Salt Spring Island camping at Ruckle

On Monday we headed off on our camping trip. First stop Ruckle Provincial Park on Salt Spring Island which is one of the Gulf islands near Victoria.

It's a lovely island, pleasant camping and hikes, and inhabitable by artistic types, which always makes for a pleasant place. At one point we went to a cafe where I comment that the music playing was that of Harry Manx (a Canadian folk musician who I have seen perform 3 times in Australia). I was delighted to discover he resides just up the road!

Sunrise at Ruckle, on Salt Spring Island. I wasn't the only person up, there were fisherman in the boat. 

They have seriously big slugs in Canada!

Camping at Ruckle, Lauren discovered that I am an early riser, and I was astonished at just how late the campers there (and everywhere else we went) rose in the morning.

Victoria

As mentioned I took the ferry from Vancouver to Victoria. I got in rather late, but Lauren and I eventually found each other. I 'checked-in' to her beautiful waterside apartment.

The next day (Saturday) we both needed to buy things for our planned camping trip, and she wanted some time to get things done, since she had just knocked off work the day prior. So, she left me in the city centre for sightseeing. I found a busking festival! It was great, and it being one of my few sun shiny days, I got sunburnt watching them! But... sunburn in North America is kinder than Sunburn in Australia.

The best busker I saw (and I blame him really for my sunburn) was an Argentine that holds 4 world records for tricks with soccer balls. His name is Victor Rubilar... if you want to look for him.

On Sunday Lauren and I went to the famous and absolutely beautiful world famous Butchart gardens. Wow. We even had High Tea there.

Butchart Gardens, Victoria.

The timber industry has long been massive in British Columbia. As testament to this, there is a street in Victoria which is paved in timber, as you can see. 

Vancouver

I landed in Vancouver mid afternoon. My friend had a day and a half of work left before her leave started and so I was to spend a day in the big city before heading over to Victoria to meet with her. This first day had beautiful weather... and in the entire trip I had another 2 days of great weather. The other days were filled with patchy rain.

I checked into a HI hostel in the Westend of Vancouver, took a map, and headed to walk off my 20 hours of flight time in Stanley park. It was lovely. It was a Thursday (19 July), and I was astonished how many people were on the beaches. I walked the coast of Stanley park for about half of it, and then cut back through the middle, where some locals introduced me to the edible Salmon berries, and I later found some racoons.

The next morning I bused to the University to check out the museum of Anthropology and learn more about the Canadian indigenous culture (First Nations people). I was great, and I learnt a lot. I was particularly impressed by the construction of bentwood boxes.
Later I took the ferry to Victoria to meet Lauren.

This Laughing men public art exhibition near English Bay Vancouver is a lot of fun!

The First Nations people had big beautiful serving dishes for their feasts.

Bentwood boxes. Steam the timber, cut the corners to be so they will be foldable, and stitch the final join. love it!

A Short trip: British Columbia, Canada

I have a Canadian friend who kindly invited me to join her on a 2 week camping trip of her province, British Columbia. Plans weren't set in concrete, but a ferry on the inside passage was booked and we were travelling in a clockwise direction from her city, Victoria.

In summary, the trip was fantastic, but the weather was unkind, wet and rather cold for summer. I will blog this in parts... here goes.

An update... before I do some travel blogging

I broke things off with the man who managed to get me to stay in Australia last November. Nothing terrible, it just wasn't working out for me. I also changed job at the same time. I now work for a tour company with awesome itineraries, but I still constantly wonder if I should stay or go. Staying isn't for-filling any great  urge within me, nor is it giving me the time to pursue any of my non-travel interests. I just returned from a 16 day trip in Canada, on which I am about to blog. Travel inspires me to do more travel... so maybe I will feel more settled in another month.