Mooching about on the Island

---

Whilst Whistler still has many charms to keep my interest, I was starting to feel the pressure of living constantly in the Whistler 'bubble'. Whenever I've previously wanted to get out of Whistler, I've usually always headed down to Vancouver to enjoy some shopping and noodles from the Food Court in the Pacific Center. This time, I decided I would head over to Vancouver Island, to the quiet town of Nanaimo for some rest and relaxation.

I was in a bad mood when I set off and the journey down to Nanaimo wasn't particularly enjoyable. The Greyhound route along the Sea-to-Sky highway was beautiful as ever - offering views of the various lakes and snow covered mountains. I left Whistler on Sunday afternoon, along with many of the participants of the "tough mudder" event that took place on the weekend. The bus, as usual, was fully booked - a fact exacerbated by the fact that many of the travelers had received injuries and needed extra space to accommodate sore legs/scraped knees and crutches. I could deal with being squashed against the window with my backpack tucked between my legs, but found that I got overly irritated by the shrill jabbering of the women sitting around me. I put my headphones on and turned up the volume to try to drown out the noise, only to be poked in the ribs, being told to turn my music down as it was disturbing their conversation. I almost didn't make it off the bus in Horseshoe Bay as the woman next to me took it upon herself to moan about the inconvenience of her having to stand up to let me off the bus for a few minutes, before actually taking the trouble to stand and let me pass.

I persevered, and somehow managed to make it off the bus and in to the ferry terminal. I got my ticket (just over $15 for one-way) and made my way up the ramp and over to the foot passengers waiting area. I was entertaining the thought that I might be able to catch a glimpse or two of some whales on the way over to the island. I soon gave that idea up, as no sooner had the ferry left the harbor, it began to rain. I settled myself into a quiet corner with a coffee and a book, and let the dull grey scenery pass me by. There was a party of four sitting directly in front of me - I couldn't make out what they were saying, but it evidently involved me somehow as they took it in turns to turn around and stare at me. I have no idea what offense I could have caused, having been sat so quietly with my book, so I decided to ignore it until the older gentleman actually gestured at me, whilst talking to one of his companions. I resigned myself to moving and chose another spot at the front of the ferry. No sooner had I sat down, I was joined by a family with five, very small, very loud children. I was asked to 'move along, eh' by the dad because apparently I was sitting exactly where his children wanted to play 'pirates'. Clearly, not a good day for me to be traveling!

We finally arrived in Departure Bay and I was glad to get off the ferry. I made my way along the walkway and out to the car park area to look for the bus stop. As it was a Sunday, the bus was not frequently scheduled and I decided to take a taxi into the city center. Determined to improve my mood, I started a friendly conversation with the taxi driver. I explained it was my first time to Nanaimo, and perhaps, could he recommend something to do here? "Get back on the ferry" was my answer. I was definitely beginning to regret coming here! I told him I would be staying at a hostel called the Painted Turtle (seemed decent enough, according to my travel guide). "More like the Painted Turd...." was his response, before chuckling to himself. Nice. I gave up trying to make conversation - any response I got didn't exactly fill me with excitement at being here. I just wanted to get to the hostel and chill out.

The Painted Turtle is a decent enough hostel. The theme is apparently "shabby chic" although it seems pretty comfortable. It has 26 rooms, some are dorms, others are twin or double rooms. At $28 a night, its pretty much what you'd expect from a hostel. The girls in my dorm are friendly enough, and it seems like it'll be a pleasant place to stay for a few nights. I was thinking about exploring more of the island whilst I'm here, but as the weather forecast is a bit hit and miss, I think I'll save exploring the other towns for another visit. Tofino would have been on my list of places to visit, but seaside towns are never much fun in the rain. Determined to improve my mood, I went to the pub for some food and a pint of cider. The waitresses were friendly and chatty, giving me advice on what to go see and do here. After reading a good few chapters of my book and having a couple of ciders, I called it a night and headed back to the hostel for some sleep.

---