Goodbye My Home and Native Land

I’m heading south of the border tomorrow to see Ringo Starr and his All Starr Band. Currently his All Starr Band members are Rick Derringer, Richard Page, Edgar Winter, Gary Wright, Wally Palmar, and Gregg Bissonette. A set list from the tour earlier this year included Hang On Sloopy, Free Ride, Dream Weaver, Rock N Roll Hoochie Koo, Broken Wings, Love is Alive and many more, with some classic Ringo and some from his new album, Y-Not. My friend and hostess A. is coming to Ringo with me, so it’s sure to be a great time. She is the queen of getting up close to the band with a GA ticket.

So when I leave here tomorrow, I’ll have everything I own in the van again. I have managed to really pare things down, so things are neat, organized, and easy to find. I simply cannot function otherwise. I had nightmaresvisions of a van full of loose items, slung around, and rooting for clean underwear only to come up with a broken flip-flop. It’s an ongoing chore to keep order in such a small place. I have it down to a science now, a place for everything and everything in its place.

I went to the travel clinic last night to review my travel plan with a nurse practictioner. In order for me to consider traveling to Panama, I would require the yellow fever vaccine, which I expected. You are required to have it to enter Panama, as well as to travel to most other countries when I leave Panama. There is a card that goes with your passport. I was also recommended to get the typhoid vaccine as well, since I would be volunteering and traveling through areas where typhoid is present. Good idea…I am not looking for any new and wonderful bugs…The NP also gave me a script for antibiotics to take in case of a bacterial issue in my system from eating local foods that might not have been sanitary.  I have to take anti-malaraial drugs when traveling through infected areas, but will pick that up when I get to Mexico, as it’s bound to be cheaper and readily available. I’m going to pick up a mosquito net to hang over my bed as the door of the van is often open and I don’t want to risk getting bitten by ANYTHING.

I’m going to miss spending time with my hosts, and watching their little one move through his milestones. He is such a cutie, and so very sociable. He has tantrums like any other toddler, but they never seem to spoil his usual good nature. It’s been great to be plugged in just beside their deck, and they’ve been great to make me feel like part of the family and household. I had wanted to spend some time in Victoria as a resident to see if I would like living here in the future and I did. I could easily see myself living and working here in Victoria once I’m ready to plant again.

I think I’ve contracted a cold this week, which is a total drag, so I am taking it as easy as I can, resting when I can, as I need to be in good shape for the driving ahead of me to 3 concerts in one week. It was bound to happen sooner or later.

With my departure from Canada comes a reduction in internet  and electricity as I plan to be camping at the beach or in the forests, wherever it’s free or nearly free, and just visiting internet cafes to catch up. I may look at getting a pay as you go internet card, but will have to see what the cost is for one in the USA. I don’t know how long I’ll be gone – anywhere from a couple of months, to 8 months, or more. I’m open to anything that catches my fancy…stay tuned…

Karma has a brand new skylight

I was out for lunch at Molly's Reach a few days ago and while I was in the restaurant, someone (the skylight guy) notices my crappy skylight, cracked and pulling away from the roof, so he stuck his card in my door. I gave him a call, we booked an appt for the following morning ad before long, Karma had a brand spanking new hot pink skylight, and a new seal, bracket and hinges! Check out his website, reasonable prices for a very hard to find item. The Skylight Guy is awesome, friendly, easy to do business with, and has a passion for the Westy. Thanks Trevor!

Coastal Tour

I’ve been following the sun all around this side of my beautiful country. This past week I’ve been on a coastal tour. I left from Victoria and headed to the mainland to visit a friend in Burnaby for the weekend. We managed to squeeze in a tour of the Capilano Suspension Bridge. There were several hikes in the forest once you crossed the swaying bridge, most suspended up in the trees on swaying boardwalks. The shade was welcome relief in the hot summer sun. There were lots of tourists, most of them foreign, in very large extended family groups it seems. They clamour to take a few dozen photographs of them all in a few dozen different configurations…let’s move grandma and uncle over there, and now wait for auntie, she’s still over by the bathroom, and where is your brother? Tell him to hurry up and get in the picture…and on it goes…sometimes you just have to jump in front of whichever landmark we’re vying for space in front of and snap away, while they sort things out…







I spent a few hours poolside in Burnaby as well, and played more than my share of Wii and pinball. My friend D. has her own pinball machine, several actually, and one of them is in her apartment. It was very cool, unlimited play of course, and what a trip down memory lane. D. and I used to play pinball at the Tilt in Stephenville oh so many years ago in the early eighties during high school. Now we were playing pinball on the opposite end of the country, over 25 years later. Cool. It was good to see my friend D. again. We’ve both lost someone close to us in the past year, and had spent many phonecalls and chat sessions supporting each other through the gradual but steady decline of a cancerous death of a loved one, and picking up the pieces afterwards, and making sense of it all, if any is to be made. We’re going to go to Joshua Tree Park in California where her friend’s ashes are resting. I’ve never been, and wanted to go with D. as it was a favourite place she shared with her friend for many years.






I left Burnaby on Sunday and headed north to Horseshoe Bay to catch a ferry to Langdale/Gibsons where an old friend of mine lives. She and I met in Waterloo when her husband and I attended university. She and I both worked for the university part-time at the campus residence for families. My daughter used to babysit her girls, and now they’ve both grown into beautiful teenagers, with the eldest in university now. My friend and I tackled a hike up a local steep hill trail for an awesome view of the Gibson’s area, amongst the fir and arbutus trees. It was a challenge to be nearly climbing a near vertical forest staircase, but we stopped along the way to rest, a drink of water and a few puffs from my asthma puffer. Then I somehow acquired a smudge/dirt in the camera lens of my small digital camera. It appears to be between the lenses, so now I have to take it back to Future Shop and get them to clean it. I camped in my friend’s driveway for a couple of nights, under the shade of a bamboo hedge. Her husband is passionate about his bamboo forest, with several varieties , and clusters growths that he has to protect from spreading and taking over the entire yard, as they are an invasive plant. They are all so very gorgeous and who knew you could grow bamboo in Canada…well, I didn’t anyway even if the rest of you did.






My friend had a beautiful Maine Coon kitten that was so very cute. I have another friend who had wanted one in the worst way for years, but recently broke down and brought home a puppy instead. My friend also had a neighbour who liked to use power tools all hours of the day and night, and never seemed to accomplish much. We went to Molly’s Reach for a tasty lunch by the marina, and next to the Persephone. For those of you who don’t know, Molly’s Reach was the set of a Canadian drama that aired on CBC for years called The Beachcombers. While we were lunching, someone spotted my van parked on the main road and tucked his business card in my door. It was the skylight guy, as he is referred to on his website. He manufactures skylights for the Vanagon, something that is both hard to find, and rather expensive but necessary. Mine had a seal that had shrunk and pulled away from the roof edges, and the lid itself was cracked, and the plastic had broken down due to UV damage. He had spotted my damaged skylight (oh yeah, I rammed it into a concrete ceiling in a parking garage in downtown Toronto) and thought I might be interested. I was, and called him immediately, arranging to have mine replaced the following morning.






The following morning, I met the skylight guy in town by Molly’s Reach and followed him to his shop. Of course, it crossed my mind as we wound down this dirty remote rode in the woods with a guy I had just met, that no one knew where I was going…I settled those silly paranoid thoughts, and we drove to his shop that he shared with a partner, on the property of a local logging company. The skylight guy is a welder by trade, and began fabricating these skylights several years ago after recognizing a void in the market, and wanted to help out his fellow Westy owners, such as me. His lovely skylights are double layered for UV protection, and come in a variety of beautiful colors – I chose neon pink! It looks awesome, and no longer will my skylight leak. While I’ve been lucky in the past months with very little rain, and it’s been weeks since it rained in Victoria, it will rain again at some point and I don’t think my upper bunk roommate will appreciate being rained on!






From Gibsons and the Skylight Guy, I headed for the ferry at Earl’s Cove, stopping along the way for a break at a beach with some lovely huge driftwood. I made it to the ferry with mere seconds to spare. I was the last one on the ferry, and I drove on at 12:50pm as noted on my GPS, and the exact departure time for the ferry. Phew! The next one didn’t leave until 3:15. I met a gal with her children who was hula hooping in the empty part of the ferry bay where we all sat in our vehicles or wandered about for the 50 minute ferry ride. I tried hula hooping and failed as expected. I may have managed 3 rotations as it slunk down over my thighs and calves on the way down. I was far better at spinning on my hand. I used to be a majorette in another lifetime with a funfur green hat made out of a Javex bottle…






A short drive to Powell River after the ferry docked to catch the ferry to Comox. Having long missed the noon ferry, I had to wait for the 5:15pm ferry. I sat in the shade of my van and nearly finished reading Stephen King’s novel, Cell. What to read next? I must rummage through the van to see what I can find to read.


The Powell River Ferry was longer, 90 minutes or so, and you can’t stay in your vehicle, so I wandered the decks, and then settled into my seat and finished off the book. I drove straight through to Campbell River where a couple of my cousins live, and met my cousin B.'s wife, W. We’re going mini-golfing this afternoon at a cool miniature village one. I suck at mini-golf but the buildings look awesome, so I’m sure it will be fun to chase my ball through them.


I’m heading to Parksville tomorrow to camp at Rathtrevor Beach, having secured the very last site online at the Tourist Info centre in town this morning. It’s reportedly one of the best beaches on the island with water you can actually swim in, so I am looking forward to that. I’m also expecting to meet up with a friend from Cape Breton at the campground who is touring the island this month. Friday I’ll head back to Victoria for a final weekend!

Volksfest and other news

Had a busy weekend in the city, and attended the annual Victoria Volkswagon Club auto show at one of the local parks by the ocean in the city, Gyro Park. Beautiful site, although the ground was as parched as your mouth on the morning after a night of boozing, brown and brittle grass everywhere.  Nonetheless, the weather was beautiful for the show this weekend, and I met a number of very cool and interesting folks. I was the only one with a painted out/pimped out westy, however the show seemed to be geared more to the classic VWs and hobby restorations.  I didn’t mind – I stood out like a cat in a henhouse, and the kids loved the van, as they often to, pulled in by the murals, and colourful interior.  I had a number of little ones in the van, some climbed up top to check it out, while others played on the bed, looking at everything in the van – so much to see I guess!  I enjoyed checking out all the other vans there, as there was a terrific assortment of models, some with the pop-up, some without, some that were seats only and no cabinets, some really cool customized ones, and so on. I have posted just a few of my favorites as there were several dozen vehicles in the show. 

I obtained the name of another good VW mechanic from several people at the show, so will give him a call tomorrow and see what he thinks about my power steering. I’d like to have it fixed before I head to the mainland later this week.  Of course, was busy and managed to piss away the entire weekend without calling ANYONE in the Vancouver area I was hoping to see, so need to get right on that tomorrow or I’ll have to postpone for next week, or maybe just the weekend. Other than the power steering racket, the van has been running very well this week, with absolutely no issues (knock on wood).  I thought it would be hot in the van with the high temperatures we’ve been having the past few weeks, but with the back door open (and bug screen on) and the pop-top window open (and bug screen closed) it actually cooled right down inside. I kept the curtains all closed, and let the air blow through.  I checked with a thermometer to see just what the difference was, and it was 33C outside and 26C inside, so a considerable difference, and without the sun burning down on you continuously, inside the van is complete shade for most of the day.  Good to know, as I was concerned about the heat the further south I get.

Someone at the show today knew the Polish phrase I have on the back, he was Polish.  We had a nice chat about how much fun it would be to take my van to Europe and travel around there for a while. It is a real possibility should I decide to venture to the UK to work for a couple of years. They’ll ship my  belongings, up to $10,000 cost, so I figure, just stuff the van and have them ship that! Surely it won’t cost more a house full of furniture. It would be super cool to travel in Europe with Karma…

Yesterday the show began with a pancake breakfast at the VW dealership not far from here, and a mini-show. I took Karma and she got some interest there too. I didn’t stay long as it was rather hot in the sun.  We all gathered later in the day at Clover Point park by the ocean and did a group cruise to a coffee shop in the city where apparently every Saturday night during the summer, the hot rods all gather. The VW club enjoys cruising there earlier than the hot rods, and taking up the best spaces out front each year when they have the Volksfest, kind of a friendly rivalry thing. There were tons of cool cars that rumbled into the parking lot, a few of which I’ve also posted here.

I’ve been checking out some possibilities for camping in Mexico for real cheap but still where I want to be, and had a few finds, including one in a small town where they allow you to camp for free if you buy an occasional meal from the restaurant on the property. It’s beachside and there’s hot showers and flush toilets. Sounds perfect. I can’t recall if I mentioned in a previous post about volunteering in Mexico for a while.  I met a gal from the US who works in an orphanage/shelter for girls & women on the Baja Peninsula, and we chatted about things.  I told her my background was social work and that I was heading to Mexico in the fall, and she told me about a new program they are hoping to start up this summer, rescuing young girls that had been sold into the sex trade. They offer free camping onsite, and free meals in the mess hall/cafeteria. Sounds like a great opportunity to use my skills, learn about international social services, and improve my Spanish.

I have a travel partner joining me in September. She’s coming to the Bob Dylan concert with the rest of the crew, and will join me from there.  I am hoping she follows through and comes with me, as I think it would be better than traveling alone in Mexico and beyond.  It’s also been rather lonely driving alone too, without Stormy.  He has settled in rather nicely at my daughter’s place in the Yukon, and she takes him regularly for walks.  One of her neighbors comments each time she passes with Stormy on the leash, “There goes that girl with that cat again!” I don’t have to worry about his care when he’s with my daughter as she treats her kitties very well, and is vigilant about not letting them get outside on their own.  Stormy has made fast friends with Squirrel, the youngest of the cats. He has also easily figured out the best way to deal with Irelyn, the bitch, is to take a WIDE path around her. He’s been kind of picking on Macgee, however he is a big boy, just as big as Stormy and he can take it. I don’t know why he has been doing that though, as he and Macgee got on very well the last time they lived together in the Yukon. Who knows…maybe they had a falling out…

I finally sewed the screen into the pop-top window.  The original one was gone, just the zipper left, still zipped up. Someone had made a new screen for the window, but only sewed it across the bottom, though I’m not sure why. It was useless as it was, as it didn’t have any way to attach to the rest of the tent.  I got out my trusty sewing  kit (housed in a West Coast Choppers lunchbox tin) and got that bugger sewn in proper. I don’t need any visitors in the night, thank-you very much…

Hard to believe I am more than 3 months into the trip…where did these last months go? It seemed like I was waiting to leave forever, and planning for years, and now it’s partly over.  I’ve managed to acquire quite a tan along the way.  Living outside can do that.  I use sunscreen when I think about it, but today I forgot to put some on my back, as I couldn’t reach it and had intended on getting someone else to put it on for me.  I was wearing a smocked long dress, no straps and got a fiery burn back there, dammit. Now I’ll be peeling in a week or so in a place I can’t reach…that’ll teach me.