Fortune favours the brave. Going by our
good fortune on our last adventure we must be the boldest pair on the
planet. Tofino, a small fishing village on Vancouver Island lies on
the edge of the world. Quintessentially Canadian it consistently
rates as one the best places to visit in the country and after our
weekend there we understand why. Occasionally, if you're lucky you
get one of those “moments”, situations that make you stop and go
wow, I'm so glad I'm here right now. We had not just one but many.
We camped in this modest campground
that represented something more like high density living with a
disturbingly high ratio of cars to tents. But although we were
novices we had an ace up our sleeve. And that ace was a girl called
Amber.
For those of you that don't know her,
our friend Amber, a Canadian native happens to know every third
person in British Columbia. Consequently we bumped into a friend of
hers who happened to have a boat and was more than happy to take us
out and share his supplies. Nice.
But before I get way out of control
trying to describe every single precious moment we had there I'll go
into overview mode. Tofino is set to the stunning backdrop of heavily
forested mountains plunging into the ocean, with numerous small
islands dotting the area and occasional floatplanes coming and going.
Whales abound in this paradise with one coming within 2km of town. We
went on a whale watching tour which was exciting for the boat ride
alone, not to mention a few 30 ton Humpbacks leaping out of the water
for us.
But catching a Spring Salmon was
special for me. Its something a lot of Canadians haven't done and I
do treasure it. What makes it even more sensational is pulling up on
a deserted beach, starting a fire and eating it that evening. This
was the stuff of fairytales and certainly not lost on us.
Between catching and eating we headed
to some hot springs. Remotely located and a 30 minute walk from the
jetty, these springs cascade into the ocean where you sit depending
on how hot or cold you like the water. Needless to say I kept well
away from the cold ocean and stayed in the hotter parts. Escorting us
the walk there was a wild half bred wolf, that just seemed to be cool
with people, was a friendly and social dog, yet had unmistakable
wolf features. If there was ever a spirit guide of the native people
this surely was it.
I have to make mention of the nightly
campfires set on the beach, with crashing waves in the distance, a
healthy smattering of stars above and the smell of fresh cedar
burning. Electricity, mobile phone reception and private showers are
things I'll happily sacrifice for more of this. On our drive there, a small town called Cooms, famous for its "Goats on Roof" feature became a focal point for the entire trip. I now have a "Goats on Roof" t-shirt and bumper sticker.
The world's most indirect travellers,
Shona and Joshua.
