Well it was a lovely sunny day but it didn't quite work out to be the day we had planned.
Before getting to Vancouver I knew I wanted to head over to Vancouver Island and when we first got here to the airport there were tv screens showing areas of Victoria (which is on Vancouver Island) and it looked absolutely stunning- full of amazing scenery, wildlife, outdoor activities etc. So we decided we would get up really early this morning (we left the hostel at 7am) to head to Tssawassen to catch the ferry over to Swartz Bay, Victoria. It took us from 7am-8.30am to get from the hostel to the ferry port on two trains and a bus. The ferry left at 9am and arrived at 10.30am, so at this point we've already been travelling 3 and a half hours. Maybe I was being naive but I thought that when we got off the ferry all this beautiful scenery would be around us but no. Instead we joined a queue of around 50 or more people waiting to get on a bus to go Downtown and got hassled by wasps (and everyone back home knows how terrified I am of wasps!) Also we dressed for the wet/cold; I was wearing thick walking socks, trousers, and a hoody and it was absolutely boiling. So there I am flailing around everytime a wasp comes near me, getting hotter and hotter and just hoping we're getting on the right bus. So we eventually get on the bus along with a couple of pesky wasps that decide they're coming along for the ride too, and I'm just hoping it isn't a very long journey. An hour and a half later!!!!!! we reach the end of the line feeling bored and agitated.
The area we were in to be fair was very pretty with a lovely harbour and some nice buildings and full of shops, but it wasn't what we were expecting and it wasn't what we were hoping to see. As we were only on a day trip we wouldn't have had the time or money to venture any further than we were, and where we were was the main place that everyone goes to I think as it was very touristy.
We had a walk around and decided to treat ourselves to lunch out which was so huge I couldn't even get through half of it plus I almost broke two teeth chomping down on a bone! :(
We had another wander round, all the while not being very far from wasps! (We really weren't having the best day)
The only tours there were to do were out of our price range, such as a trip on a sea plane, or whale watching so at around 4pm we decided we would start making our way back, knowing it had taken us just over 5 hours to get there! It was beautiful but I think it was a bit silly of us to think we could get there and back and make the most of it all in a day.
The bus back to the ferry left at 4.20pm and we got to the port around 5.40pm. Brilliant we thought, we're just in time for the 6pm ferry back. We get to the counter and pay and the lady says 'so if you'd like to wait through there the next ferry leaves at 7pm'!!!!
By this point we're tired, hungry and thirsty. I get a mars bar but both drinks machines are out of order so I've got mega cotton mouth, and we just sit and wait for the ferry. It arrives and we get back to Tssawassen at around 8.45pm, but at this point we've still got a bus and two trains to catch, and it's now freezing and chucking it down. By the time we get back to the hostel it's 11pm. We're knackered and starving so decide to have something quick to eat. We had these mini pizzas that take 2 minutes in the microwave so I put mine in but Kelly wants to be different and do hers in the mini oven which will take 10-20 minutes to cook and probably taste exactly the same. After probably 30 seconds I had to call her in to the kitchen as I could see a bit of smoke, and the inside of the mini oven is in flames!!!! She starts blowing it to no avail and I've discovered that I'll probably be useless in a crisis because I just stand there staring at it. Finally I shout for a guy to come out who blows it out. I'm sat there wetting myself laughing because Kelly's nearly burned the hostel down all because she didn't want her pizza done in the microwave, and guess where she had to cook it in the end? Yep you guessed it! :) haha
So after 5 hours travelling there, nearly losing a tooth on a bone, getting constantly chased by wasps, not seeing the scenery we wanted to, 7 hours travelling back, and Kelly almost setting the place on fire I think it's fair to say it wasn't one of our best days here! Also I've got a cold, I'm over the sore throat but now have a blocked nose, a cough, and have just lost my sense of taste :(