*Warning following blog contains the over use of the words amazing & stunning & also way to many photos of sunsets*

I learnt a valuable lesson, don't book transport before accommodation. I was suppose to go to Seattle for the long weekend & I had booked my bus but when I went to book my hostel they were all booked out & they're the only hostel there. So I couldn't get a full refund on my ticket but at least I only lost out $10 when it could of been a trip that would have cost me a whole lot more. Lesson learned.

I wasn't gonna waste a long weekend in Vancouver so it was bye bye to Vancouver & hello Victoria which is on Vancouver Island. It only cost $11.95 one way on the ferry & is only 1hr 35min ride. The ferry ride across was absolutely gorgeous, I had 3 days of perfect blue skies & hot weather. You go through the Gulf Islands which has stunning scenery. I got motion sickness but it wasn't from the ferry, it was from sitting up the top of a double decker bus of all things, yeah I know weird. As cool as they seem I'm never gonna go on one again. I didn't actually throw up but felt really sick lol.

So I got to Victoria Saturday afternoon & just had a look around all the shops & get to know the area a bit. My hostel was really awesome & they had their own pub downstairs which had the cheapest drinks eva, Me & my roommate Adena took full advantage of this over the next few nights?..how could we not, it would be so wrong not to. Victoria is a amazing city, it has a very british heritage. There's old school buildings & castles mixed with new stuff, the streets have cute flower baskets hanging. It's a city that has everything you could need but has a beach side town feel to it, I loved it.

Two nights in a row I went to the beach for the sunsets & they were just stunning. Sunday I went whale watching, saw some minky whales & a pod of these other ones that start with P but can't remember, cute seals & sea lions that growl? . Unfortunately no Orca's but they gave me a certificate that I can go back another time & do another tour with them for free hehe. I also got really wind burnt gggrrr but today at work everyone was saying how brown I looked so whoopeee. I went & saw the Craigdarroch Castle which was built in 1890's & lived in by this massive family then was a military hospital. It was kind of spooky & the people working in the castle would just pop up out of no where & give you a massive fright, then be like "any questions?".

Sunday night they had a big symphony on the water front by the parliament building where they played music, had stalls & then fireworks. So many people gathered on the front lawn of Parliament with blankets & chairs. The Parliament building also looks just crazy at night with the lights around it (see photo). Saw some more totem poles, one of which is the second tallest in the world & kind of randomly placed, coz there were no others around it & it was kind of out in the Boonies (translation 'wop wops' or 'middle of nowhere'). Did some shopping as well, there was the coolest t-shirt shop called utopia, some very hilarious shirts.

Anyway I'm glad that my weekend turned out this way, as I just fell in love with Victoria & can't wait to go back to Vancouver Island coz I've still got to check out Tofino, which I hear is just a gorgeous if not more. I think next summer I may have to move to the Island.