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After a 90 min ferry ride, I drove off the ferry towards Qualicum Beach. The drive was scenic, but it was already getting dark. Vancouver Island is beautiful and its beaches reflect that. Qualicum Beach has miles of gorgeous coastline and reminded me a lot of Cape Breton island in Nova Scotia.

When I arrived at the Qualicum Bay Resort, I was a little disappointed. In fact, it was not a resort, but an RV campground slash motel. I was hoping for something along the lines of Cancun Oasis, or Varadero Cuba, with a pool and swim-up bar. I knew it was a far stretch to ask for topless girls dancing on a bar, but at least give me a pool. However, what I did find was wireless internet! Far from the outposts of civilisation and nuclear energy, this 2-and-a-half star motel, actually had free wireless internet. That in itself, deserves a star.

Actually, I didn’t even know people on the island knew about the internet. I was just hoping I would get reception on my cell phone. After sniffing some packets on the wireless network, it appears that I’m the only one on this internet thing. Either that, or everyone else is out drinking and I’m the only one sitting in my room alone surfing the web. Either way, I totally came out on top, on that one. After checking in and dropping my stuff off, I headed down to the local pub for a bite to eat.

The pub I found was fairly small, but it was the best one out of the 3 pubs open past 9pm. This small town pub, The College Pub, had decent food for less than $15 so I was perfectly happy getting a pint and some food. Since there was no one there (there were some locals but there was one dude there by himself with a buzzed haircut that had undertones of a mullet and I didn’t want to be compared to him), I left after eating and drove back along the now, darkened highway. With no street lights, it was difficult to see and I was paranoid about driving on the island highway, especially after hearing about all the drinking and driving that goes on here. According to the locals I’ve met here, Islanders
are notorious for drinking and driving. Luckily, I found myself trailing behind an ambulance!

Driving behind an ambulance gave me the assurance that if anything happened, I would be immediately rescued. I was being escorted back to my motel, not so unlike the one presidents and dignitaries get to have. It was like a 1-car motorcade! I nearly felt invincible, if not for the promise of excruciating pain that being in a car accident would certainly find.

The entire day was entirely uneventful, and if not for free wireless internet I would undoubtedly have gone venturing out to find sleeping cows to tip over. Tomorrow, I am looking forward to a hike in Cathedral Grove, and my 3-hour surfing lessons in Tofino.