Vancouver, host of the 2010 Winter Olympics

The Gastown Steam Clock in Vancouver, Canada, is a treat for the tourists and locals who stop to watch the clock blow its whistles every 15 minutes.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

A jogger gets a view of Coal Harbor and the city of Vancouver during a run along the seawall in Stanley Park.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Pedestrians stroll past Vancouver storefronts and a billboard mural anticipating the start of the Winter Olympics.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Umbrellas are a requirement during a rainy night on Vancouver’s Robson Street, an upscale shopping district.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

A staff member at the Vancouver Aquarium reaches out to a beluga whale calf during one of the daily feedings.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

The Vancouver Biennale is displaying Chinese artist Yue Minjun’s “A-Maze-Ing Laughter,” which uses the artist’s own face in different poses during a state of laughter and arranges them in a maze-like configuration. The 14 bronze figures are on display at the Morton Triangle near English Bay.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Diners enjoy a panoramic view of Vancouver, Canada, from the tables of the rotating restaurant atop the Empire Landmark Hotel.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

The lounge at Vancouver’s Wedgewood Hotel is a quiet gathering place with an upscale vibe.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Customers chat over dinner at Hon’s Wu Tun House on Robson Street.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Waffles topped with fresh fruit are a popular breakfast choice at Cafe Medina in Vancouver.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

The Olympic rings glow in Vancouver harbor, mounted on a floating barge near Brockton Point.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

The attractions, dining and people of Vancouver, one of the hemisphere’s most ethnically diverse cities, will be on display when the Olympics begin.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)