Two Days In Ucluelet

It's cold and wet here in Ucluelet. Of course that is no surprise in this rainforested coast, where the Spanish Moss hangs limp and wet, high in the branches of the cedars and firs dotting the shoreline, where everything is green and alive with moisture, where even the sea creates its own kind of dampness as it reaches its glistening black rock barrier. It is raining; of course it is raining, the rainy season is not yet over. Much like winter in Calgary, the winter rains here hang on desperately, seeking unending dominion.

Our hotel room looks out over the rocky shoreline of a small bay, more like a cove. The edge is rugged with rocks, patched with areas of grass and small bits of sand, laced with logs shoved ashore by the unceasing motion of wind and wave. The diamond drips of rain hang onto the railing as I look out the window, protected from the small wind by the cover above. How did they get there? The rain here gets into everything outdoors, much like the sand in the Arabian desert gets into everything there.

Our hotel has been a bit of a disappointment. Mike called ahead to ensure there was a room with wheelchair access; they said there was. Mike asked the all important question as to whether or not there was a roll-in shower; they said there was. Unfortunately the only rooms so configured are their one-bedroom suites, selling for $280 a night. Regular rooms are half that price. Furthermore these rooms are far down at the end of the building, with much less view than a standard room. Still, we booked it.

We arrived late, checking in at around 10:00 PM. Our adventurous drive had taken us through all the back roads and logging roads from Victoria through Port Renfrew nearly all the way to Bamfield and then out to Port Alberni. From there we crossed the rugged twisting highway along Kennedy Lake and out to the narrow Ucluth Peninsula that is the home of Ucluelet. This is the southern end of the Pacific Rim National Park; Tofino is the much better known northern end.

After checking in, we began to relax, unpacking as we could. Mike is sleeping on the foldout couch in the living room. I, as a gesture to seniority and sleeping late on my part, get the small master bedroom, the one where my wheelchair has almost no room to turn around. Once we figured that out, we checked out the bathroom. There certainly was a roll-in shower. It even had one of those plastic shower chairs in it. Unfortunately there is not a safety bar in sight. The transfer from my wheelchair would not only be unsafe, it would be downright foolish.

Once again a hotel fails to understand the basics of wheelchair access. They certainly thought about it, at least with a roll-in shower. It would appear that those thoughts did not include safety bars. I plan on talking to the manager. Once again I expect that nothing will change. After all, I am only here for two days. On the other hand, the setting is beautiful. I am indoors, warm and dry. The adventure continues.