How I got Infected by the Travel Bug

“Once the travel bug bites there is no known antidote, and I know that I shall be happily infected until the end of my life” ~ Michael Palin

I feel you, Michael Palin... Totally!

It all started in 2006, I was given a grant by the Ministry of Arts, Culture and Heritage of Malaysia to study Voice & Speech in Drama, in Vancouver, BC. The campus of University of British Columbia (UBC), where the course was held, was beautiful! One of my favourite spots on campus was the Rose garden which you can imagine, looks wonderful in Spring, and on top of that, the garden overlooks the sea!

On weekends, and sometimes when class ends early, we'd head outdoors to the beach, go for hikes, kayak, or simply take a stroll in a park.

One thing I love about Vancouver is it's nature, and the fact that wildlife is everywhere! I know it's pretty common in some countries, but I was fascinated by the chubby squirrels prancing about in parks, rabbits/hares roaming freely in Vancouver Island, curious seals checking you out while kayaking, obese racoons (fine, probably not classified as 'wild', with people constantly feeding them)... And as you head out of Vancouver, you'd see wild horses (!!! I've only ever seen horses in stables..), chipmunks, groundhogs, moose (well, it's Canada!) and Orcas @ Killer whales when whale-watching in Vancouver Island!

One of the many wild rabbits just minding its own business at a park in Vancouver Island.

This racoon's been fed one too many fries by people in the park!

Just look at how they beg for food! The funny part was when they were given hot and fresh fries.. These fries were so hot for their little paws that that they began to rub their paws together, vigorously, as though trying to cool their burnt 'hands'... it's quite a cute sight, and rather humanlike!

Here's a video I took, so you believe me ;)

(If the video doesn't appear, you can click here.)

I was thoroughly entertained by them and found these racoons to be really adorable! I know, they are considered pests in Canada as they often wreak havoc in houses, ransack bins, causing a huge mess, and they are also known to carry rabies. So, when I shared excitedly my encounter with these cute racoons to my Canadian friends, they looked at me weird. Hah.. Well, I've only ever seen them in zoos, so yes, I was excited to see them roam free.

Perhaps these racoons can be compared to the monkeys we have in Malaysia. Foreigners would find them cute and entertaining, but we regard them as pests. There we go, we're Equal!

Do you see a little head bobbing out of the water? That's a curious seal checking us out while kayaking at Deep Cove. Go early if you want to catch sight of them!

And this is a mighty Orca off Vancouver Island! I know, not the best photo... It's tough to catch a good photo when it comes to wildlife, but I actually managed to get a video of these killer whales splashing about. We were really lucky that day as these Orcas/Killer Whales were so busy jumping out of the water, splashing and playing about... It was such a wonderful sight!  

Here's the video:
(You can click on this link if the video doesn't appear below)

I came across a saying once, "A lot of times when working with nature, what you manage to get on film is a happy accident." This is one of those extremely joyous accidents for me.

Most of the Orca-watching tours are ecologically-responsible ones where there must be a distance of at least 100m between animal and boat. To be honest, I was trying hard to find a tour which didn't have that rule as I really wanted to be as close as possible to the Orcas! There was once a pod of Orcas swam so close to another boat that I was wishing so bad they'd swim towards our boat...! Nonetheless, the experience was absolutely wonderful and humbling!


After my course ended, I decided to head to the Rockies as everyone was telling me how awesome it was, and it did live up to my expectations.

Just look at the reflection of the snowy Rockies on the crystal clear lake!  

Emerald Lake :)

I must say, these pristine views are absolutely beautiful, and haunting at the same time, as it is just so still...

I suppose the lakes in the Rockies are comparable to the ones in Jiuzhaigou Valley 九寨沟 in the north of 四川 Sichuan Province in China. I haven't been there yet, but I'm only judging based on pictures. I'm sure the feel is totally different when you're there in person. Can't wait to check out Jiuzhaigou in Sichuan Province, China.

Anyway, the travel bug bit me badly since, to a point of no return!

P/S: If you'd like to know How Travelling benefits us, and How I incorporated Travel in my life, you can read the interview I did with 'A World to Travel' - A travel site focused on round the world experiences, with inspiring stories.