Boats, Planes, & Automobiles

We have made it back to Mexico, though our journey was anything but smooth.

Before leaving Canada, we squeezed in a couple of days with family in Vancouver. We had been housesitting on Vancouver Island, which meant we needed to get ourselves back to the mainland. You only have two options: plane or ferry. These are considerations to keep in mind if you are debating island living. Getting on and off the island can be both pricey and a hassle.

*Note: Some of these links are affiliate links, meaning that if you book through my link, I will make a small commission (at no extra cost to you).

For anyone new to travelling between Vancouver Island and the mainland, booking ferry tickets is a straightforward process. The main ferry operator, BC Ferries, has a user-friendly website where you can check schedules, fares, and make reservations. Schedules are available far in advance, and you can search by date and route to find the best sailing for you. If you are driving, reserve your spot online as early as possible, especially during weekends and holidays when demand is highest. If you are watching rates, and you see them drop, book it. I missed out on an economical fare once because I didn’t realize ferry’s changed prices like airlines for automobile traffic.

Walk-on passengers do not need reservations, but it is always good to double-check during busy seasons. After booking, you receive a confirmation email you can scan at the terminal. If you have a flexible schedule, check for midweek sailings, as these are less crowded and sometimes reduced. Carpooling with others helps with the cost, and if you do not need your car, walking on is much cheaper. These little habits have made our many crossings less stressful and easier on the wallet.

Boats

The weather was finally sunny and warm. Vancouver Island may have milder weather than most of Canada, but it comes with mostly cloudy days, fog, and a damp wind slicing to the bone.

The welcome sun, mild temperatures and slight breeze made for perfect ferry sailing weather. I genuinely enjoy ferries; their relaxing pace and scenic views invite reflection on past adventures and upcoming plans. Strolling the deck would enhance the journey. Maybe we would catch sight of whales or sea lions frolicking in the waters.

Our ferry left Departure Bay on Vancouver Island at 1:20 pm, destined for Horseshoe Bay near North Vancouver. About a half hour into our sail, an announcement came over the loudspeaker regarding a medical emergency in Horseshoe Bay. No traffic was being let in or out of the bay. The captain was advised to reduce speed since we were not allowed to dock.

Upon arrival in Horseshoe Bay, we saw the ferry that had departed ahead of us at 10:55 am from Departure Bay still sitting in the bay, waiting to dock. We were also forced to float as clearance was not given due to the medical emergency. People began searching the internet for answers. We were not being given any information beyond the medical emergency causing delays. Murmurings of what the incident could be, or how serious it was began to spread. There was no Wi-Fi access onboard. Unfortunately, my Mexican phone number ran out of data, so I couldn’t check updates. I had asked a friend the day before top up my phone since we’d be travelling. She didn’t do it because she was too busy.

Thankfully, a kind lady on the ferry let me use her cell phone regularly to stay in touch with our son, who was waiting in the Horseshoe Bay parking lot to pick us up. He said nothing was happening outside the terminal that he could see. The incident was contained on the ferry, The Queen of Surrey. It was a reminder of how important it can be to have access to local data or Wi-Fi when travelling, or at least to have a backup plan for connectivity in case of unexpected situations like this.

If you are travelling, look into eSIM options or prepaid SIM cards to ensure you stay connected. Some eSIM options to check out are Airalo, Holafly, and Saily.

The Incident

It turns out there was a man on one of the ferries docked in the bay who had a knife and was threatening to kill himself while standing on a railing of the ferry. The standoff between him and the police began just before noon.

One must wonder, why did they let us sail from Departure Bay when this incident was already underway? Couldn’t they have sent us to the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal located in Delta, approximately 35–40 km (22–25 miles) south of downtown Vancouver? Instead, they let us sail when an incident was well underway that would not allow us or the ferry ahead of us to dock. After four hours of floating and enjoying the beautiful British Columbia scenery, the man was detained without injury, the terminal cleared, and we were allowed to dock.

Bells chimed and a man’s voice came over the speaker system, “Passengers, we are approaching the Horseshoe Bay Terminal. Foot passengers, please proceed to the exit. Vehicle passengers, please proceed to your vehicles.” Applause and cheers erupted from the weary travellers.

People made the most of the delay. Families were sitting outside on blankets, enjoying the elusive sunshine bursting forth after months of cold, cloudy days. A trio of professional violinists entertained the passengers for free. No one was complaining. Children were well behaved. One young child, around the age of three, said to his father, “Maybe we should hop off.” The ferry gave out free non-alcoholic refreshments. The delay was taken in stride.

Planes

The time came to check into our flight to Guadalajara. Flair Airlines flies direct from Vancouver to Guadalajara. My husband, Darryl, logged in to check us in, but only one passenger was showing up on the itinerary to travel—me. We had the receipt and itinerary showing Darryl was also booked and paid for, but he was nowhere to be found in the online check-in system.

Darryl proceeded to check me in and then decided to address the issue of his absence on the itinerary at the airport. The damage was already done, and the stress level began to rise.

The attendant at the Flair Airlines desk was helpful, kind, and patient. He couldn’t see my husband on the itinerary from his end either, so he called the head office. They were able to see Darryl and check us both in, waiving the fees for the in-person check-in service. Flair is a discount airline and charges for everything. The issue was resolved quickly.

Why did Darryl not show up? We will never know, but we were both able to board the plane with no further issues.

However, there was one more challenge.

Automobiles

The morning of our flight, my Mexican driver’s license was nowhere to be found. The rental car in Guadalajara was in my name. Would this be an issue? Would it be okay to change the reservation to his name? We had a discount on the rate, so hopefully this mishap wouldn’t affect the reduced rate. Was my license still on Vancouver Island? The last time I remember seeing it was in Germany. Maybe it was left behind on the other side of the planet. I hadn’t needed my driver’s license since leaving Mexico in August 2025, so it was not at the top of my mind.

Good thing we can speak some Spanish because the attendant at Alamo rental cars could not speak any English. He couldn’t understand why I didn’t have a license, but he had no issue changing our rental to Darryl’s name, which also required us to use Darryl’s bank card. The person who has made the reservation must pay with their card. Stressful situation number three was over. By this time, I was flushed and looking forward to a margarita along with some downtime.

With the rental car issue resolved, we set off in our white Nissan March toward our rental house in San Nicolás on Lake Chapala. The last few days of travel proved anything but smooth. Even the most seasoned travellers encounter hiccups. You never know what travel can bring. Travel is the best education you can get, the best teacher of resilience, flexibility, and problem-solving.

Next adventure: permanent residency in Mexico. Stay tuned to see if the experience at immigration is less eventful than the last few days getting back to Mexico.

Your values travel, pack them first.

Photos and video by Charlotte Tweed