Day 11, Thursday, July 21: Vancouver, British Columbia

Last night - Pizza in the Park!

Not a peep from Katie yesterday. After reading Lyly's note (below), I see why. They ran the kids ragged with so much fun and activity! I admit, I am starting to get the travel bug. Everything they are doing sounds so darn fun.

Here's Lyly's note:

Today was one of the best days of the entire program!

We woke up early and headed for Wild Play-Tree Go. Upon arrival we were split into two groups and given a demonstration on how to put on a harness. Then the students were led into the forest where an entire obstacle course was built up in the trees. Each station was built approximately 10-12 feet high and once you were on the course, there was no going back down. There was a wooden swing, hanging branches, zip lines, wooden tubes, and nets to climb between each tree station. Out of 45 students, we had a total of 42 complete the entire course. It was so much fun to watch the students flying through the course like a bunch of monkeys. When they had completed the course, most students begged us to go again but unfortunately there was no time. :)

The adults were not allowed on the student obstacle course but were given the option to go bungee jumping. Although petrified of heights, I am happy to say that I managed to conquer my fear and join Chelsea and Celia on the journey to bungee jumping. The jump is completed on a bridge that is 150 feet over a river. I have to admit that it was probably the most terrifying thing I have ever done in my life and I screamed the entire way down. However, I did have to ask the guy working the bridge to push me off the platform. :) It was both terrifying and exhilarating at the same time. So if you ever get the opportunity to check bungee jumping off your bucket list, do it!

After a dinner of pizza in the park, we headed for whale watching. The boat was very large and had two decks that students were able to maneuver around. We had two biologists, Lars and Jackie, during the ride out to sea that could answer any questions about whales. At the beginning of the boat ride, Jackie had informed the group that we might not see any whales. The boat had been out on two previous rides throughout the day with no success. Keeping this in mind, the students settled in for a fun boat ride.

They got a kick out of scampering around on the decks, getting sprayed with ocean water, and generally just talking and laughing. Imagine our surprise when we got to the lookout point, that we saw an entire pod of Orca whales! The captain informed us that there are 44 whales in this particular pod. The whales were swimming all around our boat and we saw 37 breaches.

Fun Fact: A breach is when a whale jumps up out of the water and flops back down on their side. Thus creating a huge splash of water. It was such an awesome sight to see! However, Murphy's Law dictated that every time I took a picture, the whale had already disappeared down under the water. :)

Needless to say, we got back to the dorm very late after a fun-packed day and everyone was ready for a good night's sleep. 

People to People Itinerary

Embark on an extensive tour of Victoria's Parliament and legislative grounds. Here you will experience the architectural majesty of the Parliament Buildings and learn about Canada's parliamentary process.

At noon, you will enjoy a unique experience at the world-renowned Empress Hotel, indulging in an elegant lunch while attending a traditional Elizabethan Tea. Note: Your People to People polo and khaki's are required attire for your experience at the Empress.

Say farewell to Vancouver Island as you catch the ferry back to the mainland.

Start your exploration of Vancouver in the expansive Stanley Park; Walk along the waterfront, see the Lion's Gate Bridge from Prospect Point and learn about the intricately carved totem poles made by the coastal First Nation tribes. If you're lucky, you may have the chance to catch a cricket match in progress on of the park's pitches.

Travel back in time as you walk down the cobblestone streets of historic Gastown in downtown Vancouver.

This evening, you will check into the University of British Columbia (UBC): the largest university in the province; it is also among the most scenic campuses surrounded by the Pacific Ocean on three sides.

The Parliament Building in Victoria.

The Empress Hotel (for tea!).

The Lion's Gate Bridge from Prospect Point.

Gastown!

 The university from above!

Day 10, Wednesday, July 20: Victoria, British Columbia

I got a five second call from Katie last night. She was totally out of breath and sounded excited. They were shopping(!) in Victoria and she needed a purchase authorization - "bye mom!" was the last thing I heard.

YES! She was so happy and clearly having a great time. She had texted earlier in the day as she was desperately trying not to watch in the "in-coach" movie, "Harry Potter" because we agreed we would watch the movies until we read the books and neither of us has read them yet - so she was working hard not to compromise our agreement! What a kid!

PS: I did find our copy of the first Harry Potter book. I think I know what we are doing when she gets home.


Here's the note from Lyly about yesterday!

Today was another long bus ride to Vancouver Island. We did stop at Bridal Falls for lunch. 

Bridal Falls is actually in the middle of a Canadian rainforest. When all the sack lunches had been consumed, the entire group headed for a hike up to the waterfall. Along the way, Chelsea gave us some facts about the rainforest. 

Fun Fact: Did you know that the Canadian Rainforest weighs three times the amount of a rainforest in South America? The falls themselves were beautiful. Seeing the water tumbling down over the side of the mountain was absolutely breathtaking. 

We reached the ferry crossing by mid afternoon and most students were surprised when our entire bus drove right onto the ferry. They seemed to really enjoy the experience of riding a ferry across to Vancouver Island. 

After dinner we had some extra time, so students were able to do some shopping in downtown Victoria.

People to People Itinerary

Your first adventure is Tree-GO, an amazing climbing activity set high above a massive Douglas fir forest. The course takes about 2 hours and includes ziplines, suspended bridges, scramble nets and swinging logs.

Afterwards, visit the nearby Petroglyph Park where you will learn about petroglyphs and the early First Nations people who created them.

Venture off to see the amazing sites at Ocean Discovery, in Sidney, where you will learn about the unique ecosystem of the Salish Sea at the tropical aquarium and marine education centre.

Tonight's dinner theme is 'Pizza in the Park'; this is a light but fun evening of games, making new friendships and of course, PIZZA!

Following dinner, head out onto the Straits of Georgia to search for pods, (or family groups), of Orcas also known as Killer Whales! During your time on the boat, you will learn about the habitat and behavior of these majestic creatures while seeing them in their natural environment.

TreeGo!

I think this is the entrance to the Petroglyph Park they are touring.

We can only hope they get to see something this amazing! 

Day 9, Tuesday, July 19: Victoria, British Columbia

Katie's new wolf.

I talked to Katie last night and she sounded great! She's not homesick anymore and she's looking forward to Victoria today and seeing us on Friday. She bought a little wolf stuffy and absolutely loved meeting the wolves yesterday.

I noticed she's using new expressions - clearly adopted from her new friends - and for crapsake, she sounds older! How can that happen in just two weeks? They had Canadian Barbecue last night and I told her I didn't realize the barbecued Canadians. She must miss my sense of humor!

They have a long bus ride today but that doesn't seem to be a problem. She just wants to make sure they have a chance to shop in Victoria! 

The kids at Rogers Pass.

The note from Lyly about yesterday:

Today was a long bus ride with activities interspersed throughout the day. 

Our first stop of the day was at the Northern Wildlife Centre. At the Centre they currently have 5 adults and 2 pups. The pups were safely hidden in the den and never ventured out so we didn't see them. After our interpreter gave his talk about wolves, one of the owners came out to see if we could howl. She informed us that unlike dogs, wolves howl one continuous long note, they do not bark or yip. So as a group, the students started to howl. Once the wolves listened for a minute, they joined in and we stopped. Maya and Wiley, a male and female, continued howling for quite some time. It was awesome to hear! 

Fun Fact: Wolves often eat only one large meal a week. They gulp their food (hair, bones, meat, etc.) down all at once. As a result, wolves are very fast eaters. Wiley has been known to wolf down an entire frozen chicken in 10 seconds. Hence the term "Wolfing your food down". When they travel in packs, the alpha male and alpha female run with their tails pointing straight up, while the other wolves run with their tails pointing down. This helps to determine the dominate wolves vs the rest of the pack. 

Our 2nd stop of the day was at Craigellachie. It is the spot where the Canadian Pacific Railway pounded in the last spike in 1885. This last spike represented the melding of the East to the West, thus providing a way to travel between the two territories. 

After dinner we went to a room at Kelowna University and an archeology professor taught us about "Stone Technology". Each student was given a piece of obsidian and a small piece of antler bone. The professor showed us how to work the rock to form an arrowhead or some sort of tool. The students seemed to really enjoy working the rock. 

Every few days the leaders collect the students' journals to make sure that they are writing about their experiences. So with the students' permission, I thought I would share a few journal entries with you. Keep in mind, I did not change any grammar or sentence structures. :)
 Excerpt from the journal of Andrew Nguyen: "Peyto Lake was named after a man named Crazy Bill Peyto. When Peyto had land, he dug holes and put bears in. Then he covered the holes with grass. If intruders sneaked into Peyto's land, they would be eaten by the bears. Peyto also liked to take mountain lions and let them go in bars to see what people would do." 

Excerpt from the journal of Sarah Dubbs: "...Next we played two Indian games. One was the Screaming Game and the other was a gambling game. They were really fun! I can't wait to show them to my friends. I especially loved the game where we ran while screaming. (A.K.A. "The Screaming Game") I'm sure everyone loved these games and if they do, add me to the list!"

People to People Itinerary

From Kelowna you'll travel over the scenic Coquihalla Highway making your way to Victoria. You will stop at the beautiful Bridal Falls for lunch.

From Vancouver, you'll hop on the ferry and cross the Strait of Georgia to Victoria.

Next up is a haunting visit to the aristocratic Craigdarroch Castle. Here you'll tour a spooky mansion built in the 1890's by the richest man in British Columbia.

Bridal Falls in British Columbia.

Not sure if this is their exact ferry, but it's close! Pretty awesome looking!

Does this castle look scary to you? It's gorgeous!