Nanaimo

Wednesday 18th July

We left Discovery Islands Lodge this morning and said bye to Brian and Roh on the ferry back to Vancouver Island. We though about going back to Vancouver a different way (via the Sunshine Coast) but the ferry times didn't really align and after the adrenoline rush of the last few days we are feeling quite drained and adventured-out. The holiday is nearly over.

So we decided to stay in Nanaimo for the night and have a final dinner out on the island before heading back to Diane's place tomorrow.

On the way we called into the Parrot Rescue Centre at Coombs - this is a rescue centre that has provided a home for parrots that have been relinquished or been rescued. Seeing the stae of some of these birds would put you right off keeping a parrot as a pet - seeing what has been the result of the birds' experience of humans. There are a lot of birds that have lost feathers, but it is the ones that would be here due to behavioural issues that are tghe saddest. The rescue centre is a large shed divided up into areas, some of which can be walked through. There are a lot of signs admonishing visitors not to feed their fingers to the birds... In one area we were greeted by some parrots that would fly to you andappeared friendly until you relaxed a bit, then they'd bite. I had an Eclectus on one shoulder crooning "hello" in my ear then it attached itself to my cheek... while I was trying to detach it the corella on the other shoulder took a big bite of my finger. Meanwhile a cockatoo was stalking Neil and biting him on the heels.

A parrot going in for a big bite - sacrificial hat

In Nanaimo we stayed at the Buccaneer Inn, on the waterfront near the ferry terminal. The proprietor recommended dinner at the Dinghy Dock Pub on Prospect Island and provided water taxi vouchers. Dinner was very tasty (cod for Neil, crab & mussels for me) and I have continued my quest to try a range of beers - a raspberry ale and a chocolate porter. The raspberry ale was a pale pink, not sweet but did have a delicate berry flavour and the chocolate porter did smell and taste chocolatey - would have gone well with a dessert too.

The Dinghy Dock Pub - a floating restaurant

Neil enjoying the summer's evening