Mum & Dad visit Canada

The weather has been utterly glorious for about two months now!

so guess what I did…

ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.

Ok, not completely true, but I have left my bicycle in Prince Rupert to have a vacation with mum and dad.

It seems a little funny to have ridden through snow, wind and rain while now, in perfect sunshine, I don’t cycle.

Lucky there’s a memory on a beer can,

There have been a few of those..

I’ve seen a whole different side of Vancouver Island this time around.

 

 

 

 

 

 

First of all, it didn’t rain! That’s not how I remember it.

It does help to have a mum with a pile of guidebooks to tell you where to go and what to see.

Who knew there’s a whole town full of murals? ( Chemainus BC)

Just follow the yellow footsteps through town and you’ll see.

Then a whole other town with totem-poles.  (Duncan, BC)

I guess everybody knew except for me.

A few things I did know, I showed mum and dad where the big trees grow,and introduced them to some of the wonderful people I’ve met along my bicycle ride 6 months ago,

We took boats,

Swam in lakes

camped in a few glorious places,

And I managed to catch up with my gorgeous friend Carla,

whom I’ve last seen on top of a mountain pass in Nepal 8 years ago.

Now she’s settled in a pretty seaside village on Vancouver Island, 6 months pregnant. That’s how things can turn out too you see.

We left the Island to head up to our main part of the vacation.

A canoe-trip on the Bowron Lakes Circuit.

Incidently the drive up was the exact same way I cycled down last January.

We walked up a hill to check out some lakes. and loved the little flowers everywhere. You know what they’re called?

Going up this way was an excellent excuse to visit a few new and old friends along the tracks.

So we enjoyed a BBQ in Quesnel,

Took a canoe out for a spin at Barry & Lois place,

and admired the hummingbird’s at Terry’s.

The camping looks great in the pictures,

That’s mainly because you don’t feel the mosquito’s in the pictures,

And we got the chance to call in at the “Bread Peddlers” in WellsKate and her husband Tim met while both on separate bike journeys across Canada.

Now They got a bakery in Wells where they make the most gorgeous sourdough bread!I’ve heard the pizza’s are awesome too, sadly we came through on the wrong days to try…

But maybe you’ll make it!

Now we were ready to climb out of that little car for at least a week (oh I missed my bicycle)

And make our way to the water. 

The Bowron Lakes is a circuit of about 10 lakes, in total there’s 116km of peddling to do and about 10km of portaging. 

There’s 52 designated camp area’s. Some have only space for 2 tents, and some up to 15.

It was pretty quiet when we were there, that was lucky because you’re supposed to make a reservation.

Organised as we are, we didn’t do so.

There are places where you can pick up firewood. So we had a lovely fire most nights.

Along the shore’s you find a few cabins too, you can even stay there if the weather is bad, 

Apparently that happens quiet a bit judging by the writing on the walls, and the creative wood-paddles everywhere.We had two days of bad weather,
but it didn’t make thing any less pretty.

And so we spent the whole week swimming,

Canoeing over the lakes,

past big rocks,

and waterfalls.

I took it easy, reading my book

and being on the look out for wildlife.

Mum & Dad have never seen a bear. So that would’ve been exciting. One day when I was a bit ahead of them I noticed a small black bear just on the water’s edge. It shuffled off in a hurry before I could even grab my camera.

But we’ve seen Jim’s picture.

Who only a week ago saw a Grizzly with two cubs crossing the river when he paddled the Bowron Circuit.

And we did spot some Moose,

One morning I was woken up by Moose and a mini-Moose trotting by my tent.

They sure don’t walk quietly.

Then there was the Loon

With the craziest scream you can imagine! Seriously, I had no idea a rather pretty little bird can make such a noice!

This one was a lot quieter.

But still super spectacular. He let us come up real close. That surprised me.

The whole trip we had only one scare, because we’re out of service we had asked the rangers to contact us in case of emergency.

You see, my grandad has been very ill. One sunny afternoon a ranger boat came straight at us and we all must’ve looked scared. They were only out to check our registration.

Sadly last weekend my lovely grandad did pass away.

He’ll be missed.