So in Nelson I found out that we didn’t have to make it to S.F. by November 9th. Whew. The rush is off. I was feeling a bit tense about the impending pace and I know it would have been tough to split Nelson town on Monday Morning. Nelson is a town that tends to hold you

I’d never been in the Flying Squirrel, but it was a very accommodating hostel. Brandie and Cass had been doing work trade to stay there, so that’s where me and Dave went. We got into drum jams and it was like a big "Ontario Family" gathering. Amanda, Craig,, Joe, Rita, plus Sky, locals and other hostellers. The Hostel was a warm refuge from the cold, and from the By-law that bans drums on Baker Street.

Nero played on the weekend in Nelson and Hemphry, Craig and Amanda, Joe and I went on Saturday Night. It was great to dance and spin and get invigorated. I gotta hand it to Nero. They’ve been raging it this year. Coast to Coast and back again at least. They gave me a Tee shirt to sport along the way. Thanks Guys.

We were able to relax and recuperate from the long drive. My toes thawed out as I tended to some overdue tasks. Several stores were into papers and people on the street were stoked for them. We went singing and jamming down by the falls. Craig and I and even Brandie went swimming in the river. There was ice around the edges. It was damn cold. Cold and refreshing. I managed to dunk my head under water, then ran out. The coldest part was my toes.

Just as we were about to leave, I bumped into Gabriel in front of the co-op. The next day he was doing a workshop on Biodieseland ultimately is starting a biodiesel working group. All across North America, people are starting to run diesel vehicles on used vegetable oil. That is one way to really make a big difference. Realistically, driving and fossil fuel consumption create some of the worst side effects of our culture. By burning Biodiesel, a driver is boycotting the oil racket, the wars, the exhaust and the pollution. Just look at Spain and this latest catastrophe.

How many more tanker spills can Mama Gaia withstand? How many bombs can we drop? How much genocide can we justify? How long will people have to suffer as a result of our car culture? And how long can I continue to burn gasoline, while trying to act for the greater good. Call me an idealist. I am. As a realist; We, you and me and us need to find other ways to move if our species is to survive. Bio-diesel is a realistic way to sidestep the whole gas- consumption-war thing. There’s also the hope of a hydrogen fuel cell, and until then there’s always the good old bicycle.

We (Brandi, Dave, Taryn, and I) finally left Nelson on Wednesday night and slept in the Slocan Valley near Winlaw.

We all slept late, and went into Winlaw for food, coffee, and a toilet. There was a neat café that picked up papers and Paul, the owner insisted that we come back to his straw-bale home for the night. O.K.

The next day we drove all the way to Vancouver, making a quick stop in Osoyoos for lunch. We stayed at Whytecliff park that night and fortunately were not harassed until the morning, at which point the pleasant officer asked us not to come back for a second night. Give Thanks!

The Ocean was right there, well actually it's the Georgia Straight, and it is beautiful. There were otters, divers and even whales. We watched a whale playing about in the Horseshoe Bay. It was truly amazing watching the ocean, and every now and then, a dorsal fin would slide up into the air from the water. Just as we were preparing to leave, the whale decided to come and visit. She came up to the point, spouting occasionally. Then she swam along the shore, right up to where we were. What a truly magnificent experience! Mama welcomed us to the coast. Wow!

We missed one of the Ferries to Vancouver Island, so we went back to civilization to shop. While shopping, Dave surprised us by requesting to be let out. Wow! Are you sure? And he was. We plotted a course back into Vancouver to the bus station, where Dave took his bike. He couldn’t send it that night because it was too late, so we took him to the hostel near by. We said our goodbyes, tried to make sure we were all sorted (mixed up a bit of stuff, but all in all, we did good), and then we split to make the Nine "O" clock ferry to the island. I'd called some Toronto kids, and they were into company. Sweet! John, Krista and John were happy to see us, and we were happy to see them, and to be on the island!

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Race to Save the Primates - every click provides food!
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Johannes Chapman, Pure Hemp Caravaner