Vancouver Island and change of plans

Phew, it's been a while since my last post. A lot has happened since then.

I had a great but short stay on Vancouver Island, specifically in Ucluelet. Since I had limited time, everything was a bit rushed. The bus ride alone showed me Canada just as I imagined it - just one road through the wilderness. But be careful, it's like riding a roller coaster, so not for those who get motion sickness. Greetings to my sister and Jan Hempker😉

My goal was to see whales, and I did it!☺️ I only have one bad proof photo, but who needs that anyway. I've realized that taking photos of things is a compulsive obsession to capture everything. It doesn't work, especially not with a phone camera! It's much more important to keep things in your mind. A photo can't convey the associated feeling. That's why I took few pictures in the last few days and only when I felt like it. After the whale watching tour, I looked for something to eat because I was starving (the sea air👍). I had very delicious pulled pork, not fast food, but really nicely arranged. Then I walked back to my accommodation. It was quite a distance, but it was the only affordable option. Everything else here is really expensive. So classic tourists are really milked here. Andy's backpacker hostel was a great experience! The sign at the entrance was a bit unusual: please take off your shoes. Just like at home😉. As soon as I took off my shoes and opened the door, I found myself in a spacious living room. The next thing I heard was, "you must be Gerrit". Wow, I thought, this is the right place for you! It felt less like a hostel and more like Andy's house, where he lets everyone stay with him😂. Everything was top-notch and very cozy. Some pictures attached. The garden was beautifully landscaped, with a fire pit and private access to the beach, etc. So cool. I also met people at the campfire right away. Some who were just staying for a long weekend and others who had been stuck here for a month and just surf all the time.

The original plan was just to spend a long weekend in Vancouver. Then I was supposed to help Jolene's friend Lisa from Wednesday to Saturday. But when I returned from Ucluelet, Lisa called me. Buster, her younger German hunting dog, had suspected lymph node cancer. So I drove to her Vancouver townhouse first, and we had gin and tonics. Before she cancels on me, she wanted to wait for the lab results. Unfortunately, they confirmed the cancer, so Lisa and Steve had other concerns and no longer had the time for wwoofing... Sad and unfortunate, but it gave me more time for Van City...☺️