It's been a long, long time since my last journal entry. Fortunately, I have much to write about of late.
Back in October, I did a month-long sail aboard the HMCS Nanaimo around Vancouver Island. Much of that time was spent at the northern tip of the island, ready to assist the Coast Guard in the event of a Search and Rescue (SAR) incident.
Due to rough sea conditions, our ship was often at anchor in inlets. Few ships sail up the west coast of Vancouver Island, but the trip was well worth it. The moutain views were spectacular, with tiny villages the only sign of civilization. Bears and eagles peeked out from vast forests, untouched by loggers. Curious sea otters and porpoises were caught by many a camera.
Highlights of the trip included:
Cleaning out the Zeballos general store of camera film. We were there a short while topping up our fresh water supply, and it was a rare chance to walk on solid ground.
- Exploring the ghost town of Ocean Falls. During the '50s and '60s, Ocean Falls was a high production pulp mill town. By 1980, despite assistance from the government, the mill closed down. The town of 150 is now the site of a hydro-electric generating plant. But abandoned houses, apartment complexes and warehouses remain from the pulp mill days. A bit unsettling by day, definitely creepy by night.
- Two visits to the Hakai Beach Resort, on Calvert Island, 80 miles north of Port Hardy. A trail behind the resort leads to West and North Beach. It was mini-Longbeach, with hiking trails leading uphill to spectacular views of the area.
- Speeding across West Beach on a four-wheeler in fourth gear. Yet I still can't drive a car...
alt="West Beach, Calvert Island">The captain, XO and coxswain shaving their heads bald, and the operations officer chopping off her hair - all for charity. The United Way done good by the Nanaimo crew last year.
- To help conserve water (we topped up our fresh water only twice in four weeks' time), male crew were permitted to forego shaving. Naturally, there was a beard growing contest. But, water restrictions also meant quickie pusser showers. :( Otherwise, it was into rough water for several hours to fill up using desalinators.
Our ship arrived in Nanaimo in time to attend to the town's Remembrance Day ceremony in our formal uniforms. Fortunately, we were granted leave till the following morning to enjoy our return to civilization after four weeks at sea. Life's rough, eh? :)
Vegas, Baby, Vegas!
The following weekend, the ship sailed to Seattle. I, however, took leave and flew to Las Vegas with friends. We booked a good flight-hotel package through Expedia.ca (shameless plug), spending three of four nights at the Treasure Island hotel.
The flight in was impressive: through a clearing in the clouds, in the middle of the desert, appears an oasis of dazzling lights. The plane circles the Strip, giving passengers an eyeful of themed hotels, then lands in the nearby airport. Taking a taxi to our first hotel, the Circus Circus (just one night, fortunately), we barely checked into our room before hitting the casino floor. Ding-ding-ding-ding!
The next afternoon, we switched to the Treasure Island. A typical day in Vegas then went like so:
- Wake up by 10 am or so (having stumbled back to our room at 4am) to scrounge for breakfast buffet leftovers.
- Explore the Strip by day - one block being the size of two or three city blocks in Vancouver or Toronto. Lots of outdoor and indoor attractions, from water fountains to rollercoasters. The Venetian even had a "Renoir to Rothko" art exhibit.
- Or, catch some rays by the poolside. Make use of tropical drink coupons.
- Afternoons, a bit of casino warm-up. Mostly slot machines, as the $5 black jack tables don't appear till late. Everyone take turns at one, highly visible slot machine, and it's a round of... uh, refreshments for free. :)
- Buffet dinner or indoor market for supper.
- Night time = casino hopping. Vegas comes alive at night. It's sensory overload as we explore the Strip once more, visiting the Mandelay Bay, the Paris, Ceasar's Palace, the Excalibur, the Luxor.... The fountain show at the Bellagio is a must-see. Dancing water sprays set to classical or jazz music, evoking fireworks.
- By now we're immersed in black jack, or have assumed the role of spectators with empty pockets. :)
We spent one night exploring the downtown strip, home of waving Vegas Vic (see image), the Golden Nugget and the Fremont Street Experience. A canopy, adorned with 2 million lights, covers four blocks of the street, used for nightly light and sound shows. None of us had the courage to sample a deep-fried Twinkie at Mermaids Casino.
Our last day in Vegas, we took a ride on the New York-New York rollercoaster (US$13 but worth it), then headed for the airport for a less exciting plane ride home.
