Reef Point Cottages Ucluelet

... edge off the ocean, which sent in gentle wavelets. However, occasionally the waves would build themselves up into a big surge, full of the frigid power of the Pacific Ocean, threatening to sweep me off my perch and giving me a chilly shock. Then the waves would calm down, and the delicious spring water would take effect once again. And if I got too cold, I could always retreat to the hot pools!

On our return journey ...

... close. We tracked a black bear as it followed the shore, unaware of our presence as we observed from the water. It was following the shoreline, vanishing into the forest occasionally, to reappear a few minutes later. Eventually I rounded a headland, arriving at a bay before the creature. It stood up on its hind legs as it gazed at me in surprise, then turned tail and ran. A furry bottom ...

... by the pounding waves. The sweep of sand carried on as far as the eye could see.

It was not just the weather that was wild. Signs at the car park warned of the presence of wolves in the area, rubbish bins were a no-no because of black bears, and the local hairdresser was forced to listen to his pet being torn apart by a cougar one night. The wild things are not far away.

The driftwood piled along the high tide line had been put to some ...

... fabulous (clean, dry, and supplied with a "Hello" magazine that made bathroom breaks longer than usual. I took advantage of the creek to wash my hair, upper body, and smelly t-shirt. Stephane washed his hair and Danielle ended up washing her feet, albeit unintentionally. She was carrying driftwood for our fire when she stepped on an unstable rock. Fortunately there was no lasting damage and she only ended ...

... but I think that at least some of them were our friends the humpback, others may have been the same or else greys. It was lovely to watch them cruising along beneath another bright sun. Like the sea otter, these animals have recovered from near extinction. Embarrassment of riches But all our bear disappointments were forgotten when we went to the hatchery. This spot is legendary for bear sightings, and it is so reliable that park staff prefer tourists not to know about it so that it ...

... this happening to me at other times throughout my Journey. I haven't, formally, meditated much during my Journey. Being in all the serene and inspirational places that I visited was a form of meditation for me. I meditated again before going to bed. Tears are no longer flowing. All I feel is peace and grace. My soul has been cleansed. It's been 2 months since I was in Vegas. It was time for another anti-aging treatment. Since I was at a spa, I figured it would be a good ...

... on the drive in were warning that this was a Tsunami risk area - quite sobering. Distance driven 220 miles Sunday 21st We were sorely tempted to stay another day in this lovely spot and so checked the weather forecast. It was going to rain for the next 4 days ! We had enjoyed this diversion but did not want to stay in bad weather - there were signs on the road coming in " to carry snow chains or use winter tyres on this ...

... onto the trail. This was knackering and the rain was doing us no favours. Anyway, we soldiered on through the rain to the first ferry crossing on the trail - a five minute ride across the Nitnat Narrows. Just after we had crossed came the first of many comedy falls on the day. Carly had already taken a tumble off the boardwalk into the forest and was coming up to a tricky section of boardwalk which had collapsed a little. Just as she shout back to Garvo to be ...

... else had two huge bags and a guitar. The other exciting part of my trip happened right at the very end. It just wouldn't have been right if everything hadn't ended with a huge bang!!!! Well, I had quite a tight connection between my flight from London landing, and my flight to Victoria taking off. So, I was the first person off the plane, pretty much running to the baggage claim. Unfortunately they had made me send my guitar with the ...

... the surf's up, you feel mighty sick. So I was pretty glad when we returned to dry land, and it was OK weather. After lunch we headed down to Tonquin Beach, the only beach we could get to. The famous Long Beach (where we assume all the hot surfers were) was inaccessable cos the public transport is lame, its too far to walk, and we didn't have a car. It was still a nice beach though - in a little cove, and we had to take this path through the rainforest to get there. Pictures to follow! In ...