Tag: Travel Log :

Featuring the “Battle-Axe”

Posted on by Limeyimmigrant
architecture backlit buildings california
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Tuesday 4th September. Colton, Walnut & Anaheim CA

54 miles only. 14 hours ( I love my job)

After a relaxing Monday afternoon, I woke on this day in a fantastic mood. That was soon to be tested.  I went to report to the warehouse early, that I was on site, hoping they would assign me a loading bay and would soon be on my way .

“Nothing ventured, nothing gained” right?  Well , not in this case. I was met by the rudest, most ignorant person I can remember meeting in a long, long time . I would hate to think what they would be like if you were late for your appointment . This woman ripped me up cos I was early!!!. Now there is an opportunity for all sorts of funny comments and jokes at this point, but I have decided to leave those today,  but I’m sure you know what I was thinking at the time.  I took this as another test of the new calm me. Hey I passed!!!!

The most pleasing part was seeing her reaction, when I told her I agreed with her and should have been more considerate and not turned up so early.  Left the building and waited in my truck, before returning to the building at my scheduled delivery time. Impressive.  Well I was anyway. Later I found out she goes by the name of “Angel”.

I think the true meaning of this name was wasted on that “battle-axe.”

So after that rocky start, I eventually got rid of my first delivery and headed back to the freeway to find my second stop.  I think “battle-axe” had actually done me a favour , because by the time she decided I was worthy to get off loaded and my paperwork was processed and I handed over $30 cash “lumper fee” ( Never done in Europe by the way ) , the early morning rush hour had passed and the freeway was running fine .

At the start of the trip I was looking into purchasing a navigation system for heavy trucks. I eventually decided  to save my money and use the google map app on my cell phone. Today would be the first test of that decision hopefully I won’t regret it .

Having entered the companies details into my phone I headed West towards LA, paying full attention to the instructions given.

The directions given by my phone were spot on.  Apart from trying to send me down a no-truck route ( not her fault as there is no way of me letting the clever little thing know that we were travelling in a semi) I arrived at the second warehouse, which was owned by the same company as my first location.  It was here that I found out that the lovely Angel spoke to all drivers in the way she had spoken me earlier. Oh well, there was me thinking I was specially selected for her abuse .

I am not sure why warehouses give appointment times for their deliveries. Possibly the only reason was to fine companies if they are late for their scheduled times, so bringing an extra source of income ( maybe they could pay to send Angel to charm school). Although I arrived exactly on my delivery time slot, I was told it would be at least two hours before they got to my load . One poor guy had already been there for four hours and they were going to get to him after me, all because his load broker had screwed up making the appointment.

Test number two. In the past I would have come “un-glued” at the warehouse manager demanding to get off loaded at the time I was given, paced the yard and probably smoked ten cigarettes while waiting.  I would not have got on a bay any earlier and would be in a bad mood all day. What a Muppet!

Today? I decided to park the truck, lock the doors and take my dog for a walk and check out the neighborhood. Test passed .

Some two hours later, I managed to finally get on a warehouse bay and my dog was now exhausted.  I had an interesting maneuver to carry out, so testing how rusty  I had become during my time away from trucking.  This reversing exercise would have been a lot harder had I entered it in an angry frame of mind.  Due to fact I was a lot calmer, it presented no problems and I was soon being unloaded. After an hour and a few more stories about the behaviour of the now infamous Angel, I was leaving and off to my final destination for this load.

My mind was also beginning to focus on what or where I was going for my load back to Canada.  The only thing I knew is that it would be back to Canada. This is because a truck registered in Canada,  cannot carry goods from a US state and deliver it to any point in the US. It can only do cross border work.  In times gone by  I have had bad experiences when it comes to waiting for a reload.  Sometimes being sat for days.  I was told by this company that this wouldn’t happen again, but this yet to be proven.  Most companies don’t book your re-load until  they know you are empty and ready to go.  This means you cannot make any plans, or even know your destination, Canada is a really big place!  Not an ideal situation and not for everyone.

For now, I can only focus on getting my last delivery done and worry about that later. As it turned out, much later

Arriving at the third warehouse of the day (all the same company) I was greeted by the familiar sight of a long line of trucks in front of me.  The warehouse had four loading doors, but only one was working. Great . Looks like its going to be a long afternoon.

When I was finally done, it had taken over five hours to take the remaining three pallets from my trailer.  It also meant that I had run out of hours on my electronic log , done very few miles and when I did the math , probably earned less that the minimum wage for todays work. Another reason why companies struggle to find drivers.  It also meant that I did not receive any news on my re-load and had to negotiate with the warehouse manager to be able to park at the facility that night as I could not legally drive anywhere till the morning.

He agreed that it was their fault my day was screwed and kindly let me use their facilities for the night. It turned out that there was a great little restaurant down the road, so I finished my day writing my notes for this blog and having a great supper of Sweet and Sour chicken, Rice and Salad.

Happy Days , despite battle axes best efforts !

Mellow Monday Drive

Posted on by Limeyimmigrant

IMG_0363Mon 3rd September.

Primm NV to Colton CA

189 Miles Driven.

To find confidence, we must first find the courage to act .

Up around 5 am local time.  Despite my hope that many of the weekend party goers had left on Sunday to get back to suburbia, the interstate was already getting busy.  So morning routine complete, I left the truck stop and entered the steady stream of traffic.

When leaving Nevada into California, all trucks have to enter the largest scale and inspection station I have ever seen.  Firstly your’re asked what your load is.  Frozen Fries clearly was not an issue, as I was waived straight through. Maybe the fact it wasn’t even 6 am  and the inspection guard could not be bothered to take it any further.  Secondly, you are then guided through a series of control lights as to which of the many scales you drive across.  Having just fueled up, I knew I would be close to my maximum weight allowed, especially on the front axle, so it was with a little relief when the green arrow flashed for me to leave the facility and re-enter the freeway.

California, is not a truck friendly state.  Not only do the fuel prices drastically increase here, but the speed limits drops to a ‘ granny paced” 55 mph (88.5 Kmh for everyone else ) and there are plenty of officers waiting on the side of the highway with their electronic devices to remind me of that fact.  So progress was leisurely, however it was steady as everyone seemed to be satisfied following the new speed limit and there was little in the way of delays.

I am determined in this latest venture back into trucking,  not to get as stressed out while driving.  In years past the idiots you see every day in this job, would really have a negative effect on me.  As previously mentioned, I used to be a fairly heavy smoker . The amount of cigarettes I smoked would greatly increase as soon as I got behind the wheel of a big truck.  After several unsuccessful attempts to kick the habit, I finally managed it around 3 years ago. This would be the first time I’ve driven professionally since quitting the disgusting habit .  Maybe its the fact I’m older and eventually realized that there will always be idiots on the road, so screaming and yelling at them makes no difference.  Maybe its the fact that I’ve eventually come to the conclusion that life really is too short and its better to enjoy it , than to fight it .

That’s one of the reasons why I came back to trucking.  I can make a lot more money working in my previous profession, but just hated it. So now I’ve decided that its better to make what I now refer to as “Happy Money ” What I mean by that, is its better for me to make $150 and enjoy what I do, rather than $200 and totally hate what I do to earn it.  I think in the long run I will actually be better off .

When working in a job I hate, I purchase things I don’t need , just to cheer myself up. These are purely emotional purchases done for a short justification for working in a job that makes me miserable.  So to summarize, I had to do a job I didn’t enjoy, to make a certain amount of money, so I could buy things I didn’t need, in order to make me happy, if only for a short time.  Strange but true.

Bet I’m not the only one, am I ? Let me know, by completing the contact form below.

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When the interstate dropped down to the San Bernardino region and the traffic finally thinned out I was still calm and collected and to be honest with you , very proud of myself . There was also a sense of relief, because I was concerned that I may slip back into old habits and the blood pressure would be through the roof on a regular basis .

Finally, it was time to find  the location of my first drop and suitable parking hopefully close by . Now this was another occasion that new technology has made life easier . In the past to find an unfamiliar location would involve , maps , notes and possibly asking strangers for directions or using the CB radio to ask other trucks local to the area. Not today . Simply copy and paste the address on to my Google maps app and the automated woman’s voice guides me into position . My issue is just one of trust . I was considering purchasing a trucking specific GPS system, however, the $400 to $500 price range put me off making that purchase so early on, so I decided just to use my smart phone.

To my surprise it guided me, without issue, right to the building. I was equally pleased to see a large open yard with plenty of room to park for the night. Not only that, there was a truck stop ( full of trucks waiting out the holiday as suspected) within walking distance, several fast food joints and believe it or not a coffee shop . Happy bloody days mate !

So with in the warm September sun, I nice gentle walk of the neighbour hood was in order, smug in the fact we had successfully got here without incident ,fuss or bother .

Home made supper ( not a fan of fast food , except after too many beers) , make some notes for my blog and that was my day . Tomorrow , we face 3 drops all in the LA area . Probably going to be a test of my middle age Karma.

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Sunday Lunch in Vegas

Posted on by Limeyimmigrant

IMG_0338Sunday 2nd September

Mona, Utah to Primm, Nevada

388 miles .

My plan to spend the night in a smaller parking area had paid off . The first good nights sleep since I left home , meant I felt fresh and prepared for the day . Well , I was after my compulsory 2 cups of freshly brewed coffee and a bowl of  porridge  . Having my dog with me on this trip, meant a walk is required every morning to allow him to do his business.This he did  by  marking every available post or tree. I found that the twenty-minute walk really helps wake me up and by the time my pre-trip inspection was done, my electronic log updated with a the relevant information, I was keen to get going .

Now this weekend is actually a holiday weekend , which  meant I basically had an extra day , as my first delivery was not until 8 am Tuesday morning .Because of this, I had decided to do two relatively short days , rather than getting into the Los Angeles area a whole day early, as I do remember parking in the area is likely to be full of other trucks seeing out the long weekend .So my plan today was to get somewhere south of Vegas.

Once passing by Cedar City , the I-15 goes into a twisty section, when concentration levels need to be increased .A look out for traffic cops is also a good idea, as the speed limit  is reduced on this section of the highway.Although I haven”t been on this road for nearly 11 years ,I recognized this area immediately and I find it a welcome break from the normal “straight line” highway driving. The scenery then opens up as you cross the border into Nevada, giving you a view of vast open space , with the occasional empty derelict building serving as a reminder of years gone by, when people actually lived here , before moving to the city

I was considering taking an alternative route, highway 93 south, as I was informed by a friend of mine who ran this route some years ago , that it was a beautiful drive and very popular with commercial drivers, mainly due to the fact there are no scales and inspection stations going this way. As it was my first trip, I decided that this would have to wait for another time and  stuck to the I-15 south.IMG_0333

I-15 southbound . A sign of things to come ?

 

After a relatively un eventful mornings drive I was once again planning where I was going to spend the evening . This time fuel does come into the planning . Due to the cost of fuel in California companies require you to be smart and fuel up in Nevada, as this can greatly reduce running costs . I also remembered that this highway becomes very busy on a Sunday afternoon with all the weekend party goers leaving Vegas and heading back to their Los Angeles homes . So with this in mind, I decided to park up earlier in the day at the last truck stop before entering California, a flying J at  Primm Nevada  .

It seems that they are forever doing road repairs in the party town and my Sunday afternoon drive was slow and boring  through Las Vegas, but it didn’t affect me too much as, like I’ve said, I have “plenty of time” on this trip . Even so , I was glad to get through the remainder of the always present road works  and park up half an hour later , before the crazy traffic started .IMG_0342

Primm Truck stop , Clark County , Nevada.

 

Now the truck stop here at Primm is a little different in the fact that not only does it have the usual  fuel station, restaurants, lounge and wash facilities, but this one has hotels, casino, an outlet shopping mall, theme parks and most importantly to me a Starbucks . As you can probably guess, I am a bit of a coffee fan . Up to now I have been brewing my own morning boost juice myself in the cab, as generally speaking ,coffee in most truck stops is frankly disgusting and worthy of the title .

So after a short, but hot walk with my dog ,its in to the cool air-conditioned building for a much-needed shower , followed by a fresh cup of Americano. The showers were old but clean , much the same as the towels provided, however it did the trick . Feeling fresh and ready for coffee . Well , I am not sure whether it’s the water they used or the coffee itself is different to Starbucks in Canada , but this did not taste anywhere near as good . What a let down. Oh well , not to worry , with the current exchange to US dollars rate not in my favour, it made this coffee quite expensive . Brew my own it is .

After catching up on some news from home , cooked supper of fish , rice and a salad ,I spent the rest of the evening reading , before taking an early night .

Now, I know there is mixed feelings amongst drivers over E logs . These devices record all the movements of the truck over a 24 hour period . I for one, have already realized that I am a fan . Under the old paper log book system , it was very easy for drivers to cheat the system and drive a lot more than legally allowed. Most drivers , including myself, have done this on a regular basis . However , the load Gods ( my term for the dispatchers) agents , shippers and receivers all knew this . So , if a truck was sat waiting to be loaded or unloaded for hours on end, the driver was then expected to drive all night in some instances , in order to get to their next appointment .No surprise to see truck stops full of energy drinks!

Aside from the obvious dangers to themselves and other road users , these practices were also extremely un healthy for the drivers . I can remember in my younger days driving through southern France , heading back to the UK , driving all day and night , surviving on endless cups of coffee and packs of cigarettes ( Yes I still do the coffee, but limited to two or three cups a day , thankfully, I”ve managed to kick the smoking habit finally). In a world of increasing awareness of health issues caused by excess stress, poor diet and irregular sleep patterns , this new system introduced to regulate drivers hours, will only improve the industry in the long run. It may also help to attract much-needed young blood into the trade and decrease the driver shortage problem.

Please let me know your thoughts, I welcome all comments by completing the contact form below .

 

Trip 1 Calgary to Anaheim California. Day 1

Posted on by Limeyimmigrant

IMG_0315August 31st 2018 .

Calgary Ab to Great Falls MT .

335 Miles 

If Your’re good at something you don’t even enjoy, imagine how good you would be doing something you Love ?

Moving all your stuff into a truck is a never-ending task and even when I thought I was done, I still had doubts.  Not only if I had forgotten an important travel document but even thoughts of whether or not I’m doing the right thing?  So with all these thoughts still circling my mind I arrived at a grubby looking yard where my home and source of income was parked .

The truck itself was seemingly in good condition and all fitted out with basic conveniences for life on the road.  Microwave, full fridge, high cab with a large bunk and numerous power outlets for mobile phones or computers.  Combined with large areas of  storage for clothes, food and all other things required for up to 10 days on the move.  This is one area where things have improved since my time away from driving. These highway trucks now are fitted out with many modern comforts to make the drivers down time more like a stay in an RV rather than a back of a truck.  I was pleasantly surprised.  I had driven an older version of the same truck years ago so the changes were immediately noticeable .

After a quick briefing on the new electronic log system that is now controlling commercial drivers working in the US ( Yet to be introduced in Canada only driving  – surprise!) I left the yard and headed south to Lethbridge, Alberta, where I would be picking up a full load of frozen fries ( chips to my English friends) .  Roughly a 2 1/2 hour drive south of Calgary.

Glad to see certain things don’t change.  Despite arriving 30 minutes before my appointment time, I  got on a loading bay some 2 hours later and then only after I went into shipping office to inquire why ?  A simple case of the morning shift not telling the afternoon shift,  who was next  to be loaded was the cause of my delay . Time well spent arranging and cleaning the interior of the truck.  Mentally noted for future visits.  I was pleased that I kept calm and patient, unlike in the past when plenty of blood pressure rising. shouting and yelling would have occurred.  Progress? Or just getting older? Either way I left the plant fully loaded  3 hours later than planned,  but loaded all the same.

First task? Weigh the load, or to be more exact, weigh each axle to ensure that I am under legal limits for the US.  No surprise here, axle weight limits for the US are different to the limits enforced in Canada, so I headed to a nearby weigh scale to ensure I wouldn’t be in trouble at the first government scale I got called into.

First challenge? Sliding the trailer axles allows the driver to distribute the weight, in order to keep each axle legal.  Easy? Well used to be.  An hour later and testing my newly found calm patient approach, I managed to get my load legal for the US.

Finally on my way, heading south, towards the border. Second challenge ?

Border crossing as a non Canadian citizen means extra paperwork, extra questions and more time.  I was surprised however,  how quickly this was done, a few  simple forms, a ten minute question and answer session and 6 dollars later, I was on my way into the US with my load of frozen fries. Happy Days ? ( I later found out I could have avoided this delay altogether and completed the forms online prior to me getting to the border! What a Muppet!)

As previously explained in my earlier blog, all of these delays at the yard, the shipper and the border was time spent at work, by me, that I don’t get paid for, as I only get paid for the miles traveled . Name me another job that this is the case.  Every job has its pros and cons, however I do believe this is one major cause for the driver shortage here.

Still south on interstate 15 into Montana, brings me to my overnight stopping place in Great Falls. The flying J Truck stop, provides clean ( ish) showers, hot food ( we will get to the hardships of eating on the road another time )for the me and fuel, a windscreen clean of the summer roadkill and a place to park for my truck .

I decided to cook in my cab tonight.  Something I am conscious of now as part of the aging process, is I have started to watch what I eat on a more regular basis.  I am not saying I have turned into a berry eating health freak, but the pounds have slowly been gaining through my 40’s decade and driving a truck all day provides little in the way of exercise to stop this process continuing into the next decade.

So armed with a microwave, toaster and tin opener, I soon settled down to a light British favorite of ” Beans on Toast “. Walked my dog for half an hour before settling down for a sleepless night as I wasn’t yet used to the noise of the fridge motor on my trailer working overtime to keep my load in its preferred frozen state.

Back on the Road . Happy Days? So far yes.

 

Week 1

Posted on by Limeyimmigrant
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Why go back on the road ?

Well I guess the simple answer is because I want to. I want to see whats changed in the past ten years. I want to understand why, in my opinion, the most under valued job is taken for granted by most and its value to the economy ignored by all ? Why is the shortage of truck drivers a real threat to economic growth in Canada today?

Like most things in Canada, trucking companies are very much linked to our large neighbours to the south.  Second only to China, Canada is a major trading nation for the States.

As there is such a shortage of drivers, finding a job should not be a problem. This proved to be the case. Through a contact of mine I talked to a company based in Toronto, but with trucks working out of Calgary.  Following a brief interview over a cup of coffee, a job offer was received, followed by numerous forms to be completed in full, all to satisfy the US department of transport.

So off for a drug test I go ! Part of working in the States, requires all drivers to be drug tested and screened as part of their employment requirements. Calgary has many labs, all studying people’s pee to see if they are drunk or stoned at the time of their test.  In a country that is about to legalize the use of cannabis,  I can only imagine this number will  increase in the future.  Probably the first reason why there is a shortage of truck drivers, everyone is smoking pot and cant pass the Pre employment drug test!  No such problems for me, fill the cup up to the line, sign the forms and the results are forwarded to the company within a couple of days.

The whole hiring process is completed by a test drive and then forwarding all travel documents to Toronto head office. Within a few days I had managed to get myself hired as a truck driver.  Although I have held a licence for over 30 years, I hadn’t actually driven a truck much at all in the last 10 years so clearly the driver shortage has made the whole process very easy and there was almost a sense of desperation in many of the local companies I contacted.  I got the feeling that they would hire anyone who had a license and could donate quality pee to the Lab.

However, I decided to go with my first choice of the companies I contacted.  Firstly, I wanted a company that only ran south to the States.  There are a number of companies that only do Canada work.  This is fine weather wise for around 5 months of the year and for those who cannot travel to the US because of a  wide range of  offences prevent them doing so.  As you may have heard, winters here can be a little on the chilly side and as we are already at the time of year when temperatures are  dropping  daily.., winter is not far away.  Other reasons for this choice include roads in Canada are terrible ( apart from the tourist sections around Banff, Alberta) Most are full of potholes, bad repairs and many are still gravel.  Now given the fact that the majority of drivers here get paid by the mile (something that’s not legal in the UK ) your wages can take a serious hit in the winter. Parked waiting for the latest snow storm to pass or waiting for the snow ploughs to finally clear the roads.  On the mountain roads of Alberta and British Columbia, even the main highways can be closed on a regular basis during winter months, snow storms, avalanches and ice storms all mean regular travel disruption.  Things don’t improve that much in the summer.  Construction and tourist having a similar result .

Truck stops in Canada, while improving in recent years, are generally sparse, poor quality, dirty and somewhat limited in choice of food on offer.  As most drivers are on the road for at least a week, a place to have a clean hot shower, do some laundry, watch a movie, get a haircut, with a large selection of food choices as well as reliable wi-fi connection( useful for those of use who blog on a regular basis )  and even get  any required work done on your truck, becomes important.  All of these basic services are available at regular  intervals throughout US road network .

I think I may have come across  more reasons for the driver shortage.  Strict border crossing requirements to the US and poor roads in Canada contributing to the problem. Maybe all the new taxes received from the newly legalized pot industry could be spent on improving the roads and installing basic road side services?

My choice of company run refridgerated or frozen goods south to California and return to Western Canada with produce.  The weather here also contributes to the fact you can only purchase fruit and produce grown locally for around 3 months of the year .

Now running reefer ( refrigerated trailers) is not my first choice and is not without its issues thats for certain.  Most pick up and delivery points involve a long periods of sitting around waiting, even if you arrive on time and obviously you don’t get paid for this delay.  I would have preferred to run flat deck truck, more money in general and way more interesting work.  However, certainly to start with, reefer will do just fine.

So there you have it.  After ten years absence, I am once again heading back out on the road.  Back in the saddle. What an idiot ??

Winter Blues ( Part 2)

Posted on by Limeyimmigrant

Winter Blues ( Grow Some !)

Well the storm finally past and the back-breaking work of snow clearing is somewhat complete . ( Apart from the lazy trailer trash at the end of the street , who never clear their sidewalk , too busy collecting government benefits to have the time for that  I”m sure )

According to local news reports a total of 20 cm of snow fell over the city during the 24 hour storm . Not sure where they were measuring , but we had more than that in my neighbourhood !

With over a 100 car accidents recorded , the usual lack of driving skills combined with impatience and general stupidity ,were probably responsible for most of these .May be when the driver is replaced by a computer, we can improve this. Still I’m sure the local tow truck operators and car body repair shops wont mind that . I think this number would have been a lot higher if most people hadn’t thought “sod it ” and stayed home during the height of the storm !

The one major highway running from Calgary to Vancouver  faced multiple closures and the city trains and buses are still not running on time. But they are running at least .

So , even in a country that has  snow  every winter life , can still be a struggle at times and people’s lives face temporary disruption. But that’s all it is temporary . In fact life gets back to normal very quickly .

Today the sun is out , the sky is blue and spring is round the corner ( hopefully)

Calgary AB February 9th 2018 . Temperature -31 degrees C ( Why did I move here !!!)

Winter Blues ( Grow Some !)

Posted on by Limeyimmigrant

pexels-photo-844343.jpegMost people’s images of Canada must include snow. We have wonderful summers , spring last for around two weeks and fall (autumn to my English readers ) is truly beautiful time in the mountains of Western Canada, but winter dominates your life, like no other season when you live here .

Not having grown up here , I don”t ski, can”t skate and fail to see the enjoyment of spending hours on a frozen lake , dangling a fishing line through a drilled hole , hoping a passing fish will take your bait, before you completely lose all feeling in your lower limbs, otherwise known as ice fishing !

The recommended temperature for your household freezer is -18 degrees C . This winter in Calgary is proving to be one of the coldest, in fact the New Year started with a bone chilling -30 degrees C on News Years Day .

Now I hated the Winter when I lived in the UK , damp, dreary days that seem to go on for ever. I still hate Winter ,but surprisingly less so here . I know what your thinking , but here even when it’s very cold the sky is a clear blue ,with bright sunshine . It”s just you need to wrap in multi layers of specialist clothing and put on footwear that look like moon boots, to go out side to enjoy it!

I have learnt to approach Winter with a positive attitude . It comes every year and it”s  always a shock to the system when it does . Unless your prepared both physically and mentally, you are in for a tough five months .

Physical preparation always comes too late . Like I said , fall here is beautiful, the colours are amazing and with daytime temperatures still in the comfort zone its easy to forget whats around the corner . Then one morning you look out and wham, there it is , six inches of snow has fallen overnight and the morning commute is a nightmare . Now this shouldn”t happen , but it does , for some reason every year the weather forecast ( which is very accurate here ) informs people of the upcoming snow storm , but it gets ignored .

So whats a the physical preparation? Firstly , winter tyres fitted to your car . In some provinces this is mandatory ,from October ,that you put on a special set of tires for the winter months . Here in Alberta it’s not compulsory, it’s just recommended . Well there lies the problem . You are now likely to be driving on snow , ice or at worst freezing rain for a period of 4 to 5 months and the winter tires are still in the garage! So , every year on the first snow fall day we have hundreds of accidents and the roads are a complete war zone . ( a little like my home country when they have one little snow storm every five years of about 2 inches ).

There after follows a period of time when the busiest people in the city are those who work in tire stores . From dawn to dusk , lineups of cars wait to have their winter boots put on .After a few days of this , people then regain their winter driving skills thanks to the latest in rubber technology, apart from the newly arrived immigrants , me being one in 2006 , who are experiencing Winter driving for the first time . It’s then you ask yourself Why did I move here ?

Preparation number two . Snow shovels . Make sure you have several and they are easily available , because you are definitely going to need them . For the wealthier residents, this means making arrangements with the same guy that mowed their neat little lawns in the summer , to come out every time its snows and shovel their paths and driveways clear of the latest level of white stuff .( One big mystery to me is why people spend a fortune on getting their lawns in perfect golf course condition , only to see them disappear in a layer of snow and ice for 5 months , then  re-appear in the spring all brown and dead looking, just in time to start the whole process over again? )

For us poorer people , Winter snow shovelling becomes part of your daily routine . A chance to get out of the house , meet the neighbours and spend twenty minutes shovelling snow into ever-increasing piles . Hopefully you achieve this without having a heart attack , pulling your back out or falling on your arse . I’m not sure of the numbers involved, but all of these things happen to many people whilst participating in this unique , non olympic winter pastime .

Further physical preparations include , getting your heating system serviced , putting all garden furniture away , drain your lawn irrigation system ( why have one in the first place , but we”ve already covered that one ) , change the oil in your car to a thinner one , much better for your engine on cold morning starts . Bring out your heavy-duty power cords to plug your vehicle in overnight ( all vehicles have block  heaters that actually heats the coolant and keeps the engine block from getting too cold ) this way the poor thing has half a chance of starting , but only if you”ve checked your battery is still good , most only last a few winters .

Summer clothes packed away , to be replaced by over priced winter wear ,transforming the residents of Calgary into want to be “Scott of the Antarctic”s “, apart from all teenage school kids , who would sooner look cool and feel freezing . Head to the doctors to have your flu jab , seems like all Canadians do this , not the immigrants , don”t know why this is . Finally , all summer toys , fishing gear, motorcycles , camping equipment and RV”s , winterized and stored away , not to be seen for the next rew months .

Now your ready . Well Physically anyway . The secret to getting through the Canadian winter is all in your head . Cabin fever is a very real thing . A claustrophobic reaction that takes place when a person ends up stuck indoors in confined quarters for an extended period . In other words, you go slowly mad , looking out the window at tomorrows shovelling task . If you are not Scott of the Antartic, or into winter sports , this is a very real problem . Endless trips to the nicely heated shopping malls, eating crap food ,( A very big part of North American Life ) lack of fresh air and endless series on Netflix all combine to turn your once active brain and body into a useless rotting cabbage.

Now here”s the answer to this problem . Stop feeling sorry for yourself , get off your arse and do something !! It really is that simple . So if you are a  negative , wining product of modern society , who is not prepared to face up to mother  nature and take her on , forget moving to Canada .Stay where you are, softy !

The first Winter you face will be tough , be prepared , but don’t let it beat you . Grasp it , feel it and enjoy it , because sooner or later she let’s go and the two-week spring time arrives , followed by the glorious summer months . Winter defines Canada and your mental attitude to Winter, will define you .

Happy Shovelling !!

Calgary .Wednesday 7th February 2018. Todays temperature  a low of – 17 C currently under a Winter Storm Warning with up to 35cm of snow forcast over the next 36 hours . Get in !

 

 

Travel Log:Are you a Professional ?

Posted on by Limeyimmigrant

Day 5 Road Trip : Ucluelet to Tofino .

Weather on the west coast of Vancouver Island can be unpredictable at best , so even in the driest summer experienced by Western Canada in years ,you can still get a damp start to your day .

After a large cooked breakfast made on the barbecue , which involves a great deal of water to douse the flames ,( not sure what it is about men and barbecues ) and enough smoke to worry the locals that an idiot tourist had somehow managed to start a forest fire during a rain storm , we decided to make the best of the situation and set of the neighbouring town on the west coast , Tofino.

Coastal fog is a common morning phenomenon in the summer months and today was one of those mornings . Tofino is located at the western end of Highway 4 , which follows the coast line between the two towns.

While driving this road at a ” I’m on holiday bollocks to you pace” , you soon notice the rather unique roadside sign warning you that you are in fact in a Tsunami zone .The signs inform you of this by using a symbol similar to a wave chasing some poor individual across the beach , a similar mental picture to that of a dog chasing a postman, if you get my meaning .

Fact time : Scientist believe that a giant slab of rock sliding in from the pacific, has been building pressure up in the area for over 300 years . There is so much pressure that the shape on the Island is being altered by a few centimeters every year .

The result of this will be a sudden and unpredictable release of this pressure in the form of a massive off shore earthquake , effecting an area from British Columbia right the way south to Northern California . Experts cannot tell when this is going to happen , only that it is inevitable .Inevitable they say !

The last mega quake happened in Jan 1700 and experts believe that when it does happen parts of the coast will sink over a meter then move to the west between 10 and 15 meters . Now I am not sure how they know this , as I don’t believe there was a great deal of accurate measuring equipment available or trained scientist to measure this in 1700 and Canada didn’t convert to the metric system till 1970, but for ease of conversation lets assume that they are right .

Great . Now I find this out! Didn’t read this is any of the numerous tourist guides on the ferry crossing did I?. Guess they forgot to mention that , bit of a type ” O “.

Managed to find some instructions in the cabin , four pages worth to be exact . When you consider there was only one page on eating out in the area , clearly the owner was as concerned as I’ve just become .

So, what to do in the event of an earthquake followed by a Tsunami? Considering Vancouver Island is covered in tourists for most of the year , and considering how tourists drive when on vacation ( see previous Post: Are you one of those drivers ?)I already have my doubts on how successful any plan is likely to be , however once more let’s get serious.The plan in the event of this happening is as follows :

1/ Drop and take cover under a desk.  Good start . Drop , well as most people will be lazing on their beach towel, they’ve got a head start . However , if the earth is shaking for five or so minutes would you be able to do anything else but drop ? A desk ? Well I’ve already been on several beaches in the area and I’ve seen numerous  surf board and kayak rentals , but yet to see one that supplies desks , but lets improvise and once the ground starts to move, everyone will calmly walk to the nearest beach store where they will  collect their surf board and take cover , got it .Next ?

2/ Hold On .Really ? at this stage I don’t really need to be bloody told to hold on ! Trust me I have that one covered !

3. DO not pack and Do not go to the beach to watch .   What twat (Non Brits may need to google this word for clarivication )wrote this one and how much did they get paid ? Firstly , I’m already at the beach along with thousands of others and try telling my wife not to pack !!!!

4. Be Calm and  make you way to the nearest evacuation zone : Oh you bloody think so do you ? So while the sea retreats at 600 mph , you want me to  calmly get my car keys walk to my vehicle, then  everyone drives carefully , observing the speed limit obviously, to the nearest high ground ?

5.It then goes into detail how the if the earthquake is more than a 9.0 in magnitude and lasts for more than 5 minutes, a series of Tsunami waves are expected to reach the area in twenty minutes and be 20 m high and goes on to lists the areas in that zone that are more than 20 meters higher than sea level .

Fantastic , so while all this shit is happening , I have to time the duration the ground is shaking , reach in my pocket for my seismograph ( which everyone carries don’t you know?) , get the local seismologist ( who just happens to be wondering the beach when I need an expert scientist ) to measure the strength so knowing which area I supposed to go .

Now I don’t mean to make light of this very serious and real possibility of a huge loss of life and damage to the area and an evacuation plan is certainly  required . But seriously, does anyone actually think this plan will work ? or do you think there would be complete panic, mass killings and  breakdown of societies rules , while people scramble to where ever the think is best?

Personally, I’ve decided that if this happens during my stay in the area , forget the plan . Sit back , have a beer, smoke a joint , have sex ( after all apparently we have twenty minutes )enjoy the view and kiss my ass goodbye!

So now that we have decided not to worry about any impending disasters we make our way along Highway 4 towards Tafino, when we come across a rare occurrence around here , a traffic jam . Living in Calgary, I see these on a daily basis ( mainly caused by bad city planners and the inability of drivers here to understand the meaning of Merge , or give way ,to you Brits reading this ) but here they are somewhat of a rarity and frankly I wasn’t interested in joining , so instant reaction, take a left, park up and walk to the beach. So we did.

Combers beach .After a short five-minute walk from the car park through the rain forest that runs adjacent to the  coast line , you come out on a wide open flat plain of sand .IMG_1892The Sitka Spruce forest makes for dramatic walk down to sandy Combers Beach .Part of the Pacific Rim National Park .IMG_1901.JPG

The beach has miles of clean sand , with pockets of dead shell fish, where the last feast took place in the retreating tide . As with any beach  which has heavily forested boarders , drift wood is in plentiful supply . Some of it has been carved so smooth by the ocean, it almost looks to perfect .

I’m told camping on the beach is a favoured past time of the area , especially amongst the surf lovers . My theory for these man-made structures littering the beach ? Obvious, people know there’s no desks available and built their own covers as per the tsunami survival plan . Brilliant .

After a walk ( not hike ) along the endless sands , its time to head back to the truck in the hope that the traffic jam has cleared .Thankfully normal service had resumed and traffic was back to acceptable levels .

On the approach into Tafino , the explanation for why we were delayed earlier came clear .Half the road was excavated away as part of a programme to install culverts( Large open-ended pipes buried under the road) to allow salmon runs from the rivers to the nearby ocean . Mystery solved .

Tafino . What can I say ? Fact time .

Located at the top of Highway 4 , it is a very popular tourist destination attracting surfers , nature lovers,whale watchers and campers.The more well-known of the two towns on the west coast, Tafino has mild winters and temperate summer temperatures ……………………………..ah enough of this I can’t do any more .

I hate the place . All I found is want to be hippies wandering around the town  cramming the small coffee shops , so you can’t get a seat , all sharing one cup of hot chocolate. It seems compulsory for women to not wear a bra ,that’s ok by me in certain circumstances , but not on a cold chilly day and when years of gravity have taken its effect  .The most famous Bra of all was in fact a Canadian invention, so be patriotic and do the rest of us a favour and wear the bloody thing ! . Mini Rant .

Tafino used to be Hip . Back in the day when it was cool to be a society drop out , living on the beach . Now  it suffers from an identity crisis . It still attracts the next generation of hipsters ( minus their bra,  but with cell phones, probably paid for by mommy and daddy ) while the place has now become too commercialised and big business . All the clothes stores sell the same stuff all with the town’s name plastered over it , as if I didn’t know where I was .Obviously once you purchase the surfer logo infested clothing, it makes you a cool surfer and totally hip.

Hotels ,  RV Parks and restaurants are all over priced and over crowded .

Tafino does have a great food scene , that’s part of the problem . Your average city slick , trying to look cool wearing his Tafino T and sandals( whilst still answering his Emails from the office )loves to sit at the fancy eatery and pay top dollar for fish and chips , pretending to be part of the cool surfer hippie brigade . It’s a little like every one on St Patrick’s day seems to be Irish , or as I call it “Plastic Paddy Day “.

Personally, I know I’m in the minority , but it all over priced and over rated . I’m out of here .

Back on Highway 4 heading south, past the road works, and back to the real world in Ucluelet . To get over the disappointment of the other place ( no bra town ) we decided to book a meal at the local floating restaurant, sit down with real people, instead of a bunch of wannabe’s and enjoy a plate of reasonably priced fish and chips .That’s when it happened , for the second time today , whats going on ?A long line up , and an hour and a half wait for a table .

I was then informed for the reason for the mayhem . The road has collapsed between the two towns , so trapping all the day trippers from ” No Bra Town ” in Ucluelet and obviously they now want to eat , hence the long line up ( Que for you Brits ).Well I guess it’s not their fault and thankfully the women seemed to have put their bra on for their day trip , so at least we didn’t have to face that ordeal. Could have put me off my food , but I doubt it  .

So with an evening walk around the harbour to pass away the time waiting for our table , the reason for the road closure was discovered . Not as I thought the beginning of a massive earthquake, but the second half of the road had collapsed, where they were installing the salmon runs .What a relief . This turned to absolute joy when I heard a local fisherman describe the extent of the damage .

Now small town people speak in a certain way. A way in which is calm, understated and to be honest hilarious, without them meaning to be . Coming from a small town myself I simply love it and miss it immensely.

He quotes ” The road collapsed while they were digging those round things into the road for the fish to use . Its pretty bad as I”ve heard they had to bring the professionals in from the other side of the island ” ( Assume he meant from Victoria or another large town all situated on the East Coast ) Laugh? I damn near hurt myself .

“Bring in the professionals?” I asked him for clarification, ” So does that mean around here anyone can dig the main highway up?”

Calmly and without any emotion he replied with “I think so , it”s not the first time it:s happened this year ‘

Oh my God , I laughed so hard . Brilliant . Suddenly my inconvenience waiting for a table to come available at the local eatery all became worth it .

Finally we received notice from the restaurant that our table was ready and ended our eventful day with a fantastic plate of local fish and chips, complete with a couple of beers, fine company and all the women in the building had a Bra on. Perfect .IMG_1101

Ucluelet Marina , in all its splendor. Great to see numerous working boats still active in the area .

 

Start Point : Ucluelet British Columbia

Finish Point Ucluelet British Columbia( via No Bra Town )

Distance Travelled : 82 Kilometers

 

 

 

 

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Travel Log: Are You One of Those Drivers?

Posted on by Limeyimmigrant

Day 4     Road Trip Victoria to Ucluelet .

Get the hell  out-of-town , before Monday morning traffic builds up too much and reminds me of home .

The trans Canada highway (Highway 1) begins its 8000 kilometer  journey across the country from here in Victoria . So here we go again, this time heading north following the east coast of the island re- tracing our steps back through to Nanaimo , where the sea crossing had ended two days earlier .

After bypassing the town of Nanaimo ( sorry my Canadian readers it’s not big enough to be called a city ) we head west on highway 4 , towards Port Alberni ,

Before getting to Port Alberni, we take the short detour off the highway into a small town by the name of Coombs, home of the goats on the roof market . Guess  what , it’s a market with goats on its roof . Straight up my friends , look !FullSizeRenderStarted by a family of Norwegian Immigrants in 1973 , when it was no more than a road side fruit stall, it has grown into a must see attraction. As rumour has it , the goats appeared on the roof several summers later , when after a certain amount of alcohol was consumed , it was suggested that they borrow some goats in order to reduce the height of the grass now growing on the roof .As with all  ideas involving beers , it was a good one and proved to be very amusing to passing motorists and so increasing the markets business . Great marketing ideas are not always taught in business school , sometimes it just takes imagination and beer( and an immigrant who likes to drink ).

Today the market is open  from 9am to 8pm and has a wide range of vendors , including one that sells the largest wooden penis I have ever seen , kid you not. So with goats and large wooden penises in the same area , why wouldn’t you stop ?

After purchasing some fresh vegetables and fruit ( yes it still has it original fruit stand despite the invasion of Phal’lic wooden sculptures ) we continued our journey west , along highway 4 .After passing through Port Alberni , never stopped here never felt the need , (something to do with the large golden “M” upon entering,put me off stopping at together , sorry Port Alberni , I’m sure you have lots to offer the average traveller, but not this one !).The road becomes increasingly narrower and more twisty by the mile . Here comes a Rant !!!!

Now I’m not an expert on the development of vehicles over the last thirty years , but having done a lot of driving in that time , I am sure millions of dollars, Yen , Euros, or whatever other currencies there are from large car making countries , have been spent on improving handling and performance of the average family form of transport ….. be it the Albertan favourite the pick-up truck , the tree huggers and students favourite small economical hatch backs , or those bloody awful vehicles driven by families where the men have little or no testicles , the scurge of 21st century motoring , the mini-van !!!!!!!!!!

I can also say with confidence that the worlds tire companies have spent equal amounts on developing their product to enable these vehicles to take a corner at greater speeds than a horse-drawn carriage . Clearly this money has been wasted . ( if any car manufactures are reading this , please divert some of this money into developing windshields that don’t ever crack , a car alarm that people actually take notice of and air conditioning that doesn’t freeze your feet ,as people in summer actually wear summer footwear ).

Despite all their efforts , a large amount of drivers have no concept how to take a corner correctly , how to accelerate out of a corner and not to enter a corner by slamming your brakes as hard as you can , going round a bend in a series of short jerky movements of the steering wheel, only to exit the bend at approximately a third of the speed that the  vehicle is actually capable of safely doing . So please do us all a favour . Either concentrate on  your driving and be more aware of fellow motorists, stop texting or trying to watch the kids DVD playing in the back ( maybe teach the kids to look out of those see through things running down the sides of the vehicle called windows, at the beautiful scenery that this country is blessed to have )use your mirrors and lay off the big pedal and give its little brother next to it a little more attention, or sell your penis shrinking mini van and buy a horse and carriage . At least you with be saving the world’s oil for those genuine driving enthusiasts and the horse has probably a greater ambition to take the corners at a reasonable speed . In addition to this, the environmental Nazis will love you , as no pollutants into the air and you can use the horse droppings on your home-grown spinach garden ,your wife forces you to grow in your cookie cutter house in the sub-burbs ……..loser ! Rant over .That feels good .

So after enduring a painful  display of driving skills , we arrive in the coastal town of Ucluelet, the gem of the west coast . Where”s the ship ????. On previous visits to this coastal delight , upon arriving in the town , one of the first things your met with is the sight of a large ship tied up in the harbor.The Canadian Princess has left town. Since 1979 she had dominated the harbor landscape . In her working life she was named The william .J.Stewart and spent her time mapping the west coast of Canada .With a change in ownership of the complex she was attached to , the new owners, probably wisely, decided they didn’t want the ship and she was towed away as part of the deal . Her age and possible liability in the future for any environmental issues, meant the modern business model has no room for sentiment .Still its always sad to see a landmark feature of any town disappears , that’s progress for you ,

The word Ucluelet , means ” people of the safe harbor” and to be honest I couldn’t think of a better named town anywhere in the world. I feel safe and secure as soon as I arrive . The slower pace of life on the west coast immediately takes effect , and the stress of living in the city seems to fall like one of the stunning sunsets , this part of the island experiences on every clear night.West Coast Sunset

Having settled into our  cabin, which will be home for the next five nights , we set off to the local store to stock up on supplies for the week. Ucluelet still has a core of year round residence and workers from the fishing industry which means the stores here have not gone  completely tourist based , so finding food and supplies for the week was no problem .The little supermarket was probably a quarter of the size of the one we use in Calgary , yet still managed to stock everything we needed and sold a selection of camping and fishing equipment along side the bacon and eggs .One shocking thing for me was the lack of fresh fish . In a town that is literally surrounded by some of the best coastal fishing grounds in the world, I was surprised to see little or no fresh sea fish available . When asking the locals it seems yet again big business is taking over . Ucluelet still has several processing plants , however all the fish from these plants are taken by truck over  the island to the mainline where they are frozen and distributed in Vancouver . So basically the supermarket gets its fish from Vancouver , even though its caught a couple of miles away , another case of where so-called development and supply chains make no bloody sense .

To finish the day , time to take a walk along the many trails that run along the coastal area of the Pacific Rim ( Or as my family like to refer to it as the pacific asshole).Now notice I used the word ” walk ‘, not a hike . To me a hike is something that involves a great distance walking over variable terrain so needing specialist equipment and involves a fast pace . A walk on the other hand can be done with no specialist equipment , over shorter distances and doesn’t require you to be that physically fit .

That is the one for me . Flip Flops a Camera and that’s about it . Now you may be wondering why I’m going into so much detail on this ? Well if you have read any of my earlier posts, you will know this is an observation I have made regarding people in Calgary walking , or as they put it Hiking .

Calgary has many beautiful scenic areas to walk and despite the fact it has grown tremendously over the last ten years , it still maintains its green spaces and areas of recreation . So it’s not uncommon for me and my wife ( having two dogs means it’s almost daily) to take a quiet walk and take advantage of the city planners good work . However , quiet is not experienced very often . Not through traffic or aircraft or any other of the usual city noise suspects , but through the need of people in Calgary to dress up like the are competing in the Tour de France ( famous bicycle race ,just in case you didn’t know ) and tour the same footpath , sounding their bloody bells with a constant ” to the left ” or some other pointless warning ,as their  overweight bodies struggle to overtake me on my leisurely walk .

Those of you that know me , will be shocked at this next line . I’m sorry . Sorry , because I thought this was a normal Canadian thing , to squeeze your candy packed body into a tight  figure hugging cycle outfit , don a very expensive aero dynamic helmet , get on your overpriced bicycle( complete with annoying bloody bell), load up enough water bottles to last a camel three weeks , attach some sort of electronic device that records everything from your heartbeat to how many pedestrians you have pissed off and cycle around the footpaths as fast as you can . No . I’m mistaken . At no point in my travels through British Columbia, even in the fairly yuppie infested areas of Victoria , have I witnessed this disturbing event . No , only in my home city of Calgary does this seem to happen . You muppets !

I digress , as I tend to do a lot . As we walked around one of these trails taking in the beautiful coastal scenery ,it came to my attention that not one of my fellow walkers was dressed in the latest voodoo lemon like, brightly coloured outfit. Complete with water bottles, an electronic gadget counting your paces ( even my mother in law has one of these around her wrist , as noted on her last long visit to my home , but that’s another story ) and the latest running shoes or hiking boots . In fact most people were actually wearing normal clothes ,  flip-flops or some other type of casual summer shoe  and actually enjoying their walk , regardless of  how many steps it took them to get back, or how long it took or how many calories the managed to lose .

Breathtaking is a word that is over used today, and I’m not a person who is easily impressed by the average , just ask my kids , but the views were literally that . P1030161.JPG

The over cast skies only added to the dramatic views and really showed the power of the sea.  The way it carved the rocks along the rugged coast line .P1030106

Amphitrite point lighthouse , is the main stopping point on the aptly named lighthouse walk . With free parking to dump the wheels , this 45 minute walk is easy on the eyes and the feet . Around the half way point you will come across this lighthouse , which replaced the original building in 1915, as the 1906 original was not strong enough to withstand the pacific storms along the west coast .

This iconic building has kept watch over the ships from Barkley Sound and the broken islands ever since . With over 300 species of migrating birds that pass through this area every year its a popular spot to watch nature at her finest . Best thing about the trail …….. No cyclist allowed, yes !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Start :   Victoria British Columbia

Finished: Ucluelet British Columbia

Distaced Travelled : 504 klms  ( seemed longer thanks to you drivers )

 

Road Trip

Posted on by Limeyimmigrant

Day 3 Victoria

Having had a good night sleep ( Anything was better than the Chevy Pick-up hotel from the previous night ) , we ventured downtown , via the split windshield Hotel Zed VW camper van .

One huge disadvantage of living in Calgary ( which now apparently is in the top ten cities in the world to live in , not sure who decided that , no coast , no work ,high house prices ,in the middle of a slump in oil prices ………………………?) is that we are a 12 hour drive to the coast and therefore the opportunity to eat fresh seafood, is at best somewhat limited , in truth bloody poor .In fact in my opinion , eating out in Calgary is generally over priced and over rated , except for asian food  , the majority of restaurants tend to offer all the same choices, including one of the biggest disappointments to me when I arrived here , that being Alberta Beef ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,aaaahhhhh .

So coming from an island and being bought up on a fish diet we set off on our Fish and Chips finding mission .

A short boat taxi ride from the main downtown area, takes across the bay to a place they refer to as fisherman’s wharf . There , a small number of floating houses and restaurants provide the visiter with a relaxed waterside watering hole . With a busy harbour entrance providing constant entertainment , ships, trawlers , pleasure boats and best of all float planes provide an ever-changing horizon,

With one of the hottest summers of record , a strong American dollar and fires raging in northern regions of the western provinces , the west coast seems to be having a record year for numbers of visitors and on this particular day , many of them seem to be desperate to eat  fish and chips at the same time as us. So much so we had an hours wait for fresh batches to be cooked having arrived ten minutes after they ran out of supplies .

With a little patience, our wait was rewarded with a large plate of fresh haddock and chips ( fries to you north american folk ……………..funny how the restaurants are not called fish and fries here.)Fantastic , Calgary restaurants could learn a thing or two from Victoria regarding food presentation and portion sizes . It’s also great to be served by a server who knows what there doing, not covered in cheap make up and perfume , and actually cares about customer service rather than looking for a large tip for basically doing very little .( My Rant Over for the day ?) Victoria boasts more restaurants per head than any place in Canada and for them to all stay in business, they must know a thing or two .

Having finished our lunch we headed back to downtown Victoria , via a cool little tug taxi, which run continuously from several pick up and drop off areas throughout the harbour area . Any visitor should try these at least once as they give a great service , if a little expensive , but that the price you pay for anything unique.( Had to wait for our taxi , as the first one to collect us had the family on board that was kitted out like they were on a cross continental hike and allergic to the twentieth century and as we had our dog with us they clearly wouldn’t survive such a long crossing in an open aired boat  !!!!!) .Another Rant for those who are counting .

Back into the city we wondered around the stores . As anyone knows with teenage kids , shopping for cloths seems to be high on most of their ” want to do lists “, and my sons are no different . In the age of over indulging our children for fear of them growing up with some mental condition or the latest ridiculous abbreviated condition , I follow along like the modern lap dog Dad, aimlessly wandering the streets , reminding myself of my teenage years when one pair of runners ( trainers as I know them by ) seem to be enough ! ( I lied about the daily rant clearly ).

Victoria has all the usual stores, plus a few that offer more of the west coast hippy style that seems to be coming back in fashion .But what it does make great use of , is maintaining the old buildings that once housed mainly ship related industries and workshops and now offer a wide range boutiques, used clothing stores , endless cafe and small specialist food outlets. Even a reluctant shopper like myself can find something of interest .

To end the day we grabbed a take out from the well-known chinese district , popped a squat in the old district and watched the world pass by , enjoying top quality asian cuisine .To follow, a half and walk to burn off supper back to the hotel . The trendy VW camper only runs to 5.30 pm pick up , so walk back it was . ( I never once a fan of taxi or worst still busses )

With full stomachs ( well mine at least , the stomach of a teenage boy seems to be an ever revolving door ) and tired ache feet , a good nights rest was had by all . Tomorrow we leave Victoria and head still further west .

Start point _ Victoria BC

Finish – Victoria BC

Distance Travelled _ 0 klms . (Not driving , felt like bloody lots walking)