Vancouver Island

Yesterday I arrived at Vancouver Island after a 2 hour ferry ride from Vancouver. The ferry was not extremely busy and to be honest, it was rather chilly. Still managed to enjoy the 'mini-cruise' (or Tom Cruise for insiders) and talk to some interesting people. I get the impression that the recession has hit the US and Canada in a more profound way than in (Northern) Europe. The economy is much more opportunistic here so the effects of a setback cause much more bankruptcies, both personal and business. You see a lot of dilapidated towns and industrial sites.



Even my hotel - which looks astonishing from the outside - is in need of updating and repairs. You can't beat the location and since I got it at a deeply discounted rate you won't hear me complaining either.



After a short night's sleep (woke up at 06:00 again) I decided that today I do a tour of the island. My route was about 300 km long (you can find it here) and was supposed to take all day. Unfortunately the setback in the economy meant that a lot of the 'attractions' along the way were dead and deserted so I was home at 4PM. I did have lunch at a wonderful spot. Beautiful location so I was surprised there weren't many guests. That is that economy for ya...



I can't say Vancouver Island is very photogenic. Maybe you find the good places if you go hiking but with my foot injury that is a no go. It is very beautiful, mind you, just not photogenic. I was looking for unique sights and could not really find any. I guess I have to go to Namibia for that.


Best I could do...

I was really taken aback by the town called Honeymoon Bay. You could see this was once a thriving community with a lot of hotels and shops but now every other house/shop was for sale and 'reduced in price!'. At the town's square there was a charity event for a family who were recently evicted from their home. Although it was an excellent opportunity to take some good pictures I just couldn't. I paid C$20 for an ice cream to support the cause and that was it. A lot of towns look like that.

Back at the hotel now and I think I will take a short nap. My body clock is still not working right. Tomorrow I might go even further north, weather permitting.