What a long weekend it was. From a rainy, muggy week at work to a fantastic, sun-bleached adventure into the Gulf Islands.
SWAP had managed to organise their best meet-up yet, whale watching. I have to admit it was breathtaking. Tom, Astrid and I caught the bus from downtown early Saturday morning, and made our way to Steveston Quay. It was quite amusing to hear the tour-bus driver commenting on the ancient buildings as we were taken through the quaint fishing town (which, at one point, housed the largest fishing fleet in North America). I was aware that I had lived in houses older than the buildings that we were being shown! History in North America is all a bit more modern, I have found.
Once we had boarded the boat, it took us two hours to actually get to the location of a sighted whale pod. We actually ventured into United States’ waters, down to the south point of San Juan Island. On the way, we passed California Sea Lions, a cormorant breeding colony, and majestic Bald Eagles, who glided overhead and perched on the rocky shore.
Actually reaching, and seeing, the whales was the icing on the cake. Many trips venture out and never manage to find the fantastic orcas, and we were still a little before whale season, so I kept my hopes purposefully lower.
SWAP had managed to organise their best meet-up yet, whale watching. I have to admit it was breathtaking. Tom, Astrid and I caught the bus from downtown early Saturday morning, and made our way to Steveston Quay. It was quite amusing to hear the tour-bus driver commenting on the ancient buildings as we were taken through the quaint fishing town (which, at one point, housed the largest fishing fleet in North America). I was aware that I had lived in houses older than the buildings that we were being shown! History in North America is all a bit more modern, I have found.
Once we had boarded the boat, it took us two hours to actually get to the location of a sighted whale pod. We actually ventured into United States’ waters, down to the south point of San Juan Island. On the way, we passed California Sea Lions, a cormorant breeding colony, and majestic Bald Eagles, who glided overhead and perched on the rocky shore.
Actually reaching, and seeing, the whales was the icing on the cake. Many trips venture out and never manage to find the fantastic orcas, and we were still a little before whale season, so I kept my hopes purposefully lower.
Once we found the pod, they put on a show of tail whips, spy-dips (sticking their nose out of the water so they can see the surrounding area), and rolls. It was almost as if they were showing off for us.
It took us a while to locate the patriarch, Ruffles. He was slightly separated from the rest of his pod, and not as energetic as the younger whales. When we found him, it was straight away obvious that he was much bigger than the other orcas. His dorsal fin was huge, and he came very close to the boat to show it off.
After this fantastic experience, I went to Kitsilano Beach to take advantage of the scorching weather a bit more. I met up with some Maisie and Howard, and we braved the sea (well, paddled for a bit), and then found a nice terrace bar near the beach. This weekend has had the hottest weather of the year in Vancouver, and a local resident told me it was hotter than any weekend from last summer.
While the weather didn't manage to hold up for my extra day off on Monday, I still managed to enjoy myself. I met up with Conor, and we ended up having another fish and chips (my second of the weekend). A few pitchers of beer later, and we went for a different experience.
Conor's friend Adam told us about Hookah. We arrived at a Persian-themed bar, where you can drink herbal teas and, more importantly, sample the "calming" flavoured tobacco of the Middle East, through the use of bongs. It was quite eclectic, with the Arab music in the background, drinking our teas and inhaling the smoke. I enjoyed it actually, but doubt I'll ever need to go back!
Afterwards, we got some wine and headed back to Conor, Fran and Adam's house. We watched this ridiculous cartoon called Drawn Together. Post-smoking and drinking, it was fairly surreal watching this weird adult comedy that parodies reality TV shows!
I didn't enjoy the walk home in the early hours of the morning, or the limited sleep before work, but I'm still enjoying everything else. Next week, Whistler hopefully!
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