Monday, May 1, 2017

Pacific Northwest Trip 2015 Day 1 Sunday July 12: Victoria to Port Angeles

UPDATED: February 11, 2021

This is the 1st of a series of posts dealing with my 2015 trip to Portland, Seattle, and vicinity. I’ve made minor corrections to these reports (typos, bits I don’t feel like making public). Also, I’ve added additional thoughts with the hindsight of two years later or to add further clarification.  These are indicated by “NOW”.

First off my cell is basically just a timepiece/alarm clock in the US, no phone service so if you need to reach me try email or phoning the hostel (Ground Inn Tues, Northwest Hostel Wed-Sat, City Hostel Sun-on).

[NOW: 7-11’s Speakout cell service is limited to Canada; Groud Inn has closed.]

Before the trip went to the Strawberry Festival in Saanich via the 72 Victoria Regional Transit bus. Weather was nicer than expected but my mind was getting a head start on the trip/getting an earlier bus tomorrow and my friend wasn't sure if she could make it so I went back downtown before they started serving ice cream and got started. I took the 75 bus which turned into the 30 bus (Victoria Regional Transit) back downtown. 

At Black Ball Ferry Terminal it was pretty crowded and there was some line confusion (I found myself in line for Immigration when I wanted the line to get a ticket) but it got worked out. Passing through Immigration the officer seemed suspicious that I was on medical leave but still employed by the government but after reading my history for a few minutes let me through.  On Black Ball's Coho ferry I sat beside a couple of nice women and saw three dogs on the ferry. The guy at Customs was the friendly guy whom I deal with the most so there was no problem there.

[NOW: I’ve been on medical leave for a long time as part of having Asperger’s, but volunteer at Pacific Peoples’ Partnership.]

I walked to ToadLilly House International Hostel and checked in.  It was threatening to rain so I made heading to Port Angeles Plaza my next priority, on foot because no transit on Sunday. At Big Lots there was a 20% off everything sale as long as you grabbed a coupon outside so I grabbed one and bought three blu-rays including once I considered from last trip. I grabbed another coupon on leaving as a souvenir. I also visited Rite Aid before leaving the Plaza for the McDonald’s across the street, where I had dinner.

It started to rain before I reached Walgreen's and started to come down harder as I reached downtown, so I cut things short, not wanting to wreck my camera on the first day. I climbed the stairs by the not-open Port Book and News from 1st St to 2nd, took a few photos from the top of the hill, then continued on to Safeway then another Rite Aid before returning to the hostel early to keep the camera safe.

Computer was slow to turn on and then connect to the internet so if I do disappear for a few days, it's  the connection. Some people saw a deer but I didn't find out until it was gone.

[NOW: Addendum from day 3: At ToadLily hostel the sliding bathroom door had a tendency to come off its rollers.]

[NOW: The mini-notebook worked the rest of the trip.]

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