Nanaimo Ferry

Nanaimo Ferry
It's 8 pm; I'm on a ferry going to Nanaimo. It's a cold, wet and windy day.
The ferry is pretty neat. $58.00 to cross to Vancouver Island. I had to tip my kayak over(it was too tall) or pay an extra $30.00. I'm so cheap. So I did it in the wet, cold and blistering weather. I cursed a few times because it wasn't easy. Then I'm thinking to myself:"Why did I bring the stupid kayak anyways?" I haven't used it once. But maybe this will be the place...the big island. I hear they have great kayaking spots but again, the weather may interfere with the enjoyment. I spoke to staff on the boat who say a lot of surfers go to Clayoquot Sound(where I thought it would be spectacular to put my boat in), but people go there to surf.!!! So, I'm thinking to myself: 20 foot waves, in the ocean, with sharks and whales, and I haven't learned how to roll. Don't think so. I'll have to find a nice quiet bay somewhere. I can always contact a kayaking ourfit for advice.

Anyways, the weather is a bummer. I know BC is nice but taking shots of scenes shrouded in fog, misty rain or just plain rain doesn't get me excited.

Back to the ferry ride. The ship is huge, with a snack bar area and a cafeteria that serves bugers, salads even salmon. But it's now dark and there is nothing to see except Vancouver's lights in the distance. When I take the ferry from Victoria to Washington state, it will be in the morning and I hope it's sunny.

I'll be visiting with Clem and Margie Jean tomorrow. They are the last of the cousins that I had planned to spend time with. So, more to come on this on.

Travel trivia:
I've driven 6243 km so far.
Stayed in 2 couchsurfing places,
Gas is between 99.9 to 1.09 in BC
Temperature is around 12cel.
I talk to myself alot
Sometimes I wish I were back home
They have beautiful roads and I'm sure, no potholes
I have not seen one highway police car in all my travels unless they are in unmarked cars.
I got stopped twice by the same police spot check. I was lost and ended up going through and back again.

Beautiful British Columbia

I have seen some awesome scenery. It's no wonder so many people (a lot of Ontarians) have moved to British Columbia. Some views were simply breathtaking. I hope my pictures come through. Also, after more than 10 days of cloudy, rainy, drizzly, misty, foggy and snowy weather, I finally saw the sun today, which I'm sure made everything look even more spectacular.

I've driven 5,359 kilometers. I'm almost due for an oil change. But, my Escape has been very good to drive.

I drove through Jasper National Park, all the way to Lake Louise and Banff. Had to avoid Big Horn Sheep, Elk and one deer...all on the road. So, you have to be sharp which interferes with the sightseeing.

Last night I stayed with a former Sudburian, Andy Adam and his family. It was a very enjoyable visit and I got to meet most of the boys. Andy has lived in Nelson BC, for the past 25 years(if I remember correctly) and you can't blame him after looking around the stunning surroundings. Thanks a lot guys.

Tomorrow, it's off to Vancouver and now I'm going to try and download some pictures to this site. Hope it works(Julie:you may have to help me out here)