Wander Often in Kelowna

The question is not “if trees could speak,” but rather, “can we hear them?” “Wander often,” beckoned a tree in Kelowna, British Columbia. So we walked the waterfront, the crew, and I. A blue heron flies low to a nearby perch as if to point the way.We hiked towards and steadily up Knox mountain. It was on a smaller and more literal scale, as Martin Luther King had expressed, “I’ve been to the mountaintop.”   A view of the Okanagan Valley from the top gave us that higher perspective. About how nature rules, even though us humans are prone to “I-ness.” I took a few moments on a peaceful bench to feel nature’s gifts all around. In silence, I took it all in.  The majestic mountain view overlooks a fresh stockpile of floating logs…in the shape of a heart, ironically. The vast Okanagan lake resembles a long and winding river. It is colder than I imagined Kelowna to be, but a reprieve from Ontario, where there’s a polar vortex ripping through.

Doe…A delightful deer.. a female deer, way up on Knox mountain. Working every other day, I decided to take advantage of the fresh air breaks walking to and from the local grocery store. A hotel room fridge is a welcome convenience to store fresh food.

But after a few days, we treated ourselves to a hot thai soup and panang red curry at Pick Thai restaurant. When the daughter of the Thai owner recommended the handmade coconut ice cream made by her mother, it was beyond delicious. Every dish was fresh, generously portioned and an authentic and generous taste of Thailand. I reminisced with the owner, my chef, about my fondness for Thailand and the four months backpacking in her motherland.  The restaurant in Kelowna is her dream. The snowboarding daughter would like to go back to Thailand, but they would both miss the snow. A skating rink is lit up at night, with a nearby bonfire on the sidelines.

 

Which brings me back to the beginning…How did I get here? Approaching Vancouver from Toronto a few days prior, the majestic Rocky mountains reign.The airplane views from Vancouver to Kelowna are hardly second best. Reminds me of my trip to the foothills of the Himalayas in India. Just add snow.