The Beautiful Islands

I have now journeyed, by borrowed bicycle (affectionately named by my teammate Big Booty, cause she consistently had the largest load on the back of her bike) to Vancouver Island, and to Salt Spring Island. I really enjoyed both of these places. Victoria is much slower (and smaller) then Vancouver, and is absolutely surrounded by some beautiful beaches and waterfront area. The Island has some great bicycle trails on it, and it was fun to camp out in Rozzy's friend's backyard and cook some meals together in his house. I spent Canada day cycling around the Seaside Bike touring route, and cycling up Mount Doug to get a view over the city and across to some of the San Juan Islands and for a clear crisp view of Mount Baker in Washington. It was a beautiful solo day, finished off with a delicious meal with old and new friends at the communal house that my teammate Seth started up; a beautifully individual and artsy house with windows thrown wide open, screen less, with picture perfect views of the ocean from the bathroom and bedroom windows.

Next we cycled and ferried our way to one of the largest Gulf Islands, Salt Spring, one that is famous for it's unique artisans and organic farming. It is a very slow island, everyone seems to be on vacation even if they are not. I appreciated this vibe so much after having been in Vancouver for a long while. We explored the popular (and delicious) Saturday market in the town of Ganges, hung out on the doc of one of the many freshwater lakes on the island and made some eccentric new friends. We cycled our ways around this island, through roads that are ever so steep, and ever so curvy, between kilometers of undeveloped forest, with the odd cleared section for an organic cheese or vegetable farm. It was a fabulous place, I only wish we could have remained longer.

Alas, after an epic journey yesterday from the island, completed at 10:30pm in Van, realizing we were locked out of our friends house, pitching our tents in the cool summer air, hungry and needing a bathroom, there are only three of the original ten teammates who are still traveling together, soon to be two, and I feel funny. I feel somewhat uneasy in this city now, after having my bike stolen, and after experiencing the bliss of the Gulf Islands. I am ready to journey onward. If all goes as planned, after a much needed day of rest today, tomorrow, Catherine and I will embark on yet another mini-bike trip toward the Sunshine Coast, and then continue onward to visit my roommate in Whistler.

The wheels keep on rolling.