OH CANADA: IN SEARCH OF WHALES AND ICEBERGS

Did we fail to mention that there is only one road around The Rock?  No matter which way you go there’s only one way around the island, and, if you wish, back.  Since we had to go back by Rocky Harbor to move on to Lewisporte and eventually Twillingate in search of whales and icebergs, the siren song of the Treasure Box (our breakfast place) was calling our name for a second visit.  Not that we minded another chance to visit with Joyce and Boyd!  Little did we know that we would get to meet Joyce’s family, her mum, da and 2 sisters who also happen to live in Rocky Harbor.  Such warm, open and lovely people.

Back on Trans Canadian Highway 1, we headed for Lewisporte.  We did observe a young moose whose antlers had not come in yet feeding on the side of the road, but we were convinced it was a tourist plant since we’re still not persuaded they exist in the numbers estimated despite all the signs warning “Attention” and “Moose in Road.”

It was a long ride but the accommodations in Lewisporte were stunning.  A beach-front all-suite motel and our room faced the water – Notre Dame Bay, we think.  We had a California king bed, a full kitchen, and a large garden tub to soak our road-weary bones. We knew about Twillingate and searching for whales and icebergs in the North Atlantic, but what’s one to do in Lewisporte?

Turns out the city has installed a wonderful two-mile boardwalk around the city’s lake.  Gotta get those 10,000 steps in now don’t we?  As we walked around the lake I decided to take a few snapshots of the flora.

We were all set to chase after whales and icebergs out of Twillingate with Captain Dave, but we had to wait a day due to rainy weather.  So what to do?  Ever heard of Gander, Nova Scotia?  How about 9/11?  Or, more recently, of a Broadway play?

Gander is the home of the North Atlantic Aviation Museum. The museum opened its doors in 1996, and it boasts a colorful history in the development of Trans-Atlantic aviation (flyers had to stop somewhere to re-fuel…why not Gander?).  It’s a terrific hands-on museum; kids of all ages and fans of WWII aviation (Tom Mohr) will appreciate Gander’s role as an important strategic air base.

 

We also learned about the vital role Gander played on September 11, 2001.  When the United States was attacked and all flights were canceled, Washington DC diverted 38 planes to Gander.  Why not Halifax?  The reason is pretty simple.  Gander’s runways could handle the jumbo jets; Halifax couldn’t.  Nearly 7000 air passengers arrived unexpectedly, nearly doubling the population of this small Canadian town on an island in the North Atlantic.   What did the people of Gander and the surrounding communities do?   They rallied their resources (people, food, blankets, shelters – some even opened their homes) to take care of the “come from aways” – the name Newfoundlanders give to anyone who is not from the island.  Passengers and crew from nearly 100 countries faced intense scrutiny as they passed through customs, but the people of Gander considered everyone a guest and welcomed them with open arms.  People were in Gander unexpectedly and needed help and the communities made room for them.  Some were in need of medical attention, and medical personnel and pharmacists worked around the clock to help.  Every school, gym, community center, church and camp opened their doors.  Volunteers organized donations of toiletries, clothes, toys, towels, toothbrushes, pillows, blankets and bedding.  Meals were cooked, kosher diets were accommodated, grocery store shelves went bare, including the local Walmart.  The ice hockey rink became the world’s largest refrigerator.  News of the generosity, hospitality and kindness of the communities and town of Gander went viral and were broadcast throughout the world.  Despite language barriers, cultural, religious, and racial differences, the residents entertained their guests with sightseeing adventures, music, and for some, hot showers in their private homes.  The passengers were so overwhelmed by the selfless acts of kindness and generosity.  Many offered to pay for all they had received, but the residents refused to accept any money.  We learned that thousands of dollars were later donated to Gander.  Here’s something else: if you try to thank someone from Gander for all they did to help in America’s darkest hour, the response you most often hear is “we still don’t know what all the fuss is about.”  The people of Gander are a shining example of humanity at its best.  We were incredibly touched by their compassionate story.

Here’s another example of the spirit and the people of Gander, Newfoundland.  The rain let up and we stopped at the monument commemorating the crash of the Arrow Air transport carrying 256 US enlisted and officers of the 191st Airborne out of Ft Campbell, Kentucky.  On December 12, 1985 and on the way back from Egypt on a peacekeeping mission, the plane fell from the sky soon after re-fueling and taking off in Gander; all men and women aboard perished. The monument is called Silent Witness Memorial, and it stands in honor of American service men and women – not Canadian, not UN, but US men and women.

The next morning we packed our bag and headed for our adventure with Captain Dave in Twillingate.  We figured that with the predicted highs on the mainland in the lower 40s (maybe?) and predictably colder temperatures on the water we had to dress for the North Atlantic.  Turns out that there were seven passengers aboard for this 2-hour tour (humming a little tune are you?).  We were all met by the gregarious Captain Dave and his wife Christine.  Dave may take you out on the water, but Christine runs the show.  She asked us to follow her into a heated basement where she doled out adult extreme weather gear: large puffy pants with suspenders, large puffy jackets, fur-lined Fudd hats and thick gloves. We may have all looked like little kids whose parents had dressed them for fun in the snow, but Christine made sure we were ready.  Once we were out on the water, we were grateful to have the extra layer of thick padding.

Captain Dave is an interesting character.  He has lived his whole life on the tickle, and he motors his small craft like anyone who has spent a lifetime on the sea.  He says what he thinks and he doesn’t care if he is politically correct (I am what I am!).  He is gregarious, quick with a story, easy to laugh, and he makes it a point to find out something about everyone that sets sail with him.

He also tells his story without excuse.  Turns out that Captain Dave decided that a fisherman’s life was not a way to support a family, so he attended university and returned to this, his home community to teach school.  Can you imagine 1 school for all grades?  He retired from teaching, and opened up his icebergs and whale tour business.

As we made our way out toward the ocean, we stopped at the nest of an Osprey atop a large free-standing rock.  The Osprey greeted us with alarm, fluttering her wings and making noises to assure we did not trespass where we were not wanted.  We went into a cove where we saw our first bald eagle of the day high atop a tree, standing watch a distance from its nest.

As we traversed the coast line, Dave pointed out places where friends and family had lived, and he described how houses are moved on the water from one location to another.

We encountered some of Dave’s neighbors and life-long friends.  Greetings and good-natured ribbing were exchanged as well as updates on lobsters caught, fish caught, and frost warnings for the area.  Because of yesterday’s storm, the iceberg had moved some 7 nautical miles from its last location and it was too far out into the Atlantic to chase.  However, we did see harbor seals, and a couple of whales as we sailed back into the harbor.

This was a unique experience unlike other boat tours we have done with larger, more commercial companies.  Here was an opportunity to be immersed in the daily life of someone who has spent his life on the sea; to watch him pull up one of his lobster traps and to find crabs and sea urchins and a lobster.  Because of Dave’s ability to touch each of us we had the chance to imagine what it takes to depend on the water, and to wonder how one survives in such a harsh, unpredictable and isolating corner of the world.  While we may not have gotten to see an iceberg out in the ocean, Captain Dave was determined not to disappoint us.  In his upright freezer in the basement of his home he has a chunk of iceberg for all his guests to see and touch!

Disappointing that we did not get to see an iceberg on the open ocean, but the trip to Gander and our adventure with Captain Dave made for a great stop on our journey on The Rock.

Barbara and Brian