Last week my sister-in-law, brother and I took another over night mini-vacation to Victoria, British Columbia. Victoria is the seat of government for BC and just 25 miles across the Strait of Juan De Fuca. We take the ferry from Port Angeles WA (an exhausting 13 mile drive) which costs $36 US for a round trip. For a lot of my friends in FL the term "Ferry" brings up an image of a small transport vessel. The "Choho" (named after the salmon) is about the size of a navy destroyer and as comfortable as any cruise ship. The passage across the Strait takes about 2 hours port to port. The on board music is Bing Crosby...I don't know either.
Victoria is a small city built around its busy harbour with the ferry from Port Angeles, one from Seattle, cruise ships, sea planes, some impressive private boats and many water taxi craft taking people all over.
Once docked and clearing customs (Canadian Customs is a quick look at your US Passport to see it has not expired, a broad smile and a hearty "do have a grand time with us, so good to see you"-more about that later) it is off to our prefered hotel, The Grand Pacific. One must walk across the street from the ferry terminus to get to the hotel.
Victoria is very much a city of Victorian (go figure) buildings and "veddy British" traditions beautifully blended with one of the most diverse demographic and cultural mixes I have ever enjoyed. The city boasts of five colleges, the oldest China Town in North America, a vibrant Islamic culture, street music and sidewalk chalk artists, the only empty store fronts being renovated for a new business and "help wanted" signs in most retail windows.
To digress a bit, when I said a vibrant Islamic culture, I have never traveled in the middle east Islamic countries and have only what I have read and seen about the culture, not the politics, to have any reference. I found it most interesting to see women in a full Burka costume, including the lace eye slit and veil, shopping on the streets of Victoria. Being Canada, they did not seem to have been guarded by a male escort, but were always in groups or more like Catholic Nuns of my youth. The refreshing thing was that after taking notice of something I had never seen for real, I took my cue from my host country and felt I was a part of a greater world and experienced something I liked in myself in not being judgemental of another cultural tradition that I strongly disagree with. That sounds two faced to me too after reading it again, but the ladies in the Burkas had a dignity and were treated with respect of their culture by the people who waited upon them that made a difference in how I saw them. I like how travel makes you look at things you don't want to.
It was cold. Not ice storm and blizzard cold, but the wind off the harbour had a bite. Of course the North Pacific and Gulf of Alaska are not known for skinny dipping in August it was nippy.
Victoria has one of the finest gardens anywhere in the world but it was not a good day to tiptoe thru the tulips, so we opted for the Royal British Columbia Museum.
The Royal Museum, like almost everything else in Victoria, is within walking distance, in our case two blocks from the hotel. It is a magical place. A great deal of the museum is devoted to the history and culture of the First Nations. In the Pacific Northwest and Canada one does not refer to the peoples who have been here for over 12-18,000 years as Indians or Native Americans. Ever.
We decided to take in the IMax theatre at the museum. We selected the film on the US National Parks. When we walked into the Grand Lobby of the museum we saw a 1965 Roles Royce painted a base yellow with hand painted flowers and hippy centric design fancy all over. It was John Lennon's own car that we all saw in "Yellow Submarine". A nice touch I thought.
I had never been to an IMax theatre. In many ways I am backward. WOW! A screen 6 stories tall and as wide as a football field with 16 channel surround sound. If I had not already had a stroke and learned to not have another, I would have had one just in appreciation of the experience. Did I mention it was in digital laser 3D? I have seen two movies in 3D at a local theatre in the last year and the difference is between masturbation and your most wild sexual fantasy. I don't know how laser 3D works, but it surely makes a difference.
Now, as promised, a note at the end about those vile Canadians. It is not right for us Americans who, as a national heritage, are entitled to be insulted, bullied by people we pay to serve us, terrorized by any authority figure, and denied our God given right to be afraid of everything. Those Canadians, with their smiles and "here don't do that. let me take care of that for you", and when you walk into a hotel reception area, after not being a guest for six months, says with that cloying, sincere smile, "Of course, you are the Terrys, we have been expecting you, welcome back".
When we departed Victoria we had to clear border control again. When we presented our passports to the Canadians, the officer noticed my sister-in-law had just had a birthday (which was the reason for the trip) and said "happy belated birthday, hope you had a good time". When we got to the USA, Homeland Security/Border Control treated us like we were not welcome to our own country.
This was much longer than I thought, hope someone reads it all and comments. Bottom line, Canada is a very nice neighbor.