To read this post "Short History of Nanaimo" in english, click here [caption id="attachment_828" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Painted Turtle Guesthouse is just one block from the ocean seawall and the Nanaimo Harbourfront"][/caption] Die Geschichte Nanaimos ist wie kein anderer Platz auf der Welt vom Aufeinandertreffen verschiedener Kulturen gepraegt. Die Hafenstadt wurde vor ueber 5000 Jahren zum ersten Mal von Menschen besiedelt und seit dieser Zeit haben viele Kulturkreise aus unterschiedlichen Gruenden Nanaimo zu ihrer Heimat auserkoren. Nanaimo weist eine unglaubliche Vielfalt an Kunst- und Musikrichtungen auf und mit seiner einmaligen Atmosphaere ist es kein Wunder, dass die Stadt 2008 zur Kulturhauptstadt Kanadas ernannt wurde. Die Besiedlungsgeschichte Nanaimos beginnt vor mehr als 5000 Jahren mit der Ankunft der ersten Ureinwohner vom Stamm der Snuneymuxw. Das reiche Vorkommen an Fisch und Wild, genauso wie der schuetzende Hafen machten aus Nanaimo den perfekten Platz zum Leben. Die Fuelle an Essen und Materialien bedeutete fuer die Snuneymuxw Siedler auch, dass sie Zeit hatten, eine eigene Kultur mit speziellem Kunsthandwerk, besonderen Festen und einzigartiger Architektur zu entwickeln. Die ersten Europaeischen Einwanderer in der Umgebung Nanaimos waren spanischer Herkunft. Eine Expedition unter Francisco de Eliza ging 1791 in der Bucht von Nanaimo an Land.

German travellers have known for a long time now that the spectacular scenery, abundance of wild life and clean air, and the often rugged terrain makes central Vancouver Island a "must" for any serious hiker or backpacker looking for an outdoor adventure.

• For starters, hiki

Every year Vancouver Island sees millions of tourists arrive by boat and by plane. These tourists come from all over the province of British Columbia; they come from all over Canada. In fact, people flock to this magnificent island on the Pacific from all over the world. In this article, we are going to take a look at just a few of the reasons why so many think the Island is such a great place to be.

This year was something special to me. My first Christmas Eve far, far away from home.

Dinge, die ich nicht verpassen sollte, waehrend meiner Zeit in Nanaimo, Vancouver Island, BC, Kanada

1. Einen der beruehmten Nanaimo Bars probieren (eine Art Dessert)
2. Mit der Faehre zum Dinghy Dock Pub fahren
3. Auf einen Segeltrip gehen
4. Mit den Seehunden schnorcheln oder tauchen
5. Eine Hafenrundfahrt im ‚Pickle Boat' machen
6. Wandern auf Newcastle Island
7. Wandern zum Gipfel von Mount Benson
8. Dem Diana-Krall-Weg entlang schlendern
9. Nach einer Zierschildkroete im Sumpfgebiet ‚Buttertubs Marsh' Ausschau halte

Anyone who has researched a trip to Vancouver Island has likely come across many references to Tofino, one of the most popular tourist destinations on the island. This location is a haven for nature lovers and surfers alike, with its easy access to the West Coast Trail and endless stretches of unprotected beaches where the ocean surf can come crashing in.

Getting There

Tofino is about a three hour drive from Nanaimo, making it a great place for a day trip. Leave early in the morning so you have lots of time to enjoy the sights and scenery of this enchanting town. For those who want to relax the whole way, there are many chartered bus tours that leave from Departure Bay ferry terminal each day. Call Island Coach Lines at (250) 746-4841 or Tofino Bus Island Express at (866) 986-3466 for details, fares, and schedules.

What to do

Once you arrive in Tofino there are many activities for you to enjoy. Walk around the town and check out the variety of gift shops and art galleries, or duck into a café or restaurant for some refreshment. Perhaps you would like to book a whale watching tour, go kayaking, or rent a surfboard and hit the waves.

Reported by Painted Turtle Guesthouse German interns Anna & Kat: On Thursday, November 25, Kat and I planned to go to the "Ladysmith Light Up". A few days before, something had happened that nobody had believed: it started snowing. Therefore, Nanaimo looked very festive and ready for Christmas. I started to think about having a "White Christmas" on Vancouver Island. But the snow ended up being the cause for the cancellation of the Ladysmith festival. It is kind of crazy that the inhabitants of the Central Island complain quite often about a lack of snow and when it snows they decide to cancel whole festival... A week later we were still looking forward to the "Light Up". We went there by bus, which was organized by the Vancouver Island University and met interesting and new people on the road. It seemed like the whole Vancouver Island was coming to Ladysmith this evening! There were traffic jams everywhere and it took us about an hour to get there. As we arrived, it was dark. Most parts of Ladysmith had no lights at all because they wanted the light up effect to be as overwhelming as possible. First of all, we went for a little walk on 1^ST Avenue where the main action took place: people sold smokies, mini doughnuts, hot apple cider (our new favourite beverage), BBQ flavoured popcorn and hot dogs. Santa and Ms. Claus arrived at 6.30pm in order to light up the city. Everything that had been dark and cold turned into an ocean of warm lights. You could really feel that Christmas was close. The following Kinsmen Parade spread even more Christmas spirit: Santa and Ms. Clause, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, snowmen and festive lit up trucks passed by. As soon as the parade was finished, everybody streamed to Aggie Hall, where the fireworks took place. Suddenly, the first firework exploded into heaven. It was breathtaking! You could see millions of different colours and we were speechless for about fifteen minutes. At the end of the fireworks, everybody joined in singing "Silent Night" together. Having finished singing, Kat and I decided to have a look at Aggie Hall itself. It turned out that there was a Christmas craft fair inside, which we nearly missed! You could buy native art, handmade socks, and Christmas decoration. I couldn't help myself from buying nice earrings. Now I am a proud owner of gingerbread-men-shaped jewelry :) Although it was freezing cold outside and we couldn't feel our toes anymore after watching the parade for about an hour, it was very nice in Ladysmith! Best wishes from Santa and us(Anna & Kat)!