Fueling The Fire

As many of you know, in just over a month, I will be going to the Olympics.

I intially managed to secure myself an Opening Ceremonies ticket. A friend of mine who has decided not to go is selling me one of her Men's Moguls tickets (at face value). Securing other tickets is looking pricey as the fan-to-fan Olympics website (where ticket holders are reselling their tickets on the Olympic website who are confirming the tickets are legit) have tickets for sale that are going for much more than face value.

I've had a mixed reaction from friends to my news that I am going to the Olympics. I've had people who are over the top excited for me. These people either have known me a long time and know how passionate I am about the Olympics...or it's someone I haven't known that long...but I guess long enough for them to have experienced an Olympics with me. One that stands out in my mind said "of all people, this should happen to you"...and it surprised me, because I didn't think she knew me that well. The other supportive ones are other acquaintances who have had more exciting adventures themselves than the Olympics...so to them, it's a realistic choice, just not one they're choosing (or they are also going).

The others, who think perhaps I'm a little crazy either can't imagine me doing something so extravagant, or perhaps know that I have never travelled on my own besides business trips (and perhaps don't remember my business trips). I never did the Europe backpacking thing...so I guess this is my equivalent of that.

So, this post is for those who think I'm crazy. I'll just fuel the fire.

My friend who is selling me the ticket, forwarded a message she received about the Olympic Bus Network. I realized today (I'm normally so on top of doing my homework, but somehow missed this) that the only way to get to Cypress Mountain for the Moguls Event (and other events) is via three "hubs".

The friends I am staying with in Victoria had told me that it would be "so easy" for me to get to Vancouver (and Cypress Mountain) for the Olympics. I trusted their (ok, his - I'll let her off the hook for this) opinion...not that I would choose anything else, had I known ahead of time.

They (he) said that to get to Cypress Mountain would be so easy. They (he)'d drive me to Nanaimo. The ferry would take me very close to Cypress Mountain (on the map, it looks like I could walk there - he's not lying but I'm exaggerating a bit). The problem is that during the Olympics, the shuttles are coming in from North Vancouver and Burnaby, so I have to ride 45 minutes (including a bus transfer from the ferry) east...only to ride 30+ minutes back west on "approved" transportation.

It looks like I won't be going this route. Rather than getting my friends to drive me to Nanaimo very early in the morning, I think my best choice is to travel by bus from Victoria to the ferry. The bus boards the ferry and then would drive me downtown. This seems a wiser choice. Less hassle for my hosts and less on and off transportation vehicles for me (I think). I would also get some shut-eye this way as well (as long as I'm not too excited to sleep).

So here's where I give fuel to the fire to my friends who think I'm crazy. My tentative schedule for my Moguls day looks like this:

5ish taxi
5:15 arrive at bus terminal (ok, 5:05 - it's very close)
5:45 am leave Victoria bus terminal
7am (without getting off the bus...board ferry)
8:45am arrive Tsawwassen (stay on bus)
9:30am arrive downtown Vancouver

walk/take public transit to Waterfront
Board seabus to Lonsdale Quay (15 minute ride)

Board bus at Lonsdale Quay (that I have to reserve a time now - how do I know what time I'll get there? lol) that will take me to Cypress Mountain (30 minute drive).

So, in summary, I'll leave my friends' place at 5am for a 2:30pm event (ok, I do want to arrive there early to enjoy the environment and atmosphere).

The event ends at 6:30pm...too late to catch the 7:30pm bus from downtown (have to take a bus and seabus to get there) so I'll have to wait until 10:30pm to leave downtown Vancouver to arrive in Victoria at 2:20am.

I do find it interesting that they added morning/afternoon ferries back to Victoria during the Olympics, but not evening ones (they added a midnight ferry after the regular 9pm one - a 3 hour difference when most events end early evening) ...hmph...who is going to Victoria before events end?

So am I crazy? To witness a 2:30-6:30pm event, I'll leave at 5am and return at 2:30am...almost 24 hours. Water does make the commute more tricky, but it kind of is like staying in Windsor for the Toronto Olympics and coming in for the day (or Toronto for the Detroit Olympics...maybe the border equals the ferry and seabus). Sounds crazy, but if it's your only free accommodation, wouldn't you do it? I would!! And I'm VERY thankful!!!

To be fair, my friends did mention that perhaps we would find a friend in Vancouver who would have a spare couch for me. I had a friend from Toronto who considered going. She lived in Vancouver so knows a lot of people there. I had hoped that she would join me, but it doesn't look like it will happen. Whether I find a friend or a friend of a friend in the Vancouver area or not, I think that this will be a highlight of my life...and whether my friends think I'm crazy or not....they may be right...but I don't regret my choice.

I'm glad I am doing it, while I am still young enough to enjoy it (and endure the early mornings/late nights).