Highways and Gravel Roads E-Book

Monika von Borthwick

• Herausgeber: Books on Demand
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2020

Seitenzahl: 375

Beschreibung

MoWuKnuffels That is the name of the lovingly combined crew of a mobile home, consisting of two devoted dog queens and a lady of an advanced age. Are you talking about a woman alone? In a camping car? With two dogs? About to cover more than ten thousand kilometers of highways and gravel roads? Vancouver, #1 Dream Road, West Coast USA, highlight San Francisco, Baja California, circuit of the Gulf of Mexico, Florida. Follow the MoWuKnuffels on their journey from Canada to the Tropic of Cancer in Mexico and back home! A travel report for camper friends, dog lovers and self-sufficient women! In her diary, the author describes her daily experiences in a continuous and comprehensive manner, while reflecting on her thoughts about the host country.

Leseprobe

List of contents and travel listings

October

1700 km (1063 miles)

Vancouver

West Coast of the USA

Dream Road of the World

HWY #1

San Francisco

November – 1

st

half

Main stop: San Francisco

November – 2

nd

half

1920 km (1200 miles)

Dream Road #1

Joshua Tree NP

Tecate/border crossing

Ensenada

Bahía de los Ángeles

December

1280 km (800 miles)

Southern point of Baja California

Cabo San Lucas

Long-term stay -

Los Barriles

January

Long-term stay: Los Barriles

February

4640 km (2900 miles)

Whale watching (Lopez Mateos)

Arizona (Saguaro NP -Chiricahua)

New Mexico (White Sands)

Texas

Louisiana

March – 1

st

half

2500 km (1560miles)

Louisiana intensive

March – 2

nd

half

2400 km (1500miles)

Crisscrossing Florida

Epilogue

MoWuKnuffels?

That’s the name of the lovingly combined crew of a mobile home, consisting of two devoted dog queens and a lady of an advanced age.

Are you talking about a woman alone? In a camping car? With two dogs? About to cover more than ten thousand kilometers of highways and gravel roads?

Vancouver, #1 Dream Road, West Coast USA, highlight San Francisco, Baja California, circuit of the Gulf of Mexico, Florida ...

Follow the MoWuKnuffels on their journey from Canada to the Tropic of Cancer in Mexico and back home! A travel report for camper friends, dog lovers and self-sufficient women! In her diary, the author describes her daily experiences in a continuous and comprehensive manner, while reflecting on her thoughts about the host country.

Monika von Borthwick belongs to the slightly older generation and lives in Upper Bavaria. In addition to her professional activity, she took care of bus travelers for years as a tour guide in Europe.

After the death of her husband she moved on to individual travel and explored numerous regions in Europe on her own with her newly acquired motorhome and her two companions. Armed with these experiences, a few years ago she ventured the jump across the Atlantic with an organized group. During this five-month journey from Washington to and through Mexico, the decision was made to try it again on her own. She discovered the love of storytelling and sent detailed reports home by email. These are now compiled and tell this journey for the first time.

Introduction

We had done it!

The journey of the three MoWuKnuffels across the North American Continent had succeeded and demanded continuation. At the end of September, I finished my first diary of pictures and experiences. The trip took us four and a half months, from New York to the Yukon, the Arctic Circle and to Alaska. We had to deal with one problem or another, marveled at great landscapes, met nice people, saw a lot of wildlife and gathered many different impressions.

For those who do not know us yet:

We are a group of three in a medium-sized motorhome, consisting of mum Monika, a mixed breed of dog (Wuschel) and a spirited little-four-legged friend, called Knuffi. Our mission was to conquer a part of the huge American continent on our own.

Anyone who has followed the MoWuKnuffels during the long journey on “Highways and Gravel Roads” may be interested in how our onward journey has developed. After all, the tour on the continent had not ended yet and our hometown in Upper Bavaria was unusually far from Alaska.

After going from “the East side to the West side”, the direction from “the North to the South” was in demand, as a well-known song says! In other words, we went from the Arctic Circle to the Tropic of Cancer, from Alaska to Mexico, from the cold to the warmth ... and back to Europe.

This was 14 000 km/ 8750 miles approximately. Much could happen. Some magnificent highlights were on the way: Vancouver, the city with the supposedly highest quality of life; San Francisco with its bridge, Baja California with its cactus deserts and the crystal-clear sea, State Parks in the middle of deserts, the Gulf of Mexico, the mouth of “Old Man River” (Mississippi), alligators and swamps in Louisiana, the rich State of Florida, ...

Let’s get started! Because:

Your future is whatever you want to do. Future means doing.

(Patrick Victor White, 1912-1990)

We wish all readers a lot of fun and entertainment in reading of our little adventures and hope to motivate the one or the other to dare as well.

Bavaria/ Germany, autumn 2018

Monika von Borthwick

Knuffi and Wuschel

Month of October 1700 km (1063 miles)

Vancouver

West Coast of the USA

Dream Road of the World -

HWY # 1

San Francisco

Vancouver, BC - The city with the highest quality of life in Canada

October 1stArrival in Vancouver

Wow! Temperatures in Vancouver in the double-digit range! We started early in Cache Creek. I wanted to be on my way to Vancouver by noon! But, for the first time in many days, I had lost my way and got the wrong #1. That’s why the road passed through Kamloops and we lost an hour. However, I would like to say that it was an interesting landscape, with mountains (no snow) and beautiful views. After Kamloops, the landscape was alpine and rainy – to say it slangy: piggy (awful) weather – raining cats and dogs! The road was good (four to six lanes) and I could keep a good average speed. Halfway there I had to pay ten dollars toll fee for my camper. Fortunately, the controllers overlooked the extra axis; otherwise I would have had to shell out twenty!

We arrived at the campsite at around two o’clock with two short breaks. It was located several kilometers outside of Vancouver, in the district of Burnaby and it offered a lot of comfort and was suitable for a longer stay. Interested parties can look on the Internet at www.bcrvpark.com. The single nights were very expensive though. As I intended to be here for two weeks, I paid around sixteen Euros per night including all the services. Comparable places in Europe cost twice as much. The connection with public transport to the city center should also be reasoable! Only the pitches were a bit small! What the hell? I would not be here for a long time each day, anyway!

October 2ndLost in Burnaby

The day was dedicated to my household. Therefore, I was not sad that the rain kept pelting down. During the night it poured out of all buckets and I woke up several times because of the drums on the roof. Even my Wuffis (dogs) were only briefly persuaded to a pee-walk. Quickly, they both moved home again. Among other things, I took the time to get in contact with several Canadian friends. Some of them answered me immediately.

Now I have an invitation for Thursday (Joanna and Ian) and I’m seeing Dave and Sheila on Saturday. They informed and motivated me to drive the Dempster Highway. I look forward to seeing them all again!

In the evening it stopped being wet and I went for a walk with my loved ones in the nearby park. Why should I take a map with me? I had the geographical plan in my head. Here a turn, there a loop and suddenly it took us out of the direction. I had to ask some joggers for the way back. It turned out that we were too much on the right and we had to walk all the way back bordering the water. It was getting darker now. I did not like that! Athletes were no longer on the way! We started to rush, because in the dark I had little desire to stumble through a forest that was unknown to me. Thus, the planned hour turned into two hours! Finally, the route was familiar, and we reached our camp just before nightfall! I drove thousands of kilometers through a wild area and got lost in the city park! Typical! At least our location was surrounded by many hiking trails.

October 3rdFirst contact with Vancouver

Today, the girls had to stay alone for a few hours without me. First, I needed tickets for the public transport. They were only available at “Safeway”, at our nearest SkyTrain station. On the other hand, I needed a better city map with detailed bus lines. This I got downtown at the tourist information center.

I took my first steps in Vancouver by bus and train. It worked perfectly, but from the campsite to downtown I needed total of one hour driving time. In theory, the SkyTrain offered a fantastic view of Vancouver’s location. Not today! Everything was gray, black clouds, down to the water! Never mind, I still had almost two weeks left!

I strolled through the city’s landmark, Canada Place, which looked like an oversized sailing ship. I explored the entrance to the IMAX Theater and the adjoining luxury hotel. Considering my watch, I decided it was too late for Stanley Park. Instead I went to see the Art Gallery with works by Emily Carr. In the meantime, I had been able to learn something about this Canadian artist and was curious about her work.

Unfortunately, not many of her exhibits were on display in the museum. A supervisor told me that her works were scattered in museums throughout the world. What a pity, I would have liked to see them. The artist had painted many pictures around the culture of Indians, and she portrayed with expressiveness their way of life in a personal style. Probably a little bit like Van Gogh, whose works you must also search everywhere on the globe.

Behind the building, I discovered a “time machine” that ran backwards! Vancouver was qualified for the Winter Olympics, and the city “fathers” have set up a clock behind the art gallery that showed the time remaining until this memorable event.

I had to start driving home early, because Ian wanted to stop by after work, and we wanted to confirm our appointment for tomorrow. I tried to take a different exit and found that I could walk there from the campsite with no problems. Therefore, I was not dependent on the bus, which only ran every half hour. Smarter again!

After the hearty lunch at three o’clock and the after-dinner conversation I walked again with my dog ladies yesterday’s park distance in the daylight. We met another dog owner; and so, five ladies went together through the city park of Burnaby. Now my dogs are dead tired and will sleep until tomorrow.

October 4th and 5thCat friends

I have not seen much of Vancouver so far. Yesterday, the morning was too short for a trip to the city center, since I was supposed to be picked up by Ian at two o’clock. After all, I only belong to the early birds in case of emergency. I strolled with the Wuffis a little in the city park and took the bus for shopping in “Safeway”. I did not want to start my visit empty-handed.

At half past three my chauffeur and host arrived. It took about half an hour to drive to the suburb of Pitt Meadows. My two pooches were allowed to join, although the hosts had three cats. However, we found a solution so that they did not get in each other’s way!

It was a nice afternoon and evening. Joanna was a warm person. She spoke a bit much and fast. But that was an advantage for me because I did not need to say so much. She was a great hostess and served garlic chicken with lemon! Excellent! About half of the conversation I could follow, a quarter I guessed, and in the remaining quarter I nodded in agreement, giving the impression that I had understood everything. I learned all about kids and cones, cats and hobbies, as well as all sorts of other two and four-legged friends. Both friends were great animal-lovers.

When we finished looking at mine and their pictures of our Alaska trip, it was almost midnight. Dogs and the woman quickly packed in the car and back to the campsite. Ian had to work tomorrow. It was well past midnight when I could finally go to sleep.

Today we were supposed to enjoy sunshine and a blue sky. Unfortunately, I did not get up until nine o’clock. See yesterday! Despite the nice weather, I drove to the Royal Columbia Hospital to finally check my arm and hand. Otherwise, I would have had to wait until Tuesday, because on Monday only one emergency service was on duty due to Thanksgiving Day.

The next clinic was conveniently located near the campsite. The procedure took about six hours with driving, X-rays and essential waiting times and cost me six hundred dollars in advance. Various personnel took “a million” X-rays of the entire back, neck area and shoulder. It was comforting that neither a bruise nor an obvious source of tingling seemed present. On the negative side, the problem had to be self-evident. The doctor diagnosed an over-exertion of the shoulder and arm sections, probably due to the ultimately extreme driving of recent weeks. It was true: I drove more with the left part of the body (hand and shoulder) than with the right one. I noticed that in the last days. The doctor told me to give my arm a longer rest. I would have that anyway. Maybe that was why I might extend a week. It was ok with me. The doctor said I should really enjoy the rainy Vancouver! Joker!

Later, there was a walk in the city park for my two darlings, who had waited so patiently for me.

I think that after this diary entry I’ll go for a swim so that everything relaxes a bit!

October 6th/7thAn artist couple

The swimming was excellent. That’s why I went yesterday after breakfast again. The weather was miserable, and we had our scheduled meeting at two o’clock at Dave and Sheila’s place in Richmond, at the other end of town.

Unfortunately, I had to dismantle the whole camper to be roadworthy again. This is the disadvantage of such a compact model! It took a little time. We started in the late morning – again with an intermediate stop at Safeway – towards the city center. Big traffic on Highway #1! Since Stanley Park was on our way, I wanted at least to see the modern Totem Poles today. It did not rain, it p...! Vancouver in the most wonderful weather! Nevertheless, I drove the park loop to orient myself for future days. I stopped and got out only at the attraction and to see the Canadian wild geese. Noteworthy: despite the wet day, tourists were all over! Then we had to hurry to be on time in Richmond. We made it with a half hour delay, because the way led us (unfortunately) through the center with the heavy traffic.

I was warmly received by the two friends from Dawson City. Downer: The Wuffis had to stay in the camper, since their apartment was not suitable for dogs and was too well maintained for my understanding! All right, I could always check and go for a walk with them. Their terraced house was in a private settlement at the seaside, from which I (due to weather conditions) saw nothing. We got along great, and they drove me through their “fishing village” which had already annexed to the greater area with Vancouver and had a lot of “newfangled” things to offer. Many different faiths coexisted and apart from Hindu temples one found synagogues as well as Chinese places of worship.

We were talking a lot, because both were professionally wonderful photographers and Dave talked a lot about his work and his various trips to the Far East and Africa. While I later took my dogs for a walk on the dike, both prepared a top-class dinner. Two exquisite and talented hobby cooks!

Because of the late evening I did not want to drive all over the city anymore. I spent the night undisturbed at the roadside in Richmond! Absolutely no problem! In the settlement itself I was not allowed to park with my “box”. That would have messed up the entire look of the housing complex! It is an elite of its own that lives here! Under such circumstances, a RV is gold worth.

My morning showers failed, because first the Wuffis had to go out and second at eight o’clock both hosts picked me up for a breakfast in downtown. They often did that on Sundays, so I also enjoyed it. Besides, I could also get information about Vancouver and see something of downtown.

Back home, my pictures from the Dempster Highway were examined professionally and I could look at some really selected objects from Newfoundland. Here you saw the difference between amateur and professional! Extraordinary views that hostess Sheila produced. Both experts gave me some tricks. But I could only put that into practice if I had a better camera!

At noon I was finally allowed to leave. The weather had not changed a bit! My intention was to avoid the darkness so as not to get lost. What I did today thoroughly in the daylight: The #1 was so badly signposted from my direction that I ended up stuck in the rush hour in the suburbs. Only the direction was right! And this at “stop, stop, stop and go”! It took me two hours to arrive to the campsite – normally I would have done that in one hour.

After a reward walk for my two patient friends, I went to the swimming pool and hot tub. I felt that this was good for my arm! Well, maybe the therapy will start if I swim a little bit daily and take a hot water bath! Anyway, I wanted to park the camper the next days and use the SkyTrain! Now it had cleared up. Tomorrow open air or museum?

October 8thThanksgiving Day with sunshine

Unbelievable! The sun was shining when I left for the morning walk! So, it was “open air” and I chose the Capilano Suspension Bridge. My book guide said it was an expensive treat, but while in Vancouver ... Later I should not blame me for having missed something. After our walk and several laps in the swimming pool without Wuffis, I took the SkyTrain, the Seabus and the regular bus to the other side of Vancouver. That took two hours like yesterday – but had the advantage that the means of transport knew the right direction!

Because it was a holiday with sunshine, many other tourists and locals also came up with an outing idea. The ferry (Sea bus) drove only every thirty minutes, therefore the masses gathered in front of the entrance. In the waiting period I could conduct intensive character studies. All kinds of Asian facial features were to be discovered, many of them Indian. After all, the Asian continent was closer to Vancouver than to Europe! As Dave told me yesterday, the Indian intelligentsia was becoming more and more prevalent in this city, as Canadians were often too poorly trained!

Of course, I was an ant among many in the park facility. It was amusing to cross the long and swinging bridge and feel like a squirrel in the treetops on the other side. The operators have designed attractive panels and some explanations about the rainforest I could follow.

Two hours were quickly over, and I made my way home. My girls should not be alone for more than six hours. As the sun was shining, I could hardly believe that bad weather had been announced for tomorrow. But if you could rely on something, that was the prediction.

On the way back there were a lot of people on the road and many had used, among other things, the free time to go shopping in oversized shopping centers (malls). Although my feet ached, my two could linger again in the city park. They should also have their right.

When they go to sleep after dinner, I’ll go for a swim again. The baths are open until eleven o’clock! The weather tomorrow determines the program!

October 9th Anthropological Museum

Last night I was among the “top ten thousand” – for one hour I had my own swimming pool and jacuzzi! Between nine and ten in the evening I was alone in the bathing area! It was terrific and relaxing!

However, suddenly another problem had to be solved: a technical one! I did not get my bank details! Everything was locked! I quickly got an answer and with the help of my “postal administrators” at home and modern communication technology a solution was found in the course of today. Now I was not behind in my payments anymore!

The weather forecast was right! Rain travelled inland overnight. So today was the due museum visit. The building was located on the city’s spacious university campus. Our students at home could only dream of a facility like this, in view of the spaciousness and design of the buildings. It was a city that was attractively designed. I had trouble not getting lost! I looked at the faces during the tour and I noticed again the predominant Asian character. I would like to estimate that nearly two thirds of the students I met have at least one Asian parent.

The museum itself was housed in a very modern building, and the content was appropriately designed. Lots of light, the high construction was modeled on the beams, so that a large part of Totem poles could be shown in full size. I think that I have seen the best exhibits here so far. By chance, I was able to join a guided visit, which opened up a few details more. I thought it was great that the museum made the entire collection accessible, with brief descriptions of all exhibits that were well arranged in catalogs and in PCs. It is often the case that you find only a few items in the museums. The others are stored behind closed doors. Not here!

Since I had to walk with the dogs for at least an hour after my return, my energy was so low that I felt no desire for further activities, neither for shopping nor for swimming. I was glad that tonight I had all the pictures in the box/PC and the report was written and sent.

Tomorrow, depending on the weather, I might go downtown and to Chinatown! Today I’m sure that I‘ll go to bed earlier! One is so confused with the sense of time, because it is already dark at half past six and therefore the evening is much, much longer than before. In the Yukon, I went to sleep when there was still light outside!

October 10thOne last chance for the weather

Tonight, and in the morning, it had been pouring down (… it could only come down). As I got up, I seriously thought about picking up my stuff immediately and take the direct route south. Since I was awake very early due to the loud noise of the rain, I checked the on-line weather report at about five o’clock. They announced sunshine for the afternoon and better weather for the weekend. Hard to believe!

I gave the weather another chance and pushed myself into the pool. After breakfast, a lady named Joanna appeared on the scene and wanted to chat with me. I met her at the bus stop and identified her as a Canadian colleague. She had thrown the towel after twenty-two years. Her home was the province of Manitoba, near Winnipeg. She followed her husband to Vancouver because he got a new job here. Both were living in a trailer at the campsite. We will probably meet again during the next few days more often. I was always amazed by the flexibility of the people here. If they do not get a job at home, they go elsewhere without “ifs and buts”. They give up their comfort and live in a trailer. In my country one would certainly shake his head at this attitude or classify them as “rootless” and may be not treat them with respect.

While I was doing my shopping in the next two hours, the sun came out. Great, because I could still go to the city center to stroll! But first, the Wuffis had to be led out. We tried a new way in the park and spent about two hours on the road. Unfortunately, my knee got very uncomfortable. I gave up on the city center. Too bad, because you never know what will happen the next day, but I could barely walk.

Instead, I took my vegetables and cooked for the next few days. I could sit outside and work. Hope came up! Therefore, I decided the day would end the same way I had started it: in the pool!

October 11thGastown and Chinatown

The night was dry! Will not become...? I waived swimming and hurried into the city at ten o’clock! First, I headed for the lookout tower for a bit of an overview. The variety of skyscrapers was not as great in architecture as in Chicago, but the colors of the glass palaces were much more different.

I drove to Gastown, the old and restored neighborhood of Vancouver. The old part was just a street with souvenir shops in every quality and price range. I was in an Inuit gallery, just to look! Yikes! They had impressive exhibits, with corresponding prices of course! Another business was dedicated to the First Nation carving. Beautiful exhibits, from small to large, from masks, jewelry to totem poles. Checking those was fun and the small items were also affordable for my wallet. On this occasion, I bought a wonderfully red-cedar salmon/eagle carving. The carver came from Victoria Island, so he was a local instead of “Made in Hong Kong”!

A special stone of the country and especially of Alaska was jade. I think I wrote about it earlier. By chance, I came across a nice shop that had greatly reduced prices because of the end of the season. They had much more beautiful items than Jade City on the Cassiar Highway. Including a few large individual copies, but then expensive! I did not need them; a small affordable souvenir was enough for me! The next search was for the clock, which released “steam” and whistled every fifteen minutes! One of the city’s many landmarks. Discovered! Then I looked for the statue of the famous city founder Jessie Jack! Success!

In the meantime, I found a connecting road to Chinatown – not the one preferred by tourists. Dave had warned me: Only one street, but here was the misery of the city represented. Junkies, homeless people, asocial, rubbish in the backstreets, rundown dwellings, all in a concentrated formation. In between, the mounted police. I did not dare to take pictures of this part, because I feared they might not accept that. I quickly made my way to a better neighborhood. In such an environment I did not feel safe as a woman alone. I felt like an uninvited voyeur. For some time now, efforts have increasingly been made to build social services in order to get these people off the streets. Not out of solidarity, but because the Olympic Games were just around the corner.

Chinatown was a bit more for my camera again. Colorful and strange! Some of the unusual shops in the main street combined traditional medicine with modern healing methods. There you saw traditional pharmacies with dried gecko bodies against asthma and back pain under a roof with seahorses for potency or snake skins in store windows. I wanted to ask a few more questions, but the people were hardly able to speak English. They let me take a picture or two, though. So many unknown foods! Incredible, what man can eat! I only recognized the ginseng root and it was represented by hundreds of them!

I found a little rest in a public Zen garden. Remarkable for me was the contrast between small temples and the flashy glass boxes in the background. Two totally different worlds that coexisted here… Peaceful and without the fear or the terror their American neighbors had! You saw this type of life was also possible!

The rest of the day was as usual: dog’s exercises, Monika’s dinner, sorting pictures, writing a report. Swimming was no longer possible in terms of time and energy. I could make up for that tomorrow, because I was invited to Joanne and Ian again and therefore a trip to the city was not worthwhile. I took care of my household again, as I was going to leave for Vancouver Island and Victoria in three days.

Vancouver Gastown

October 12thStanley Park in the sunshine

Since Ian would not arrive until 4 pm, I had time for a little runaway. I wanted to go to Queen Elizabeth Park, but as the sun came up, I decided to go back to Stanley Park. After all, I only remembered it in the pouring rain, and the Vancouver skyline was still missing in my camera. Swimming took place, but not the household. By 11 am I was off. The city had a different flair today, warm, and the glass palaces mirrored each other. At first, I wanted to treat myself to a carriage ride in the park, but then I saw that the sights were accessible on foot. I saved the unnecessary expenditure of $27! It was lovely visiting everything in the sunshine: The Totem Poles, the “Little Mermaid” in her diving suit, the lighthouse, the nine o’clock cannon, the aquarium and the marina. The coloring of trees was amazing. I strolled around for two hours. Again, no juice in the batteries! I had to buy new ones, sinfully expensive, in the only existing kiosk. But unfortunately, pics cannot be taken without them!

The Wuffis were redeemed from their sentry at half past four, but only for a short round, because they could play later in the garden of my hosts. Ian was a bit early and picked me up at snack time – I hadn’t eaten anything since breakfast and was hungry like a wild bear. On our way to Pitt Meadows we got into a traffic jam. It took us forever to get home, but on the way there we had a lively conversation.

Joanne had been busy in the kitchen. She had prepared a leg of lamb with garlic and Greek salad. The evening was as comfortable as the first one and I was brought to the camper at around 11 pm. However, we arranged something for my return to Vancouver. We wanted to eat at a special Chinese restaurant then. We came to this glorious idea when I told them about my impressions in Chinatown.

Just before I went to sleep, all tucked in and warm, I remembered that my departure had to be Sunday and not, as I thought all the time, on Monday! So tomorrow great laundry and cleaning was announced, as I did not know how it would go the next few days. I probably could not make it for the Alaska film in the IMAX or Vancouver at night! Therefore, I would keep it on my “things to do” list.

October 13thDeparture preparations

As I assumed, I was busy all day with these foolish but inevitable works. With the “youth” I had a short siesta and a long walk. In addition, I had to write private mails, which also took time. The evening came more than fast, on a warm, sunny day. Tomorrow we have enough time, because departure time is at noon and I’ll try to get the ferry to Victoria/Vancouver Island in the early afternoon.

October 14thFerry to Victoria (Swartz Bay)

Today will also be quickly told. I enjoyed all the amenities of the campsite, especially the swimming pool before breakfast. By eleven o’clock we were ready to go. My GPS showed me the way to Tsawwassen, to the ferry to Vancouver Island. It was Sunday and lunch time, therefore we had relatively calm traffic. I comfortably reached the ship at 1 pm – much earlier than I had intended. The planned circular route (Vancouver, Victoria, Little River Earls Cove, Vancouver) was more expensive than I had expected for my vehicle. I had to spend more than two hundred dollars for four ferry routes – cheaper than single trips and the ticket was valid for one month.

The crossing took almost one and a half hours and went through the world of islands. All other ferries bypassed this area. That’s why I chose this connection. The ferry was big and could take many vehicles. From the port of arrival, it was only thirty kilometers to Victoria. On the way I had to refuel urgently, and on this occasion, I filled up my propane, since I would need more of this energy in the next few days for heating. The Walmart in Victoria disappointed me with a ban on overnight stays. I went in search of a campsite. I could not use my GPS, because once again a screw was loose, and I was only able to reach the “first aid case” in the evening. Once again, I totally got lost and “anchored” in a not quite upscale parking lot. Only the dogs and food were important. Then I tried to orient myself with the help of my electronics. Wait and see, I was eight kilometers from downtown, but not so far from one of the designated campsites. I could as well stay in this car park. It seemed to me that you only had to pay extra during the day. In any case, I couldn’t find a prohibition to sleep anywhere. We woud try tonight on this little spot, and if it worked, we would come back here. Why pay a lot in Provincial Parks? I was also dependent on me! Stupid was that it got dark so early. As the evenings were forever long, I could not go out in the dark with the Wuffis.

Tomorrow I will try to find the center without detours and then decide what will be done on weather conditions. Today it was mostly dry, but it looks like a lot of rain is coming again.

October 15thVery British!

Our bed was not as ideal as it had first looked. All sorts of dark figures drove here and went by. When I was in bed, Knuffi gave her familiar warning sound. There was a car between me and a truck. The driver did not want to get out and lingered in the driver’s seat. He parked a short distance away from my camper. I thought that I did not like that. After all, I was not one of the bravest. I jumped on socks and prepared the key for emergencies. I was ready for action and I could set off quickly and safely in an urgent situation! For quite some time nothing happened, and I watched my somewhat dubious neighbor through the toilet window, well hidden in the dark. Everything stayed calm. When Knuffi struck a second time, he had driven a bit out of the cone of light from passing cars. What was he doing? Now I no longer saw his silhouette. It was a long car and I finally got the idea he might have gone to sleep. I did not even notice a smoldering cigarette anymore. Well, my little one would report if something happened. Thus, I fell asleep, not as calm as usual.

The night was, thank God, trouble-free. Where yesterday the parking lot was somewhat empty, now several cars were parked. I had not noticed that in my sleep. My ominous neighbor had disappeared and instead of his car several burnt candle remnants laid on the ground. Was there perhaps a party I was not invited to? Or was it just cold?

When I led the girls outside, a deer jumped over the parking lot. In the middle of the city! Although my pets were active, the unexpected visitors weren’t scared by them. Dogs did not seem to bother them. We saw deer a few times on our lap.

My way to the city took me to the tourist office. Where to park? Everything tight! A bit away there was a not very cheap parking lot at the harbor. When I came back after forty-five minutes, I saw a law enforcement officer photograph my car and issue a ticket. But I had paid! When I spoke to him, he complained that I had taken four (!) places with my size. He pointed at the white line and complained that I was already in the other bay with one tire! You can also be more papist than the Pope! If I pay the “nodule” within three days, it costs only twenty-seven instead of fifty dollars! I decided for the discount rate. Well, the first traffic ticket of my motoring career because of wrong parking! And in Victoria!

In the information office, I got a tip where you could stay overnight cost free near the center. Let’s try it! I found a parking space at Fisherman’s Wharf, free of charge, with a nearby park and in a good residential area. I had only a quarter of an hour’s-walk to the center. I took roots here. That was a lot better than yesterday.

Before I disappeared in the museum, I stopped at the Parliament. There was a protest meeting of Indians that was just coming to an end. They demonstrated against a recent contract and against the unequal treatment by the government. They denounced the unemployment of their tribes and the resulting homelessness and their social problems. Since I had a book on it, the whole thing interested me a lot. Several media were present, as well as law enforcement officers and politicians. But the latter remained discreetly in the background.

The Royal BC Museum was worth seeing. The exhibition themes were vividly presented, and time flew. My feet found some relief in a Charlie Chaplin movie about gold diggers. In the area of the First Nation I could not and did not take pictures. Everything was presented in a subtle semi-darkness. Too bad, because the exhibits were just as worth seeing as those in Vancouver.

Afterwards I visited the noble hostel of the Empress Hotel. For the “five o’clock tea” I unfortunately did not have the right outfit or the necessary coins. But such a small side view of the snobs was quite funny!

In the evening, I made a short tour in the city with the pooches. I wanted to see the illuminated parliament – a tourist attraction par excellence! But we were too early and only on the way home we saw it lit. Never mind, we could come back tomorrow!

I do not know what’s going on with my home battery. It is quickly running out and my lamps are therefore weak. Now I cannot even read for as long as I want without the generator. They take an unusually long time to recharge. I must look at that. Maybe they are over the limit! I cannot go to bed at nine in the evening! Awful!

October 16thSh... electricity!

The one gets it; the other does not have it! I’m not talking about money – that too! I’m talking about electricity.

At night it was damn cold in my shack. Yesterday I had to go to bed more than early because the light was not working properly anymore. The heater and the generator I could only run when I did the auto-ignition. There was absolutely no power left.

Of course, I was well rested this morning. Showers failed, as the pump worked only sparsely, and the hot water boiler went on strike. My first stop after breakfast was in the information office to get a dealer address. They were in Sidney, thirty kilometers away, but not in Australia, thank God!

The first stop I drove to was a helpful RV dealer. He checked the battery and found that it was okay. The problem was inside the converter if it had not been charged when the generator was turned on. Therefore, I was completely drained because at the last campsite no filling was done.

As he could not help me personally, he referred me to a colleague in the west of Victoria. For this advice I bought a new hose for the sewage. I had already mended the old thing twice, because I always had “the sauce” leaked. I did him and myself a favor.

We went the same way back. With a few detours I could find the workshop. Oh, wonder! There was time to take care of it. I brought up my problem with the water on the ground. Priority was the electricity. I really had to replace the converter. The new device had a higher capacity and was better suited to modern needs, which would cost me some bucks again…

I will tell you, by the time of my return, my vehicle will be totally renewed! Whenever I think that I’m getting on well with my budget this month, there’s something else that is expensive going on.

In the workshop office I was left to work on a PC to bridge the waiting time. So, this report was created in an unusual way. The boss sealed everything in the shower room, because he did not find a hole in the water pipes. Knuffi and Wuschel slept under the desk and did not move. Two brave girls I had there!

To reduce my frustration and to give me a treat instead, I went to search for a parking space on the way to the city center to the IMAX Theater.

I wanted to watch Harry Potter in large format. The dogs were safe in a residential area on an authorized parking lot (even for the night). This time I had seen the lights of the Parliament Building. I felt like at Christmas or in “One Thousand and One Nights”. At the same time, the rising moon was in the background between the buildings. Perfect!

Harry Potter and the drama with the Phoenix were as expected: imaginative, action-packed, not always conclusive and in some places a little thick applied. I found it quite entertaining, after one of the older leading actresses reminded me of a former colleague. The trick shots were partly impressive. I did not come home until 10 pm and therefore had an energy-saving evening for the camper.

October 17thButchart Gardens

It is wonderful to have enough electricity again. Now the battery recharges faster and lasts a long time. I did not ride much today and there is still enough juice in stock for the evening!

The morning we spent comfortably and started at 11 am. On the way to the Butchart Gardens there was a short stop for shopping, since I had too much room in the fridge.

Butchart Gardens is located twenty kilometers north of Victoria and is an absolute “must” – especially now in the fall colors. Admission is expensive, but the resort is worth the bucks. And, great joy, I could take the Wuffis with me. Therefore, I took a lot of time to take pictures and watch. The busloads with almond-eyed inmates were also represented and sometimes it was a bit too busy on the trails. Especially when the Asians wanted to pet one of my dogs again and again, there was a traffic jam. They probably stop at any crocodile! Most of them preferred Knuffi, but my little one was not in a good mood today and showed her teeth several times: “Stupid groping!”

Afterwards we fully recovered from the walk in the sun by the camper. Thick black clouds were coming along. I decided to take the coastal road to Victoria for the home ride. Luckily, we discovered a stretch of beach where dogs could run free. That was great. I just hope Wuschel has not swallowed too much saltwater; otherwise it will be a restless night!

The path led us right up to our sleeping place yesterday. Since everything was free, I settled down again. Very close by, a cruise ship anchored and now competes with the parliament at night. What tomorrow will look like, I’ll leave completely to the weather.

Butchart Gardens A symphony in colour

18th and 19th of October No, thanks! Not with me!

The night on Friday was stormy and very rainy. It was damp in the living room and on the windows the condensation ran down inside like rain. I felt like I was in Gran Canaria years ago, when the water came through the walls. That’s why I first wanted to complete my compulsory program and not come to Gabriola Island too early.

I did not find the Emily Carr gallery, but the #1 arterial road to Nanaimo. It poured, that’s what it did. In addition, it was foggy. You could see absolutely nothing from the road.

Duncan with the Totem Poles was only partially bypassed. To get out, it was too watery. The carvings could not be compared to the ones I had already seen. It was not a big loss if I drove on.

The next stop was Chemainus, a town with many large murals. As I drove through the place, a long downpour took place. So again, I didn’t get off the car. A small stay here would have been worthwhile. Fate!

In Nanaimo I found the gas station with a free dumping station on some detours and in the pouring rain. I drove the wrong direction on the #19 and ended up at the ferry terminal to Vancouver. Maybe I should have taken it as a sign of fate. I searched for the ferry to Gabriola Island. At four o'clock we stopped there – in constant rain!

I was warmly welcomed by my German-born hostess but snapped by the older daughter of the house because of the dogs. A strange greeting, I thought to myself. Their hounds were eager to welcome my two ladies. It was clear that they must snoop and defend their territory against invaders first! They could bark!

Gabriola was a wet disaster. The new friend and I went for a long walk with four dogs and the animals could run freely through the forest. That was exciting for everybody. Running free was still rare, although Canadians were much more tolerant of their four-legged friends than their US neighbors.

How many miles were there between Gabriola Island and my former job? About half the circumference of the Earth! Why? Because once again I got a new proof on how small the world really was. On our walk I learned that the friend was the godmother of the son-in-law of a former superior! Her daughter had learned from the same vet where my Wuffis were treated from time to time. We had met at the Arctic Circle, on the Dempster Highway, direction Inuvik!