On a cold autumn night I stood at Victoria’s elegant waterfront, hands buried deep in my pockets. Anita, who was leading our Ghostly Walks tour, regaled us with spirited tales from the other world.
She spoke of Lizzie, the gentle handmaid; Bill, the helpful porter; and Emily Carr, the revered poetess and artist — all currently wisps lurking around the streets of this charming city.
In the distance, lights from the stately Parliament twinkled in the inky darkness. Halos from the inner harbour threw a hushed glow on the water. A tiny shiver crept down my spine. Just then, the spookiness dissolved in a poof, as peals of laughter broke out when Anita told us a cheeky anecdote of Emily’s ghostly antics.
That very morning I’d floated into the harbour in a tiny float plane from Vancouver, a giddy ride over the Strait of Georgia. Flying low over emerald green isles, the Gulf Islands, we landed smoothly on placid waters, in Victoria, a city laden with old world charm. Victoria, named after Queen Victoria, was a former British colony. It originally developed as a trading post, eventually becoming the capital city of British Columbia, Canada.
Though the last Englishman sailed out of the harbour long ago, Victoria’s reputation of being akin to old England lingered, said said John Adams, a well respected historian taking me for a stroll around the city. It’s certainly an unmissable trait, I discovered. Cuppas of chais seem to float around the city as easily as phantasms do. In the heart of the historic Chinatown, the oldest in Canada, I walked into a lovely tea bar, Silk Road, where the pixie-like owner Daniela brews potent blends of tea, tea cocktails, tea slushies and tea-based spa products, blending Eastern cultures with Western sensibilities. Over a languorous cup of lemongrass, peppermint and kiwi infusion, I felt I’m in a propah brown sahib’s tea party.
Fortunately when it comes to climate, Victoria’s shifted allegiance away from England, enjoying a pleasantly mild sub-Mediterranean weather, a fact that blossoms beautifully in the century old Butchart Gardens. This garden, skirting the fringes of the city, boasts dancing fountains, ancient trees, blooming buds, all on an impressive, sprawling acreage of land.
As Western Canada’s oldest city, Victoria’s legacy is entwined with that of the First Nation’s people — its original inhabitants. Totem poles, many of which were handcrafted by Chief Mungo Martin and his family, dot curbsides. Wanting to understand Victoria’s rich past, I visited the Royal British Columbia Museum. Gazing at woolly mammoths, gaping at original totem poles, and walking through ancient streetscapes, I experienced 80 million years of earthly life under one embellished roof.
Despite Victoria’s quaint beauty, it’s not terra firma but the ocean that’s a receptacle of its most precious treasures. Primped in a puffy orange flotation suit, I joined a group of intrepid travellers on a zodiac boat, slicing through icy Pacific waters, on the trail of Orcas — killer whales. Spotting many a pair of happy Killers, we moved on to espy the humpback whale, which hunted us down instead, surfacing precariously close to our speedboat.
The last night, in an India-themed bar, The Bengal Lounge, I enjoyed a special drink aptly named the Tigertini. A spirited group of fellow travellers and a Royal Bengal Tiger, occupying prime lounge space as a rug, kept me company. An Indian maître d’ smiled at me just then, and even though I was miles away from Mumbai, that moment, I felt right at home.
GETTING THERE
Major airlines fly from metro cities in India to Vancouver in Canada, which is well-connected to Victoria by sea, air and land. The adventurous can opt for a journey to Victoria by seaplane, a helicopter or a catamaran. One can also visit the region from Seattle in USA.
* For more details visit www.tourismvictoria.comtages!
- The writer is a travel enthusiast
