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...
The next morning I mostly chilled out while Gillian started packing for her flight back to London. She had a lot of sorting, eliminating and repacking to do in order to get everything to fit. She desperately wanted to buy more Levi jeans so using me needing more T-shirts as an excuse, she dragged me to the shopping malls. Her jeans shopping was a failure but I at least found two T-shirts to replace my very worn travel ones. That night I had a reunion with my canoeing buddies who I met while paddling the Nahanni River. Peter and Mary hosted the party at their house which had a lovely deck outside in the sun. Soon the familiar faces started appearing: Dave, Harry and finally Eve. It was nice seeing them all again while chatting about the good times and snacking on breads, dips, olives, cheese and of course lots of wine.
The next day was the 1 July which, to any Canadian, means a celebration of some sort as it was Canada Day. I joined the boys to see the fireworks down at the beach although we arrived there slightly earlier for a couple of beers and to see a band (Lighthouse) playing. The atmosphere was electric with lots of people, mostly very drunk at that point, dancing away and having a good time. In a way it didn’t feel like I was actually in Canada as there was such a mix of ethnicities. I couldn’t help but be sucked into the celebrations and we were soon all having fun. The fireworks streaked the sky with many colorful patterns. A greasy dinner at an Irish bar on the way home made for a very enjoyable evening.
The next day I woke with a slightly sore head and didn’t intend to do very much. However, I couldn’t resist when Martin said he was going to the Bass Pro shop and joined him like a kid knowing he’s being taken to an icecream parlor. I was amazed by the sheer size of the shop and walked around in a slight trance, looking at all the gear – almost like Homer Simpson thinking about doughnuts. That shop could easily clear my bank account so I had to force myself not to buy anything. As we all felt a little rough we decided on a steak BBQ to recharge our batteries especially as the next day was the big Toronto Pride parade in which Carlos was going to march. 
The next day was beautifully warm with not a cloud in the sky – great weather for the parade! I cycled from the house and met Martin in the main square (Yonge & Dundas). From there we braved the crowds after chaining up my bicycle. The atmosphere was electric and I was very amused by some of the costumes or shall I say the lack of! Most people were armed with water guns and anyone was a potential target. At one point I saw a guy with a very large pump-up water gun hit a “bulls eye” when he shot another guy wearing a jock-strap bang between the butt cheeks. Some of the uniforms were overly cheesy or erotic, to which some might have raised more than an eyebrow. I had a good time watching the parade and couldn’t help but laugh at the antics of the particularly camp marchers. We finally spotted Carlos in the crowd walking in his police uniform and it was nice to hear the crowds cheering every time a certain section of the public services came by. That didn’t mean that they didn’t get sprayed with water of course.
Even though I’m as straight as can be, I do believe that gay people should have the same rights as anyone else, and they should not be adversely impacted by either silly laws or religion. I watched the parade for just over an hour and from there met up with Eve (my paddling partner) for some cycling around the Toronto Islands. We left the crowds behind and boarded a ferry across to the island where I had a much needed beer. From there we cycled around the island and couldn’t resist taking a look at the “clothing optional” beach. The people there revealed even more than those in the parade with most letting it all hanging out, some of whom in my opinion definitely shouldn’t. Having walked along the beach taking in the view, no not literally, I had seen enough human anatomy for one day. Our next stop was at the airport side of the island for a picture of the city as the view from that side showed most of the city. I really liked the island as there were many beaches with lots of people having a good time either sunning themselves or swimming in the cold water. 
