My first stay at Hollyhock was in 1995. I've been there at least ten times since then, so I suppose you can say I'm a pretty big fan.
The first time I went there, I drove from Edmonton to Vancouver, took a ferry to Vancouver Island, drove up the old highway (the speedy highway hadn't been built yet) through all of the small and larger towns on the east coast of the Island, found the ferry terminal in Campbell River, ferried across to Quadra Island, drove up and down and around and got to the next ferry terminal, ferried to Cortes Island, and once again drove up and down and around to finally come to Hollyhock. At once, I was amazed at how peaceful this place was -- I was lead by foot to my room and I was wanting to hurry because dinner was about to be served and I didn't want to miss a minute of being there ... when I realized that being at Hollyhock means you don't have to hurry, that you're not missing a thing if you feel each step you take.
That first visit was during a GO tournament, along with a group who were learning how to be shamans. Imagine the conversations at dinnertime and while in the hot tub! In the hot tub that weekend, I learned a song that had been composed only a day earlier which I still sing in tribute to people around me.
The times I've taken courses have been very rewarding also, but I must admit, the peace of just hanging out is a wonderful thing.
I mentioned the odyssey I took in driving to Hollyhock. Of course, there are many ways of getting to Hollyhock -- for example, you can park at Campbell River and get picked up -- going in a group saves gas and money. Or you can fly in a tiny float plane from Vancouver. The website details the many ways to get there.
Once you're at Hollyhock, there are tent sites, dorms (6 people to a room, sharing one toilet/sink/shower room), rooms with shared bathrooms and rooms with private bathrooms. You pay a bit more for a room with an ocean view.
The nightly rate includes three meals a day (unless you're there on a shoulder season rate, which gives you one cooked meal a day and access to the equivalent of a continental breakfast, essentially). Much of the food is grown on Cortes Island -- indeed, a good deal of the food is grown in the high-intensity garden located beside the main building. Most of the food is organic. Most of the food is vegetarian although they do serve fish from time to time and if you're lucky to be there when they've gone oyster-hunting, you can go to the oyster BBQ down by the beach -- I marveled when at a fancy restaurant in Santa Monica when I saw they offered Cortes Island oysters and I could say that I'd already enjoyed those oysters several times! For those people who want to recreate some of the Hollyhock food experience, a cookbook has been published. There is also a long bar where people can fix their own teas, coffees, and chilled drinks.
Every night a new group of learners start, there is a meeting in the main building where folks are given an idea of what to expect. One of the important things to know about Hollyhock is that they do their best to take care of the effluent from their sewage -- it's important to know that you need to keep hair from going down the drain, to use soaps and shampoos that don't create much suds (try to bring eco-friendly versions), to not take long showers -- if you want to bathe, do so in the hot tub or in the ocean.
In the last few years, Hollyhock has enabled folks to check the Internet in a room in the basement of the main building. I understand this has become a matter of safety for some folks, say if they're travelling without their kids. Other than that room and the parking lot, there are no electronics on the Hollyhock grounds -- no ringing cellphones, no folks listening to music out loud (I suppose earphones are allowed? I've not checked to see if this is so).
The above-mentioned garden flowers from early spring until late fall and has constant turn-over of various food crops. All of Hollyhock's buildings are decorated with the blooms from the garden -- each bouquet is a work of art. There are many places to gently walk through the garden, places to sit and reflect, and they've even established a lovely fountain in one place.
The hot tub and the ocean and beach area are clothing-optional. I've seen many people wear bathing suits and many folks who go "sky clad" -- there has always been an air of respect and kindness regardless.
I miss the old days when it wasn't as busy as it is now, when it was more affordable than it is now (popularity and cost of keeping Hollyhock's and Cortes Island's delicate ecosystem safe has driven up the prices some), when the people where more connected to the awe this place brings, rather than think of it as "another retreat centre".
Spend time at Hollyhock, you'll treasure your memories. read more