[caption id="attachment_1283" align="alignright" width="150" caption="VanIsle Body Painting Event 17 Sept"][/caption] Body Painting is an extraordinary art form!  And, whether you are a body painting model, body painter or a [caption id="attachment_1286" align="alignright" width="150" caption="Watch the art form in motion"]

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Hi. I am Julia from Germany, the current internee at the Painted Turtle Guesthouse.  I have been in Nanaimo for two months &  “I really love it!” I love the Island, I love the city,  all my fellow staff members and the sense that I am part of the Painted Turtle family. I am working Wednesday to Sunday and therefore my days off are usually Monday and Tuesday. As I have only three more weeks until I leave, I want to experience as much as possible on my days off.

[caption id="attachment_1269" align="alignright" width="202" caption="U-pick farms are on Vancouver Island"][/caption] When people think of islands they generally think of isolated communities with limited provisions that can only be purchased for a princely sum. The cornucopia of culinary delights that can be found here on c

July 8-10 2011 is the Dragon Boat Festival in Nanaimo, and the Painted Turtle Guesthouse is pleased to be hosting a few teams from out of town. The Painted Turtle Guesthouse is pleased to be hosting two teams for the 2011 Nanaimo Dragon Boat Festival.  As of now, the guesthouse is alive with team chatter, camaraderie and dragon boaters talking strategy and preparing for the big races this weekend! We are proud to be hosting two teams - the Castaways (new to the guesthouse and the festival this year!) and Shibumi (here with us for their THIRD straight season) Dragon Boat Teams. It is a big event in Nanaimo, BC and teams come from all over the world to compete and of course, to celebrate the Spirit of Dragon Boat Racing on the most beautiful waterfront harbour of Maffeo Sutton Park. The Save On Foods Nanaimo Dragon Boat Festival brings together and gives back to our diverse community through team building, charitable fund raising and a cross cultural experience that is fun for everyone. This is three days of passion, pleasure and pain that brings all of Nanaimo to the Centre of town to witness our cities finest compete against teams from all over North America.