Blogs from Victoria, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, North America

Our next stop on our tour of Vancouver island was a few days in Victoria. Johnny was kind enough to let us stay with him in his sweet appartment which we used as a base to explore the city. We headed straight for downtown on our first day and visited the museum which has lots of First Nation's art but it was sad to see that many culturally significant totem poles had been "bought" by the museum to be displayed to the public rather than left where they were found to be continued to be used by the community. We then headed to a place called Fishermen's wharf which included a community of floating houses and the best fish and chips in town. The resident seals also paid us a visit and posed for the camera. ... read more

Hi everyone, I've never used a blog site before, so hopefully this isn't too complicated. I have three more sleeps in my own bed until I leave for this incredible trip! I'm excited, and anxious (both to arrive in India, and to be away from home for four months), and so many other feelings right now. Only a few days left!... read more

Once again, I am a day behind because of YouTube. Curse having free unlimited downloading capabilities. Wed-nes-day was the same as it always is. Middle of the week. Shuddering at the fact that there are still two days to go. Luckily I had two classes that I really enjoy. And to make it better we were watching a movie in one so that was even better. The movie was a documentary (by an Australian) about Native people in Quebec who, every winter, go to their 'native' land (tracts of forest owned by their family) and live off the land. They did most everything in the traditional way (save for a chainsaw and a gun). It was quite intreuging to see how they went about things. We didn't get to finish it, but I will download it ... read more

Continuing from last blog: Sat 27 Aug: we ate dinner at Robson Sushi again, as it was so good first time round, "all you can eat" is an excellent way to try out different Japanese food as it's not just sushi on offer and finally Robson Street is only a few minutes stroll from the hotel. Sun 28 Aug: caught a seaplane to Victoria, on Vancouver Island, at 8.00 a.m. - a fabulous 35 minute flight, smooth take-off and landing (I'd imagine due to the water). The plane was small, just a few rows of seats, 2 on one side and 1 on the other. With flying at a lower altitude than an ordinary plane, the views were much clearer; rows and rows of tree tunks in the water (can anyone tell me why? Heaps of ... read more

We made it to Victoria in the early afternoon and checked in to our hotel. They gave us a balcony suite overlooking the harbor! I have been sitting here watching the float planes and ferries come in. It is very relaxing. I have decided that the Canuks must think I am an overly aggressive driver. They do not tailgate, honk their horns, flash their lights or give you any finger signals. Now, of course I do not consider myself an overly aggressive driver, but compared to the Canuks, I am all of the above! Megan and I walked all over Victoria and up over Beacon Hill. We have seen a lot of sights and have enjoyed our time here. We ate at a restaurant overlooking the harbor called Nautical Nellies. They had the best food EVER! ... read more

This is the second stop of our little North American discovery. We are North-West of Seattle on Vancouver Island. We first had to drive to Anacortes WA to take the ferry to Sidney...the one in BC,Canada! The three hours ferry is a pretty lovely ride through the San Juan Islands. We saw dolphins, but couldn't spot any whales during the trip. Once in British Columbia, immigration was a smooth and frienndly affair. Welcome to Canada! It was followed by half an hour drive to our resort for two nights, the Bear Mountain Westin Resort. For the occasion, we are around 20 minutes out of town, deep into the woods of Victoria Island. The kids enjoyed some relaxing time after their long flight. It was also the opportunity for us to enjoy a fully equiped kitchen. Mari ... read more