Whale Watching off Victoria Island

When we arrive in Victoria we stay in a stunning quite expensive hotel,  The Empress - that Bob wants me to experience - so we share a room and use the ear plugs to moderate the snoring competition!

We see the hotel as we approach the harbour on the ferry.






Bob is used to these fancy places as he had an expense account when we ran Sprint Telecom in Canada. Victoria is the political capital of Britis Columbia and Bob used to come here to meet with senior government officials.

The hotel did not disappoint - see the interview George  Baker below. Also Bob brings me on a tour of the Museum and explains some background to Indian culture.


But first - the most exciting bit - I went whale watching  -  This is me below in my whale watching suit - our hotel is visible in the background.

While we were having a late breakfast in the Old Spagetti Factory on our way to the museum, the waitress recommended the "whale watching" trip and a visit to the Butchart Gardens.

I was attracted by the blurb put out by the Prince of Whales tour guide "Looking for an adventure? Join us for a three hour whale watching tour on one of our open zodiac style boats. Suit up in stylish red cruiser suits, don your toques and gloves, and jump on board for an exhilarating ride! The tour will include stops at various points in the protected waters of Haro and Juan de Fuca Strait to look at whales, wildlife and interesting historical landmarks. Your skipper will also provide interesting commentary on the sights encountered along the way, while ensuring great opportunities for photography." 

Regulations kept us back 100 yard from the whales - but there were plenty of them. 

We came across 3 pods of killer Orca Whales

Bob brings me to the British Columbia museum to show me some fine examples of Indian art, masks and totem poles.

Bob takes up the story
  "We stay at the historic Empress Hotel located right on the harbor front and next to the BC Provincial Museum and the BC Legislature building, the heart of town.  Eugene really like the city and I am so glad to be finally back on land that we both are in a great mood for our visit to Victoria and British Columbia.  The highpoint of the visit for me is our visit to the Museum, which has the best collections of native arts and culture of any I have ever seen.  They are especially rich in examples of totem poles and ritual masks.  I think Eugene is impressed with the native cultures."

Bob first mentioned the native indian art on the boat trip. He attributes the rich cultural tradition to the  fertility and richness of the land and sea which made for a relatively prosperous existence for the natives. He continued the commentary as we approached the museum.





   
   Some examples of Indian Culture

While at the museum, I happened upon this volunteer explaining how the frontiers men did gold panning.

Finally the Hotel - with its lovely gardens, historic architecture and furnishings all in a traditional ccolonial style. The hotel was originally part of a hotel chain developed by the Canadian Pacific Railway Company to encourage people to use the rail system. As we were leaving I bumped into a retired British Civil Servant, George Baker, who now does tours of the hotel - very much in the old style. A true gentleman - although I was late for the tour he agreed to do an interview - worth watching. It is in HD so you might have to pause the video while it loads up for a few minutes.