Ep 39: Schrödinger's DAIM cake
Walking 10km from Brentwood to Coquitlam, for cake
Craving
Many might argue about the greatness of IKEA’s DAIM cake, but to me, it’s not just a dessert, it’s a quest item. And the more riveting part? You can’t order it online; you have to go there physically. I checked the nearest IKEA (Coquitlam) and the website said it “might be in stock”—classic Schrödinger’s cake situation.
Apple Maps offered three choices to get to the nearest IKEA in Coquitlam: a ~15-min ride by car, ~45-min by SkyTrain and a 2+ hour walk. Naturally, as someone who’s “walkative”, I picked the expedition. “But what if there’s no cake?”, a friend texted me. “The end of a melody is not it’s goal”. We move!
Through North Burnaby
The 10km route I mapped on FootPath led me through North Burnaby on a late Sunday morning. To my delight the sky was completely clear—a rare break from the gloomy Vancouver winter. If there ever was a day for a quest, this was it.
The walk was full of curious finds:
A firewood stand! (unexpected—I hadn’t seen one since my time in Akuse, Ghana)
A sealed value pack of chicken drumsticks lying at an intersection. That and a lone shopping cart. A late thanksgiving vibe
A utility box doubling as a canvas
“Classic” Burnaby infrastructure: the occasional missing sidewalk
I used Gogomi to navigate new roads, and the clear day offered excellent vistas
Welcome to Coquitlam
Coquitlam wasn’t as walker-friendly, but the views and charming buildings kept me going. The anticipation of DAIM cake also helped, of course.
Cake or no cake?
Finally, after two hours of walking, I got there. Slightly sweaty and very eager, I braced myself for the truth: would the cake be there?
Yes! Victory! Celebrated with a well-earned slice for lunch, replenishing the calories and energy I’d spent on the journey.
Post-Quest
After meeting up with my friend at IKEA, we explored the nearby Austin Heights area. As we climbed the hill, we stumbled upon rogue table-setting manual (a little too late if you ask me, I’d already ravaged the meatballs at the IKEA cafeteria).
Later, my friend got a notification for her first walk in her neighbourhood, courtesy of Gogomi. A fitting end to the adventure.
Omg
Love this silly funny expedition!
Recently my friends and I walked from Coquitlam to Vancouver visiting 20 Timmy's, that was good too!
Randomly found the post searching for the freeken cake
Would love to invite you on one of our little walks hahaha
You seem like a right kind of person :)