3rd - 5th October 1997

Friday 3rd October
Awoke at 6:30am when the alarm went off. It was cold, wet and miserable and we were both tired.  I went and got some coffee whilst he backed the truck down a really small lane amongst chickens, turkeys and deer.  Now we are here waiting while they load the smolt.
We were supposed to leave at 9ish but in fact we left at 11:5am.  So we sat in the truck for hours.  We did manage to get some breakfast back at the Red Rooster though!
I slept most of the way back. We had to stop every hour to check the smolt.  Then we stopped at a junction to some logging road and swapped biologists!  We bumped our way down the road for about 45 minutes, I saw my first bear!  We appeared at a barge port and Aaron had to try and turn the truck round and back it onto the barge.  He had a really hard time doing this and ended up breaking the landing gear and swearing a lot!  He eventually got it on the barge and we sailed for about 20minutes to the fish farm.  When we got there we had an hours sleep and then sailed to Tofino and eventually got home at 7:30pm only 4 hours later than planned!
Claire was on Aaron's answer machine saying she was going to stay on Vargas Island an extra night and that we should leave on Sunday.  This suited me fine as Aaron had the night off because we were so late so we stayed in and had spaghetti and a beer.

Saturday 4th October
We woke up quite early because Aaron had to clean the truck and get told off about the landing gear.  I got up at 9:45am which was when Aaron finished his work.  I went back to the hostel and packed all my stuff, it wouldn't fit as nicely as it used to.  I then did Aaron's grocery shopping.
The afternoon was mostly spent reading while Aaron wrote his paper and then I cooked dinner, a rather hot curry.  Claire called and we met her and Al for a drink at the Raincoast café and then we went to the Maquinna.  Aaron went home and finished her paper and met us down there later.  I got stupidly drunk and probably annoyed the hell out of everyone including Aaron, went back to the shack and passed out.

Sunday 5th October
Time to leave Tofino.  Claire called at about 10am and it was time to leave.  Aaron drove us as far as the junction and then it was goodbye.  There was a guy hitching at the junction already so we walked a bit further down to a clearing and admitted defeat and actually stood still.  This was when we saw a bear appear from the forest right by where we were walking only minutes before.  We eventually got picked up by 2 guys. They didn't talk to us at all and we got out at Port Alberni.  We went to Tim Hortons for food and then proceeded once more.  The next guy took us to almost Nanaimo.  His name was Mark and he was really nice.  After him another guy took us only a short distance and then a strange one brought us here (Victoria).  Claire reckoned he was a manic depressive.  He talked a lot and I didn't really know what to say back.  We got here at about 6pm and managed to the find the Youth Hostel after Claire had tried calling her Grandad's neighbour's relation who wasn't it.
We went to dinner and we both had a 3 course meal for $20, not bad eh?!
Tomorrow we are going to mooch around.  I called Aaron this evening although he wasn't in so I'll have to try again tomorrow.
Kev left 2 messages on my card.  It was nice to hear from him although we wanted it to be Morgan, never mind!  He said he really missed me. Ah!
I guess I should go to sleep now, I'm not sure when the lights go out. It's 11pm now.

<these are extracts from my diaries written whilst travelling and working in Canada and the US in '97-'98>