Another First! (Bowen Island and Ferry walk-on)

Given that it not only is the year of the snake, but in particular the year of the water snake (the other elements being metal, wood, earth, and fire), so ferry travel should be particularly suitable ;-)  I boarded the Queen of Capilano at Horseshoe Bay bound for Bowen Island after paying $12.65 for me and the bicycle for a return trip. After a short (20 mins) but very scenic crossing, I arrived in Snug Cove to see a street leading from the ferry terminal up a steep hill. I had expected reasonably flat terrain, even after consulting Google Maps. Nope. Hills, even on the 'flat' route. On two or three stretches I had to resort to push the bicycle up the hill. In addition to hills, I had not expected many cars. Again a wrong assumption. They thinned out quite quickly though, once I made my way across the island and at the ferry terminal half an hour before the sailing back to Vancouver I could even enjoy the strange of noise of hearing not a single car.

 The first bike push up the first hill was fortunately interrupted by buying cigarettes at the General Store, run by friendly Asians. As become apparent friendly store employees/owners are not the norm here. I bought some salty pretzels and some water, which were welcome on my several stops to take pictures or just to catch my breath. First stop only for scenery was a reservoir lake serving as the Bowen Island drinking water supply and I hope for Bowen Islanders that their water tastes as good as it looks.

 

Further up the hills I had to take another breather and dumped the bike in the road ditch to cross the road to take some pictures of sheep. The picture just wasn't working so I went back to the bike, when two rather large animals that had been laying down unnoticed by me just behind the fence behind the bike, got up in unison and directed their spit orifices in my direction. Lamas! My words "Don't you DARE spit at me" did not visibly appease them but at least no spit was forthcoming, so I kept
 talking. They seemed to like my company and I kind of liked their quiet foreign demeanor and after a while they started turning their heads in various directions but did not leave. Treating it as a photo shoot, I gave them instructions which look to use, until we all had enough and I cycled on.
After 40 minutes of an uphill trip I came to a point at which I realized how high I had climbed. The road from here looked like it continued to the shores far far below. The thought of having to cycle back up to that spot from those shores did not appeal to me, so I went for a small lunch at Ruddy Potato Cafe & Garden. Their Italian sausage soup was quite good and reasonably priced. I twice mentioned that I was wondering what was down at this shore, because I kind of dreaded coming back up the hill here, but both times the waitress just said "Oh No, don't go UP there; go down to the shore!"  Treating it as a karmic wave with a fence post I turned around a cycled back to Snug Cover; a much easier ride now!

The ride back was only interrupted at the Lama fence, where after some calling I noticed one of them in a stable-type edifice in the very back.  It was looking right at me, its ears flapping this way and that way, but despite this attention it did not come back to the fence, so I left.  In both these encounters I did not see either of the two Lamas move a single leg!

Having time to kill in Snug Cove, I entered this Marina store to fill a standing order for fridge magnets. Prices here ranged from standard ($3.50 for a magnet) to outrageous ($45 for a stamped silver-COATED Native bracelet). When I mentioned Navaho solid silver two-layered-work bracelets, the owner tried to BS me with the "silver got sooo expensive" story. Even at $29/ounce, the material for a bracelet only costs $60, which I paid for a gorgeous older Navajo example. Mme Owner tried this on me: "Because silver is sooo expensive, solid silver bracelets can not be had for less than $1500". Add to this a generally unpleasant demeanor, and you have my experience in this store. Enter at your own risk. 
My second lunch (mussels & wine) was had at Miksa. The staff was friendly (including unsolicited tips where to take the bicycle), the restaurant comfy, and the food good. The food might even be better next time if they stop using flour as a thickener in the mussel broth, as I advised ;-)

There seems to be no ferry running between noon and 3pm, but lunch at Miksa and one of the short bike excursions shortened the wait before the ferry took me back to Horseshoe Bay.