Sunset Cruise

Sunset Cowboy

“Enjoy the sunset cruise!” said the attendant as I slipped away from the kiosk at the ferry terminal and headed for Lane 29.

“Sure,” I muttered under my breath, knowing full well I would stay in my van either reading, if sufficient light allowed me to do so, or catching a much needed nap on the reclining back seat.

The novelty of ferry travel has long worn off for me, beginning fifteen years ago when I made frequent trips to Victoria to visit my daughter who attended UVic. And, frankly, I’m much more comfortable in my vehicle - slippery vinyl ferry seats built to accommodate taller, larger frames are not compatible with back problems.

I was one of the first in line, having arrived nearly two hours early for the ferry. I anticipated being on the upper car deck, right at the front of the boat – a position I had enjoyed, with the advantage of both ocean view and good natural light, many a time before.

Instead, the few vehicles traveling the Tswassen-Duke Point route were directed to the lower deck, where my van was sandwiched between a windowless interior wall and a very large motorhome, midboat, giving me no view of ocean and no natural light. Additionally, I appeared to be right next to the innermost workings of the ferry engine, with huge fans and rumbling engines droning constantly and annoyingly like a swarm of giant killer bees.

Too noisy for sleep, too dark for reading, too stuffy (with windows closed to minimize noise and engine smells) for comfort; I finally grabbed my coat and my camera and headed for a stroll on the outside passenger decks.

And I was just in time to watch the sunset.

Child catching sunbeams

Sunset begins

Day is Done