Victoria
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Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada. Located just off the West Coast, it's just a ferry and a bus ride from Vancouver and it's also one of the sunniest cities in the province.
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City Layout
The downtown core of the city is comprised of several East/West streets which are all one-ways that run in alternating directions. For example, Johnson St. runs east while the two nearest parallel streets are west only. Several of the North/South streets, such as Douglas, go from the highway to Mile 0 (the southernmost tip of the island).
Transport
BC Ferries has a terminal in Swartz Bay, located 29 kilometres north of Victoria and has bi-hourly sailings to Tsawwassen (the ferry terminal in Vancouver). Once you've reached the city, you can take a bus from the ferries to get into town.
Once downtown, the easiest way to get around is either on foot or on the bus. Some of the more commonly uses buses run every 10 or 15 minutes while others, such as the ones that will get you to Sooke or Langford, run only every hour or so.
The bus costs $2.25 for an adult, $1.40 if you're 18 or younger. If you look young enough, you can probably get away with the youth fare, since the drivers almost never bother asking to see ID. The buses require exact change, so as long as you look more like a tourist than a penniless traveler, you can just elicit some pity and get on for free. Make sure to get a transfer, as they usually last for 2 hours and are usable in any direction.
Tips
Seasons
Victoria is a good place to visit any time of the year due to the mild weather. It gets more sunshine than any other part of the island and gets the least snowfall. If you come during the summer, you'll probably want to avoid Downtown as it's often packed with tourists. Instead, you might want to go to Beacon Hill Park and just bask.
Activities
There are a couple places to rent a bike at the beginning of the Galloping Goose trail, which is a great place for a relaxing ride away from traffic.
If you're a surfer, you'll probably want to rent a car or hitch up to Tofino. The surf is excellent up there, and it breaks along the entire beach, as opposed to Port Alberni for example, which is half as long a trip but full of locals who feel any place with a break is theirs. There are also several surf schools and rental places in Tofino, such as the Surf Sisters, if you've never been out and would like to give it a try.
Beer & Cannabis
There are many places to get a pint in town. You basically have to choose how much you want to pay and what kind of people you want to be around. The cheapest place around is Big Bad John's. The bartender wears a denim coverall and the floor is coated in a layer of peanut shells. It often plays twangy country music; definitely a place worth checking out, if just to take in the decor. A step up from that would be the Brickyard. It's got good pizza, a couple arcade machines, and is staffed by friendly, young people. A lot of the punks and metalheads hang out here. For those more into a hip, trendy environment, Legends would be a good place to visit. If you want to pay an extra couple bucks for a pitcher, but you want a nicer atmosphere, Irish Times pub often has good, live music and a more classy feel to it. Then there's Peacock Billiards if you'd like to play a game of pool in a nice laid-back environment. Also, you should definitely check out the Ocean Island Backpacker's Inn. There's a lounge, internet access, and lots of other travelers with all kinds of stories. Every Wednesday night is open mic night, where you can hear some good music and even join in if you like.
Marijuana is extremely popular and easy to find in Victoria. Most of the book stores also sell pipes, bongs, and salvia extract. If you're looking for some herb, there are plenty of sketchy characters hanging out at Yates and Douglas, which is the most central part of Downtown. However, I would suggest staying away from anything you get off the street unless you're very hard-up. You're likely to get short-changed, and the cops always have their eye on this area. You're much better off to find a local with long hair, dreads, or a longboard and see if they'd be willing to light up with you. Or, if you want to cut down on the risk and look for quality over accessibility, look for someone on CS who has a reliable vendor and see if they'd be willing to help you out.
Internet
There are only a handful of net cafes in town. If you're Downtown, check out Ocean Island or Stain. If you find yourself in James Bay, there's a coffee shop/bookstore with four terminals, right across from the Thrifty Foods grocery store. If you've got wifi, you're set. Go to Moka House or any Serious Coffee and you should be able to snag a signal.
