Okay, so now I'm i nVictoria, BC, bu before I get there, I feel I should do some highlights form the missing time I didn't log of the last week I spent in Newfoundland.
The reason I didn't update was because I couldn't..I was either not near internet access, or wa on the road and couldn't stop to log anything anyways. I ended up going all the way up the norhtern peninsula to L'Anse aux Meadows and St Anthony's, which are Viking villages and the end f the road u there, respectively. L'Anse Aux Meadows was really cool because thy had reconstructed the viking village found there and had a great historical display with lots of artifacts and so-on. "they" think it was the first place anyone forged steel, our of bog ore found in the area. Very vool,. Plus,we met Vking teve, who promised ot make us moose antler sewing needles, which are used to do this complicated yet very cool one needle vking knitting we (tried) to learn.
We were told to find viking steve from a guy called Ryan who gave us a ride up the peninsula though Gros MOrne National Park. Actually, he drove us all over the park because we couldn't figure out where we were going or where we wanted to be, even! He and his cousin Mike eventually tok us to this plae they wanted to camp, a beach called Shallow Bay. It's...off the beaten track to the tune of forging an unexpected creek with all our gear and hiking through sand dunes..but oh man, was it ever worth it . We made it just at sundown to pitch just below 2 large sand dunes on a kind of sand shelf...so we were treated to a fishbowl (loking up) effect of our own planetaium of gorgeous stars. I'd never pitched on sand like that , righ next to the ocean, an it was stunning. We had a beautiful driftwood campfire, looked at the most stars I htink I've ver seen, and listenendd to th waves. plus, Ryan's dog Roogan was there and he was so sweet! We went walking in the morning before anyone got up, and it was lovely. So that was cool.
Major Highlight: The southwest coast of newfoundland, oh man. There are a series of villages along the coast that can only be reached by ferry or helicopter, and they are a hidden treasure, let me tell you. we went to Burgeo, lovely town of 1000 or so (as ther is a highway that runs out there) wih the most beautiful provincial park I have ever seen..called Sandbanks. They have the best beachs on the island, I' mtls, and tey definitely havethemost beauiful views. Tanis and I were taken in by som lovely people called Harvey and Darlene thanks to us meeting a guy called Mel on the mini bus out to burgeo, whi live s in an outport village 2 months a year. Mel ended up hooling us up the whole time we were down that way, which was lovely and sweet of him.
We went to two other ouport vilages, and one of them was an accident, involving the ferry getting hijacked by someone who neeeded medical help and had to get to a highway to get t oCorner Brook for help...if you are sick you need to hang on for at least 4 hours before you get help if the helicopters are fogged out. Which they probably are.
So we were stranded in Grey River for 6 hours, which ended up being just good enough to catcha flavour of the place. We met some lovely people, one of whom gave us our first tast of bottled mosse (i.e. moose chunks in a jar). It was really good actualy, it tsted a lot like stewed beef. m, and fresh bread made that day. So good. Grey river has about 100 peope and they are all crammed at he bottom of huge mountains. They have so little space, everyone is in every one else's backyard, and thecenetary is a 20 minute walk u the hill, because there is literally no room for it anywhere else. A dude called Clarence took us out on his boat to show is the hidden beauty of Grey River though, and it really was stunning beauty. These 100 eolpe must put up wiht a lot, but the waterfalls, towerin green covered hills and gorgeous lakes they get (including the ocean access!) must be quite the reward for hanging in.
We then made it to our destination, FRANCOIS (pronounced Franceway by the locals).
Oh ma. This place is halfway p the coast (more villages after, one with only 45 people!), has about 120 people an is so unbelievably beautiful. They are also nesled below liffs and hills, but there is more space, people have yards, there are walkways, and pathways up the hills. Francois is ni a hidden bay and arriving by boat at night is truly beautiful witht he lights. The people there are old school NF hospitality people, and we camped on the only flat ground in the place..the Anglican Church yard..good thing Mel introduced us as members o te AWL (we said, what? he was like the Anglican Wome's League. Of course!) heh. Anyways, it was fine. Kim, the post mistress also ran a touring business with her fabulous family which Tanis and I took. We got a 5.5 hour tour of the bay and inlets along the area on teir lovely big boat and th whole time were treated to stories and history, a 1.5 hour hike betwreen re-settled vilages (NF history that is so interesting, it involves government lies. really! ask me, it's a curious and sad story). We got a halibut steak lunch cooked fresh on board ad the most beautiful weather ever. It's stunning.
MORAL OF THE STOY: if you go to Newgoundland, go to FRANCOIS and STAY there for at leat 4 days, and go on PINNACLE tours with Kim, the postmistress and family. his is money wll spent and a service well worth supporting. PLEASE DO THIS. you WILL NOT regret it, I tell you. Okay, this is the only fulkl on plug I feel the need to make about the east. his is true newfoundland, and you may find it elsewhere on the rock, but not like it is here, let me tell you. Unbelievable.
Phew. Okay, after that it was all hitchiking with lovely germans and Georgians and others and making our way back o Cape reton to head home. I decided I want to spend a good long aunt of itime exploring the east, Labrador and St. Pierre and Miquelon, so I was best to head west and then continue on later. Go 30 plus hours of travelling n a row! Thanks, crazy drunk man on the ferry to Nova Scotia, for telling us the absolute sweetest most plum places to sleep on the boat )(we got to lie down on padded (!) benches), AND stealing us fleece blankets! Also, this guy had rings like Mr T, i.e. HUGE and on every finger. Yessss! He was actually quite sweet. Only woke up from his stupor at last call off the boat. The man was a true pro.
I then hung out i nOttawa getting spoiled and nothn important done (no pictures up or even printed, no postcards written, no plan made) till I found a cheap fare to Vancouve...$301 taxes included...so off I went and here I am. Sidney BC.
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