Really poor internet here so things are backing up:
Written at 11:30 pm July 2
Just a quick note because it is late and I have no internet connection.
First let me just say that the Sawyard Canada Day parade was great. Close to the water with a great view of the mountains. There was a brisk wind blowing the flags it was beautiful. It seemed like the whole community was out to kick up their heels. There was a live band, a bouncing castle for the kids and hot dogs for everyone. Karen, Evan, Holly and I went. There were a couple of old cars that would have made Vincent jealous so we left him at home. The whole event had a relaxed, homey feeling.
This morning I left Karen’s headed for Port McNeil, Alert Bay and Sointula. It was going to be another two ferry day. I left Karen’s almost too late and so I was in a rush to catch the 11:30 ferry. Thank heavens it was an 11:35 ferry or I would have missed it. I was really impressed by the two lane,’scenic’ road with a 1oo km speed limit sign on it. I never like pushing Vincent much over 100 km on the big freeways so to get up to that speed on these narrow roads was hard. Once I got there though, I liked it. The curves were there but they seemed to be banked just right to maintain a good speed. My only problem was getting behind slow people. There were not too many passing lanes. I did manage though. I might become a good driver yet.
burial ground in Alert Bay
Since I got to Port McNeil so late for the ferry, I didn’t have much time to look around. Hopefully I will get to that when I head back. Then off to Alert Bay. There were only 12 vehicles on that one. Wow! We had lots of room around us. The ride was only about half an hour and then I pulled onto the shore. I was in the info centre when I realized that I had made a mistake. Alert Bay is not a place to visit for 3 hours in an afternoon. I could have stayed for days. I spent about 45 minutes speaking to the woman at the info centre about her heritage, the residential school days and how it affected her parents and those around her as she was growing up. She spoke about programs for healing and how her community and the white community interact. I could have talked to her all day. Then I had to choose between going to the Cultural Centre/museum or to the community traditional dancing. I chose the cultural centre. Much of it centered on the law that banned Potlatches and the implications that it had on the community. I could have spent hours more in there looking at masks sacred artifacts that were removed after an ‘illegal’ potlatch in 1919. An other focus of the Centre is the reclaiming of culture and language especially since the things that were taken were returned to the community by the Museum of Man in Ottawa in the 1980’s. At that time the cultural centre was built and the returned items were given places of honour.
I tore myself away just in time to catch the ferry. On the way back I saw a woman walking along the road. I knew she had to catch the ferry so I stopped and picked her up. Laura is cycling from Oregon to Inuvik. I actually remembered passing her on the road from Campbell River on my way to Karen’s and then again today on my way to the ferry. I can remember thinking at the time that a person must be crazy to peddle through the mountains alone like that. The hills are extreme and many of the roads are very narrow. Well, she didn’t seem at all crazy. We spent a pleasant hour talking. Just before the ferry arrived in Port McNeil the captain came on the PA system and announced a whale siting. We all ran to the windows and eventually saw it in the distance blowing a spray of water in the air as it came up to the surface. It was too far away to really identify. If he hadn’t mentioned it, I wouldn’t have even noticed. My first whale.
The ferry to Sointula was the same one that I took from Alert Bay. I had to drive off, swing around the booth and drive on again. Funny set up but it works. It goes from Port McNeil to Alert Bay, then back to Port McNeil, then to Sointula, then back to Port McNeil where it starts the whole loop over again. It was sure had to figure out the schedule but it is diagramed in the brochure and once I understood the concept, I was able to work it out.
In Sointula I met Jane a good friend of Karen’s. We talked for a while and then she took me on a tour of the Island. On our way we met her friend John who gave us some locally smoked for dinner. Ummmmm. Thanks John. We came home and had a feast. It was slightly sweet a bit salty,exceptional.
Sointula resident - check out the boots
After dinner I had to walk out to the van and startled a deer by the porch. She jumped back but stayed close and watched me. Jane puts food out for them and so she was not really too fearful. She just wated til I moved out of the way before coming back. I could almost touch her. I would have taken out my camera but it was dusk and I wasn’t sure how well I would be able to capture her. She was just as happy not being flashed by me.
Off to bed.
Recent Comments