We ate with the seniors and enjoyed a prepared meal. I could get used to that life, it is pretty relaxing. We quickly visited Helen (Granddad’s wife), who it was great to see, and then started our day. Granddad had to give a small sermon and we got ready. By the time he was back we were ready to go. We did a quick tour of White Rock, including visiting Sherry (Helen’s daughter) and then headed back, hopped into the Jeep, and drove towards the Tsawassen Ferry Terminal. We were going to Victoria and Mile “0” of the Trans Canada Highway.
We had reserved a ticket so we got to get on the ferry first. The ferry was a bit different than the big ones on the East Coast. These ones were coastal ferries and were not meant for the big storms, but... they were brand new and gorgeous. We headed up to the buffet and settled in for lunch. Granddad treated us as we went in, sat at the very very tip of the bow and enjoyed a great meal. This is Vancouver’s rainy season, but we were very lucky. The weather was clear all day. As we sat we could watch the ship as it navigated its way through the islands and towards Victoria. It was a great crossing. It was clear. The view was spectacular. We had excellent food. And we could not have asked for better company.
It was a fast crossing. It took an hour and a half, but as we chatted and munched on lunch and snacks the time just flew by. In what seemed like moments it was time to go back to the Jeep and disembark.
We were one of the first vehicles off of the ferry and on our way towards Victoria. Granddad had been there before, not in a while, but he flawlessly navigated and brought us to where we needed to go. We made it to a large park inside Victoria with a name that I think I should remember. We were out of the car and walking towards Mile “0.” We knew we were going the right way because Granddad asked a police officer which way to go (which I thought was very brave).
Mile “0”
The End.
Uh... not the end of the story, but the end of the trip. Um... not the trip trip, but the end of the Cross Canada part of the trip. As we stood at Mile “0” that marked the end of Canada. We had gone all the way from St. John’s, Newfoundland to Victoria, British Columbia. There was another statue of Terry Fox, representing him reaching the end he never reached, and there was a plaque devoted to Steven Fonyo, who completed Terry’s run.
We hiked down to the waterfront, and put our hands in the Pacific Ocean. From coast to coast...
Wow, what an emotional moment. I took a second to appreciate the gravity of my actions and of our crossing and then was distracted by the biggest piece of seaweed that I had ever seen. I proceeded to pick it up and swing it around like a whip. Yep, I am that mature. Just wait until I get the movies posted... then you will understand the awesomeness of this seaweed.
Back on the cliffs we all headed back to the Jeep. We took some time to tour around Victoria. Granddad showed us the downtown, and the parliament, and the harbourfront, and a huge hotel, and then the fisherman’s warf. He had not been there, but he saw it and told us to pull in. There was a good place to park so we got out and decided to walk around a bit. Evidently the fishermen pull in there and you can buy fish directly from the boats. There are also a number of floating houses that are tied up to the docks. Given my sea sickness problems I thought that I had better not purchase one of these homes, but there were many for sale. Actually... I can think of a number of things that could go wrong with a floating home, namely, it sinking, or it becoming unmoored and you waking up in the middle of the ocean...
Wandering around we saw some people grouped together in front of a small store. There was a seal floating in the water just in front of the stall. Evidently, the seal had found the perfect spot to hang out. The store offered sardines for a dollar each or six for five dollars. People were buying the bait fishes and feeding them to the seal who would gently pull them from the people’s hands. The sea gulls were also keenly watching this and tried to go for the fish, someone had to stand dutifully on guard to squirt the gulls with a water gun to keep them away.
Granddad bought us some fish and we proceeded to try this out. This might well be the highlight of the trip. I have never fed a seal. I have seen lots at a distance, but to watch him up close and to feed him was incredible. I took an exceptional video that will likely capture this moment better than these words, but wow. I fed the seal twice, Granddad once, and my better half three times. Six fish. Five dollars. Experience... Priceless...
We watched some other people for a bit. There was another seal under the dock that one guy fed, and that same guy, trying to feed the seal we fed ran into some trouble. He was alone and did not have someone covering him with the water gun. As he bent down to feed the seal a seagull dove in and grabbed the fish from his hand. The seal never got the fish...
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