To Powell River

Wow - today was a really long day! I got up around 5am to start getting ready to catch the bus to Powell River. Since it was daylight, Gina showed me around her house and property. She and Dan live on 5 acres in a more rural area. Picture below of Gina standing on a bridge that Dan made over their pond. They have two dogs, a gigantic Newfie named Ollie and a beagle named Popo. This is me with the dogs on the porch. They were very well behaved and fun! Gina drove me to the bank so I could get some Canadian money from the ATM and then we went to Tim Hortons! Oh Timmy Ho's, how I missed you.

We eventually found the bus depot at the airport and I loaded everything on the bus. I was the only person taking the bus from the airport. Thanks for getting up so early on a Saturday and driving me around, Gina!! I owe you big time. The bus driver only made me pay an extra $10 to take the bass, which I gladly paid - that could have been much worse!

The bus left the airport at 7:15am and drove to the greyhound station to pick-up more people. The bus stopped there for 45 minutes, so I got out and looked around. It was the nicest Greyhound station that I've ever been in: pic on the left. There was a gift shop and a McDonalds, so I bought a few things. Now might be a good time to point out that Canadians apparently love change. By 8am I already had a heavy jangly pocket. Look at how much change I had (ok, some of it is left over American change, too). I was taking a closer look at the toonie (2-dollar coin). On the front is Queen Elizabeth (obviously... ? I'm still confused by Canada's association with the United Kingdom). What's on the back - an important Canadian citizen since they can't put one on the front? Wayne Gretzky? Mike Myers? No. It's a bear. Steven Colbert would be incensed. It was the first bear ever elected to parliament; I saw a statue commemorating the event on a corner from the bus.

The bus got going again - Vancouver looked really beautiful. I'd like a chance to spend more time there sometime. Pic of a part of Vancouver from a bridge on the right. One thing that I noticed was in the city some of the traffic lights would flash green. The driver told me that these are pedestrian controlled lights, and they always just stay green until someone wants to cross.

We got to the first ferry after not too long. It was called the Queen of Coquitlam. We got off the bus and looked around. The ferry was huge! It was a cafeteria, a coffee bar, and a gift shop on board. The ride lasted about a half hour, and the views were amazing:

Between the first and second ferries we stopped in a town called Sechelt, where I hopped out and got a really good blueberry muffin. Then I took a nap - I was really tired!! I woke-up in time for the second ferry. This one was much smaller than the first one. The views were just as spectacular - I saw a big waterfall in the distance on one of the mountains. It was really overcast and kind-of rainy, unfortunately. It would have been even better on a clear day, I think. In the pictures below I also showed the arrival dock and my bus in the lower deck of the ferry as they are about to dock.












The bus got into Powell River and Mike from the festival came to the bus stop to pick me up in his truck. He drove me to the Powell River Academy of Music, where I'll be staying for the next two weeks. We will be rehearsing in a different complex, so I think that I'm going to move my bass there on Monday. Until then I have it here at the Academy. I'm staying in a dorm that is a converted classroom - they put up walls like cubicles, and everyone has their own. See mine on the left. It's pretty small! Unfortunately my tux got really wrinkled in my backpack (as expected), so I'll have to find somewhere that can get the wrinkles out for me. Or an iron. There is a little computer room (where I am right now), with some really ancient machines. I can plug-in my laptop, though.

Once I got settled-in I went out for a little walk to explore and find something to eat (the festival will feed us starting tomorrow at dinner). I walked to the dock where ferries can take you to some nearby islands. The view of the coast is on the left.

And then I got a little lost. I eventually stumbled on an A&W and had some dinner. By this time of the day I had so much change in my pocket that I could buy my entire meal with it! Then I wandered around for about an hour and finally found my way back. Next time I go out I'm taking my map!

When I got back to the Academy I practiced for awhile. Our seating audition is on Monday and my first private lesson with Mark Morton is on Tuesday at 9am. I have alot of work to do!


Whale Watch, Day 2:

• I'm so disappointed. I really thought that today was the day to see an orca or something, but no whales whatsoever from the ferries. I'm sure that they're there, taunting me.

Things I forgot/didn't think of to pack:

• umbrella
• flashlight