There is something I like to call the psychology of free. If there is something “free”, most of the time, common sense go out of the window. Take for example, the free meals at places like Denny’s where they were offering free breakfasts; however, due to the demand, the lines were a couple of hours long. Sure, feel free to wait those couple of hours but, assuming you had a job, the time you “wasted” waiting might be worth more than that meal you got for “free”.
Now, given all the activities during these Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games, the question is: is there something worth waiting 5+ hours for? Just in case, to those who are living here and, most likely, have an idea about it, no, I did not wait for the zip line (I would rather pay for it, though I am also afraid of heights! So what did I wait for? Continue reading this post!
Yes, I went to the Royal Canada Mint Pavilion, which ended up being one of the most popular exhibits for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games. To give you an idea of how popular it is, the day I went there, I arrived at around 7:30 a.m. and there were already over 50 people lining up! Did I mention that exhibit open at 9:00 a.m.???
(Note: Click on the image for a larger version of the picture in a new window!)
And what you get to see once you are inside? To start off… I will paraphrase a certain movie… Show me the money!!!
Coins with holographic design in it
You have heard jokes about carrying gold ingots. OK, here is one for you…
To actually try to lift it! OK, that is not it; however, there is another one you can actually lift but it is secured by a chain.
Estimated cost of this bar? Somewhere around CDN$400,000 to CDN $500,00 CDN!!!
As if it wasn’t enough… a CDN $1 million coin! On one side, Queen Elizabeth II and, on the other…
A maple leaf, of course! Oh, while originally its cost was *originally* CDN $1, nowadays, due to fluctuation of the gold, it is valued at $3.5 million!
That is all? Aside from the shop (mostly things you would be able to buy online from their site), I would have called foul. 5+ hours? No way in hell! If that is the case, why would people line for 5+ hours???? Well, scroll down…
Yes, those are the medals! And, yes, you can actually touch them!!!
Above the bronze, silver and gold medals of the Paralympic Games. The difference is the shape and, as see on the reserve, it contains braille.
And here are the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games medals. There are a lot of things I can repeat (based on what was described, for example, the reason I had to wear gloves) but I won’t. Not matter how much I say, it is not something that can be explained… Was it worth it? A couple of minutes with the medals? Priceless…
One more thing… The other posts related to this Olympic Games series… 
- Alberta House
- Robson Street
- Maison du Québec
- Saskatchewan Pavilion
- LiveCity Downtown/Canada Pavilion
- Saxony House
- Northern House
- Ontario House
- Olympic Cauldron
{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
Ok, this might be a dumb question but say I was rich and I was going to pay cash for a $1mil house. If I could get my hands on the $1mil coin is it valid currency? Could the realtor accept it?
Ok, I know IRL a real estate transaction won’t work like that but that coin got me thinking!
Kate, if you happen to have $1 million in coins, in theory, you could pay for that house using those coins. That is because they are legal tender and acceptable for any monetary transaction.
Thanks for staying in line for us Kim. Much appreciated.
So. Pizzeria Bianca in Phoenix should be a cakewalk for you?
5 hours? That’s short. My friend’s mother and sister waited 8 hours.
I only waited 20 minutes and my sister still complained about how long the wait was. That was before the Royal Mint became the most popular exhibit. I really enjoyed it myself and would go again if there were no line ups.
I think the organizers didn’t anticipate how the medals really encapsulated the magic of the olympics and made it tangible for everyone.
Nice Kim! I think 5 hours is too long for me, especially with kiddies and an illness that… well… wouldn’t allow me to. LOL!
Peter, maybe, maybe not…
Holly, I was working on all the weekdays so there were only that many places I could visit at a time. Of course, had I known in advance, I might have gone on the very first day! Too bad…
Sherman, so that means no zip line or LiveCity for your??? XD
I wonder if this is still open?
Anita, nope, it is Feb 12 to 28….
Actually, I just watched on the news that the medals will be still be available for viewing due to their popularity, however the Mint will be relocating them, and details of when and where we can see the medals will be released once they are finalized.
I was really excited to hear this, as I wasn’t able to see the medals or get on the zipline, but will get a 2nd chance this time around. Fingers crossed!
Tam, yes, I read that in the news… Oh, well, there goes 5 hours of my life!
As for the zip line, it will still be up for the Paralympics so there you go!
Wow, that’s the one place I didn’t go during the Olympic. I hope they will open it again for the Paralympic with a much shorter line up. If not, I am glad you blog about it, at least I can see what I am missing out on.
You must log in to post a comment.