The Andals know how to fish

Anthroplura Xanthrogramica

Monday was a day of play here in Bamfield. Rosalee met the children of the hosts of the B&B. Liam (who is also 5 and a half) and Ania (who is 2) became Rosalee's playmates for a large part of the day. The played baseball (R's first- and her first swing at the ball was a hit!), various games in the backyard, swung on the hammock, and compared shell collections. We also followed them down to the beach for some beach combing. This was our second trip to the beach as Karl, Eric, Rosalee and I had ventured there (via secret hobbit-path) earlier in the morning. We searched the tide pools for life and found many wondrous creatures, including starfish, crabs, anemones. 

In the afternoon , Eric, Karl and Cindy went fishing, and Eric caught a 14 pound spring salmon ( to be eaten later this week). In the quiet I had time to read and watch the hummingbirds visit the geraniums.

Dinner was Ross's chicken parmesan special - yum!

The evening was topped off with some guitar playing and singing.

Bamfield Bound

A long day of travel from Sidney to Bamfield, about 9 hours.  Eric, Rosalee and Karl took the boat across Sidney Inlet where 3 caught and released rockfish, flatfish, greenling, and several ice cream cones later boaters and drivers reunited to continue the journey. We urged the truck and the now-trailing-boat up and over the 750 metre Malahat summit. Had lunch at a grass-roofed building, with goats wandering atop its roof. A stop also at Cathedral Grove to gaze up and up and up to where trees meet the light. At China Beach drivers and boaters parted ways one more time to meet at the final destination - Bamfield. Cindy, Ross, Eric, Rosalee and I were the drivers, seeing the sights as we drove: gravel ruts, clear cuts, steep drop offs , the sun setting (into our eyes), dust like snow on the trees beside the road, and signs warning of narrow roads and logging trucks. But also - the treed slopes reaching towards some resting clouds, a doe watching from tall grasses, a stag, and one small black bear. Thanks to Cindy for great driving skills. We were happy to meet up with everybody, take the boat across the Bamfield inlet for a good dinner and a well needed sleep.

Gathering of the clans - flowers or fish

Goodbye Vancouver, Hello Sidney. We packed up our suitcases, ready for a day of travel and the beginning of the reunion. Taxi to the bus, bus to the ferry, ferry to Vancouver island. The BC ferry had an interpreter on board who regaled us with tales of kelp forests . Thanks kelp for all of the oxygen you provide the world!

We were greeted at Swartz Bay by Hannah and Karl. Back to Sidney for lunch with friends. Hello Karl, Cindy, Ross, Ellen, and Bruce!

After lunch we formed flower and fish clans. 

Karl, Ross, Bruce, Eric & Rosalee were the fish clan - heading off to ready the boat for the next day's journey. During their afternoon they caught a few fish and a crab or two (which they let go after meeting them), and also did some good beach combing on Sidney Spit.

Cindy, Ellen, and I were the flower clan. We moseyed over to Butchart Gardens for a walk through the purple petalled trails . Beautiful.

Picked up some fresh corn on the way back, that, accompanying Karl's famous ginger/garlic fish fiesta, and some good wine made for a flavourful end to a full day. We had a good Skype-chatt with John & Dianne whose presence on this trip, as well as Marg's, will definitely be missed. We'll think of all of them as we dip our toes in the ocean, and raise our glasses to beloved friends.

A bicycle built for three

Day 3 in Vancouver was spent in Stanley Park. Bayshore bike rental is just steps away from our hotel. We picked up a bike with an extension for R and Mum, a bike for Dad, some helmets and locks, and were on our way. This was the first time that R (and D!) tried this particular biking configuration,  yet we were surprisingly wobble-free. There are hundreds of cyclists biking the paths of Stanley Park on a beautiful day. So we quickly learned how to find breaks in the packs where we could nose our way into the fray. Our first stint was the sea wall that is on the perimeter of the park. We stopped to see the totem poles, and then for sculptures of a diving girl along the way.

At one point, maybe close to half way around the perimeter, we noticed a small group of people peering over the side of the sea wall. A mother river otter and two pups were having a bit of lunch on a seaweed covered rock. One of the pups was chomping on a flatfish, while the mom did some washing, and the other pup explored.

The next group of cyclists, runners and walkers we saw gathered were gazing at a bald eagle with its freshly caught fish. I couldn't get my camera out in time for a picture. The eagle flew ahead (as did the more enthusiastic photographers)  and then off to where the photographers could no longer fly.

At third beach we had a break to put our feet in the waves. We decided it was lunchtime, so made our way up to the Stanley Park Tea Room for a lunch of local Halibut, steak and frites, and a refreshing lychee and watermelon drink.

Our destination after lunch was the second beach pool. We decided to go via some of the interior bike trails. The woods were cool, the towering trees lovely, and the hill-up a bit of a challenge. R discovered on our way downhill towards second beach, that she had the power to pedal both her and her mom from her backseat in the bicycle. Mom just relaxed while R did the work.

Second beach was cooler this time round so we had a shorter swim and headed back to return our bicycles and have an ice cream.

Dinner was at a Japanese restaurant named Guu with Garlic. The one disappointment of the day was that mom dropped Aurora, the beluga stuffie on the way to the restaurant. Promises for a new beluga sometime soon.

Water

Day 2 in Vancouver we took advantage of our two block walk to Stanley Park and headed towards the Vancouver Aquarium. We stopped for a few photos at a welcoming tree that accommodated us with loving arms for a few photos. It was here where we met a kind person who offered us three 20%off tickets to the aquarium. Arriving early at the aquarium, R had a chance to explore a nearby playground. And then the aquarium!  Another kind person, a volunteer at the aquarium, offered one of us free admission. We saw Jellyfish, stingrays, piranhas, sharks, fish of every stripe. We also saw poisonous frogs, snakes (Eric's fave - the anaconda), bats butterflies, sloths and marmosets. We enjoyed the beluga show, the finale being the part where one beluga spat water which splashed us again and again, even getting in Rosalee's eye!

We experienced our first 4D movie experience where we learned about the salmon run while being splashed by water, blown by wind, and surrounded by the scent of cedar. A definite highlight.

After the aquarium we took a miniature train ride and heard a First Nation story about the spirit bear.

In the afternoon we went to the swimming pool, where we spent several hours swimming, and where R revelled in sliding down her first water slides. 

Ant to top the day off , dinner at the banana leaf restaurant for a nine-course tasting menu featuring fine Malaysian food. What a day!