Pavilion, and to my big surprise found out that the Stanley Cup was on display inside the pavilion specially for the Paralympic Games. So, people started lining up yet again, now inside the pavilion itself, to take a picture with the fabled Stanley Cup. I could not miss my chance either (see photo). Neither could I miss a chance to pose with a real Olympic torch that was on display next door. I have to say the torch turned out to be pretty heavy. So, after holding the Olympic relic in my hands for seconds, I would imagine running with it in one hand would be hard, even if for only 200 meters.

As I was leaving the "Live City," I saw a group of crazy fans entertaining the folks who were still standing in the line to get inside the pavilion. Dressed in bright clothes imitating the aerodynamic speed skating uniforms, the four were doing sports related skits while posing for photos with anyone willing to "embarrass" themselves for a picture (see photo). I only hope Sochi 2014 hires them too. I am sure the skits made the line-ups go by all that much quicker for those waiting.

My day was almost done, but I was still looking for things to do that I did not have the time to try during the Olympic and Paralympic Games. I really wanted to try the Zipline that the municipality of Whistler brought over to Vancouver's Robson Square for Vancouverites and visitors to try as part of British Columbia tourism promo campaign. The Zipline usually operates from Whistler ski resort and combines the thrill of flying with the security of being tucked into a harness while you glide over spectacular creeks and majestic old-growth forest. The miniature version of the Zipline was brought to Vancouver and set up over Robson Square smack in the middle of Downtown Vancouver (see photo) But, alas, the wait times for the Zipline was up to seven hours long, so I had to give it a pass.. I am lucky I can always go down to Whistler and give it a shot.

In the dusk of the day, I finally hopped on to the Olympic Line Street Car that was brought to Vancouver from Belgium as an experiment. During the Games, the trolley car was going between Downtown Vancouver and Granville Island, a famous tourist spot west of the Olympic village. For the city, it was likely going back in time. It's been a while since the trolleys last roamed Vancouver Downtown core. But, from what I hear, it seems the city loved the Street Car's nostalgic but at the same time modern feel.

So, the Games are coming to an end, but we still have to come to terms with the legacy that they leave behind. But, as I begin to think it all over, "Sochi 2014" already comes to mind. And, there are 1446 days left...