Tuesday, July 25
Day 5: Flores Island
We got up at 5:00 this moring decided to go back to Tofino and go to Flores Island. .. We took a swim and a bath in Kennedy Lakeand thought about staying another night but changed our minds. By the the time we packed up, made several trips across the beach, up the stairs, across the boardwalk through the woods, it was 6:30 am. . first go take a small walk to the Tofino park that has a boardwalk leading down to the beach. It is a nice trail that walks thru a wooded area. This is a park that is easy to miss if not aware of it as it is a little out of town and I didn't see any sign for it. There are some picnic tables and beach down at the shore. We would next go eat brakfast at The Loft again and will not go back there again for breakfast as the omellate was late and also burnt. I didn't eat all of it and left early to go to the dock. I decided to go to the Eagle Gallery which is a nice art gallery with Northwest Indian art.
We
would be taking a boat over to Flores Island today that would cost $12 to
take. This is cheap as it is a 45 minute ride to Flores Island and leaves
twice a day for the island. While waiting at the dock I talked to a young
Indian kid in tenth grade who lived at Opitsant on Mears island. He had asked
me where I was from and then asked me why I was up here from Seattle. It was
an intersting discussion as he asked if I had gone to any baseball or basketball
games and what was Seattle like in the big city. He explained that he was
on a rehab program for drugs and alcohol and was getting himself together
again and realized that the alcohol can control him if he lets it. He seemed
like a good kid with curiousity and helpful as he answered my questions. He
said that he may have to wait for an hour to get across the bay but somebody
will pick him up eventurally. He said that he did not do much fishing or hunting
but the adult indians did.
I
would get on the boat at 10:30 and start over to Flores Island. The people
were friendly and asked what I was doing. They would point out places to me
as we passed inlets and islands. I arrived around 11:15 to Ahousat
that was surrounded by new houses and old houses. I did not know anybody or
see any business with the exception of a lawyer sign on a housetrailer. I
started walking through town as I was looking for a trail that would lead
to the beach. I little kid asked if my name was Johnboy. All people were friendly
and some looked at me wondering if I needed advice or something.
I
eventually saw a police officer and I asked him where the trail was. He told
me to get into his truck and he drove me about a quarter-mile past the school
and to the beginning of the trail. I thanked him and started down a built
boardwalk trail. This is a nice trail that leads to the beach that is full
of shells and so isolated with nobody there as you look out at other islands
in the Pacific. This trail will eventully go by several beaches, forested
areas and lead to the top of a Mt Flores if you want to hike the trail all
day. While I was waking along the trail I came across a large tree that had
fallen during the winter. The roots of the tree were taller than me and I'm
trying to imagine this tree falling over during a storm.
I
would walk the trail for a couple hours until I realized that I better get
back and try to get a boat back to Tofino. These beaches were so nice to walk
as they are clean, there were many shells here and I had the beach all to
myself. I would finally get back into town around 2:00 and stopped at the
store to get something to eat. I then went to the dock realizing that I had
missed my boat back to Tofino and did not know if anybody would be going back.
There were boats comings in with Herring Roe eggs that they had caught off
of tree branches in water where the Herring lay their eggs during this time
of year. These indians will take the eggs off and cook them with butter and
garlic and they may will also freeze them for later. I tried them raw and
they reminded me of the flying fish eggs that I have eaten with sushi before.
They are crunchy with not alot of flavor but not bad either.
A
local person was able to call on the radio and find another boat for me that
would be back in fifteen minutes. As the boat came in I was ready to get on
when I saw someone get off the boat that I recognized. It was Alvin, the
5th grade teacher who I had been communicating with thru E-mail. He is
how I found out about the town on the island and recommended me to come over
some day. I had just found out that he had been off for spring break for the
last week. After introducing myself he invited me to stay overnight with him
tonight and show me around some more. I was confused what to do as I felt
like I was barging in on him but didn't want to say no after driving up here
for the weekend and have him think that I was upset that I couldn't meet him.
I stayed with him that night and it is an interesting place to stay and teach
student elementary school. He has kids calleing him up at home asking him
questions and as we would walk out on the road everybody would know who he
is. He also went to some kids house that night to help install a software
program for a kid with a new computer. I am glad I stayed as we talked about
education, traveling, computing and met his friend John who also teaches.