from the Ocean Inn Backpacker's Hostel in Victoria

so we are off the West Coast Trail... it was AMAZING!!! I was a little nervous starting the trail cuz I'd heard a lot of bad things about it, but it was better than my wildest dreams. We got to walk out on ocean shelves and see star fish and lots of other ocean life, and walk on beaches, and walk through rain forest and ever changing ecosystems. We also got some pretty good weather. The first two days were sunny and after that we got some rain, some fog, and some cloud. Not too bad for the trail that is supposed to pour all the time. It took us 6 days to finish, although we took it really lazy - gave us the opportunity to stop and look at things, measure large trees (the largest one was 10 feet in diameter!), and take lots of pictures that we will be posting here soon.

The bus ride home from the trail was a piece of work - we got back from the trail around noon and the bus home didn't leave 'til 4:30 so we got a shuttle into Port Renfrew to go for lunch (there was no way I was eating the rank cheese sandwiches we had planned for the day). We got an awesome meal at a country kitchen type restaurant. We then went up the hill and got amazing white hot chocolate - then it started to rain, and rain, and rain. Just what we wanted after the trail. So we head back down the hill to catch the bus, and wait, and wait, and wait. It was about 45 min late. Then it went back to the cafe we had been at, and sat for another 30 min waiting for someone who was late. And then the driver told us that the radiator was busted and he had limped down from Bamfield and wasn't sure it was going to make it home, and on top of that, we were all pretty sure he'd had a little to drink. And it was raining. And foggy. And the roads are horrible twisted logging roads. It was fun.

Finally, we made it home. We are in Victoria right now, waiting for our ferry to Vancouver to fly to Australia tomorrow!!! I can't believe that it's already time to leave for AUS. I got really nervous yesterday. We are arriving in a foreign country and have no idea what we are going to do. We'll figure it out. We seem to be getting pretty good at flying by the seat of our pants :)

Next post will be from Australia. See ya later!