Day 2: Kelowna to Nanaimo
After a disturbed and chilly sleep we weren't really in the mood to cook brekky so we hit the road around 7 and popped into Starbucks to use their wi-fi and have some coffee and we were onthe road by 8.

We were aiming to get the 12:45 ferry from Tsawasson Terminal in Vancouver to Nanaimo on Vancouver Island. We had just decided to skip staying the night in Van and head straight over to the island as it was a pretty cold and wet day in Kelowna. So we had roughly 4 hours and 45 minutes to get to a place that was 4 hours and 37 minutes away. Don't worry Mum, we didn't speed, we just drove efficiently. We also stopped for breakfast and filled the tank and washed the windows, all efficiently. We have it down to a fine art. Zane fills and I squeegee.

We were around 40 exits before our exit when we saw a sign directing us off the highway onto another road and towards the ferry terminal. We thought we'd better follow the sign but it took us to a road laden with red lights and slow drivers. We were previously making good time, having stopped at Hope for fuel and food and all ready to do the last dash to the terminal. Well, I had left my hope in Hope and it was a nailbiting last 30kms through traffic to finally get to the terminal only to be told that the next boat to Nanaimo would be at 3:15, roughly 2 and a half hours away. Damnit! Should have trusted Google directions all along!

So we paid and pulled in and followed the man's directions onto a waiting boat, on which there were already lots of cars and trucks. We thought nothing of it until we started to pull away and we realised that as luck would have it, we were the very last car allowed on the 12:45 boat. Hoorah!

So here we are at Living Forest Campgrounds. We have a nice little spot, from which we can see the ocean and the mountains. In the morning we're going to go for a walk around the campground and then I'm going to drive to Tofino. Zane did all the driving today as he is a more efficient driver.

You know what really grinds my gears? Shitty showers. There is a myriad of attributes a shower can have that make it shitty, and I've experienced all of them. The shower here has perfunctory heat but unalterable pressure, so initially I was jetted right up against the icky wall by the sheer force of the water spraying at me. And the shower curtain was harbouring some pretty festy mould and the curtain would brush up against my leg eeeeew.

I also don't like having to stretch in strange angles and perform complex yoga positions to adequately wet my hair. I'm 6 foot and I can't touch my toes. My inflexibility sometimes hinders my shower enjoyment.

Not since our travels before settling in Fernie have we had the chance to experience such vast and various amenities and, while sometimes hit and miss, make me appreciate a nice, hot, well-placed showerhead and a nice warm bed. On that note, we stocked up at WalMart and now have a sleeping bag. Here's hoping tonight is a bit warmer!

To Tofino and Ucluelet tomorrow!
Much camping love,
T and Z