11th - 13th May 1998

Monday 11th May
My first day off.  We were going to go to the Hot Springs but changed our minds so we hung out in town instead and then went to the rainforest trail and Long Beach and Schooner Cove.  Catherine was supposed to be arriving so we thought we'd got to the bar and hope to meet her.
Darren and I are out yet again, this time at the Loft.  We met Claire at 10pm after a succulent steak and flavoursome salmon.  Claire was sleeping so we changed our mind about going to the bar and headed out of town for the night.

Tuesday 12th May
On our way into town to cancel hot springs - as Darren didn't have his swimming trunks - we saw Catherine walking the other way.  I turned around and picked them up and took them to Bella Pacifica.  We then went into town for brekkie at the pod and then wandered around town.  We went in the Roy Henry Vickers Gallery and then to Tonquin Beach.  I went in quite far as Darren splashed me so much - I may as well go in further.  We then met Catherine, Ian and Peter a guy they met on the bus, at the Coffee Pod and then we went Whale Watching.  Totally Awesome!  We went down to long beach and actually went along with them.  It's the first time I'd seen their faces!  We also saw a whole load of sea lions.  They were more interested in us that we were in them.  For dinner we bought food for the BBQ and went back to the campsite.  Wieners and weenie roast sticks yet again.  Claire went and played softball and arrived later.  We thought we could stay there for the night but the gates didn't open until 7am so we had to leave before 11pm so Claire could get to work in the morning.  So one man and two girls in the bed yet again.

Wednesday 13th May
Claire got up at 5:45am and then Darren and I got up at 7:30am to escape the bylaw man.  We had a pretty leisurely breakfast and then he left to go back to Whistler.  I felt really empty and kind of strange and had to have a hot chocolate!
I met Catherine and that again at the coffee pod and basically we did the whole cafe lifestyle.  We sat there until 1ish and then went around all the galleries - finishing with the Maquinna!  Catherine and I went to buy postcards and met with Anita and Jess who'd just arrived off the bus.  They joined us in the bar and Claire went for a sleep.  They all went back to the campsite and Claire and I had a quick gossip in our sleeping bags and then she went over to Al's for a shower and a chat and I went over half-an-hour later.
Al works on an Oyster farm for 1 week and then 1 week off and the day he comes back he tends to binge.  I couldn't stand seeing him like that so I said I'd meet Claire in the bar.  I went and called Darren who still wasn't in so I had a great chat with Liz at the B&W for about 2 hours - then we went to Karaoke.  I was supposed to be singing "Like a Virgin" but I chickened out.  Claire eventually arrived at about midnight and we left pretty quickly as Claire had to get up at 6 for work.

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