It's all about Timing & learnings

As I'm finishing my trip in Canada, I've been getting a little bit emotional...unsure and also anxious about the upcoming Europe trip. 

I've realized so many things in the past months on the road. The stops and most especially the experiences that enriched my mind and my appreciation of so many things.

I've also learned that in life there's a lot to do about timing. The right time, the right place and the right moment. And if things are meant to happen, it will happen no matter what. 

I've realized how much I've become hungry for more information. History wasn't my favourite subject back in the days. But going through places made me yearn for understanding what was and why it was and the explanation behind what it is now. 

Enriching..... the culture, the history but most especially the people you meet.

Back in the big city > Toronto

Arriving from Newfoundland and walking the streets of Toronto was a weird feeling. The massive buildings, the busy streets, the gray and serious faces of corporate people passing by, the crazy road constructions.... all of these quickly snapped me back to reality. Newfoundland had the island feel to it, safe from the hustle and bustle of such big cities...where simple living was the idea of the typical daily lifestyle. 

Anyway, I found my way back to Canadiana and checked in. I'd highly recommend this hostel in Toronto. It's centrally located and just  few minutes walk from Osgoode station. It's at 42 Widmer Street and in close proximity to Chinatown. They offer free breakfast too:) . I got my keys to the room and quickly collected my other bag from the storage room.

Claire, from Ireland, was lazily on her bed when I got in. She's just been in Canada for a week, starting her trip in Toronto. On a 2-year working holiday visa, she'll be looking for jobs around and explore the country. We had a few giggles and chats. That was good. 

The whole night for me was just reading about some countries I'm thinking of visiting in Europe. The research was stressing me out. Plus, I revisited my budget and it just increased my stress levels. That was it. I needed a shut eye. 

The following day I met the other girl, Nadin, from Germany. It was a refreshing feeling talking to her. She carried this positive and happy energy around her. We ended up chatting the morning away which was a perfect break for me since I woke up at 7 am and started writing my blog.

Since there were still leftovers from breakfast, we decided to sneak out some pancakes before they got thrown out. at least that saved us from spending. 

The rest of the afternoon I finished the rest of my blog and decided to go down to have some real food to eat. I was famished. So I headed back to the Vietnamese place where they had cheap but yummy meals... made my tummy happy. 

I got back to the hostel and found Nadin in the corner. She was waiting for her train to Vancouver, leaving 10 pm. The rest of the afternoon and evening...we were just chatting and laughing.... like this 2 silly girls. It was so easy to talk to her and we just clicked right away. We made sure to exchange details and had pinky swears in the louge. Okay, Nadin if you're reading this.... you'd better remember the pinky swear or else!!! :P

Around 8:45 pm I walked her to the door and hugged her goodbye, wishing her safe travels. 

Back in the room I met Vicky from London who was so friendly to see me through my repacking dramas. hahaha. 

I slept at around midnight. 5 hours to sleep before I have to wake up and walk to Union Station to catch the via Rail to Montreal. Woot! :)

Last night in St.John's

I woke up a little bit early and had breakfast. I was finding Skerwink HI so homey that I didn't feel like going. Utah, David and I had such a wonderful travel discussion about the different countries we've been to. David and Libby stayed a year in China a few years ago, where they were teaching English in a local school. 

It was around 11:30 in the morning and I knew it was time to pack up and go. I received a message from Max that they were already back in St.John's. That was fast driving considering they camped out near Trinity the night before. I replied I'd be in St.john's late afternoon since I need to get to Outfitters and return the pots and stove. 

It was quite a drive for me going back. The fog was again on highway 1 for a few sections. I was a little bit tired and there were a few times when I was a little bit to the brink of "dozing" on the wheel. So I had to make a few stops along the way just to make sure my nerves were still up for the driving. 

I found my way back to Water Street and returned the stuff to Outfitters. Eventually I got to the hostel and checked in. First thing's first.. I had to do my laundry. 

After an hour I saw Max and his friend Patrick, also from Germany. They've met at the hostel a few days ago and went on the road trip together. Patrick has been working in Canada for a while now and on his way back home. 

I found it really sweet of Max to live up to his word that we'd meet again on that Sunday. Traveling and my previous experiences taught me how to avoid expectations, at least no disappointments right? But yeah, he was there and it was funny coz it just clicked. He studied International Studies and just finished his masters degree in Miami at the age of 27. He can speak 4 languages which I found really impressive. We exchanged a few things about travel plans and thoughts about life, even in the short time that we were together. There were a few things that we shared the same perspective on.

We met a few more people in the hostel, a group who was on their way to Gros Morne National Park. 2 girls from Germany, a guy from Ottawa and a girl from Australia. 

We met up with each other at O'Reilly's Irish Pub and had a few drinks together. It was quite difficult talking amidst the noisy live music around. I guess there was a little bit of awkward silence at some point too. Their group have been together for quite a while now and well I was in the middle coz technically it was only that day that i've really talked that long to both groups. I felt a little bad when the boys were feeling a little bit left out and felt that there was invisible fog between. I said it might have been the seating arrangement. I think I should have just exchanged with the girls so the boys had the chance to talk to them.

Anyway, Max, Patrick and I went ahead and said goodnight to them. I joined the guys to go to the waterfront and take some photos. They lingered for a while back in the hostel. After some time, I walked them out to the door. Patrick had an early flight so they decided to sleep in the car somewhere close by to the airport. Max said "maybe see you in Europe" as he hugged me goodbye. 

Packing up for my flight wasn't part of the plan when I got back to my room. I had the dorm to myself so I had all my stuff scattered around. A task waiting to be done the following day. I checked my emails then dozed off to sleep. 

Around 3 or 4 am, steps could be heard from the hallway.... I wonder who's been partying all night.

Skerwink & Port Rexton

I was supposed to stay for a night in Bonavista. I read through the tourist accommodation guide and found an HI Bonavista along John Cabot Road.

 

But... and yes there's a BUT.... the HI was a little bit freaky. I arrived there and nobody was tending the place. 2 mattresses were left on the stairway. A name tag was hanging beside the door saying welcome to the HI, my name is Donna. But there was no Donna on site.



I went back to the place several times but still found it the same as the first time I got there. After a few days, I learned Max and Pat found it in the same condition a day after I was there. freaky.

 

Skerwink HI - Port Rexton

(directions: Along route 230, take exit to Port Rexton. Turn right when you see the yellow building with a gas station. Follow the road and go past the sign Trinity East. On your right you'll see the blue building)

 

Skerwink HI  - Port Rexton

So moving on, I decided to drive back to Port Rexton where a new HI was put up. It was called the Skerwink Hostel. The couple Libby (from Aus) and David (from Canada) bought this a few years ago and decided to put up a hostel. The location was so cute as it felt like you're part of the community, and just right down the hill with a beautiful view out the lounge window or the kitchen door.

 

I found the whole interior to be funky rustic, with lots of personality. The hanging sign in the lounge was something they just found in the woods. Definitely meant for their interior :). The corridors were designed with hanging sketches of newfoundland. The hallway was kept clean and the rooms were all properly prepared.

the lounge

 

I got there around 8 pm and found them having a farewell dinner for Bridget (Libby's sister) and her friend Candice who were heading for St.John's the following day. Libby had a very cheerful and homey personality. She showed me to my room and asked that I joined them to have a glass of wine or perhaps dinner.

 

I slept like a baby that night. I honestly missed the comfort of a bed. I shared the room with a lady from Germany by the name of Utah.

She was there for a week and just relaxing in the confines of the beautiful Trinity East.

 

The following morning we had a long breakfast discussion in the kitchen. All the girls were in the dining table and different travel stories and explorations were shared. Marieke was also there, who co-owned the TwineLoft in Trinity Bay. I just loved the conversations :) It was indeed a good morning. Oh and I forgot to mention, I did some yoga exercises with Utah. I woke up to her standing in the middle of the dorm room, so I decided to join in :)

 

Skerwink Trail

  

The HI was also conveniently located near the well known Skerwink Trail. This trail was once included in the top 35 walks in North America and Europe as rated by Travel and leisure magazine back in 2003.

 

It was a moderate climb up the hills, and the whole trail takes almost 2 hours when done as a leisure walk. The whole stretch is a 5.3 km coastal loop walk with magnificent views.

 

I joined in with a guy named David, from Calgary. He definitely was on a leisure walk as he chatted most of the way. apparently he's been to so many countries already so shared some tips with me about his Europe and Morocco trips.

 

We slowly ascended the trail and found lovely views from certain side steps away from the trail. He seemed to have a knack for cliffs and edges. All I could say was "dont' fall".

 

on the other side of the cliffs was the incoming fog. It often times scares me but since I had company that day, it was all fine. We walked through until we got to the highest point above the fog. There sunshine was a blast and clear skies were blue. I found an edge to have my photo taken. I don't normally like photos of me, but this was one of those moments where I wanted one. :) coolio!

 

We finished the walk around 2 pm and went back to the hostel. For the next few hours I went out exploring Trinity Bay and Elliston.

 

Elliston is known to be the Puffin Site and also the location of Root Cellars. I squandered around trying to look for puffins but none could be seen on site. So I decided to head back to Trinity Bay.

 

I received a message from Max that they were camping out somewhere near Trinity.  I suggested they stay at the Skerwink HI, since they allowed campers at the backyard on top of the hill. They must have missed the turn to Port Rexton.

 

A few of Libby's and David's friends came over. I had a jam with the one in glasses who played awesome cajon beats. It was so much fun! We also talked about the history of Newfoundland and a little bit on geology. After a few beers, they headed out for a local party. I decided to stay and sleep in early.

Bonavista (Oh, Happy sight!)



view from the water tank



The fog was persistent even on Trans Canada Highway 1. It was driving me nuts and once again I felt like my eyes were popping out. Strained and tired, the radio of the 90's (with 98 degrees) was keeping me company. The stretch of the highway was so boring and the gust of wind from passing by trucks were so much hit by my little Sparc. oh well.

 

I decided to drive towards Bonavista and check out the site where

it was said to be John Cabot's landing site. By the time I got to Clarenville, the sun was out and the fog was history. I learned there were only a few sections which were highly affected by the fog. With this in mind, it easily prepped me up for the next day.

 

It's been said that when John Cabot found this town he blurted out "Oh Buon Vista" which meant O, Happy Sight!. Well, I'd say that's what I exactly felt when I arrived. The town was compact and the roads were narrow but the village feel to it was charming. From afar if you'd be able to smell a mix of salty waters and fish. I dropped by the harbor and took a few photos and just soaked it all in. It had so much of a different vibe to it. I loved it so much.

 

A few breakwaters can be seen from a distance to protect the harbor in a few ways. The rich fishing and sealing grounds was enticing for a different European powers. But only the French and English stressed on having rights to this quaint fishing village.

 

I decided to check out the lighthouse at the cape, which was still working. Early designs of using parabolic reflectors can still be seen once inside the actual headlight. It was interesting to see the inside of the lighthouse and have a feel and idea of how the lightkeepers family lived. back in the days they were pretty well off and well taken care of by the government. Proper housing equipment were provided to ensure they had a good lifestyle since they're a little bit secluded from the rest of the town.

 

Years ago they would use whale oil which then became so expensive. So they decided to shift and use seal oil. Eventually, they went on with the use of coal, more economical and abundant. The first lighthouse keeper was Jeremy, who tediously looked after that place alongside with his son as his assistant.

 

The walk along the coast was superbly lovely. The sun was on my side that day and views of the

ocean was magnificent. There was a small trail on the side of the lighthouse, which I decided to explore for a bit. The blue and green mix of the ocean was lovely to stare at.

 

I slowly found my way to where John Cabot's statue was built. There on the coast of Cape Bonavista was a reminder where John once stood and discovered the Newfoundland.

The rest of the East Coast

I stopped by a few towns along the way. The beautiful coastline beckoned for me to take some photos as the fog was coming in. I found that the further you go, the fog was getting intense. I stopped by Cape Broyle, Ferryland and Cape Race but didn't get to drive to the National historic Site. All I can remember was that it was well known to be the wrecker of ships due to the number of shipwrecks due to the currents and fog that settles in the cape.

 

I was on a mission to get to Agentia, Placentia that night. The drive was getting to be a little bit daunting for me and the fog was coming in pretty fast. The moment I got to the town proper of Placentia, I was a little bit disappointed that the fog covered the whole trail of the First French settlement which was along the coast. As much as I wanted to explore it, I decided not to risk it.

 

I found myself a Tim Hurton's that night which was good. Mobile reception for Rogers was pretty bad in Newfoundland most especially around the East Coast. I connected to the wifi and sent Max a message on facebook, sending a warning about the fog and to drive easy. I wasn't sure if he would have got it in time. It was already a Friday and I'm sure that he was on his way down the coast already.

 

I researched the internet and checked the weather. It seemed that rain was coming in for Placentia the following day. I decided to look for a campsite to stay for the night and found the Agentia Sunset Park. Ironically that day, the sun was setting behind the fog.

Placentia

I arrived and there was no ranger at the reception. I found the small building open and decided to walk in just to check out the facilities. There were showers a small kitchen. cool. One of the guys who had a trailer chatted with me and explained a little bout the area. Apparently, a few years ago, that campground was a US base. All of the trailers in the campsite were workers in the Nickle site just half an hour drive from Agentia.

 

After 30 minutes the ranger Rey arrived in his blue sedan car. Made me feel better so at least my stay in the site would be legal. He allowed to park right beside the building which was better since it sort of protected me from the wind.

 

I had better sleep that night. I felt warmer that the previous night. I think it was because I was sheltered from the wind and cold. Although, I do remember the car was still getting a little bit of gusts here and there. But it was all okay.

 

I woke up to a morning of full fog and rain. I took a hot shower, hang out in the kitchen for a while as I started filling up the blog. Then headed my way back to town to check out Placentia for a while.

 

By the way, Agentia has a port where they offer ferry services to Nova Scotia, but only during the summer months. That would have been great, but yeah, maybe next time.

 

I decided to drive through to Trinity Bay North. By the time I approached Trans Canada Highway 1, mobile reception got better. A text message came in, it was Max asking about the drive. I sent a message that I was on my way up North. 

La Manche Provincial Park & My Visitor



I chose to stop at the La Manche Provincial Park for the night. This is also part of the known Avalon Peninsula.

 

The Park has 69 campsites to offer and it was only me and another guy who had a trailer. I believe this was really a good time to explore before the height of summer when they say this park can sometimes be flocked by tourists. cool.  

my one and only visitor in the campground

The spot I chose was just beside the lake and in front of the comfort station. Good thing there was a hot shower I can use. I already imagined how cold it would get that night.

 

It was a hilarious scene when I got out of the loo. I felt someone was watching me behind the trees. I walked to my campsite then looked around. There she was. A female moose (called cow) was staring straight at me. Now imagine this. I felt like I was the wildlife being watched. hahaha. I quickly got a hold of my camera and took a shot. The click sound made its ears pop up and she made a more curious look. Must be thinking "what's that wildlife doin'". It looked me straight in the eye and walked towards me. okay at this point I wasn't sure if I was to run or what. I said "Hi", then it shifted its gaze and walked towards the loo. Maybe she was waiting for her turn to use the ladies? nyahahha. She stopped, looked at me, then walked a different direction towards the lake. At that point she might have thought "boring. I'm headin' out". I heard her hooves and saw her silhouette against the sunset. That would have been a great photo but I let her be. It was enough for her senses to share the campsite with another "wildlife" :). and yes, I feel blessed I saw her.

 

The sun was slowly settling down for the day. I hurried up and took out my liquid canister and stove. All I wanted was a hot drink and noodles for the night. It wasn't fun using the canister though. Honestly, I wasn't used to that kind of setup. Usually I'd use the one where you just screw the gas canister. But this one was liquid and the tubes weren't pumping it properly. One of the rangers were able to fire it up for me though. So that was a good thing. Eventually I learned how to use it.

 

Once the water boiled up I prepped up my tea, took out my guitar and found myself a spot right beside the lake. It was starting to get chilly but I still wanted to continue with the song I was writing.

 

That night was my first time in the petite car. It was a little bit challenging finding the right position I'd be comfortable in. My usual sleeping position would be to curl up like a baby. But with the situation I was in, curling wouldn't have worked. I chose to recline the drivers seat then stretch my legs to the passengers seat beside me.

 

The temperature slowly went down and I could quickly feel it on my feet. I had 2 layers of socks already plus I wrapped it in the trousers I bought from salvation army. But still the cold was cutting through the fabric. Eventually after a few hours, I got to doze off. Must have been the fatigue from driving.

 

La Manche Village Trail

 

I sort of woke up a little bit early the following morning. I saw the first few rays of the sunrise but decided to sleep in for a while. Around 8 am I heard the sound of a car starting. The trailer a few campsites away was on its way. I slowly woke up and got out of the car. It was still cold outside.

 

La Manche suspension bridge

I quickly worked out the stove and heated me some water for tea then cooked breakfast. I know, should I really be doing this? Buying the easy stuff would have saved me more effort, but I just had this picture in my mind >> read: wilderness + camping stove. DUH, next time I'll be smarter. haha

 

I left the campgrounds around 10:30 am and decided to look for the start of the La Manche Village trail. There was once a village in that section of the Avalon Peninsula but was abandoned in 1966 after a storm damaged the whole place. The bridge was then rebuilt by the East Coast Community and now connects the Trail to both sides of the harbor. By the time I crossed the suspension bridge, the fog was quickly coming in. I decided to just go as far as I can see then head back. The walk was lovely anyway, and remnants of the old village can be seen right before you cross the bridge.

 

I headed back to the carpark and met a couple along the way. I made sure I warned them about the fog. After a few minutes, I was on my way to drive along the rest of the East Coast Trail.

 

Road Trippin' & Explorin' the Irish Loop

Cape Spear

The following morning was exciting. I rushed myself to pick up the car at the airport. A little pink whitish Sparc was waiting for me. Handy and very fuel efficient. That's what I needed to compensate for the car rental price. I knew the rental would definitely hurt my budget but I thought that was the best way for me to explore the place. So without saying, as part my budget costing, I decided to sleep in the car and save in accommodation. There's a scarcity of hostels in the East Coast and even around Newfoundland. B&B's were the next step up, but the cheapest I could find was $65 a night. Yes it did have the comfort, free breakfast and a comfy bed for the night, but I thought, just rough it. What's the worse than can happen anyway? A bear knocking at my car door? that would have been epic! :)

 

I felt my eyes were gonna pop out after driving for 15 minutes. I was gripping the wheel as if holding on to dear life, while driving like a raccoon with eyes wide open but with stressed nerves. It's been years since I've driven on the "right" side of the road. I was successful so far, but I couldn't figure out how to get to Gower Street. Eek.

 

Irish Loop Sign

I dropped by the hostel and checked out. Filled my bottles and hiking pack with water then loaded it into the car. While in the kitchen, I met Max from Miami (originally from Germany). He just arrived that morning and was also planning a road trip around the east coast. Both of us were looking for someone to share a ride with but he was leaving on the Friday and I was all ready for Wednesday. It would have been great to have good company on the road but the schedules didn't work out. Anyway we decided to exchange details and agreed to meet up back in the hostel. We bid each other goodbye and I went on my way.

 

There were a few stops I had to make. First was to get to Kenmount Road where the Salvation Army was. There I decided to get super cheap sweater and trousers, to add more layering for the cold nights in the car. And since I left my sleeping bag in Toronto, I decided to buy a duvet to keep me warm. All in all I just paid $15. not bad. Last stop was to buy some food coz I told myself eating out wasn't included in the plan. Just to save up some more. After all of those, I was on my way.

 

Witless Bay fishing port

As part of my route, I decided to stop by the Cape Spear lighthouse. Known to be the eastern most point of Canada and perhaps North America, sunrise photography seemed to be one of the fads. It's just 3 km away from the city and a scenic drive along the coastline. Cape Spear marks either the start or end of the well known East Coast Trail (or also called the Irish Loop). The name Cape Spear originated from the French word "Cap d'Espoir", meaning cape of hope. Finally it became Cape Spear, go figure.

 

Trail

The East Coast Trail is also known as the Irish loop. It's composed of different fishing villages along the rugged coastline off the East Coast of Newfoundland. Immense beautiful scenic routes and trails can be found along the way. the Irish Loop name originated from the more over 400 years of Irish immigrant settlers who lived in these villages. In the 1800's massive numbers of Irish people left their homeland and decided to stay on this West Coast of once was part of Europe. The families were majority of Roman Catholic and Irish decent. The whole east coast is an expansive 220 km, which can be explored by car, boat, kayak or on foot. The fishing villages were so charming and quaint, and a lot of culture and history goes along with the families that now inhabits the land.

 

I decided to walk the Mickeleens Path. It was located between Bay Bulls, one of the oldest communities in Newfoundland & Labrador, and Witless Bay. It was a lovely walk through the coast, with portions were a boardwalk was provided. That was when I understood when they said, "oh yeah, it's really sort of on the edge so be careful". The wind was quite tricky so I made sure I walked carefully and on a leisurely pace. I turned on my beacon just so everything was sweet. The pine trees were all looking healthy and the ocean was raging against the rocks. I stopped for a while to eat my lunch. Found myself a spot facing the Atlantic, then just sat there on a rock, enjoying the views. It was a perfect day to be walking the trail. The sun was out and precipitation levels were low. I was happy and feeling safe.  

The Ship Open Mic Nights @ St.John's

I decided to check out the open mic scene that Monday night. The girls in my new assigned room were keen to join me as well :). Geraldine and Candice have been at the hostel for a few days already. I really liked their company, independent ladies with a lot of confidence and were easy to talk to.

 

The Ship Pub (265 Duckworth Street) alongside MusicNL have been running the Monday night open mic in St.John's. It's been a joint collaboration, encouraging musicians, singer and songwriters, to come on stage and share their music.

 

I decided to go before the girls, since they were thinking of having dinner first. The Ship Pub was already packed when I arrived. The main artist was also the host, named Caroline. She's been working on her EP album for the past months. The songs were lovely and the words were charming, of course all of those I've heard were love songs. And the words were those of which I would have dreamed to write in my own songs. But anyway, she had a guy by the name of Stephen, who played the guitar for her and joined with backup vocals. Their voices complemented each other.
 

I played 3 of my songs and received a very good feedback from the crowd. One of the songwriters who performed earlier tapped my shoulder and said "you're a very talented songwriter".

 

A few more musicians played for the rest of the night. Us girls just listened through. I really liked the audience because they listened. Of course for some other pubs, it was a different deal. Playing at O'Reilly's made me perform cover songs instead. Yup, that's always the case it seems when it's a bigger pub and a taller stage. hehe.

 

The girls and I said goodnight and dozed off happy that night :)

History of Newfoundland & Out n About in St.John's

cute and charming houses in St.John's

I woke up the following morning feeling a little bit recharged. It was still raining when I looked out of the window. Bummer!

 

Since I only carried 1 bag with me, streamlining my winter clothing was part of it. That meant I decided to leave my gloves and beanie in Toronto. Oh well, I wasn't planning to spend again so I told myself to suffer the cold :)

 

I met a girl Cecilia in the common room. She was one of my roomies so I couldn't help but tell her about the previous night's happening. That's when she told me that it wasn't the first time the girl told off someone. Anyway, I've moved on after that. Cecilia was just there for the long weekend. Originally from Hong Kong, she's been living in Toronto for the past years and exploring Canada on the side.

 

Signal Hill from a distance

I found the nearest Tim Hurton's along Duckworth street. Of course anybody who's been to Canada would know that it's the cheapest place you can get coffee, donuts and small stuff to eat. I stayed for an hour there staring at the maps, figuring out my bearing and strategy. I also had to ring the Avis car rental company, working out if I could pick up the car in Mt.Pearl instead of the airport. Man, that was really stressful for me most especially after computing the weekly rental the internet gave me. But I thought, hey, that'll be the best way for me to explore the island plus my initial idea of hitch hiking wouldn't really work if it was raining. So that was it. Sold. I was scheduled to pick up the car on a Wednesday, road tripping around till Monday the following week.

 

 Before I start a write-up about St.John's, I'd like to extensively cover the history of Newfoundland. My interest heightened when I got to St.John's and realized the whole feel of the place was so much so European. I didn't even get any Canadian vibe to the place. Not everyone who travels to Canada would go out their way to explore the Eastern side of this massive country. But I'd say it's definitely worth making that side trip and exploring more than a week. Locals are called "Newfies" and a myth has been looming around that they speak "weird". I'd say they don't. They might have their own terms or dialect... but "weird" was based on the fact that they speak different from the typical Canadian accent. Personally, I think they sound more Irish.. definitely European. And Ive never had issues understanding them at all. So it was all sweet. Now I know. :)

Newfoundland was once under the British rule before it became part of Canada on the 31st of March, 1949. First settlers on this side of the country, or let's say Pre-colonization, were the Archaic Peoples, then by the Paleo-Eskimoes, then by the Inuits and then the Beothuks. It's said that the Beothuks are now extinct. Same for all of the sub-Antarctic people, they thrived in hunting and camping.

 

In 1496, John Cabot under King Henry VII said he would go "sail to all parts, countries and seas of the East, the West and of the North, under our banner and ensign and to set up our banner on any new-found-land". Thus the name "Newfoundland". On the feast day of St.John the Baptist, June 24, 1497, landed in Cape Bonavista.  Sir Humphrey Gilbert, under Queen Elizabeth I, landed in St.John's in August 1583 and had the formal ownership of St.John's under the British rule. There were a lot of disputes between Spain, France, Portugal and England. However, majority of the battles were between France and the British rule. A lot of the European regimes that had vested interest of the Newfoundland found the huge potential of the fishing sites around. So there was a Treaty of Utrecht that gave French fisherman the right to catch fish on the western coast which they gave up in 1904. The first French settlement was just right at now called Placentia (once named Plaisance).

 

In well-known Battle of Signal happened in 1762. The French army, under Guillaume Bellecombe, tried to invade the city of St.John's but was unsuccessful. British Colonel William Amherst forced out of the shores and gained back what was rightfully owned. This was the last battle of the North American theatre of the Seven years of War.



In 1854, a responsible government was formed in Newfoundland. They rejected confederation with Canada and decided to be a Dominion, constituting a self-governed state of the British Empire and was said to be autonomous from British Rule.

 

Signal Hill

When World War I came into play, British and French armies combined forces and was part of the Battle of the Somme, which was a joint offensive battle against the German Army. This wasn't at all successful, and has caused huge debts and damage for the Dominion of Newfoundland. A lot of the men of Newfoundland volunteered for the war, but as for how prepared they were, was more of a question. To this day, there is the known Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial in France, to commemorate those who died during World War I, July 1, 1916.

 

It was only in 1927, that Labrador, which was disputed to be either part of Quebec or Newfoundland, was put to rest. British government ruled and declared was to be considered part of the Dominion of Newfoundland.

 

After 15 years of having the same government since the Dominion was created, Newfoundland voted itself out of existence in 1933. In the early 1940's, the British government allowed Newfoundland to decide their future. A convention was formed and 2 referendums took place. The last with a 52.3% vote to join the Confederation of Canada. on the 31st of March, 1949, Newfoundland and Labrador became officially part of Canada.

 

Excerpt from Wikipedia about the flag:

The flag of Newfoundland and Labrador was introduced in 1980, and was designed by Newfoundland artist Christopher Pratt. The flag design, with the proportions 2:1, was approved by the House of Assembly of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, on May 28, 1980. It was flown for the first time on Discovery Day; June 24, 1980.

The design was chosen due to its broad symbolism. The blue colour represents the sea, the white colour represents snow and ice of winter, the red colour represents the effort and struggle of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, and the gold colour symbolizes the confidence Newfoundlanders and Labradorians have in themselves and for the future.

The blue triangles are meant as a tribute to the Union Jack, and stand for the British heritage of Newfoundland and Labrador. The two red triangles are meant to represent the two areas of the province—the mainland and the island. The gold arrow, according to Pratt, points towards a "brighter future"; the arrow becomes a sword, honouring the sacrifices of Newfoundlanders in military service when the flag is draped as a vertical banner. The red triangles and the gold arrow form a trident, symbolizing the province's dependence on its fisheries and the resources of the sea"

 

Anyway, moving on...

 

view of the city from deadman's pond

St.John's town was looking gray when I started my walk. I had almost 4-5 layers on but I still felt cold. The houses around were so charming and colorful. I bumped into a local carpenter, Tyler, who gave me a short story about the designs. Apparently, back in the days the jelly bean colors were non-existent. Majority of the houses were painted white but there was also the said "ochre" chemical present around newfoundland that when mixed with a variety of oils can result to different shades. The latest variety of colours were only a transition from the urbanization of the city, most probably in the lat 70's and 80's. The close proximity of houses were also explained as the answer to using less wood when rebuilding the city after the Great Fire of 1982. Huge heritage regulations have been imposed not just around st.John's but also all over Newfoundland. This I realized when I got to drive around the towns and had a chance to chat with a few locals. One of the things worth noting: (1) You can cross the street anywhere anytime...chances are if the driver is a local, they would definitely STOP right in the middle of the traffic (2) the locals are very friendly, helpful and chatty :) (3) car rentals would honk on the second time you press the auto lock from your car key remote control. why? not sure.

I walked along Water Street and noticed a few writing along the way that shared the history of the city. Different photos of the Lieutenants of both British and French Armies were displayed. The port was filled with big vessels, parked silently on the waters of St.John's. I continued on to Signal Hill road. I remember reading somewhere that the city was compared once to San Fran because of the windy and uphill walks. Oh yeah, I did feel that. I was humping my way up Signal Hill Road but I knew it was good for my heart. So yeap up and up I went.

Geo Centre view across deadmans pond

I stopped for a while at the Johnson Geo Centre and wanted to learn more about the Geophysical description of Newfoundland's landscapes. It was a $12 charge for me, I guess it's cheaper when it's still "winter" here. I believe I spent a good 2-hours there reading through. Majority of the architecture is located underground where a glacial formation existed million of years ago. Signal Hill was once a big glacier which eventually was dwarfed due to weathering.

I did a little bit of reading through the galleries and found out that the landscapes of Newfoundland is almost similar to Wales. Tribolite fossils can be clearly seen on the rock formations on both countries which explains a lot based on the concept of Pangaea (a supercontinent that existed ages ago during the Paleozoic and Mesozoic times which broke apart 200 million years ago). Geologists would se Ma to mean Million and Ga for Gazillion years.

There was also a section about the Titanic. It was only then that I learned that the Titanic route was actually a little bit close to Newfoundland. That ship left Cherbourg, then Queenstown and was destined to arrive in New York. There were a lot of facts and "said to be" displays in that section of the museum. What I really liked about it was how it exposed the truths and misconceptions about the tyranny of JPMorgan and his big fat dream to have the greatest and biggest cruise ship in the world, and also exposing the lack of preparation for distress, decreased number of rescue boats and the arrogance of the captain. They were already warned about the risk of sailing through iceberg filled waters. The belief that the Titanic was "unstoppable" filled the air, so they went on.

Another section covered the importance of oil most especially to the economy of the Newfoundland and Labrador areas. Apparently there are lots of natural gas potential along the coast, but of course the known Hibernia oil field was covered in the museum. I wonder how much of the wildlife has been affected by such oil fields. There are speculations that they are thinking of putting up an oil field new Gros Morne National Park. OMG! darn government if they push through with that.

stone house up Signal Hill

So after too much information overload, I decided to move on and hike up the Signal Hill Battlefield. I was still wet and cold, but decided to go on and finish the days activities. I started walking up around 1:30 pm. A few gun artilleries were still in tact and a stone house erected on the side of the hill was still solid.

Up the Signal Hill, I went up the fortress and looked out the windows. The fog was a little bit tricky to see through so I went down. That's when I met a guy named Patrick, from Sydney Australia. We decided to walk the track back to the town. That ended to be almost 3-4 hours of walking through the Pippy Park and getting lost as well. It was cool though. At least I had company.

eagle's nest

We came across a few photographers who were looking out, and so we decided to be curious onlookers as well and have a chat. Out in the bushes, nestled by the green and gray trees was a big eagle's nest. The guy with the super lens said she had 2 eggs. We lingered for a while then decided to move on.

The walk was fairly fine, going around villages. The chat was fine and I learned that he was also in the I.T. industry. He's been in Canada for almost a year now, and trying to land a job in Montreal.

We arrived in town around 6:30 and famished. So we decided to stay in a café, keep warm, have some decent food and discussed about travel plans and what we've encountered along the road. It was a good exchange. He was in St.John's for the next 2 days.

Flying to St.John's & a moody room mate

I arrived in Toronto after 2 days on the bus. Dropped my stuff at the Canadiana Backpackers since I decided to just carry 1 bag with me and my guitar to St.John's. I felt big time woozy dizzy, deprived of sleep and a shower. But I knew having a nap would just give me headaches.

I walked to a nearby Tim hurton's and had a coffee to keep me awake. Browsed on the net more about Newfoundland and booked a rental car for a 5-6 day road trip around the island.  Then went to a nearby catholic church to hear Sunday mass. I felt bad coz there were moments when I drifted away, i.e. snoozing.

  

I found Toronto massive. And the magnitude of it wasn't appealing to me that morning since all I needed was to figure out how to get to the airport….. Note: the cheapest way. Eventually I got to the right tunnel. I only spent $3.00 to get to the airport! Woot woot! :) And that was from downtown via train and bus.

  

 My flight to St.John's was scheduled 4:25 pm on a Sunday, 19th of May. I arrived at the airport around 10:30 am. I roamed around and met a few Filipino's who worked there . I completed my check in and decided to go through security early, that way I had more options for food inside.

  

I think eating Thai wasn't a good idea that morning. It made me more sleepy. So I decided to find me a quiet area where I could actually play my guitar and work on the song about my Canada trip.

  

 You see, at that point I felt like I started the trip on a wrong note. The flight was delayed and moved to 5:25. The PA blurted out so many announcements in the span of 5 minutes, majority with apologies about the previous one. And I just shook my head when Air Canada said they were backing out the first plane due to technical issues. They had to change it to another airbus. But hey, I thought to myself, situations like these just means...it's not yet meant to leave.

 We eventually got on the plane at some point. And I think we had a take off before 6 pm that night. I was so tired and needing a hot shower by then. We arrived at St.John's around 10 pm and it was raining. Oh, hold on...that was an understatement. It was cold, raining and just miserable. The lady at the information desk was friendly enough to ring me a Jiffy cab. 

He was hilarious. I guess when you're on the night shift you'd better have a sense of humour or else it'll just be boring. He mentioned that it was snowing at Gander that day. Eeek. Okay, freak storm or what? 

 He dropped me off at 8 Gower Street, St.John's, where the HI hostel was located. I found my way to the bedroom and realized I was on the top bunk since all the other beds were taken. I didn't turn on the lights coz I didn't want to wake up the girls. All I had to do was to have a hot shower and go to bed. Dinner wasn't part of the plan anymore. 

So, this is where it got interesting. I had a feat with a girl, the one in my bunk. And I wasn't in the mood to shut up. Although she told me to shut up. Let's say, she wasn't the type who should be staying in a dorm either. Apparently, I learned that she was also mean to some of the previous roomies. Duh!

 And so I tried to go to sleep with a fuming mood. I was thinking I started this trip so wrong...a delayed flight, rain and a blimmin' angry room mate. What else? I dozed off to sleep and requested a room change the following morning. 

Stinkin' in the Greyhound

I've never experienced staying on a bus for more than 2 days. Yeah, so when I said on the title "stinkin'", that was the reality. I felt deprived of a hot shower. But hey, it was the cheapest way, from Winnipeg to Toronto. So, on a Friday evening, I boarded the Greyhound bus. Bill (from Winnipeg Guest Hostel), dropped me off, hugged me goodbye and wished me well.

Back on the road. For some reason, I felt like I got attached to Manitoba. But that's always the case when you give a place a chance...i.e., staying for a while and not just passing by.

 We passed through so many towns along the way. Stops were usually at Tim Hurton's where a "double-double" was the usual order from the guys in the bus. Majority of the guys would often go down during breaks, and have their smoke session. I'd just go down for the loo, get maybe a small snack and watch them from the window.

 Sleeping on a bus isn't the most comfortable thing to do. I guess the train situation has always been better. My stiff neck was getting stiffer than expected. And the conversations from the front row seat seemed to be loud… I heard the whole thing. But, can't blame the guy, he just had the next town to go to, so he had to get his eyes open. My eyes were struggling. Oh well.

 As long as I'd get to Toronto, then I'd be fine :D

Life in the Northern Sun Farm

I didn't know what to expect. Stacey just told me to expect the unexpected. And I concede to the fact that it's much better to have no expectations at all, rather, be surprised with the experience and the people.

A few months ago I signed up for WWOOFing in Canada. The first 2 weeks with the Winnipeg Hostel and a week with the Northern Sun farm Co Op.

As far as I knew back then, Northern Sun Farm Co Op comprised of several families in a community who have adopted sustainable living  lifestyle. I've always been interested to see how this was done in Canada, not that I've seen it in New Zealand. But I guess the curiosity to see the lifestyle in a different country was enticing for me. So I made sure I'd have a taste of it as part of my Canada trip. I wanted to learn and perhaps take with me some knowledge that I might adopt myself once I settle back in.

Dawn's house

Dawn picked me up at exactly 12:30 pm on a Friday, 10th of May 2013. She had bright striking eyes, silver-gray hair and a shining smile. She gave me a hug at the door. It was cute how she had to bend a little bit because she was so much taller than me. I said goodbye to Bill and we went on our way.

We dropped by a few places to pick up a few things. On the way, we had so many discussions about Manitoba, Winnipeg and the farm. The highway stretched in front of us and I couldn't help but be amazed. It's been a while since I've been in a car and so I felt I was on a road trip. We passed through Steinbach and eventually got to Sarto, Manitoba.

The house was made by hand….by Dawn, Gearheart and Tim. Members of the community. It was so cute how they made it and the story behind the materials and all. The Oak trees nestled it as I passed through the hanging seemed to be Tibetan flags. On the left was a cute veggie patch as well as Garlic sprouting, soon ready for harvest. I loved how they've made it so organized inside, but most especially the wood….everything was made of wood. Poplar Trees surrounded the 240+ hectare of land and 7-8 families were part of the community.

    

   The Northern Sun Farm started back in the 70's when a few people got into the idea of having a  

Hoop house

community on a land in Manitoba. They heard about the one in Sarto and decided to stay there. As far as I remember, Mike and Gearheart were a few of those who spearheaded it. Eventually, some started their own families until it grew to be a Co Op. There was a suggestion to start introducing Hydro but a few members didn't like the idea and wanted things to be natural. So those who disagreed left the farm and those who stayed continued on with the sustainable living lifestyle. Eventually they picked up the name Northern Sun, adopted from one of the nuclear activist groups in North America (as per Gearheart's explanation).

Now on to Dawn's family and the people I've met in the farm.

Mitch,Dawn,Noble

Dawn's partner is Mitch, tall bloke with a moustache and was working with at a construction site. He had his own shack at the back where hanging wheels was the first thing I've noticed. His fixations are mushrooms and spirals. :) All around the place were hanging artworks of his spirals. As far as I know, he built the greenhouse were a bunch of plants were kept to start blooming before they were taken outside for further growth. He can play the guitar so pretty well and he also taught me about putting up a composting pile. He had a funny sense of humour but also inquisitive in a way. They've been together for 6 years now.

 I also met Noble, Dawn's second son. A 14-year old with bright striking eyes too, very much a teenager with a charming a smile and smart retorts when it comes to school issues. :) He didn't like school, so sometimes he'd declare a day as a day-off. His skills were crafting knives, hunting, fishing and he also knows a lot about the gardens and plants. But of course as a teenager, he'd rather spend much time with his friends, i.e. Orion. He's been living  in a red trailer just adjacent to his father's house (Gearheart, Dawn's second husband). He'd sometimes pass by the house to have lunch or dinner. In June, he's scheduled to go on a summer trip to the Yukon and learn more on hunting, fishing and horse back riding.

hay & straw

 A few days earlier before the farm, I had the opportunity to meet Sam, Dawn's eldest son. He's been living in Winnipeg for 2 years now and sharing a house with his partner Stace (who I met even earlier) and Craig, Dawn's first partner. They had me over for dinner and I stayed I think for 4 hours, just having a chat with them. Their house was so cute, lit by the sunset's rays, splurging into the yellow painted lounge area. Stacey prepared dinner for us that night. She carried this very light and amazing aura around her, with such positivity and energy. Her eyes always popped up with enthusiasm every time she'd think of something brilliant or even when she starts singing. Both her and Sam are in their 19's/20's, a young couple so much in love. They were cute together. We chatted the night away, talking about so many things, even to the extent of country music and Canadian music too. And they gave me some tips about Newfoundland as well.

 As for the members of the farm, I had the opportunity to meet Catherine & Alex, Tim, Mitch & Vanessa (and 1st born Leon), Ray & Candice, Murray & Correen.

The term "sustainable living" was something that I slowly had a better understanding and appreciation of.

The fundamentals of living was something that I learned to embrace once again in the week that I stayed there. Everything made sense to me.

garlic bed

Power and energy were all extracted from the sun and wind. Majority were 12Volts DC batteries that helped the community in a few gadgets for their daily consumption. Solar panels (mainly with 32 cells except I think for Gearheart's), were all setup in different locations. Inverters were also installed so some appliances can be charged from an AC source. I had an hour's session with Gearheart, just him explaining to me how he setup the Solar System in the Farm. Apparently, he'd be giving a talk in Winnipeg a week from now. All of these were introduced in the farm back in the 80's.

 Eventually they used this setup to pump water. Just a few feet below is pristine and drinkable water. I actually found it really amazing how a pipe system did not exist in the houses. Dishwashing was done by filling up a white round basin with water. Taps and sinks were not used at all. 2 buckets were filled with water on the side, 1 blue "fridge" bottle for drinking water and washing the hands and an empty bucket was always filled up with the dirty water. This was then emptied into the compost pile at the back of the house. I felt humbled by this setup because I am guilty of sometimes over using water when it's just flowing from the tap or from the shower. I knew they had unlimited supply of water. But for me, practicing water usage that way, was more of giving respect to Mother Nature's abundance.

 Another thing I couldn't get my eyes off was the big black wood stove, designed and made by the Amish.   Once the whole thing heats up, the whole house gets warm too. It's a multi purpose equipment for sure.

cow farm

There in the middle of the kitchen was this big black thing that for me was the center of almost everything in the house. Wood was essential to provide heat. Not just for cooking but for heating the house as well. This wood stove had a main slot, allowing wood, paper and air to combust. This then heats the whole panel above, allowing you to cook with your pots and even toast your bread on it. Another addition is a square container on the right side where hot water can be extracted, for washing dishes and for filling up your bucket in case you decide to have a "wash".

 Composting definitely played a major part in Dawn's garden. They don't use chemical fertilizer, instead the utilize the fundamentals of using compost items (like food scraps) and of course...manure. And this did not just involve cow manure but also human manure. And so this goes without saying that we dump our own body waste after a comforting session in the outhouse :) I learned the way of going back to water instead of a tissue roll. A toilet seat was installed in the outhouse and of course a bucket with dried leaves went along with it. Beside the outhouse was a huge wooden dump where we would throw our waste. Of course, anyone who uses the bucket should remember to fill it up with dried leaves before putting it back.

Showers were non-existent as far as I know. I would just fill up a bucket with warm water and go to the garden for a wash. Mitch would have his using the hose, right in front of the garlic beds. Dawn would have it just in front of the house. I found everything liberating. Nudity wasn't an issue at all and Dawn assured me there were no perverts :). She was aware that I was conscious washing naked in the hoop house. On my second time, it didn't bother me anymore. Momma, the cat was watching. And I'd normally do it at the end of the day around sunset.

 I quickly learned and adopted the ways in Dawn's farm. I would sleep to the sunset from the small window pane of my room. And of course wake up to the beautiful sunrise and chirping of the yellow finch birds. Before 8 am I'd usually get ready and slip into  my work clothes. Dawn would usually be downstairs having a sip of her morning tea. I would usually get 2 eggs ( from Gearheart's hens collection) for breakfast and toast a bread. Conversations about the day's tasks at hand would be exchanged and a few seconds of morning silence would be shared.

 The garden was all waiting for us. The hoop house already had the healthy bokchoy's and cabbage in place. Beds of garlic sprouting were all planted last fall, so harvesting will happen in 2 months from now.

Since Spring was on its way, the clock was ticking for seeding. We prepared the beds for peas, carrots, arugullas and onions. A hoop had to be installed for the peas to allow the vines to thrive up. Beds were a little bit tricky to prepare. Because of the recent winter, we had to reform them. It had to be weeded even the surrounding  frame. Then once Mitch has formed the shape, compost had to be added on top of it and then we had to shovel and mix it with the soil. Once all of that's done, Mitch would rake it and prepare rows for us to place the seeds. As for the seeds, we chose to plant them with our bare hands. Then put enough soil on top. I'd usually whisper , "babies grow ok". Dawn would usually say "Goodluck". After all o f these, Mitch would water the beds. It was something he really enjoyed doing most especially it was only till last fall that they've had pressurized water, thus using hoses. It was really handy. Imagine years ago, using watering cans was the way to go.

On my last night, I went up the wind turbine and watched the sunset. They were having a gathering for Candice's birthday but I decided to be on my own and walk around for the photos.

 The life in the farm grew on me. The 1 week I was there made me understand so much more but also, made me appreciate what Mother Earth can offer us, and how we should in turn learn to respect whatever it shares with us. The necessity of living is there, along side with coexisting …. With almost everything around us that grows and that lives. 

Postscript:
After a few months, I started writing a song as part of my Canada experience. Needless to say, the desire to include "Northern Sun" in my lyrics was something I deemed necessary. I started writing "Freeing My Mind" when I left Sarto, Manitoba. On my way to Toronto, whilst on the greyhound Bus and stopping in the middle of nowhere for coffee breaks in the wee hours of the morning, I'd sit outside the cafe and continued to build up the song. I eventually finished it in Montreal. And this was the outcome. (recorded in Quebec). Enjoy!