Our departure for the island started with a very confused car rental. It started when I called for a pick-up in an hour and they asked me to call them back in 30 minutes to remind them. Hmmm.... Then I said to pick me up on the side street and found the guy blocking traffic on the main road. It turns out it is his first pick-up on his very first day of work. He, it would seem, was quite nervous but trying really hard.
We eventually got everything sorted at the rental place and I left in a shiny red PT Cruiser. This is Laura's dream car, so I was quite excited to get her into it. She has since spent a lot of time in it and has determined it is even better than she hoped.
We loaded up with luggage and caffeine and hit the road for the Horseshoe Ferry. I've decided that there is just as much variety with the BC Ferry system as there is with European trains. You simply never know what's going to show up for you each time.
Our first stop was Nanaimo. I don't get it. I hear so much about this place and it really holds very little appeal for me. We were only in Nanaimo because of the ferry, but felt we should see it while we were there. We stopped in a couple of shops, found a few used books, Laura scored some 50 cent antiquities, and we ate some yummy fish & chips on a floating, dock-side, restaurant. This is also where the car company phoned to tell me our PT Cruiser had been sold and they were wondering if they could swap it back. I explained we were on the island until Saturday and that it simply wasn't an option. Have I mentioned this was a very strange rental experience? That seemed about it for Nanaimo. Nice harbourfront and plenty of strip malls, but nothing quite like I was expecting. We met with really helpful and friendly people, but not much for tourist activities.
We then headed up to Parksville, which has both a great name and a lovely beach. Laura and I finally made it into the ocean and spent quite some time in surprisingly warm water looking at snow capped mountains in the distance, the ocean around us, and the island. We didn't expect to find swim-able water so soon, so it was a happy surprise. Fantastic.
Next we headed out for Campbell River's Rustic Motel. It was a quiet small town, frequented mostly for its ferry services and fishing (it's Canada's Salmon Capital, don'tcha know). We arrived in the evening so dinner in the Wendy's parking lot was about as much activity as we saw there, but the people we spoke with were very friendly and helpful.
It was a good day that saw a lot of changes from town to town and a wide variety of services. Things clearly work according to "island time" here, but everyone seems quite happy to chat and help at their own pace. A good day :)
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