Saturday, the 9th of May
Penticton, sitting by the lake Okanagan
warm, sunny and perfect
Day 16
Penticton, sitting by the lake Okanagan
warm, sunny and perfect
Day 16
I arrived to Penticton about 1:00 h ago. And welcome to small town Canada. Quite small, not many people. But, standing by the lake with warm sun (finally!) I think I get "the charm" of the region. Like the two old ladies on the bus said "it's so quiet". And when you live in Vancouver you value that. The water looks really good. Tomorrow I should dip my feet into it. (...)
But I should make sure to have a record of the last couple of days. (...) Our second ride [from Nanaimo to Ucluelet] (hard to get) was a mother that liked listening to the Beatles and had a very messy car, and her teenage son. Very insightful trip to the road to Port Alberni. The guy was a typical American highschool student [even though he was Canadian]. "Surfer" looking hair and "cool" style. Plus he loved to say he was failing his classes , he picked up hookers and other very inappropriate comments in a deliberate defiant tone. (...)
Our third and almost instantaneous ride was Noah. (...) He worked with fishing boats. Not much to talk about since he din't enjoy travelling. The island had nice people, snowboarding and surf - why go anywhere else?? but Christian kept asking nice questions. He took us to port Alberni and, at that point, I strated realising the beauty of Vancouver Island. The lakes, the majestic trees. It looks like a fantasy movie! this was even more true of our ride from Port Alberni to Ucluelet. The lakes were amazing, even though it was pouring down. We decided to take this ride even though it didin't get us to Tofino. It was getting fairly late and raining a lot. (...) He was a retired logger who told us quite a bit about the industry, the environmental issues and the potential of the island. I liked it a lot and when he dropped us off at the hostel in Ucluelet I told Christian this was my best day in BC. (...) I discovered the joys of hitchhiking.
(...) On our dorm there was only this girl. An Irish ex-Dundee drop out (...) who was looking for a job to stay there for a while, currently travelling the world. Curious young woman. She told us about her crazy "European trip" on the back of a van with 3 very messy guys.
(...) The next morning we made the acquaintance of Peter, a retired veterinary professor, an Englishman bird-watching around. A German speaker and father of a Pearson UWC graduate, we soon bonded and got offered a ride to Victoria at noon. And so we forgot tofino and drove south. (...)
I am going to have to move. It's getting coldish .... continuing the entry in a Starbucks 15 min later (yes, it saves my homeless, tired and wondering self yet another time)
+ 2 teenagers are talking aboutboyfriends and highschool intrigues just behind me. Can this get any more small townish?
So, back to the Island. We ended up taking a trail that morning in Ucluelet, along the beach. (...). IT WAS GORGEOUS. My knee and legs hurted but I absolutely loved it! It had little beaches all over it, so hidden yet easy to walk into: a perfect trail. We even saw an eagle on the rocks (we had seen 2 bears the day before!) And the waves were loike an impressionistic painting. Thye seemed rough and windy. My style.
(...) Peter came to pick us up and started driving to Victoria. (...) He was quite interesting, had lived in a bunch of English-speaking countries and thaught for a year in Somalia. He had loads of interests including bird-watching and European History.in fact, he was an open book: dates, facts, cultures. He knew it all. He even spoke some Norwegian from a turbulent visit to Bergen when he was 18! He spoke many languages and could read another lot. At the moment he is an organic farmer here in the okanagan valley.
(...)
We stopped at a lake beofre Port Alberni to eat lunch. We also stopped at a little river shortly after. Then Grove Cathedral, a place with very veyr very tall trees. Finally at a place with First Nations engravings on rock next to a lake. Well the rock was in the lake. It didn't seem very looked after. We talked about so many things. he identified the paradox of female power in mediterranean societies. he told me about Native History and the USA invasions of Canada. He was pro-legalisation of all drugs, including opium. It was indeed a very cool drive.
We finally arrived in Victoria.(...) christian and I walked and asked for directions (or were offered rather...) to the nearby hostel (...) the we went ou to see Victoria (...) It was quite lovely, with the sunset and all. The buildings in the old town were charming and the Parliment is quite something. i liekd it, as we strolled around the harbour. (...) The problem was finidng somewhere to eat, at night. Things started to close and we eneded up in MacDonalds....yes, I did. (...) Once again, you need to adapt to the culture, so whathver. It wasn't pleasant. (...)
In the morning we had some breakfast at a "John's Palce", a very aweosme music-themed decorated restaurant. It also had the largets pancakes in the world!!! Very nice place but sure to cause obesity in the long run. (...) We caught a bus and a ferry back to Vanocuver. Such a beautiful trip with clear skies and it all looked so much like Norway that it automatically triggered some sentimental nostalgia. (....)
And so this morning I got to Penticton, about which I will write alter (...) i need to be patted on the head from time to time.
Filipa
But I should make sure to have a record of the last couple of days. (...) Our second ride [from Nanaimo to Ucluelet] (hard to get) was a mother that liked listening to the Beatles and had a very messy car, and her teenage son. Very insightful trip to the road to Port Alberni. The guy was a typical American highschool student [even though he was Canadian]. "Surfer" looking hair and "cool" style. Plus he loved to say he was failing his classes , he picked up hookers and other very inappropriate comments in a deliberate defiant tone. (...)
Our third and almost instantaneous ride was Noah. (...) He worked with fishing boats. Not much to talk about since he din't enjoy travelling. The island had nice people, snowboarding and surf - why go anywhere else?? but Christian kept asking nice questions. He took us to port Alberni and, at that point, I strated realising the beauty of Vancouver Island. The lakes, the majestic trees. It looks like a fantasy movie! this was even more true of our ride from Port Alberni to Ucluelet. The lakes were amazing, even though it was pouring down. We decided to take this ride even though it didin't get us to Tofino. It was getting fairly late and raining a lot. (...) He was a retired logger who told us quite a bit about the industry, the environmental issues and the potential of the island. I liked it a lot and when he dropped us off at the hostel in Ucluelet I told Christian this was my best day in BC. (...) I discovered the joys of hitchhiking.
(...) On our dorm there was only this girl. An Irish ex-Dundee drop out (...) who was looking for a job to stay there for a while, currently travelling the world. Curious young woman. She told us about her crazy "European trip" on the back of a van with 3 very messy guys.
(...) The next morning we made the acquaintance of Peter, a retired veterinary professor, an Englishman bird-watching around. A German speaker and father of a Pearson UWC graduate, we soon bonded and got offered a ride to Victoria at noon. And so we forgot tofino and drove south. (...)
I am going to have to move. It's getting coldish .... continuing the entry in a Starbucks 15 min later (yes, it saves my homeless, tired and wondering self yet another time)
+ 2 teenagers are talking aboutboyfriends and highschool intrigues just behind me. Can this get any more small townish?
So, back to the Island. We ended up taking a trail that morning in Ucluelet, along the beach. (...). IT WAS GORGEOUS. My knee and legs hurted but I absolutely loved it! It had little beaches all over it, so hidden yet easy to walk into: a perfect trail. We even saw an eagle on the rocks (we had seen 2 bears the day before!) And the waves were loike an impressionistic painting. Thye seemed rough and windy. My style.
(...) Peter came to pick us up and started driving to Victoria. (...) He was quite interesting, had lived in a bunch of English-speaking countries and thaught for a year in Somalia. He had loads of interests including bird-watching and European History.in fact, he was an open book: dates, facts, cultures. He knew it all. He even spoke some Norwegian from a turbulent visit to Bergen when he was 18! He spoke many languages and could read another lot. At the moment he is an organic farmer here in the okanagan valley.
(...)
We stopped at a lake beofre Port Alberni to eat lunch. We also stopped at a little river shortly after. Then Grove Cathedral, a place with very veyr very tall trees. Finally at a place with First Nations engravings on rock next to a lake. Well the rock was in the lake. It didn't seem very looked after. We talked about so many things. he identified the paradox of female power in mediterranean societies. he told me about Native History and the USA invasions of Canada. He was pro-legalisation of all drugs, including opium. It was indeed a very cool drive.
We finally arrived in Victoria.(...) christian and I walked and asked for directions (or were offered rather...) to the nearby hostel (...) the we went ou to see Victoria (...) It was quite lovely, with the sunset and all. The buildings in the old town were charming and the Parliment is quite something. i liekd it, as we strolled around the harbour. (...) The problem was finidng somewhere to eat, at night. Things started to close and we eneded up in MacDonalds....yes, I did. (...) Once again, you need to adapt to the culture, so whathver. It wasn't pleasant. (...)
In the morning we had some breakfast at a "John's Palce", a very aweosme music-themed decorated restaurant. It also had the largets pancakes in the world!!! Very nice place but sure to cause obesity in the long run. (...) We caught a bus and a ferry back to Vanocuver. Such a beautiful trip with clear skies and it all looked so much like Norway that it automatically triggered some sentimental nostalgia. (....)
And so this morning I got to Penticton, about which I will write alter (...) i need to be patted on the head from time to time.
Filipa
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