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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
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Jun 15, 2008 02:00 PM Bonjour, ici Saint Pierre!
Last time I was speaking my poor French 3 years ago in West Africa. Now I can practice again! I am in the little French territory in North America. The archipelago of Saint-Pierre et Miquelon, situated in the North West Atlantic ocean, 25 km off of the coast of Newfoundland, is a little bit of France, at the opening of the Gulf of St-Lawrence, facing Canada. 4 600 km separate these islands from Paris. St Pierre is hilly islqnd - I climbed the mountain overlooking the capital for the nice view and pictures. I have good news: the sun is shinning again! Strong wind but thanks God no rain.
I am climbing little, narrow streets full of brightly painted houses to get to Pension Dodeman, where I have a room for 45 euro. Yes, Saint Pierre is even more expensive then Canada! You pay here 70 euro cents for the postcard and 93 cents for the tasty french baguette.
In the afternoon I took a zodiac tour worth 14 euro to Ile aux Marins - a small, pictureasue island situated across the harbour from Saint-Pierre. Ile aux Marins used to be a fishing village of 600 souls. Modern fishing techniques contributed to the gradual desertion of the community. Today, Ile aux Marins it is like Ghost Village - a museum and a unique window on the past.
The total population of this territory is only around 6 300, divided up in the following manner : 5 600 people live in Saint-Pierre and 700 live on the bigger but wilder islqnd - Miquelon. I plan to go there tomorrow by ferry. À bientôt!
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Jun 14, 2008 02:00 PM They wat to put you in one bed!
New Foundland.Canada. What does mean "budget accommodation" here? Except the capital city of the province _ St John's where you will find few hostels you have to look for "bed and breakfast" institutions. The problem is that very few of them offer twin rooms (rooms with two separate beds). So if you have a companion and you want to pay less it is not possible to share twin room - they want you to sleep in a double - with one wide bed.
In Fortune where I am I stay in the new-open Harborview B&B. The place is empty, but they wanted 75 CAD for double with shared bath. I offered 60 - we never paid more- I said! -No!
-You have a choice to have 60 dollars or to keep the room empty!
I'll keep it empty! - he said...
Fortune is a little, sleepy village. Few people on the streets. Ferry ticket office is still cosed, but I believe that the ferry from St Pierre will arrive to pick up us (In June they operate only on Sun and Wed).
I see St Pierre et Miquelon on the horizon. Bon voyage!
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Jun 13, 2008 02:00 PM Wet day on the road
It was the time to say goodbye to Gros Morne National Park and go to Fortune for the ferry to Saint Pierre. I found the task very difficult due to the lack of public transport. The only bus (microbus - in fact) to Fortune goes from St John's. But I recognized that it is not coming to Fortune two or three huurs before ferry's departure. Ferry departs at 2.45 pm on Sunday. Bus departs St John's at 1.30 pm and arrives to Fortune at 7 pm. (Why?) So if you plan the ferry ride you have to be in Fortune the day before.
Rental agencies are limited in New Foundland. No rentals in Fortune. If you rent a car in Gander you have to return the car in Gander or St John's - no other choice!. I was driving in the morning to Gander. Car returned. Then I tried to find the lift south at the fuel station. No chance - even if they go south they do not want you... Then I was staying half an hour in the light rain on the road. First car took me 70 km. Then I stayed again on Trans Canada Highway like 40 minutes. More then 100 cars passed by... I am getting wet... Yes, old couple gave me next lift. But those are exceptional cases and exceptional people. I am dissappointed: I heard that people in New Foundland are helpful. But is seems that this opinion is exagerated. I reached Goobies junction in the afternoon. At 4 pm Footie's Microbus (one per day) took me to Fortune (hefty 35 dollars for 2,5-hours ride). I am again on schedule... Wet but happy. And ready for the next adventure...
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Jun 12, 2008 02:00 PM Rainy and windy Gros Morne NP in Canada
This national park is a highlight of New Foundland. They charge 10 dollars per day entry fee but it is worth to know that public roads pass through the park with no gates - so you are not obligatory to pay this hefty (for he backpacker) entry fee unless you are taking really long hike or the boat tour... There are locked fiords, mountains and coastal scenery to enjoy but the highlight of the park is Western Brook Pond - long and deep landlocked fiord. They have little boat cruising this pond. Two-hours tour cost hefty 45 CAD plus park fee but I heard that it is worth to pay becauce the scenery is exceptional.
To get to the dock you have to hike from the main coastal road 3 km each way. I did... But the sailing was cancelled due to the bad weather - visibility was poor and it was raining from time to time. Bad luck! Maybe because it is Friday the 13th today :) I took instead the other short trail: to the Southeast Brook Fall - very interesting because the water is there sliding from the huge rock. You see this fall (about 70 m high) not from the bottom but from the top. Nice view!
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Jun 11, 2008 02:00 PM Back to New Foundland...
Since the public transport on New Foundland is so weak and rare the best idea to go around the island is to rent the car. Keep in mind that you can get quite good rental rates if you are renting car for the weekend through the internet... That's what I did. Fuel is expensive (1.44 CAD per litre so better book economy car).
But first - after landing in Lewisporte I was hitchhiking to the nearest rental agency. Unfortunately there are only few of them: in the airports and in the big towns. The nearest one after leaving the ship was in the Gander airport. I was hitchiking there. Then I got a car for 35 CAD per day and turned to the west. Thans Canada Highway is just regular road. It was raining... On the route I stopped for half an hour at 800-feet high Rattles Brook Waterfall. There is easy 500-m walk to the fall from the road and thy built great view point so you can apprecciate the beauty of the nature. I was lucky anyway - the rain stopped for half an hour so there was not reason to protect my cameras. In the late afternoon I reached Gross Morne National Park. There is no public transport in the park again so without the car it is very difficult to move around. Let's hope that tomorrow the weather will be better - I plan to visit the highlights of the park - the real gem on New Foundland...
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Jun 10, 2008 02:00 PM Waves, fogg, icebergs...
Day at sea. After few clear morning hours (new icebergs on the course!) the sea (in fact - the Atlantic Ocean) got rough. Big waves, it was not possible to see anything through the thick fogg... The ship was whistling every two or three minutes. Passengers were not happy. No TV on the ship but you can watch movies from DVD. But today very few people came to watch them... Hard day and a hard, whistling night...
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Jun 09, 2008 02:00 PM Unknown Labrador
Planing this voyage I didn't know that it is possible to sail further north then Goose Bay. Labrador is still unknown... So let you know: from Goose Bay you can sail along the coast to the little settlements on the shore - as far as Nain. This places are even more interesting then Goose Bay: there are Moravian mission churches, people say that there is possible to see more folklore then in Goose Bay or North West River. There is only one ship sailing this route from Goose Bay - "Northern Ranger". Round trip takes like 6 days... The problem is that first sailings in June depend on the ice conditions. I saw here "Northern Ranger" - the ship should depart yesterday but the sailing was cancelled. So coming here with the intention to go north you must be flexible and ready to wait few days. Why do not sail later? Well, if you like all this Arctic flies and mosquitoes(remember them from Alaska?) you can come in July or August. In June here is very few of them, that's why I am here now... Clothes are drying on the string after our waterfall expedition, I hope they will be dry before 4 pm - at this time I am embarking again "Bond" fot the return trip to New Foundland...
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Jun 08, 2008 02:00 PM How to get to Muskrat Fall?
Hazy and rainy day... The only road that goes to the interior of Labrador is a gravel Trans Labrador Highway. Muskrat Fall on the Grand River is located on the way... Tourist info in Goose Bay has very limited info on the fall. We passed the sign " Next facilities 294 km away in Churchill" and drove on the gravel 26 km or so. Then there were the only sign showing direction to the other gravel road - left. After some 5 km we reached the view point over the river with some icebergs down there and the snowfields. No other signs... No waterfall...
We took the little path down. 20 min later on the bank of the river we heared the roaring of the fall - but is was still some 500 m away. No path - we wre jumping on the wet boulders.
Got it! Muskrat Fall is only 15 m high but very powerfull... Well worth the trip. But shame on you - locat authorities - the little path is almost non-existing, bolcked by the fallen trees and landslides... It was rainng when I was taking pictures. Bad luck... We were climbing wet bush in the rain to get back to the car parked at river lookout. We retuirned completly wet. Now we need at least a day to dry... Another adventure.... Take care if you will go there: no maps, no info, no signs...
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Jun 07, 2008 02:00 PM Goose Bay - Labrador
Goose Bay where we landed in the morning is one of few townships on Labrador. Only 7500 people live here. During Second War Americans built here the airbase and a settlement for the saff. Americans departed in the 70's, the settlement still exists. Just let you know: the dock where "Bond" in arriving is located far away from the town. It is 4 km fron the dock to the base and the another 7 km or so to the Happy Valley where most tourist facilities are. Negociate with somebody on a ferry to give you the lift to the town (that's what I did). Otherwise (it is to far to walk) you will pay for hefty taxi ride.
I stay in Davis Bed and Breakfast - they charge 60 CAD for twin room with bath and continental breakfast. The have electric heating so it is OK.
30 km from Happy Valley is located the little settlement of North West River - it is historical place with a museums and buildings from the perion of Hudson Bay Company - well worth to visit. No local transport - the best idea is to hitch or to rent a car (expensive again: 68 dollars per day!). Enjoy! You are in remote Labrador!
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Jun 06, 2008 02:00 PM Sunny day in Cartwright
Before sailing to Labrador "Sir Robert Bond" has 6-hours stopover in the little settlement of Cartwright. You can go ashore and to enjoy the silent life of this remote place...
There are gravel streets, two little churches and a new school. Sorry, no access to the internet... It is green already but there are still big fields of snow - on the level of the sea.
It is worth to climb the Base Hill overlooking Cartright and the bay for the beautiful view of the fiord-like bay and the little islands. It took me less then 1.5 hours to reach the summit where radio antennas are located.
More passengers embarked "Bond" here. In the evening we sailed back to the open ocean. Tomorrow I'll see Labrador!
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