Canada - West Coast

Canada – West Coast:

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Vancouver: Entering into Canada from Seattle was a pleasant experience as the train ran next to the water and we saw lots of wildlife. It was nice not having to drive for a change and we could sit back and relax. Jason greeted us in Vancouver at the train terminal which was a blessing as we were loaded with a mountain of luggage which was too much for us to carry. Distances is definitely not his strong point as his “it’s just around the corner” ended up being a looooong way – I had to stop for a rest at one point as my shoulders couldn’t take it anymore. Even so, we made it safely to the airport where we got our new rental car. Jason, thanks for the help, we love you man! Funnily enough our rental car was the exact same model as before: a Jeep Grand Cherokee!

From the airport we drove to Jason’s Uncle’s place where we stayed for the next 3 nights. We were introduced to his uncle: “100-mile-an-hour-Dave” who, after learning we’re foodies, had many plans for us. Dave took us to taste a goat roti at one of his favorite restaurants, Dave took us to get maps, Dave took us shopping for vegetables and rack of lamb for dinner and Dave had us chopping and cooking straight after we got back. It was lots of fun taking orders from Head Chef Dave and amusing seeing him darting about with a thermometer and timer swinging around his neck. Everything was cooked to German precision and the end result: chargrilled rack of lamb with roasted vegetables and brussel sprouts tasted really good. We were however drained, physically and mentally, after Dave got hold of us so we sneaked away to bed early that night.

The next day we went to Vancouver to tick off a few tourist attractions. First we went to see the Steam Clock which is an interesting bit of engineering. Next up was Stanley Park where we went to see the Totem Poles created by various Indian clans - each pole tells a story and is unique to the clan. I really love their colorful artwork and would have loved to take a few home although getting a totem pole in a backpack might prove difficult. From there we walked around the peninsula where we saw the Girl in a swimsuit statue and then we made our way to downtown Vancouver to meet Jason. That night the local hockey team played in the play-offs and all the pubs in down town Vancouver were packed with supporters.

The Canucks is Vancouver’s hockey team and hockey in Canada is BIG – they even have hockey players printed on their money! There is a lot of action in hockey with players crashing into each other amidst fist fights. It took us a while to get used to following the puck around the field as everything happens so damn fast! That night the Canucks won against San Jose and Vancouver city was mayhem with people all over the place partying – it was a great vibe. The next day we went back into town to visit the MEC store which sells pretty much any outdoor equipment you can think of. I bought a wood saw and water filter for future trips. After that we took a walk around Granville Island to see the farmers market and other small shops. We had a quick beer in a bar before heading off to the Vij’s Restaurant.

Vij’s is a well known Indian restaurant and was everything (and more) that we were looking forward to. Their food was absolutely delicious and we ate every last morsel of the lamb curry, pulled pork and much more. There is a cookbook available and I will definitely have to prepare a few of the dishes in the future. The next day we took off to Vancouver Islands so said our good byes and headed to the ferry from Tsawwassen to Victoria.

Victoria: The ferry from Tsawwassen Bay to Victoria took about an hour and a half and soon we were driving along the coast towards Victoria. Along the way we stopped for scones with cream although we had to opt for the take out option as the whole shop was filled with posh gossiping ladies dressed in funny hats. We finally reached Victoria which is a beautiful city next to the water. It had a nice atmosphere and it was lovely strolling along the streets looking at all the art and other knick- knacks from the vendors. As there was an Imax in town we went to see a film called “Born to be Wild”. It was a touching documentary about elephant and orangutan orphans in two rescue centres with Morgan Freeman narrating. We really enjoyed the show and can highly recommend it to anyone visiting an Imax.  

Victoria was our 3^rd Couchsurfing experience and we stayed with a guy called Ryan. As he was pretty busy we were left to our own devices most of the time although he did at least manage to join us when I BBQ’d chicken that evening. He shared a few funny stories with us regarding couch surfers that he has hosted before. The next morning was Gillian’s birthday so I had poached eggs on toasted English muffins with smoked salmon and hollandaise sauce in mind. It was my first attempt at poaching eggs so the counter was littered with hard experimental ones. By the end though I had perfected the art of poaching and breakfast turned out to be a winner! It was a good way to start the day and prepared us for our journey from Victoria to Nanaimo.

Nanaimo: We stayed with Melissa and Alex and their very cute daughter Ella while in Nanaimo. Little Ella kept me very busy as she kept wanting to play cars. I couldn’t stop laughing at her every time she said the orange car was owinge – it doesn’t take much to amuse me though. As it was Gillian’s birthday I treated everyone to a meal in a Greek restaurant called Asteras. We’ve been craving lamb for a long time as for some reason not a lot of menus have it on offer. Dinner included flat breads with dip, grilled cheese and calamari, and for mains we had a large chunk of fall of the bone lamb which was to die for. Gillian was the only one who could actually fit pudding in and she had the crème caramel washed down with a flaming shot of sambucca, compliments of the restaurant! It was a really nice evening spent with friends.

The next morning Melissa and Alex treated us to a full English breakfast while I entertained little Ella yet again with her owinge cars. We had a fair bit of driving to do so couldn’t hang around too long. Apparently little Ella was very sad to see us leave especially after losing her car companion, leaving poor Melissa was left to mend the waterworks after we left. Melissa and Alex, thanks for letting us stay with you - although very short, we had a very good time!   

Coombs: There was no other reason to stop at Coombs other than to see all of the artisan shops and the goats on the roof of the country store. The shops sold anything from clothing to jewelry and ice creams while goats stood on the roof looking down at the people posing with cameras. Gillian couldn’t resist buying an ice cream although it was also a good time to stock up on fresh veggies for dinner. From there we drove along the scenic highway through dense forests and past lakes and rivers to Ucluelet.

Ucluelet: I really liked the small town of Ucluelet as it wasn’t overly developed and had lots of charm. In general it was a lot cheaper than its overprized neighbor Tofino which fitted our backpacker’s budget much better. We stayed in a cheap Asian run motel right next to the main road which came with large rooms. There were hardly any other tourists around as we walked down to the main harbor to see the fishermen feed the resident sea lions. Bald eagles swooped down with their outstretched wings to pick off any leftovers on top of the water. The whole scene was happy, peaceful and almost slightly surreal – man and nature living in a peaceful harmony. That evening Gillian cooked us a Shepherd’s Pie made from the leftover lamb of the Greek restaurant while I in turn was in peaceful harmony with my dinner.

I really wanted Gillian to catch her first salmon which I intended putting on a BBQ for dinner. Fishing charters were however very expensive averaging around $500-$600 for only a few hours! We couldn’t justify paying that so instead we went to fish off the rocks near the start of the Wild Pacific Trail. I used my spinning rod and it didn’t take me long to hook a black bass with a buzz-bomb lure. Other than the fish I unfortunately also hooked the bottom of the ocean costing me a few lures. Even so I ended up with two black bass and a small lingcod, perfect for dinner and resulting in a happy Le Roux!

Later that day we went for a hike along the scenic Wild Pacific Trail, mesmerized by the waves crashing into the rugged rocky shoreline. We couldn’t help but stop many times to take photos along the way. It was my turn to cook dinner and having a room without a smoke alarm was a bonus. I fried the fresh fish fillets and served it with good old mashed potatoes – delicious! Fresh fish is always a winner and even though we didn’t get to catch a king salmon the bass and lingcod still tasted really good.     

Tofino: Along our travels we heard many good things about Tofino so we had fairly high expectations. We booked into the cheapest possible B&B and from there went to explore town. There were fishing shops, kayak tours, whale cruises, restaurants and coffee shops dotted around town. Kayaking is one of the must do things while in Tofino so we booked a trip for the next day. The girl that helped us recommended a restaurant called Sobo where we tried polenta fries and smoked fish chowder served with corn bread. Their food was very good and we walked away stuffed, needing a stroll along the beach to work off our lunch. We found Tonquin Beach where we went for a quick walk along the rocks seeing loads of sea stars lying together in groups - I’ve never seen so many in one place!

I couldn’t resist taking my spinning rod along to try and catch a few more fish. There were two other fishermen sharing a rock with me although they left empty handed and somewhat humiliated after I caught two fish in front of them. The weather was very cold and the wind blew strong so we didn’t stay too long, instead we headed back to our B&B to cook our fish for dinner. At least it didn’t rain so I could fry the fish using our camping stove and pan. During the night it started raining so the next day we had to don our waterproof gear for our kayaking trip. At least the sea was calm as we glided over the waters between tree covered islands. Gillian and I shared a kayak as she couldn’t be trusted with her own one especially after tipping one over in Central America! Halfway into our trip we got to stretch our legs on Meares Island known for its big trees. Our guide pointed out clumps of jelly-like salamander eggs lying in the water as well as a black and yellow banana slug going nowhere slowly. All in all it was a good experience and well worth the money.

After our kayaking it started raining very hard. We went for lunch at a small cafe with Gillian opting for the pulled pork sandwich while I had a burger. Originally we intended going for a hike in the Botanical Gardens but that plan went out the window because of the heavy rain. Instead we retired to the warmth of our B&B. Dinner that evening was especially interesting as because of the rain I couldn’t cook outside while inside the room there was a smoke alarm. I had to get creative so in the end fried our fish in the bathroom with the fan running! Unfortunately our upstairs neighbors complained about the noisy fan forcing me outside to finish off our fish risotto. Even though it rained a lot and even though Tofino was a little overpriced we still had a good time. 

Mission: While in Belize we met a very friendly Canadian guy called Craig who has a goatee much like the ones we saw on the roof in Coombs, but luckily he lives under his roof not on it! We decided to stop over at his place on our way to the Okanagan wine valley. Craig lives with his wife Rachelle and fluffy mutt Smudge and they made us feel very welcome right from the start. They treated us to a pub dinner and the rest of our time with them was mostly spent chatting or simply chilling out. Even though we had such a short time there, it was really nice seeing Craig again. He had plans for me regarding fishing for sturgeon if we’d had more time, so I might just have to take him up on it in the future. Craig, Rachelle and Smudge, thanks for a good time! 

Osyoos: The next day we drove from Mission to a small town called Osyoos in the Okanagan Wine Valley. We really wanted to sample some Canadian wines so we started our Okanagan experience at the Nk’Mip winery. My dad organized for us to stay with an old friend of his called Schalk de Witt. We struck gold as he shared the small holding with his son in law, Bertus Albertyn, who incidentally works as the wine maker at the Burrowing Owl Winery. Yet again we were made to feel very welcome. Dinner that evening was a big affair starting with wine and cheese and followed by a big steak dinner prepared on a proper wood braai (aka BBQ only better).

Bertus kindly offered to take us on a tour of the winery and there was no way we were going to turn down that offer. Bertus was not only a very friendly guy but also very passionate and insightful when it comes to wine making. He was able to tell so many things that we would not have learnt while on a normal tour. I never knew that the simple act of roasting oak when the barrels are made played such a big part in the taste of the wine. It was also interesting learning about the blending of wine as well as the various forests in France where they produce the wood for the barrels. To Bertus and the de Witt family, thank you very much for a friendly and insightful stay!

We decided to stop off at the Gehringer Brothers Winery for a last bit of wine tasting as they came highly recommended. Rightly so as not only were their wines very good it was surprisingly cheap. As I was designated driver I had to use the silver spit bowl for the first time ever much against my morals. Gillian however scoffed one glass after the other and was quite tipsy by the end of the day. They produced some very interesting wines and we were able to sample a few Rieslings, Gewürztraminer, Chardonnay, Ehrenfelser, Cab Merlot, Late Harvests, red Cabernet Franc ice wine and white Riesling ice wine. We bought a bottle of Cab Merlot which ended up being one of our favourite wines tasted while in Canada.   

     

Kamloops: While touring through Honduras, we met Larry and Fred at a micro brewery called D&D Brewery. They were touring through Central America on motorbikes and as I love bikes I was extremely jealous to say the least. We shared details with them not really thinking we’d meet again although in the end we did. Over beers Larry told us of his famous steak with peppercorn sauce and we had every intention of taking him up on it. As Kamloops was on our way to Lake Louise we took Larry up on his kind offer of a bed, making sure that we reminded him of his steak with peppercorn promise. We received yet again another warm Canadian welcome and soon were sipping wine while chatting away. I can happily report back that Larry’s famous steak was indeed very tasty!

As we had the morning free Larry took us fishing in Scuitto Lake not too far from his place. I’ve never fished in a belly boat before and it was lots of fun trying it out for the first time. A belly boat is an inflatable rubber ring with a harness mounted around it. I wore it nappy-style with a wetsuit and flippers for paddling around while flicking my fly rod trying to catch a trout. One did grab my fly and we had a bit of a fight although the trout won after tail walking and spitting out the fly - all I was left with was a fishing story. While I was fishing Gillian and Larry were having fun paddling around the lake in small kayaks. Even a marmot came out to play. All too soon we had to return as we still had to drive to Lake Louise. Larry, if you are reading this, thanks again for a good time!

Lake Louise: The drive from Kamloops to Lake Louise was very scenic as we drove through the snow covered Rocky Mountains. With the snow melting there were many pretty waterfalls on the tree covered mountain slopes. Along the way we even got to see 4 black bears feeding next to the road which doesn’t happen every day! I had high expectations of Lake Louise as I’ve seen it before on a photo and was very impressed. On the photo the turquoise water mirrored the towering mountains and that is what I had in mind when I walked up to the lake.  However, what I saw was far from the photo. The damn lake was still mostly frozen so there was no way I was going to get my own turquoise photo! The view was still pretty although I was very disappointed. We went for a short hike and to our surprise saw a porcupine grazing between the trees. I’ve never seen a northern hemisphere porcupine before so at least that made for a memorable visit to Lake Louise. That evening we stayed in a backpacker hostel called H.I. Lake Louise where we relaxed over dinner and a few beers.

Banff: We drove to Banff the next morning and booked a trip up the gondola to the top of Sulphur Mountain. The top of the mountain was still covered in snow and it was very cold especially with the wind chill which made the temperature feel like below freezing. We braved a short hike along the ridge for a killer view over the valley far below although quickly returning to the cabin for a hot chocolate to thaw our icy hands. Along the way a little chipmunk ran right up to me and stopped to have his picture taken. Back down we went for a warm lunch of soup and bread and after that explored the many shops in the cute little town.

   

West Calgary: Back in South America while on a cruise down the Chilean Fjords we met Lisa, Alex (two lifelong Canadian friends) and Will (Aussie). Lisa invited us to stay with her and we were happy to take her up on the offer as we were driving right past her place. She was living with her parents who have a very nice house on a large wooded property. For dinner that evening her dad cooked us steak while Lisa made an upside down pineapple cake. With our full tummies we felt like a walk around their property was in order. It was an eventful one as along the way we got to see a few moose as well as black-tail deer and elk. We had a nice time at their place and it was good catching up with Lisa again. Thanks guys!    

High River: From Lisa’s place we drove to see Alex south of Calgary near the small cowboy town of High River. Her mum also owns a farm with a fair head of cattle roaming around the flat grassy meadows. They were a very friendly bunch and we got on like a house on fire. After unpacking our luggage we immediately had a cold drink put in our hands and made to sit down in the sun at the back of the house. Rob (Alex’s step-dad) didn’t seem to like the look of a near empty glass as he made sure that we were topped up at all times! Very soon we were all chatting away like old friends and then it was time for dinner: Alberta beef and sausages. Dinner was very tasty, followed by smores toasted on a fire outside. Alex’s grandparents came over to join us and I had to do a double take when her grandfather appeared. He is an old school cowboy and was dressed accordingly: blue jeans with cowboy boots, leather belt with buckle, neck tie and of course a cowboy hat. They were a nice bunch and we sat outside next to the fire till late and Rob had me sampling a good Scottish single malt whiskey.

The next morning I woke up slightly groggy after all the drinking the night before and needed my usual strong cup of coffee to clear the cobwebs. As we had the morning free Rob had all sorts of plans lined up. First up was gopher shooting on the prairies. Armed with a .22 rifle fitted with a telescope, we drove off to find the little buggers. Gophers are classified as vermin as there too many of them so I didn’t feel too bad eliminating a few. They are definitely more curious than intelligent as they pop up in full view to see what is going on. Apparently some Canadians make a day of it – park on a prairie, pump up the stereo, crack open a cold beer and terminate gophers. I think that with the increase in intoxication there might be a decrease in accuracy…

Next up Rob took me to his hanger where he keeps his plane and Harley Davidson motorbikes. I was like a little kid in a candy store ogling his shiny Harleys and his custom built plane. Luckily I completed my full motorbike license while in London and Rob was keen to go for a ride. He got me dressed up all in leathers and soon we were roaring down the highway, me with a smug grin from ear to ear. Both Harleys had 1500cc engines and packed with a lot of horsepower, more than the local speed limit would ever allow us to go. Unfortunately we couldn’t ride for too long as Gillian and I still needed to travel to Calgary to meet up with her friends. We did manage to stop along the way for a quick pub lunch before motoring back home. I had a really nice time with Alex and her family and didn’t want to leave especially as we saw more gophers laughing at me while driving out.           

Calgary: We stayed with Mike & Cheryl, friends of Gillian’s who she met while on a trip to Africa. We followed the same Canadian welcome routine as with all the other people we’ve visited: unpack, settle in and accept a cold alcoholic beverage from our friendly hosts. As we’d had steak 4 out of the last 5 nights Gillian made a request for something other than red meat. Mike had beer-can chicken in mind which I was excited about as I’ve never tried before. He placed an open can of beer inside the cavity of the chicken and stood the chicken upright in the BBQ using the can as a platform. Just after he placed the chickens inside the BBQ we discovered that Mike had a curse: every time he had a BBQ without fail it would rain. We could only laugh at him standing in the rain while sipping our drinks inside in the dry. His dedication did pay off however as the chicken was delicious: moist on the inside and crispy on the outside – yum!

The next day Mike took me to a Bass Pro shop to stock up on fishing tackle while Gillian went to have her hair done. I’ve never been in a Bass Pro shop and was amazed by the enormity of the colossal building selling pretty much any outdoor gear one can imagine. I had to force myself to only buy what I needed and stay away from all the other goodies on show. As we had to pick Gillian up Mike dragged me away from the shop. He wanted us to sample food from his favorite Vietnamese restaurant and treated us to lunch. Gillian and Mike went for the beef satay pho while I had a mixed combo of vegetable spring rolls, pork ribs, and a few other yummy things - nice! Back at their place it was time for serious packing as we had a flight to catch to Halifax later that evening. Cheryl’s parents came over that afternoon to stay for a few days. Her mom loved Mike’s BBQ chicken wings so it was time for him to light up the BBQ again. It was almost comical as it started to rain yet again seconds after he placed the wings on the grill – I think he must have wronged Thor in his previous life…

With us dropping off our rental car at the airport, our trip around Western Canada came to an end. Most of our time was spent catching up with friends and we hardly had to stay in hotels at all! I found the hospitality and friendliness of Canadians heartwarming – I am actually yet to find an unfriendly one! During our stay we were plied with good food, alcohol and friendly laughter which made for a very memorable visit. The scenery was also impressive and diverse ranging from rugged coast, rolling vineyards, snow covered mountains to flat prairies in Alberta. It was a shame we had to rush our visit and I would definitely like to return one day to finish off the bits we missed or rushed.

Complete photo album: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150275135622743.380256.749927742&l=72d18c04b3

The end...

America - Part 4 (Portland - Seattle)

America - Part 4 (Portland - Seattle)

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Portland:  From Tillamook we drove east along highway 6 to Portland and booked into a very average hostel. Parking in Portland was an absolute nightmare and it took us forever to find a spot. We were however lucky to have found a spot in the hostel as they only had 1 room spare. As Portland is well known for its micro breweries it was a good excuse for me to stop at a bar for some beer tasting. The beer is usually served in small glasses which are placed on a paper displaying their names – a rather pleasant activity indeed! Dinner that evening was equally nice as we bought pâté, salami and salad to go with our Tillamook goodies of strong cheddar, smoked brie, blue cheese dressing and French stick.

As we only stayed for one night we took off again the next morning and stopping at Voodoo Doughnuts on our way out of

 town. A friend of ours, Kyle, told us it is a must-do thing while in Portland. We knew the doughnuts were going to be good because when we turned up there was a queue stretching all the way out of the shop and into the car park! They had a massive array of doughnuts on offer and even had a coffin size box for greedy people! We opted for a Bacon Maple Bar, a Voodoo Doll, Grape Ape and 3 others to fill our box of 6. Kyle was right, the doughnuts were to die for and didn’t last long especially with Gillian and her sweet tooth nudging me in the ribs “come on, let’s have another one Roo”.  

Columbia River Gorge: Charged with a sugar rush from the doughnuts we set off to the Columbia River Gorge along the scenic Route 30. As it was raining we did Japanese style touring: rush out of car, snap snap and rush back to car. Even so, the scenery along the way was breathtaking with multi-colored lush trees and steep cliffs dropping into the river. At times the trees were so green that they almost seemed to glow especially seen through my polarized sunglasses. Along the way we saw many waterfalls, the Bridge of the Gods and many windsurfers due to the strong winds blowing down the valley. I was pleasantly surprised at the beauty of the Columbia Gorge as for some for reason I originally didn’t expect to be blown away.

The Dalles: We booked a room in the cheapest motel in town which was owned by an Indian guy. He complained about 

people crashing into his balcony posts and had a sign displaying “No backwards parking” which made me smile. The whole town was very quiet as it was a Sunday and Gillian’s wine tasting wasn’t going to be as the tasting room had closed down due to divorce. Instead we found a friendly bar where Gillian could sample wine and I could sample beer. Our waitress was very friendly and kept having us sample different drinks, none of which we were allowed to pay for. We were both a little tipsy when we left for a dinner in our motel room although that didn’t stop us from going out to another pub. Of all the beers I tasted the one I liked the most was called Mac and Jacks African Amber. 

Vancouver: We left The Dalles the next morning after Gillian posted her wooden bear which she’d bought in Oregon. We crossed the Columbia River and entered the evergreen state of Washington. As there was a Stonehenge up on the hill we took a detour to see it. The USA version is a replica of the Stonehenge in England and is a war memoral. From there we drove west along the northern bank of the Columbia River and made our way to Vancouver (Washington) where we stopped in to say hello to a photographer I’d met online called Tammy. She gave us a few tips for which we were both grateful. Thanks Tammy!

Mount St. Helens: We left Vancouver via a Taco Bell for lunch and from there drove to a campsite near Mount St. Helens called Seaquest State Park. That night we made a big campfire to ward off the cold and cooked a chicken stir-fry for dinner. Our first stop the next morning was at the Visitor Centre which showed a video of what exactly happened when the volcano erupted back in 1980. I found it all very interesting and it was a bleak reminder of the destructive powers of Mother Nature. The drive up the valley towards the volcano was slightly eerie as we could easily see the devastation left behind 30 years ago! At one point I had to slam the brakes on when a herd of elk crossed the road without looking left or right. Unfortunately we couldn’t drive all the way to the base of the volcano as there was still too much snow in the area. We did get fairly close though and at least had a clear day for taking a few shots of the snow covered sleeping giant.  

   

Lake Quinault: It took us many goes to finally find a camping spot near Lake Quinault as most were still closed for winter. We finally found a spot in a private RV campground next to the lake at half price as we were the only crazy ones camping. It was once again very cold so we spent most of our time in the warmth of the nearby bar restaurant only leaving to cook our dinner. My hands felt like blocks of ice by the time we were finished cooking our salmon and mashed potatoes. The extra money we paid for our waterproof tent came in handy as during the night it started raining and didn’t stop. Fortunately there was a cooking shelter which I could back our jeep into so we could at least have a dry, although still very cold, breakfast. It was time to pack our very wet tent (never fun) and drive onwards the see the Olympic National Park.

Hoh Rainforest: Our drive up to the Hoh Rainforest Information Centre was very scenic, seen through the rhythmic strokes of the wipers as we drove through the lashing rain. It seemed that the whole road was one long tunnel - trees from either side leaning over to hug each other while their long green beards hung down in wisps. The rainforest seemed almost magical and slightly eerie with fingers of fog creeping between the gnarly tree branches. The Hoh Rainforest is one of the few temperate rainforests in the world. Most of the trees were covered in moss, even the telephone booth outside didn’t escape! As it kept raining hard that day I ran a lot: from car to toilets, from toilets to Information Center and from there back to car.

There was no way we were going to go for a walk in the pouring rain so instead we headed off to find shelter in a backpackers back along the main road. On our way there we stopped at little Coffee shop which ended up being a blessing in disguise. The woman at the shop told us that she had had disgusted guests from the hostel buying detergent to clean their sleeping quarters as it was so dirty! Apparently the hostel owner also gave guests jobs to do around the house while he stood next to them to make sure they did their job properly. Needless to say we gave that one a skip and drove to the nearest town where we didn’t mind paying a little extra for a decent and clean room.

Forks: Unknown to us Forks is home to vampires, not real ones but rather fictional ones made famous by Stephenie Meyer’s “Twilight” series. There were large posters of the characters in the Information Centre while bottles of red wine were advertised as being blood in the local supermarket. When Gillian cooked our pasta dinner outside our motel that evening she made sure to put lots of garlic in it to ward off any thirsty vampires. As we couldn’t find any holy water, wooden crosses or stakes we had to brave the evil forces with garlic breaths only. Luckily our stay didn’t end up being a pain in the neck so we were free to continue our trip through the Olympic National Park. 

It turned out to be a nice day with the sun making an appearance – a rare occurrence!. We stopped to have a picnic next to Lake Crescent where we had uninvited company: a grey jay was very interested in our picnic and we had to keep a constant lookout for the blatant thief. Other than the jay, we saw many deer roaming around the picnic site - luckily they weren't interested in our food. As there was a trail leading to a waterfall we decided to stretch our legs. The waterfall was nothing to write home about although we got to experiment with our digital SLR trying to capture the ‘smoky’ effect, as per Tammy’s instructions.   

Port Angeles: We only stayed there for one night and thought we’d try out a restaurant called the Crab House as we were keen to sample more Dungeness Crabs. It was a good thing that I read online reviews about the place as not only did they NOT serve fresh crabs, most people got food poisoning from their food - readers from Trip Advisor absolutely slated the restaurant. Instead, we opted for the Bushwacker Restaurant which was a good move as their prime rib for mains and peanut butter cheesecake for dessert was delicious.

Hurricane Ridge: The next morning we set off to see the views from snow capped Hurricane Ridge. From the top we had a beautiful view over the Olympic Mountains and also watched a movie about the areas flora and fauna in the warmth of the visitors centre. The previous day we’d bought ingredients for making a full English breakfast. We found a nice spot halfway down the hill with a great view over the sea and started cooking on our camping stoves. What happened next was almost like a scene out of Alfred Hitchcock’s movie “The Birds”. As wafts of sausage fat filled the air the trees started filling with grey jays. It started with one cheeky bugger but soon there were a total of 8 eagerly eyeing our food from the trees! Eating our breakfast was very interesting to say the least as kamikaze jays dive-bombed us from all angles trying to steal our food - I was amazed at just how cheeky and fearless they were.        

  

Port Townsend: After our encounter with the birds we drove to the safety of Port Townsend. The town had lots of charm with beautifully renovated Victorian properties. We found a motel with a lovely view over the sea where we stayed for the night. Strolling through town was nice as there were coffee, gift, toy, book and hippy shops. We reached the small harbor just as a charter boat came in with a very happy client. In the back of the boat lay one of the biggest halibut I’ve ever seen weighing around 100 pounds according to the skipper! Many fishermen are renowned liars when it comes to the size of their catch but that halibut was pretty big. As I couldn’t fish myself I resorted to the next best thing – a beer in the pub.

As our time in America was coming to an end we had to use up as much of our food as possible. I decided to make a chili con carne for dinner loaded with lots of fresh veggies. We were right next to the ocean so I found a nice spot to cook dinner. Unknown to me a homeless guy also found the same spot and came to join me. As we had a box of cheap red wine to use up I offered my new companion some red wine and soon the two of us were sharing stories like old friends. I also shared our dinner with him and felt like I’d done my good deed for the day. I also left him with the rest of the red wine which sure put a big smile on his face! 

Bainbridge Island: To reach Seattle we had to take a ferry from Bainbridge Island. As we arrived there early we had time to visit their farmers market as well as do some more wine tasting. The wines were nothing special but still a nice experience. As we had leftover chili from the night before we found a nice spot on the beach where we heated our food on our camp stove. It was lunch with a view although we couldn’t hang around too long as we had a ferry to catch. 

Seattle: As staying in the city was going to be expensive we decided to give Couchsurfing another go. A guy called Chris emailed us back and told us he was happy to have us for the 3 nights. We've heard many good things about Seattle and were looking forward seeing the city. Entering Seattle from the sea was pretty cool as we had a nice view of the city while standing on the deck of the ferry. Meeting a stranger from the internet is always a little strange but Chris couldn’t have been nicer. Not only was he an interesting and intelligent guy, he was also an extremely passionate cook who took cooking to new levels. He offered us his spare bedroom and made us feel welcome right from the start. As we had to return our rental car Chris even offered to take us to the airport and gave us a lift back - we couldn’t have found a nicer person to stay with. 

 On our way back we stopped off at an Asian shop to pick up seafood for dinner. I’ve bought exotic spices and foods while

 in China Town in London but the Asian shop in Seattle was a lot more interesting. Not only were we the only white people there but they also had an array of live things moving around in tanks such as crabs, lobsters, prawns, clams and fish. Chris chose 3 Dungeness crabs and a fair few spotted prawns for dinner – seafood couldn’t come any fresher than that! I felt a little bad sitting back and sipping wine while Chris cooked, but he assured us there was nothing we could do to help. To accompany the seafood he grilled cos lettuce with olive oil on the BBQ and topped it off with crumbled blue cheese. The prawns and crabs tasted really good and eaten with good wine and good company, our first night in Seattle was great! The only work I had to do was pitch our tent in his back yard to dry it out as it was still wet from camping next to Lake Quinault.

While in Brazil I lost my waterproof clothing and as it was raining a lot in Seattle I decided it was time for a new set, especially with Canada coming up.  Again, Chris volunteered to drive us into town and took us to the huge REI outdoor store. It was also a good time to buy new Lonely Planet guides for Canada and New England so a quick stop at a book store was in order. As Seattle is the birthplace of Starbucks and is well known for their coffee in general we felt like we had to stop for a coffee somewhere. Chris took us to a cozy shop where we each had a macchiato, neatly presented and good tasting. After our coffee we got dropped off at the Space Needle while Chris went to buy groceries for dinner. The Space Needle, although very expensive, was cool and it was nice seeing Seattle from atop. They also have a revolving restaurant at the top where you can see a 360 degree view over the city while you eat!

After the Space Needle, we met up with Chris again and went for lunch at a Sushi restaurant and then for a stroll in Freemont. We also saw the Troll underneath the bridge and were glad that we didn’t end up being his lunch. On the way home we stopped at Gas Works Park and we also went for a stroll to see the floating homes on the water. Seattle sure is a very interesting city! For dinner Chris vacuum packed veal cheeks and placed them in an immersion bath which kept the water at a constant temperature. He had them going for about 6 hours and the end result was melt in the mouth meat and yet again a very nice dinner. The side dishes he prepared were potato puree and wilted chard, while for snacks he made fava bean dip – delicious! He also introduced us to Hairy Pig fat. The pigs are originally from Hungary and their fat is sliced into blocks and then cured. Sliced thinly and placed on top of toasted bread it was a treat!

For our last day in Seattle we took a bus downtown to visit the famous Fish Market. Apparently they throw fish around and make a big show of it although we missed that part. The market was however very interesting and had a huge array of seafood and other artisan souvenirs. We bought a piece of smoked salmon which was to die for and we almost did when they gave us the bill - $14 dollars for a small piece! It was very tasty though. Our next stop was at a fancy kitchen shop called Sur La Table where Gillian looked for a gift for her mom. Ironically she left empty handed while I bought a Bodum travel coffee cup/press combo. I was over the moon at finding one as Craig had had one way back in Belize and we’d been trying to find one ever since! The cup has a double vacuumed plastic wall with a French press inside. Easy to use: throw the ground coffee in the bottom and fill with hot water, press down plunger and flip open flap to drink fresh coffee – brilliant!

After 3 lovely days we took a taxi downtown and from there a train to Vancouver to start the Canadian part of our adventure. It was sad saying good bye to Chris as we really clicked with him and felt that we’d made a new friend. I really loved our road trip through the USA as it had everything to offer: beautiful and diverse nature ranging from deserts to forests, oceans to stretching plains and to top it off, friendly people. One day when I’m grown up I would like to take my time and explore more as I feel I’ve only scratched the surface. 

The end