North to Vancouver Island

See You Later, USA

Looking Back

I have longed to visit Vancouver Island for many years. I don't know why; it just seemed like a wonderful place to visit.
I like the idea of accessing someplace only by boat or air.

Ferrying Across de Fuca

I perused travel guides on the 90 minute ferry ride. Perhaps I should have done a bit more research before I started out. I like to be surprised when I arrive someplace. Well, I guess I will be.
I finally discovered that Vancouver Island is almost twice the size I thought it was.
Perhaps there aren't as many First Nations cultural centers to visit.
Perhaps the villages are not as quaint as on Nantucket as I had imagined they would be.
Victoria is supposed to be the most delightful city in Canada. I can hardly wait to spend idle hours in the city streets. That would wait for another day because I had an appointment in Sooke.

Here Comes Victoria

While waiting in line for customs, I realized my phone did not work in Canada. Before leaving, I made contact with Verizon about my trip and set up an access plan. Hmmmm. Guess it didn't go through.
I didn't have any Google Maps to tell me how to get to the address in Sooke. I couldn't call my contact to tell har I had arrived and to meet me.
I began to have an uneasy feeling.

By the way, customs is truly a grilling process now. I was asked every kind of question about where I was staying, why, how I made contact with the people I was house sitting for, what were there exact addresses. When I told them I would be returning to the US for one week, they wanted to know where my new granddaughter lived and where she was born!
For crying out loud! I am one old lady visiting Vancouver Island. How many jobs can I steal from the locals?
If they were so worried about me, they should have checked the van for explosives or ingredients for homemade bombs. If they would hae searched it, they would have found the six bottles of wine and jug of vodka I lied about bringing into the country!

I struggled the van through Victoria traffic until I could find a parking place.
"Think, Paula! How did you get around and make phone calls before we used cell phones? Surely, I could get from Victoria to Sooke. But how?
Somehow, I had found my way in Kazakhstan and 7 other countries in Europe without a cell phone.
Fortunately, I remembered gas stations! Even though they didn't have a pay phone or maps. They did allow me to use their phone. They even dialed it for me because I couldn't remember how to dial a landline phone.
Even more fortunate, Vancouver Island has only one highway. Follow it until you see a sign to turn off for Sooke.

There was also a bad accident on the two-lane, mountainside route 14 which caused traffic to be delayed for at least 30 minutes.
Along the way, although there was some nice scenery periodically, the area looked like any suburb anywhere - just a few more hills and trees.
When I finally drove the 20 miles into Sooke, it didn't look quite like I expected.

Where's the Quaint Fishing Village

When I turned down the street to my assignment, I realized I sure wasn't staying in a little fishing village neighborhood.

Things Aren't Looking Any Quainter

OMG Another Cul de Sac

At first, I couldn't find the addresses on the one-block-long cul de sac. I parked the van and walked looking for it. Still could not see it, so I asked a woman watering her lawn if whe knew which house was 6704.
"I have absolutely no idea," she replied and turned her back.
Soon, I discovered it was two doors from where she stood.

Welcome to Sooke.
I sure had expected something different.