Unlike most of the previous days I have been in Canada, this day dawned bright and was full of sunshine. Possibly, the blessings from above
for safe and pleasant travels. The day of the beginning of the Trans Canada
Expedition (TCE) had arrived. Most importantly, it was the birthday of my
mother, who had left her husband and children for her heavenly abode in January
2001. A mother has a special place in the heart and mind of children. Lessons
learnt at the mother’s knees are seldom forgotten. I still remember Ammachi
with a lot of love, respect and admiration. May her soul rest in peace.
Breakfast at the Inn begins at 8 am, but by the time I
was ready after completing blogs and other documentation it was past 9 am. The
schedule was to leave the Zero Mile Monument at 10 am and I was in time for
that. The Continental breakfast consisted of cereals, cold cuts, cheese, rye
bread, coffee, cinnamon and walnut bun, fruits, juices and yogurt. Save the
yogurt, everything else found their places within the stomach in quick time.
Once breakfast was done I spent some time with Linda
and Jeff to let them know how much I had enjoyed the stay in their excellent
Inn. The décor is so tasteful and so are the art works. Their warmth and care
was the highlight though. Jeff told me of the many parts that Linda is. Not
only is she an artist with glass but had jewelery and clothes lines, was in TV
shows, had done theatre, is an awesome painter and a great cook. Linda had
owned the house for over two decades where she ran a rooming house prior to
opening a bed and breakfast (B&B) centre five years ago. She operates it as
such between May and August every year and travels for the rest of the year. A
fun life to live, surely. She used to sell her glass works near the Bay area in
the past but has given up glass blowing for now. The paintings are quite
something to admire and yearn for. It is difficult to understand how one can
excel in so many fields, all at the same time. It has been my good fortune to
meet and know Linda and Jeff on my travels. I went around the living and dining
room areas yet again, where some of Linda’s art works were on display, before
setting for to the start point of the TCE.
The Zero Mile Monument is less than 5 km from the Inn
and I reached there without any hassle as I had recceed the place the previous
day and, being a Sunday, the place was quiet and free of tourists when I
reached there a little ahead of 10 am. A sole tourist was trying to get a
selfie with the monument when I asked him if I could help him. After I was done
with his pictures he offered to get a few done for me. And that signaled the
start of the TCE.
I drove cautiously all the way up to Nanaimo. I didn’t
have to hurry for I had to do just 120 km for the night halt. I had to make
sure that I get used to the road rules, traffic discipline and the left hand
drive car. One of the things I like in this country is that most signals are
pre-warned on the highway. Thus, you learn to look out for the pre-warning.
Secondly, there are speed radars at intermittent locations to make the driver
aware of the vehicle speed. Applicable speeds are also on prominent display.
Direction are signposted exceptionally well and the road conditions are very
good. En route I stopped at a few lookout points in the Cowichan region for
views of rivers and islands. There were warning boards at many places to be
cautious while driving the Malahat range, the summit of which is nearly 1200
feet. Later in the day I came to know that there had been an accident on that
stretch of road that closed the highway for more than 2 hours. I had escaped
that, but caution and safety are key. The Chevy Impala continued its merry ways
of guzzling gas. I stopped at a Shell outlet for fueling and pushed in 50
liters at nearly 157 cents per liter. In Vancouver the fuel price was 173
cents! Even though I found it steep as compared to Australia, I consoled myself
that I was using decidedly cleaner fuel at Indian prices!
I reached the Departure Bay Motel a half hour after
noon and met Mary Ann and her husband who ran the Motel. They were expecting me
thanks to booking.com. After I had comfortably lodged my belongings in the room
I went to them for attestation in the log sheet. While that was going on they
told me that the previous owner had been Chinese and they owned it for the last
two years only. The proximity to the ferry terminal, which was just a couple of
minutes’ drive away, and a deal with a nearby hospice kept them busy all
through the year. The Motel offered breakfast, but not on Mondays and Tuesdays.
The reason for it I did not ask. The Motel was neat and tidy and had ample
parking for those who rented it.
A saveonfoods shop was within a five minute walk from
the Motel. I walked around the large grocery store and picked up a few items
that would serve me well for the next couple of days. Once I had had lunch of
macaroni and cheese, one of the things I had just bought, it was time to attend
to the laundry. 50 cents each for washing and drying and all my clothes were
done. On this trip I had deliberately packed lesser clothes for I intended to
launder them as often as I could and I had to carry more warm clothing than on
the previous expeditions.
The Sun was still bright and sunny at 6 pm. I decided
to go to the marina and explore the area for that looked a nice place for an
evening visit from the Motel window. It turned out to be just the right
decision. I walked around the marina and to the Nanaimo harbour leisurely to
take in the clean and healthy surroundings and enjoy the cool evening breeze. The
two are connected by a scenic five km walkway. The marina was almost full.
People could be seen sitting on benches, donated by kind members of society in
honour of their dear departed. It was so poignant to see an elderly couple
sitting on a bench facing the Bay, possibly reminiscing their wonderful life. Another
astonishing sight were walls along the Bay full of memorial plaques etched in
terracotta. There were so many of them and seemed to be the initiative of Lions
International, who also had a pavilion within the Maffeo Sutton Park in the
harbour. During the walk I came across a small fishing jetty, the Swy-a-Lana
(Swy-a-Lana is said to have been the eldest son of the first inhabitant of
Nanaimo) fishing pier, where people were engaged in crab ‘grab’. A lady proudly
displayed one she had just then pouched. An Asian family had been trying for
some time without much luck, with a large cage and a juicy bait, to get
something for supper perhaps! I asked around if there were seals in the place.
Just then one popped its head a bit above the water, as if answering a call,
dived and went out of sight.
The evening had been well spent and I returned to the room by a half past 8 and it was still bright. Dinner consisted of mushroom soup and fresh salad. Of course, Becks beer and Doritos preceded dinner. Before turning in for the night I packed and made sure that I would have very little to do in the morning before departing to the ferry terminal at 7 am.
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