Back from the island to the mainland

I've been on the farm for just over a week now, and a typical daily routine looked like this:

First, in shift work, the chickens had to be let out at 6am. After the quick procedure, I usually went back to bed and then we met for breakfast. Afterwards, we usually watered the many tomatoes and then picked the rows of raspberries. Most of the time, we also weeded parts of the gardens and harvested other vegetables. On the weekend, we had to prepare the farm shop.

In the afternoons, we usually had free time during the heat of the day, where we sometimes went to nearby Cameron Lake. In the afternoons, we had to collect the eggs scattered all over the farm, and in the evening, we had to bring the chickens back into the coop when it got dark.

During meals, we almost always had something from our own garden. In addition to the daily eggs, we had kale in many variations, and after the weekend, we used up the unsold items from the farm shop.

On a day off, I hiked to Mount Aerosmith, which is also nearby. It took me a total of 4-5 hours, and the view was very impressive. There was even snow on the top of a distant mountain. After coming back down, I spontaneously decided to take a dip in Cameron Lake to cool off.

So, after spending two and a half weeks on the farm, I said goodbye and continued my journey towards Tofino. Since there is only one road on the island, I decided to hitchhike and was picked up after just 20 minutes.

In the afternoon, I immediately decided to take a surf lesson and spent a total of 3 hours in the Pacific Ocean, wearing a wetsuit and trying to surf. I managed to stand on the board a few times and maintain my balance. In the evening, I took a walk to the beach and watched the sunset after a tiring day.

The next day, I booked accommodation on a remote island called Meares Island, which was only a 5-minute boat ride from Tofino. Initially, I met someone from the hostel with whom I drove to Ucluelet in his rental car to hike along the rocky coast of the Pacific, which also offered a beautiful view.

In the afternoon, we went to Meares Island together and hiked up Lone Cone. This hike was the most challenging I have done so far. In addition to the initially very muddy section, it became very steep after half an hour, and we had to climb over logs and ropes. After 2 hours, we had climbed 730 meters in altitude, and the effort was worth it: the view was breathtaking, above the clouds! In addition to an overview of Tofino, we could also see the many small islands around Vancouver Island.

After a similarly difficult descent, we looked forward to our dinner and initially chuckled at what was going on in the kitchen. Because some people couldn't even prepare the simplest meals like spaghetti with tomato sauce. Ours, however, tasted very good.

The next morning, we took an early ferry back to Tofino and looked around the market there. Afterwards, I hitchhiked with a Canadian who wanted to go to Victoria, which is where I wanted to go too. However, all accommodations there were fully booked, so I made a stopover at the farm and stayed there for one more night. After a leisurely breakfast, I hitchhiked to the ferry in Nanaimo and was lucky again, only had to wait 20 minutes. After a nearly 2-hour ferry ride in beautiful weather, I arrived back on the mainland. I wanted to go back to Vancouver again, as I wanted to explore the surroundings and parts of the city a bit more. Fortunately, I found accommodation with an old acquaintance whom I met during my last stay in Vancouver.

The next morning, I took a bus to Grouse Mountain to hike up there. This trail was not easy, it was rocky and difficult. It was recommended to be very steep and take about 1.5-2 hours. However, I only took one break and managed to climb the 800 meters in altitude within an hour. When I reached the top, the view was disappointing due to the forest fires in British Columbia, as the smoke obstructed the visibility. On the summit, there were various options to refresh yourself, including a café, a restaurant, and a stand where you could eat 'Beavertails'. This is a Canadian pastry that can be eaten with cinnamon, Nutella, or maple syrup.

On the mountain, there were other attractions, such as learning about the history of the mountain, observing the grizzly bears that were rescued in their childhood, and a lumberjack show with different disciplines.

For the descent from the mountain, I took the gondola, as hiking was prohibited due to safety regulations.

The next day, I went to Whistler with a few other Germans. We shared a rental car and stopped at Shannon Falls and Brandywine Falls on the way. Each one was special in its own way, but here too, the view was limited due to the smoke.

When we arrived in Whistler, we explored the nice town a bit and were lucky that there was a farmer's market where we strolled around. Afterwards, we walked through the nearby park and then went to a lake for a swim, where we took a refreshing dip. The return trip was also uneventful, but due to the smoke, the trip was only half as rewarding.

In the evening, I watched a fireworks display with my acquaintance and his friends while enjoying delicious pizza.

At first, the next day I wanted to go to Squamish, another town north of Vancouver, to go hiking, but the smoke still persists, even in the next few days, so hiking wouldn't be worthwhile. Instead, I took care of some organizational tasks and spent the day quietly, with some sports.

The following day, I took the bus to Lynn Canyon, which was about 1 hour away from downtown. This was the cheaper alternative to Capilano Suspension Bridge, which is a suspension bridge. Here, I could also cross a suspension bridge and take a walk, which reminded me a bit of the Westerberg. Afterwards, on the bus ride, I stopped at a German bakery to finally enjoy some good German bread. Then I went to the maple syrup shop to say hello again to my colleagues with whom I had worked for 3 days in April.

The next day, I went to a farmer's market again, which takes place every Saturday and offers a variety of products and tasting opportunities. In the evening, there was another impressive fireworks display.

On Sunday, the Pride Parade took place, which lasted over 2 hours. This is a memorial and demonstration day for gay, lesbian, and transgender people, and it celebrates their rights and acceptance in society. After the parade, I met up with my acquaintance's friends at the festival area near the beach and looked around there before I went to the gym in the late afternoon. The next day, I walked around the city and explored the different neighborhoods in downtown Vancouver on foot for a total of 3 hours. In addition to further preparations for my upcoming departure, this day was also a quiet day.

On my last day in Vancouver, I helped my acquaintance clean up the apartment and prepare the food: for my farewell, we had typical Argentine empanadas. They were pastry pockets filled with a meat and vegetable mixture, and we ate them together with our friends in the late afternoon before I went to the airport. After the waiting time and at the airport, and the delayed departure from Vancouver due to luggage problems, I tried to sleep on the flight to make the 4-5 hour flight time go faster....