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April 29, 2005
Farewell Canada
I've had an amazing time in this vast, beautiful country. I'll miss it and especially the people, with their warm friendliness and great sense of humour. Thanks for everything!
US immigration officers are usually stern and stony faced but this time I struck a friendly, helpful one.
I'd been wondering what would happen if I wanted to stay longer in North America. Under the USA visa waiver program you are allowed 3 months in North America (including Canada) without a visa. It seemed short to me and, knowing US immigration as I do, I imagined that they would be pretty inflexible on it.
The immigration officer said to me "Oh, you're almost out of time, it expires on the 17th May. When do you plan to fly out?"
I replied "I'm booked to fly from San Francisco to Europe on the 15th"
He asked "How sure are you that you want to fly out on the 15th?"
Wary but honest I said "I'm 99% sure, that's my plan barring accident or illness".
He said "I'm gonna go ahead and renew it for you anyway, that'll give you another three months so it doesn't matter."
I was highly amused. Do you want me back for another three months, Canada?
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April 28, 2005
When it rains in Halifax...
... it really pours!
After a mind-numbing 20hrs sitting cramped up on buses and ferries (I missed out on the bunk bed) I finally arrived in a wet and windy Halifax. It rained for three days. At one stage I tried to walk into town but after I turned the corner into the full force of the wind I was literally wringing wet within half a block. I couldn't use my borrowed umbrella for fear it would turn inside out so I turned tail and scurried back to Jess and Breanna's place where it was warm and dry.
I was able to spend the time updating my blog, answering a few emails and catching up on laundry.
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April 24, 2005
Moose and an iceberg
In the morning we had a huge, wholesome breakfast then went for a spin on the ski-doo! It was awesome fun and I was pretty surprised how well it handles.
Although, I think it would be easy enough to tip over if you were going fast and hit some uneven ground or turned too sharp.
Flowers Cove has the prettiest lighthouse;
We drove all the way up to St Anthony then further to Cape Onion, the northernmost tip of the island.
Cemetary at Cape Onion;
An iceberg floating off Cape Onion!
Ice fishing
A man in Bide Arm with matted hair and a heavy accent who hadn't bathed in several months told me that the boat below is a replica of a historic ship of significance to the area. Or to the English. Or maybe to John Cabot. He built it himself over the last 19 years. Or someone else from the area built it 19 years ago. Or someone from Nova Scotia started it 19 years ago and he finished it. He operates it on this inlet in summer.
Or someone from this area does. Or it's still under construction. He filled me in on some personal opinions on the history of Newfoundland between the years of 1367 and the present while my companions fidgeted, rolled their eyes and made strangled noises. He shook all our hands enthusiastically and flashed brown stumps of teeth then went back to manhandling a fishbox containing a recently butchered seal carcass through the snow to his house.
I heard the story of this unassuming little church from a man who was baptised in it in it's original location and married in it 30 years later in it's new location. It's currently in need of some minor repairs since a recent storm blew off some of the weatherboards along the front but this will be attended to soon. It was originally a part of a community three miles further up the inlet but the community decided, amidst a dwindling population, to relocate and join this one at Englee. They waited until winter then put the church on the ice and dragged it to it's present location.
During the drive through Gros Morne National Park we saw five more moose, including two in the middle of the road!
On the bus back to the ferry terminal at Port au Basques I was chatting to a man, Bill, about couchsurfing.com and he was keen for his son to learn about it. He invited me to spend the night in St. Georges in the family's home. It's an old convent that they now operate as a bed and breakfast so if you're looking for somewhere to stay that's just an hour or two from the ferry make sure you call in! That night we had Caribou sausages for dinner and in the morning Bill's son Michael woke me at 6am for a walk around St. Georges before he had to go to school. It was a beautiful sunrise and definitely the best time of day for a walk because within a few hours the wind was really blowing, and cold too!
After a wholesome and delicious breakfast of bacon and eggs Bill had some errands to attend to in Stephenville and I went along for the ride and to look around the largest town in the area (population about 7500).
Supper was toutons ("towt'ns" not "toot'ns") which is basically pan-fried bread. Coated with molasses or syrup it was yummy and very filling!
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April 23, 2005
Newfoundland
Almost on the spur of the moment I decided to go to Newfoundland. Partly a practicality, I knew I was running short of time and didn't want to miss out altogether, and partly from a feeling of restlessness. I packed up my things that afternoon, had a shower and caught the 4pm bus to meet the ferry.
My heart soared on the darkened bus, as I sat looking out the window up at the alien northern sky, and watched the misty lakes and forests slip by shrouded in darkness.
By the time I arrived at the ferry terminal the euphoria had given way to a more practical weariness. In a fit of extravagance I paid the extra $16 for a dormitory berth on the ferry and, after a quick exploration around the ship, I knew it was money well spent as I fell asleep to the roll of the ship on the waves.
When they woke us with glaring lights and an announcement an hour before docking I debated going for breakfast but really I wasn't hungry and sleep was more important so I pulled the thin blanket over my head and shut my eyes tighter. I made my way down to the cafeteria 10 minutes or so before the boat docked and Kevin, a truck driver on his way with a trailer-load to St Johns bought me a coffee while we chatted for a while about his work. I'm sure I could have had a lift to St Johns with Kevin if I'd wanted to go there but I just didn't feel it was worth the 10 hour drive when I really wanted to see some of Newfoundland's legendary rugged beauty rather than another city.
I toyed with the idea of catching the string of ferries across the south coast but found from the ship's crew that it would be problematic or expensive to get to Rose Blanche where they depart from. I boarded the terminal shuttle thinking that something would come up and, of course, it did. On the shuttle I chatted to a lady, Cici (65), from Halifax who had come to Newfoundland simply because she always wanted to. She had no plan and no timeframe in mind, just a vague thought that she would go to Corner Brook. In the terminal while waiting for our bags we met Shin (27) from South Korea who was planning to go to St Johns. He only has three days here so I questioned why he would want to go all the way over there only to have to get back on the bus to come almost straight back. He said "You're right, in that case, I will go to Deer Lake, hire a car and drive up the Northern Penninsula". This sounded fine to me because I know there are no buses up there and I even suggested Cici join us. And so here we are, a wildly diverse trio, sitting on the bus to Deer Lake to hire a car together with the plan of driving up the Northern Penninsula.
Shin wasn't confident about driving and later experience has revealed him to be easily the worst driver I've met so we set out with me at the wheel. We went from Deer Lake up the only road north which passes through the Gros Morne National Park and then winds along hugging the coast through countless tiny villages. It took us a lot longer than expected because we made so many photo stops.
I really wanted to see a moose since I came to Canada so I was delighted to find these two next to the highway.
I think these are crab boats in Port Au Choix
Here's the rest of the fleet - cod boats;
When it came time to stop for the night we found a bed and breakfast in Flowers Cove which would accommodate the three of us, with breakfast, for $20 each.
That night I tasted rabbit stew for the first time - it was rich and flavoursome!
Posted by Yasmin at 10:03 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
April 19, 2005
Farewell Canada
I've had an amazing time here in this vast, beautiful and diverse country. I'm going to miss it and it's people with their warmth, friendliness and great sense of humour. Thanks for everything, Canada!
Usually US immigration officers are stern and stony faced but this time, as I passed through at Toronto airport back into the USA, I encountered a friendly, cheerful, helpful one. I'd always wondered how difficult it would be if I wanted to stay longer in the US. Under the Visa waiver program in the US you are allowed three months in North America (including Canada) without a visa. It seemed short to me and I wondered what would happen if I wanted to stay longer. Knowing US immigration as I do I guessed they'd be pretty tough on it, though I've been told there are ways.
The immigration officer said to me "Oh, you're almost out of time, runs out on the 17th. When do you plan to fly out?"
I confirmed that I was flying out of SF on the 15th. He said "How sure are you that you want to fly out on the 15th?". Warily I said "99% sure - barring illness or accident". Cheerfully he said "I'll go ahead and renew it for you anyway - that'll give you another three months."
I was highly amused.
Posted by Yasmin at 02:07 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
April 18, 2005
Halifax
I've been in Halifax only one day and it looks like I'll be leaving already later this afternoon. I arrived late afternoon yesterday and I'm staying with globalfreeloaders hosts in a really interesting neighbourhood. It's surrounded by a huge range of ethnic food shops from Asian grocers to Indian to Middle Eastern. There's an organic co-operative down the road which is run by the customers who all put in 8hrs a month to keep it open and several conventional health food stores. There's also a brewery down the road, a roach-infested pub and a couple of small, spartan cafe's with names like 'One World Cafe'. At night, $10 hookers with flat, empty gazes patrol the street and their customers cruise by in darkened cars. During the day it's actually a pretty safe neighbourhood and an interesting one to just walk around.
None of the buildings are very old because they were all built after the 1917 explosion which literally flattened more than half the city when a munitions ship collided with another in the harbour here.
Yesterday was Sunday and almost everything in Halifax shuts down on Sunday. The city centre is empty and echoing except for a few forlorn tourists wanddering in search of activities. I walked through downtown to the bus depot to find out how to get to Newfoundland and with that problem solved I walked all the way along the waterfront to the Maritime Museum and Tourist Information Centre. The Maritime Museum was closed until 1pm and the Tourist Info Centre said Pier 21 is worth seeing. I walked back the full length of the waterfront to discover that it, too, is closed on Sunday. By the time I made it back to the downtown area I was ready for coffee and some lunch - found good coffee and a wholesome, cheap soup in about the only place that was open and then went to the Maritime Museum just on opening time.
It's a good museum and has a great display on the explosion - very moving. I spent some time talking to the staff in the chandlery display (it actually was a chandlery at one time and has been maintained pretty much unchanged since it was donated to the museum intact by the owner's children). I had always known that my old hometown of Eden was the third deepest natural harbour in the world and that Sydney was number one but I now know that Halifax is number two. It was a quiet day and the staff were delighted to learn where number three is and even more delighted to know it's still a country town. I told them a little more about Eden and they told me about Halifax.
My hosts Jess and Breanna SMS'd me to meet them at the library and then we went to the largest park in town (I forget the name) with their neighbour Mike and walked around for a few hours enjoying the sun. It was a beautiful day, a warm 3 or 4C, and I'm annoyed to discover now I got a bit sunburnt, despite my usual layers of sunscreen.
Later that night Mike, who is a chef, cooked an awesome prawn, chicken and pasta dinner for me and we watched a movie or two.
Me with Breanna and Mike
Mike, Jess and Breanna
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Fredericton
I'd been told that Fredericton was a pretty town and worth a night's stopover. Also being about halfway along the bus ride from Quebec to Halifax makes it a good place to break the trip and so it was that I tracked down a host there to stay with overnight.
I didn't know much about my host before I arrived but he had offered to pick me up from the bust stop, which is always great. I got off the bus and waited about 15 minutes then called him. No answer. Travel is always a lot of 'hurry up and wait' so I settled in to wait, thinking he'd be there in due time. Before too much longer he turned up - in a taxi, not looking very well.
It turned out not to be the best time for him to have a visitor as he has a recurring medical problem that strikes unexpectedly. It landed him in hospital the day before I was due to arrive and he checked out just minutes before coming to the bus depot to meet me! We went back to his place and since he very much needed to rest he suggested I walk across the bridge into town and look around. I was hesitant to leave him but I went after some urging.
Fredericton is a really pretty little town. A city of about 50,000 and the capital of New Brunswick it has the friendly, easy going atmosphere of a small community.
I arrived home about 9.30pm and my host looked to be in considerable pain. He announced apologetically that he was going to have to go back to hospital, gave me the keys and his cellphone and said "When Larry
rings about dropping off the truck ask him to give you a ride to the
bus depot whenever you're ready". He told me about some reasonable
places for breakfast, jumped in a taxi and I have not seen him since.
Larry rang on cue at 7.30am then came to get me at 11.00am and in
between I went for another walk into town and got some breaky. Larry
was going to check up on his friend later that day. I sent an email yesterday to see how he is but heard nothing back so I will call on the phone later today.
Posted by Yasmin at 10:52 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
April 15, 2005
Courteous drivers in Québec
It seems I have to correct an earlier post! Maybe they are playing with my mind. Over the last two days of walking around the lovely city of Québec, I have seldom had to play chicken with the traffic and no fewer than 5 drivers have stopped and waved me across the road, at times against the lights. I can only conclude that they view road rules more as suggestions and follow some whimsical pattern of logic known only to themselves.
My last day was spent with more walking as I went down to the bus terminal to buy a ticket to Halifax. I'm planning to stopover in Fredericton on the way through because I've heard it's a pretty city - one night should be enough and I've found a couchsurfer there to stay with. More walking around town, a quick visit to the Musée National de Beaux Arts de Québec (the national refers to Québec National, not Canadian National, I'm told).
Posted by Yasmin at 11:45 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
April 14, 2005
In and around Québec city
Stew had the day off on Monday so we did some more walking around the city. Down to the lower city. The topography is interesting here and you only really fully appreciate it when you walk down here. The 'upper city' and main tourist area is perched on a kind of long, narrow plateau with a cliff on one side, falling away to the St. Laurent on one side and a steep hill down the other side to the 'lower city'. Although the lower city doesn't have the old world charm of the upper city it's got a intriguing earthiness of it's own. The buildings are not as old of course but many of the houses have a kind of square walkway cut through to behind. I found it almost as good to look around as the upper city. In some way it feels more real - even though the upper city is still largely residential it has a tourist facade, restaurants and groceries appear to be much cheaper in the lower city, too.
Houses in the lower city;
There are some really cool murals painted on the pylons under the freeway in the lower city - they're not something you expect so are a delightful surprise.
I wanted to learn more about the history of this province and the city of Québec so on Tuesday (being free-entry day) I went to the Musée de Civilisation down near the river. It's got a comprehensive educational exhibit of a rich and troubled local history and well worth seeing to get an understanding of the social, political and cultural foundations. They also have a good collection of Canadiana and a 'First Nations' exhibit on native American tribes. A very educational day for me!
One amusing theme is recurring in every place I visit: people ask me for directions! It's not just this trip, it's happened in almost every place in the world I have been and continues to happen. Theories from people I mention it to range from "You are a chameleon, you fit in anywhere" to "You have a look of confidence, someone who knows where they are and what they're doing". Possibly I just look friendly and approachable. What do you think? Anyway it's pretty funny. Even funnier is that because I walk so much everywhere I go I can often help out!
Yesterday I agreed to show a potential tennant over the apartment here (Stew is heading off on his own RTW trip in July and needs to find a tennant for the apartment) and I had to be back at 1pm. I spent the morning at the Citadelle. Lots of military history - good to see the inside of this big fortress. I'm sure it's better in summer when there's a lot more activity and military exercises and displays. I underestimated the time needed to get back to the apartment and had a brisk walk and after all that the guy didn't turn up. Frustrating, but not a big deal since it was lunchtime anyway. I decided to have the afternoon off from walking so did a little dance practice, some trip planning and some shopping so I could cook dinner - my turn to cook... I'm thinking Thai!
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April 11, 2005
Quebec City
I was able to get a lift through a guy from globalfreeloaders.com who's girlfriend
was travelling from Montréal to Québec on Friday morning - I enjoyed
Anna's company and the drive passed quickly. They kindly dropped me off at the
apartment of my Québec host. He wasn't home from work but had left the
door open. I was very tired but the excitement of being in a new city wouldn't
let me rest so I went out for a few hours to walk around the city and get my
bearings. First impressions were of a pretty, sophisticated city and much cleaner
than Montréal. It's amusing to note that Montréal and Québec
are the first North American cities I've encountered where, as a pedestrian,
you have to play chicken with the cars to cross the road. It's made particularly
hazardous by the fact that in many places traffic can turn right on a red light
so you really have to watch and be ready to jump out of the way.
By the time my host, Stew got home from work I was fast asleep on the couch,
he arrived to find me struggling, bleary eyed, to look coherent.
I slept like a log that night and caught up until late in the morning on my
futon bed - luxurious! After a quick breakfast we set off to walk around the
city some more. It was a perfect day, clear blue skies with a temperature around
7C and we walked through Battlefield Park and along a boardwalk winding down
the cliff by the wide St. Laurent river to the old city. It's the only walled
city in North America, dating back to the 1700s and truly has the feel of an
old European city. It's just a beautiful place to walk around.
That night was a birthday party for one of Stew's friends. The guy is a golf-freak
so his wife had booked an indoor golf simulator and invited a bunch of people
for beer and golf. It was a weird place, housed in a building that had a bowling
alley and bar on one floor, some mysterious activity I couldn't identify on
another, wrestling in a dark room with bright spotlights and loud music on another
and a large but empty gym and golf simulator on the top floor. At one stage
a few of the other girls and I decided to wander down and try to see the wrestling
but as soon as we got to the door a huge scowling woman slammed the door on
us... ooookkkaaaay... back to the golf. Despite the fact I know nothing about
golf it turned out to be not a bad night, fuelled by plenty of beer and pizza.
The same group of friends met for brunch at a restaurant for another birthday
at noon the next day - a huge breakfast followed by more walking around the
city. Being another perfect day it's a popular thing for the locals to do. There
are not too many tourists around just yet but it was still crowded in the old
city.
The oldest street in North America - Le Petit Champlain.
Battlefield Park
Sunbaking beside a snowbank... only in Canada...
Around the old city;
This cannonball was wedged in the base of this tree when the English and French
were fighting for the city a few hundred years ago;
Punks 'fishing for money' (you can't see it but there's a cup on the end of
the fishing line down at about eye-level for pedestrians on the street). I don't
think they caught much.
Posted by Yasmin at 11:34 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
April 10, 2005
More walking in Montréal
The last few posts are a bit disjointed but I guess it doesn't particularly matter what order events are in as long as remember most of them.
I spent some time walking around la Vieux Montréal and la Vieux Port.
While very touristic, it's an area not to be missed. I'm sure it's full of life in summer!
Wandering up from the old city late in the afternoon I was feeling really tired and just a little lightheaded since I hadn't eaten all day. I found myself in le Quartier Chinoise and one of the Chinese restaurants was offering a $3.95 lunch special - just made for my budget. It was generously proportioned and exactly what I needed after all that walking. My fortune cookie read "You will travel far and wide for both business and pleasure". Excellent!
My last day in Montréal was, as I have already mentioned, pouring rain so I wanted to find something indoors to do. The city's BioDome had been well recommended and seemed as good a thing to do as any under cover. It turned out to be better than I expected. I found myself getting absorbed in the displays which are for the most part well thought out with good info.
After the BioDome I went to the Insectarium which was included in the price. It was pretty interesting too and the Butterflies go Free was great - very pretty!
That day I got an email from a fellow couchsurfer in Montréal who wanted to catch up for a drink or dinner. It was my last night there so of course it had to be that night. We had a really nice dinner at Les Derniers Humains, just a few blocks from Rico's place. It turned into a fairly late night even though I knew I had to be up early-ish for my lift to Quebec city.
Here are a few photos from my time in Montréal;
Rico and Julie with Julie's dog, Maleika (not sure of the spelling);
Me with Maleika (isn't she beautiful?!);
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April 07, 2005
Dripping wet in Montréal
I'm wet. Wringing wet. It's pouring rain here and naturally I left my umbrella back home in Oz. True, I could buy another, but haven't happened past an umbrella shop since the heavy rain began. Oh well - I won't shrink and I'm beginning to dry off now in a café on Ave. Mont Royal that was advertising free internet with a coffee. Since I've neglected this site lately it seemed a good opportunity.
The city of Montréal is one of those best explored on foot. It's very easy to find your way around and I felt completely safe walking in all the areas I encountered. The houses are characterised by staircases out the front making it great to walk the streets and just look around. It does seem a curious design to be so popular in a city where it snows for something like 6 months of the year and these steps have to be kept clear. It amused me to see that almost every house had one or more rusty bicycles chained to the railing or stairway. I think they must forget about them over winter - it must take a lot of oiling to get them going in summer! There are so many churches in this city, Rico, my couchsurfing.com host, tells me Quebec is known as the 'province of a thousand churches'. I'm sure it sounds better in French.
Rico wasn't working on Tuesday and was able to spare some time to show me around the Little Italy area and so I was really able to get my bearings. We went to the markets, a very extensive open air market only a block or so away and got a few things. I also tasted a Maple sugar candy, mmmmmm, such a delicate flavour! We saw bagels being made at St. Viateur and had heavenly "a la tire d'erable" ice cream (also made from maple syrup) at Bilboquet.
I've spent a few days going to art galleries and museums and generally being a tourist again. The Musée des Beaux Arts has a great collection and a few charming surpises. I found a Dali chess set there, with a diamond shaped board and perplexing pieces that could only have been designed by the man it looked like a lot of fun to play on. I also loved seeing the Inuit Art section - I've never encountered Inuit Art before and I love the organic sculptures and intricate whale bone carvings. I spent quite a lot of time here.
Also went to the Musée d'art Contemporaire after 6pm when it's free entry but I think I was a bit too tired by then to truly appreciate and enjoy it.
Rico made exquisite Creme Brulée and used a mini blowtorch to caramelise the sugar on top.
I'll upload pictures to go with this post later or in the morning so check back soon.
Posted by Yasmin at 06:04 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
April 03, 2005
A pattern emerges
It has been a hectic couple of days since my most recent post. My last days in Toronto passed in the same dizzying blur of easy, comfortable companionship amid laughter, sightseeing, food and wine that I have enjoyed throughout my time here. At the end of it all Mike very generously drove me up here to Montreal. We had some trouble with the windscreen wipers on his car resulting in bizarre manouevres out the windows in the dark rain with ice brush and tennis racket to push them back into place each time after they were needed. Thanks for everything, Mike - you made my time in Toronto special and left me with some unique and wonderful memories and I am grateful for all of it.
Today, wandering the streets of Montreal as I ususally do to familiarise myself with a new city, I became aware of a wistful sadness weighing heavy in my heart. I sense that a pattern is forming. It seems that with this nomadic lifestlye comes a hidden emotional price that I hadn't reckoned on. I see now that I am destined over the course of the next year for a series of painful goodbyes as I make new friends and must bid them farewell when I leave their part of the world.
The cool, analytical part of my mind dryly observes that this is the very thing I sought. In leaving the comfort of everything I have known for so many years I sought to taste the spice of life, in experiences, sights and equally, emotions. Of course, it is this very same cocktail of sadness, joy, fear and excitement and everything in between that make the complex flavour I was looking for.
And so it is that instead of resisting the pensive mood I let it wash over me and through me as I walked the streets of this city. With it's whimsical blend of cosmopolitan European atmosphere and archictecture and North American practicality Montreal seems an appropriate backdrop for my musings.
All in all I spent some 5 or 6 hours walking, browsing an eclectic mix of shops, lingering in coffee shops to the accompaniment of the musical sound of French language and above all thinking of distant friends.
Posted by Yasmin at 01:21 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack