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My trip continues. My apologies to Endo, who had left a message for me to join her at her lodge for dinner our last night in Tofino -- but I returned from an all day whale watch and boat trip to Hot Springs Cove exhausted and took a little nap, waking up at nearly 7 to see my red light flashing and called to get my message to join her at 6 to 6:30 -- duh -- I still needed a shower, so I called her and left a message -- no doubt she was already enjoying her dinner at her beautiful lodge. On Friday I drove to Nanaimo for my ferry to Vancouver, stopping at the beautiful old growth Cathedral Grove for a brief hike, then having halibut tacos on a boat in the harbor in Namaimo. I casually headed up to the ferry landing arriving right about 2 for a 3:00 ferry. The woman said they had an unscheduled extra one which had come from Vancouver and was returning nearly empty with limited restaurant service -- did I want to go right now? Of course I did, so I zipped onto that ferry, with one more car following me on, they raised up the gate and we were gone. Good thing as the traffic to get across the bridge in Vancouver itself was nearly an hour -- so I still arrived at my rental apartment at almost the right time!

I'm enjoying a bit of cooler weather in Vancouver (I'm here for a full week)-- gee, I had to wear a long sleeve shirt last night!

About that Hot Springs Cove near Tofino. It's 27 miles away from Tofino on an uninhabited island which is a Provincial Park. The boat lets you off, and you hike 2 kilometers through spectacular rain forest all on boardwalk and stairs. Then you arrive at the rocky other side of the island looking out to sea. There is a natural hot springs waterfall, so you start with a hot shower, then can sit in several pools, each one getting a little cooler as you descend to the Pacific. The last one has the tide rushing in, so it goes from warm to frigid with each wave and refilling from the springs. You take a picnic lunch and sun and eat on the rocks. Then hike back through the rainforest to catch your boat. It's kind of ethereal. And on the way there and back we saw whales -- oh my god did we see whales -- lots of playing orcas, a slew of humpbacks -- at one time 5 of them each on their own kind or encircling our boat, and one with a playful calf leaping into the air. Then on our return we spotted a gray whale as well -- seems that we saw the major three for the area, not to mention the sea lions, lots of eagles in and out of nests, and harbor seals and harbor porpoises galore.

"And what did you do in Venice?"

"We fed the rock doves in St. Marks Square."


Nope, sorry, it just doesn't sound right to me.