Farewell, Canada. I know it won't be the last visit. In saying goodbye to you, as a country, I say goodbye as well to the many good people and places within your borders. I've already begun to pronounce my "ou" words as you do. How did that happen?! Although I've only had the chance to visit Kelowna, Vancouver, and Victoria, having been a traveler I've also had a chance to speak with Canadians from all of your provinces except PEI. In many ways you are not unlike the United States, but in all of those small ways that are difficult to pinpoint, you are a distinct and welcoming place. I would not mind living here.

Particularly Victoria! I'm sad that I've only had a few days here, for as it turns out, I've had much better luck making contacts in Oak Bay (east of Victoria) than in Kelowna. Today I spoke with Eric Hildebrandt, who is part of a small local group that has created Caddy Tours just two years ago. This is essentially a boating tour service that cruises around Oak Bay and Cadboro Bay, informing the passengers of how this area is a hotbed of sightings for a particularly reclusive sea serpent. Eric himself says that he is 60% certain that Caddy is a real creature, yet to be found.

The evidence for Caddy definitely takes a differnt tack than that for Ogopogo. Whereas Ogopogo's legitmacy relies mostly on sightings, Caddy's prima facie has two remarkable milestones. For one, about sixty years ago, Captain Hagelund apparently caught a young live specimen which matched the consistent markings of Caddy: a serpent like creature with a horse-like head and mane, with a forked, almost seal-like tail. Out of sympathy for the creature he'd caught, he returned it to the sea, before anyone on shore could corroborate his story. The second, more convincing evidence, is actually a photograph of a carcass taken in the 1930's (without a doubt the high period for monster/serpent sightings) This photograph also shows the characteristics of Captain Hagelund's creature, only this one was about 15 feet long. The photos are remarkable, and while they could be the remains of a basking shark, they appear to be something entirely different. I must admit, these two pieces make me consider the possibilities. Eric posits that the ocean is a lot bigger than any lake, and allows for a more reasonable possibility that there's something out there, undiscovered and waiting.

But now, I leave Caddy, writing to you from a ferry to Seattle, about to fly to Buenos Aires. I'm getting a bit seasick. I'm not sure what to think of this next stage in my Watson year. I know it will be a rewarding experience, but I am concerned about my ability to learn Spanish. I met a man named Cesar, from nearby Mexico City yesterday in the hostel who's come to Victoria to learn English. In a strange coincidence, we both will have flown thousands of miles to learn each other's languages. In the meantime, we tried to teach each other what we could in the short time we shared the same hostel. I started with the important things. Peanut = Cacahuate. More later.

The captain informs me that Whidbey Island is on my left. I looked out from these shores just a month ago. It seems much longer than that. Sunset hits the cliffs in prime sunset fashiion, be that your thing ;)

I'm going to cease and desist this writing. I don't think it's helping my seasickness. Blarg.