I was still dragging my feet as I started my second day in Victoria. I could have easily spent the next week lying low and resting up in my student accommodation room at UVic, which my body would have thanked me for. But I had a city to explore.
And Victoria would be one of my favourite cities in Canada.
I caught the bus from the bustling UVic terminal. It was $5 for a daily ticket, which could be used to ride the bus around the city.
At the Victoria Cenotaph by the B.C Parliament Buildings, I spotted the Toonie Tours guide holding a red umbrella. He was alone, and I wondered if I would be the only one on the tour. As I waited, I marvelled at the magnificent BC Legislature Building, and took in the breathtaking views of the Inner Harbour, watching water taxis dart around and sea planes take off and land.
More walking tour guests emerged as the start time approached. The introvert in me was relieved.
Our tour began in Thunderbird Park, beside the Royal BC Museum. Thunderbird Park was established in 1941 when a display of totem poles from the provincial museum’s collection was set up at the corner of Belleville and Douglas streets in Victoria. In 1952, Anthropology Curator Wilson Duff initiated a pole restoration program and hired Kwakwaka‘wakw master carver Mungo Martin as chief carver for Thunderbird Park.
Over a number of years, the original poles were moved to inside storage and replaced by replica versions carved by Martin and others working under his direction, including Henry Hunt and Hunt’s sons, Tony and Richard. After Martin’s death in 1962, Henry Hunt became chief carver, followed by Richard Hunt and the Nuu-chah-nulth artist, Tim Paul.
All of the poles now in Thunderbird Park were carved in the Carving Studio building there. All are versions of the originals with the exception of the heraldic pole in front of Wawadiťła and the more recent honouring pole by Sean Whonnock and Johnathan Hunt.
We crossed Government Street and took in the timeless beauty of the elegant Fairmont Empress Hotel. Opened in 1908, it is one of the oldest hotels in Victoria, and the Chateauesque-styled building is considered one of Canada’s grand railway hotels.
We discovered the hidden gems of Bastion Square, the heart of Boomtown, and the magic of Fan Tan and Dragon Alley in the oldest Chinatown in Canada. I would return to Chinatown the next day for the Awakening Chinatown festival.
Once the tour had concluded, I made my way back through Downtown Victoria towards the starting point. I was headed to Fisherman’s Wharf, but on the way, stumbled across the office of a whale-watching tour company I had come across in my online searches. I was hit with a bolt of spontaneity and booked the last spot on the 2pm tour. The booking agent was Australian, on a working holiday. We would also have an Australian marine biologist onboard the whalewatching boat who would co-lead the tour with her Canadian counterpart.
There was a sighting of a pod of orcas on the morning’s tour, and the crew were tracking them as we set out. I observed their communication closely- orcas are fast movers, and hope of catching up with the pod seemed lost at one point. The captain powered the small boat at full throttle, the small vessel bouncing roughly over the waves, the whitewash splashing against the windows and in some spots, leaking inside. The cabin crew handed out cleaning cloths to plug the leaks. We were getting a fully immersive experience.
We passed by an island where a herd of sea lions basked on the rocks in the sunshine. I learned that sea lions are closely related to bears, as are seals and walruses.
We caught up to the pod of orcas, and the ten-person capacity for the rooftop viewing deck of the boat was well and truly exceeded as we scrambled for the best viewing spot. We were in for a treat- the pod had a playful young calf in tow, and I was delighted to capture the calf on video jumping out of the water. My legs got a workout as I struggled to balance against the choppy waters, trying not to lose my phone- or myself-overboard.
I returned to the mainland completely satisfied- whale watching is always a gamble when it comes to sightings, but this time the gamble paid off.
I continued on to Fisherman’s Wharf, to the world-famous Barb’s Fish & Chips for dinner. The communal long tables beside the floating takeaway were hot property, but being a solo traveller has many perks, and I was able to slide in at the end of one. I ate my serving of battered goodness while admiring the colourful houseboats. It was impossible to pick a favourite!
On Sunday morning I sat down to write for the first time in what felt like ages, probably since the long weekend at Janine’s cabin.
In the afternoon I caught the bus to Chinatown, where the Awakening Chinatown festival was unfolding. There, I watched performances by traditional Chinese dancers and drummers, lion dancers and kung fu demonstrations. I wandered along Fan Tan Alley and Dragon Alley. I dumplings for dinner. At home that evening, I worked on the first chapter of Parasomnia, the story I planned to research in Newfoundland.
Monday was the at-home day I had been craving. It was largely forced- I had been hoping to get some planning done for the rest of the trip, but I hadn’t slept until 4am. It had been three weeks since I had arrived in Canada, but I was still experiencing random waves of jetlag, where my body felt completely out of sync with the timezone. It was a late start to the day, but I did get my flight to Newfoundland booked for the following Monday night, which would land me in St. John’s late Tuesday morning.
I also transferred money to Janine for expenses while staying with her. I couldn’t confirm the overseas transaction without my Australian phone number, because besides not being in Australia, I had cancelled the number when I first arrived in Canada. So I had to send it by Paypal. It would be the first of many technological workarounds.
At about 4.30pm, I needed to go for a walk. I looked for the campus convenience store at UVic but couldn’t find it. I then returned to Cadboro Bay and walked both lengths of the beach. Walking on the beach was so different here. I was so used to walking barefoot, in shorts and a T-shirt, maybe jeggings and a jumper in winter. Now, I wore a beanie, scarf, parka jacket and hiking boots (hiking boots were the only walking shoes I had at this stage of the trip).
I watched wild Canadian geese eat seaweed and swim with their babies. I thought I spotted a seal offshore, which turned out to be an otter. I cried a bit at the end of the beach. As I circled back past my entrance point, a group of native Canadian drummers and singers had gathered at a table on the foreshore, and I sat and listened to them, wondering what they were singing about, wondering if it was about this place. I watched them walk along the water’s edge. It was a truly beautiful experience.
The weather had been overcast, cold and damp during my week in Victoria, and by Tuesday the rain was committed. In the morning I caught the bus Downtown and went to the Royal BC Museum. I explored the many exhibitions: the Natural History exhibition, the Stonehenge exhibition, Wildlife Photographer of the Year, All Things Terry, Jonathon Hunt House, Our Living Languages, Old Town New Approach.
I found the Terry Fox exhibition the most interesting, and during my time in Canada, I would learn what an influential person he was.
Terrance Stanley Fox was a Canadian athlete, humanitarian, and cancer research activist. In 1980, having had one leg amputated due to cancer, he embarked on an east-to-west cross-Canada run to raise money and awareness for cancer research. Although the spread of his cancer eventually forced him to end his quest after 143 days and 5,373 kilometres, and ultimately cost him his life, his efforts resulted in a lasting, worldwide legacy. The annual Terry Fox Run, first held in 1981, has grown to involve millions of participants in over 60 countries and is now the world’s largest one-day fundraiser for cancer research; over C$850 million has been raised in his name.
I returned to Government Road one last time, and had lunch at my favourite wonton soup at my favourite Asian restaurant.
The sun came out that afternoon, just in time for my departure. I decided to make the most of the improved weather. I caught the bus back to UVic, dropped my umbrella off and jumped straight back on the bus to Mt. Douglas. I was determined to squeeze in the last item on my Victoria To Do list before my departure the next day. I climbed to the summit and marveled at the views of Victoria.
I felt sad to be leaving Victoria. I preferred it to Vancouver. It had a historical, old-world feel about it, and it moved at a more leisurely pace. It was my kind of city, and I thought I could be very happy living there. Janine had told me I would love it, and I had. It was the place where I had found my feet as a solo traveller in Canada.
But there were more adventures ahead. Janine was driving to Vancouver the following day, and would meet me at the ferry. We had two nights in the city, and were headed to the Sunshine Coast for the weekend.
Kate Kelsen 