Since going AWOL

San Juans with Marie

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The two of us pottered around for several days after the trama of the boat. Every day we'd wake up with the intention to move on but we just couldn't bring ourselves to leave the quaint island. I love this girl- we had so much fun laughing at our situation! So full of life, so easygoing, appreciative of food, wine. The perfect person to flee with and a fantastic partner in crime.

Along came Carter

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Sitting on a point enjoying an excellent bottle of red, Marie and I started chatting to the guy next to us who had just paddled over from Anacortes for the night. (We later learned he was some fancy pants marathon paddler in the middle of training, until we distracted him anyway). I was immediately struck by what a do'er he is, he takes 'working from home' to the extreme, traveling all around the world working from anywhere he has phone/internet. Anyway, a raucous night followed, including gymnastics in the rafters of an old boat. (Turns out he was a gymnast too). The following day we cruised around Orcas Island in this ridiculously sketchy bad boy. After the red wine and rafters, Marie wasn't quite feeling up to joining us

Canada!

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Not sure exactly what to do, but positive we couldn't spend another day drinking in the San Juans, Marie and I parted ways with Carter and boarded the ferry to Victoria, BC. Having both prepared for wilderness travel, the big smoke of Victoria was a bit of a shock for us so we jumped in a car and cruised over to Tofino (west coast of Vancouver Island)

Spectacular Tofino

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Soon after arriving in Tofino, I wandered onto a dock undergoing construction. I happened to strike up a conversation with the owner about Canadian and US politics and humanitarian law. Coincidently he, Alan, had just run (and lost) in the recent canadian election and also undertaken election observation for the UN in the Ukrainan orange revolution, and invited Marie and I to have a glass of wine and help out with a restaurant he is building on the dock. Instead of surfing, hiking, kayaking, the next few days were spent hanging out on the dock and helping paint in return for good food and wine.

Goings on on the dock

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Also on the dock is an ice plant that Alan runs, the local radio station, an environmental NGO, a water taxi company, a fish shack in the making and alan's apartment.

On ice

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Me playing in the ice room. 6% salty its no fun for snowcones but perfect of margaritas.

Farewell to Marie (with Alan and Percy)

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Marie's time was up and she headed back to Sweden to visit famity and friends. She was lucky enough to arrange to crew on another boat- and spent 2 weeks sailing with a wonderful captain and crew in Greece! I headed across island to Quadra.

Quadra Island

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3 years ago, while hiking Torres del Paine (in Chile), I met a fabulous Canadian couple Breanne and Rick. We bonded over dehydrated apples, blisters and other ailments, spent the next 5 days hiking together, and Bre and I have stayed in touch ever since. With an open invitation to visit them, I headed up to beautiful Quadra Island (between Vancouver island and the BC mainland), seeking some support and time to find a new plan for the summer.

Casa los Rick and Bre

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Bre and Rick welcomed me into their Victorian home in the forest, mid renovation and summer kayak season craziness, and let me take part in the Quadra community for a few weeks. Such good people a truly enviable life.

Re-enter Carter

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Carter stopped by on his way up to the Yukon for a month of kayaking events. I briefly entertained the idea of going with him, but burnt from the whole sailing experience, decided I needed to put a little more time and thought into my plans for the summer :)

Oh, and Bre and Rick own a kayak company

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So they sent me out on one of their trips (5 days/4 nights) to desolation sound. The pictures speak for themselves- it was just stunning paddling through glassy coves surrounded by spectacular snow-capped peaks.

Desolation Sound trip

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5 days/4 nights of this. Sweet gig. Thanks Bre and Rick!

Fresh prawns anyone?

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Thanks to Ryan and Graham's charm (the fabulous guides), we picked up a bag full of fresh prawns for an appetizer.

Why don't i have any pictures of people

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It now I realize that I need to work on my portraits, apparently I just take pictures of landscapes and food. Its hard to tell a story of the cool people I’ve been hanging out with, without pictures of them. My time on Quadra was filled with brunches, dinners, plodding in the garden, bike rides and hikes around the island, hanging out on the spit (pictured), and meeting a really great community of folk. I loved the almost nightly gathering that would materialize after a pack of guides, usually on bike, would descend on a place. A super nice, jovial and together group of kids! At one stage there was talk of me fixing up a chicken coup on Rick and Bre’s property (it was already dry walled, had electricity and running water so it was quite darling), living in it while creating a garden and planting an orchard. That wouldn‘t have been a bad way to spend a summer at all.

The North Coast Trail

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Can't go to Canada without getting out into the wilderness. But irrationally scared of bears, I wasn't going alone. Fortunately I had the pleasure of being joined by the dynamo duo of Pat and Jonas on this stunning coastal trek. Newly opened, it winds along the remote north/northwestern tip of vancouver island

Jonas

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Everyone's favourite Barvarian. Super sweet guy, so amusing. After a poor round of jokes (an attempt to make conversation towards the end of day 2), Jonas says "Our jokes are not that funny. Maybe we just shouldn't talk to eachother" Sau Giles Wanden my friend!