10 days on the Sunshine Coast

~ April 9th to 18th, 2019 ~

Hello hello,

I am back! I thought I would try to revive my blog now that spring is here. Somehow, I never managed to post anything during the entire winter season. Sorry about that, but I am still alive and doing well :-) If I find the time, I might also write about my winter retrospectively.

On April 9th, I left Blue River, where I had been working, and headed towards Vancouver to visit my great aunt. It was quite a long trip: first, someone gave me a ride to Kamloops, where I then took a bus to Vancouver. In Vancouver itself, I had to transfer several times to reach the ferry in Horseshoe Bay, which took me to my great aunt in Gibsons. Everything worked out perfectly and I was back by the sea late in the evening.

The next few days were very relaxed. My great aunt also had a friend from Germany visiting at the same time, so we took a few walks together.

From April 13th to 15th, we were in downtown Vancouver to run a few errands. There, I also met a friend again whom I had met on a farm on Pender Island in October. She invited me for a coffee at the bakery where she has been working since November. From there, I explored the Kitsilano neighborhood and walked along the beaches to the University of British Columbia.

On the 16th, it was time for me to buy a car!!! Yes, you read that right. I had decided to buy my first car ever in Canada. I made contact with a German traveling couple through Facebook, who wanted to sell their car including a built-in bed and all camping equipment. So I drove to the suburb of Abbotsford to buy the car there. My plan is to do many road trips in Canada, and having my own car makes me particularly independent.
To have the whole car checked again, I took it to an inspection at a workshop. Some minor repairs were done, so now I am ready for many trips :-) There were still some issues with the insurance, which are still not completely resolved. Just this much: Myself and my car are now insured, I have a Canadian license plate, and I am officially allowed to drive here.
The first drive from Abbotsford back to my great aunt's place was quite exciting. It went straight to the ferry via a highway and then to the Sunshine Coast. But I arrived safely :-)

The following days were all about emptying the car. So I got a clear overview of all the equipment that was included. And there was quite a lot: a built-in bed with mattress, pillows, and blankets, camping gear, a gas stove, chairs, tables, sleeping bags, a tent with an air mattress, and much more. Perfect for a long camping trip. I will definitely share pictures once I'm on the road. Because at the end of April, I want to head towards Yukon and Alaska. You'll find out more in my next posts.

Other than that, I helped my great aunt in the garden on the remaining days and packed the final things for my road trip.