FRASER VALLEY TO VANCOUVER ISLAND

On our first day in the Fraser Valley we went to Fort Langley, founded in 1827 by the Hudson's Bay Company to ensure their hold on the lucrative beaver fur trade - for beaver hats. The fort was a simple and self-sufficient settlement trading with the indians on behalf of the Company. It was here that the founding of the colony of British Columbia was proclaimed in 1858, in the face of incursions from the USA, to protect the interests of the empire. The reconstruction has been sympathetically done and the staff are very well informed - there was more information than one could absorb in a few hours.

When (cheap) silk hats replaced beaver, and the fur trade languished, the Company turned to salting salmon - much of which was sent to Hawaii! They made their own barrels with birch hoops, and there was a cooper on the spot to show how it was done.

We found a B&B in Harrison Mills named Fenn Lodge. It was a hunting and fishing lodge built by one Charles Fenn Pretty in 1903 - he had arrived from Toronto some years before with 17 cents in his pocket and made a fortune. The house was bought from his descendants by Dianne and Gary, who have done it up and furnshed it most sympathetically. To stay there feels like being a guest in an English country house - with a Canadian twang! Maple syrup with the sausages for breakfast!!

The humming-bird feeders attracted a constant stream of hovering jewels - we smiled in particular at the aggressive little Anna's humming birds which always wanted to keep the feeders for themselves.

Our next visit was to a beautiful plant collection - Minter Gardens...
We also visited a museum which had been the general store of the huge Harrison Mills sawmill until about 1970. It was taken over to become a museum at that time with its complete stock, and I was delighted to find a set of tiddley-winks identical to one we had at home when I was a child.

From the Fraser River we drove across to the Vancouver island ferry and sailed for Nanaimo, half way up the east coast of the island. The two hour crossing was calm and pleasant, and then we drove right across the centre of the island to Tofino on the west coast. It was a beautiful drive over two mountainous ridges. The second was higher and we drove much of the way through a downpour; however as we cleared the last pass the sun came out and we saw magnificent, craggy, snow-covered mountains towering above us. Shortly afterwards we saw a black bear beside the road, and the day was made.

We had a day in Tofino walking and looking at indian carvings and other artworks. Indian art has taken off in the last fifteen years or so as the 'first nations' as they are known have recovered their confidence and gained a better recognized place in society.

On our final day with Walt and Pat we drove down to Victoria, capital of BC, and found a delightful bed and breakfast at Arbutus Hill with Donna and Jos. It was set on a hilltop surrounded by Madrone (arbutus) trees. These large trees with silky green bark are in fact members of the heather family! The bird-feeder attracted a great selection of local song birds.

After a truly hearty breakfast (as advertised) the next day we said goodbye to Walt and Pat, who headed for the ferry back to Seattle, while we headed out of Victoria for the next installment.


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El primer dia en el valle del rio Fraser, fuimos a conocer Fort Langley, fundado en 1827 por la empresa britanica de comercio 'Hudson's Bay Company', para asegurar su control del comercio muy interesante (economicamente) de los pieles de castor. La fuerte era un centro de comercio - simple y auto-suficiente - que permutaba productos como frazadas con los indios a cambio de pieles. Se ha realizado una reconstruccion muy bien hecha, y los guias son muy bien informados.

Cuando el comercio de pieles dejo de ser interesante, empezaron a producir salmon preservado en sal, el cual se exportaba, entre otros a destinos, a Hawaii!

Encontramos alojamiento en un hostal que fue construido en 1903 para la pesca y la caza por Charles Fenn Pretty. Este habia llegado de Toronto, algunos anos antes, con 17 centavos en el bolsillo, y se hizo rico. La casa fue comprado a sus descendientes por los actuales duenos, Dianne y Gary, y resulta muy agradable. Es como alojar en una casa de agrado inglesa...

Despues visitamos un jardin hermoso - Minter Gardens...

Tambien conocimos un museo que habia sido el almacen (pulperia!) de un aserradero enorme. Se vendio para museo, con la existencia completa, alrededor de 1970, y contenia muchos itemes que yo conocia en mi infancia.

El otro dia, tomamos el Ferry para Vancouver island, el puerto de Nanaimo, en la costa este - dos horas de viaje en mar. De Nanaimo cruzamos el centro de la isla a Tofino, en la costa oeste. El camino paso por los cerros, y por mucho del viaje llovia a chuzos; cuando salimos del paso hacia la costa se despejo rapidamente y tuvimos una vista impresionante del cerro alto, rocoso y cubierto de nieve, arriba del camino. Poco despues encontramos un oso negro en el camino...

Pasamos el dia en Tofino paseando y mirando arte nativa - madera tallada, piedras, tejidos etc.

El ultimo dia con Walt y Pat viajamos a Victoria, capital de la provincia de Columbia Britanica, donde alojamos en una casa muy simpatica en un bosque de arbutus. Al otro dia, ellos partieron para Seattle en el ferry y nosotros dejamos Victoria para la proxima etapa.