Canada - Haida Gwaii
Door: Marielle
Blijf op de hoogte en volg Marielle
08 September 2018 | Canada, Haida Gwaii
At 7:30 in the morning John picks me up with his taxi and brings me to the ferry which only leaves at 10:00, however it is required to report 2 hours before departure... what happens if you are late? I have no clue... It is a huge ferry with only few passengers. The sun is shining which is not very usual in the most rainy part of Canada, so I am very lucky! I also see whales (finally :-)) and dolphins in the far distance. On the ferry I meet Leann and Will from Prince George. We have a nice conversation about prisons and lumberjackers and I ask them for a ride to Queen Charlotte (there is no public transport in Haida Gwaii).They are happy to help me out and even change their route to accomodate me. So very kind! It is a cosy ride on the back seat with their dog :-) Premier Creek Lodging is run by Lenore and her husband Peter and I receive a warm welcome. Lenore advises to not only stay in Queen Charlotte but also visit Port Clements and stay at Budgies, the hostel of Alan. When I meet Leann and Will again at the tourist office in Queen Charlotte they immediately offer to give me a ride the next day. It is not possible to make dinner myself that night so I end up in the local pub and eat at the bar where I meet Erica from Prince George who is also traveling alone. It is incredible how many people you meet when traveling alone, all the personal stories and recognition in these stories keep amazing me.
The drive of 50 km to Port Clements is beautiful! Port Clements is a very small town, the hostel of Alan is unique and Alan is very laid back. I make a short hike without real direction but end up at the pier where fisherman are trying to catch salmon which are on their way to go up the Yakoun River. You can see them jumping from the water. I walk the path down the ocean and find the end of the river where big dead trees give a specific picture. Luckily there is a supermarket underneath the hostel which provides the opportunity to do some expensive grocery shopping. Dinner consists of spinach, baked potatoes and sausages... The next day I take it easy, I need a day off from traveling ;-)
To go back to Queen Charlotte it is required to hitchhike for the first time in my life. Cliff (72, English teacher in Taiwan) is a very experienced hitchhiker and teaches me the tricks and what to look for. We hitchhike back to Queen Charlotte in one go with Cody and already at 8:30 we are back at the Premier Creek Lodge. Also Lenore is surprised to see us back so early. We head out quickly again to try to catch a ferry to Sandspit and get a lift from Phil (who, we later discover, also stays at the Premier Creek Lodge). We are too late for the ferry and continue to the Museum describing the Haida Gwaii culture. Very interesting and the totempoles are excellent for photographing. Afterwards we continue to the balancing rock. I really start to like hitchhiking :-) After having drinks with Phil later that day, I discover my crown is loose. In shock I push it back but it will need to be repaired as soon as possible...
Phil is on the same ferry to Prince Rupert as Cliff and me, so we are very lucky to have a ride from the hostel. Cliff offers me to use his phone to call a dentist, but all dentists reply in the same manner: first opening in October and put me on a waiting list. This is not good.... At 18:00 I give up and decide to continue my quest the next day. It is nice to be back in the Pioneer Hostel and after having bought some fresh groceries I eat very carefully on the right side.
I wake up early and call the hospital since they are used to emergencies. They cannot do much except providing painkillers and antibiotics. Luckily I do not need these yet. They do advise to call Dr. Redman and here I am invited to come in at noon. I am extremely happy! I arrive nervously but Dr. Redman is very calm and eases me down very quickly. The anaesthetics make sure I do not feel a thing. In one hour he fixes the damaged crown but cannot give any guarantees it will last for one year... fingers crossed! He also does not charge me a lot, only 193 Canadian dollars. I am a fan of Dr. Redman! In the afternoon I make a nice hike in Prince Rupert with Alexander, a starving artist from Haida Gwaii, and go out for dinner (the first time in ages! What a treat :-)).
The last thing I want to visit in Prince Rupert is a former salmon cannery. With the bus it is only a 15 minute drive. The tour is very good and the harsh life of the workers is described in a lifely manner by the tour guide. While cleaning the salmon in cold water, the ladies would be standing in a tub with warm water to stay warm while at the same time feeding their babies...
The next day it is time to leave Canada and head up into Alaska. A new adventure awaits! I will continue my story on Alaska in a new blog, it is bedtime now :-)
Hasta luego!
The drive of 50 km to Port Clements is beautiful! Port Clements is a very small town, the hostel of Alan is unique and Alan is very laid back. I make a short hike without real direction but end up at the pier where fisherman are trying to catch salmon which are on their way to go up the Yakoun River. You can see them jumping from the water. I walk the path down the ocean and find the end of the river where big dead trees give a specific picture. Luckily there is a supermarket underneath the hostel which provides the opportunity to do some expensive grocery shopping. Dinner consists of spinach, baked potatoes and sausages... The next day I take it easy, I need a day off from traveling ;-)
To go back to Queen Charlotte it is required to hitchhike for the first time in my life. Cliff (72, English teacher in Taiwan) is a very experienced hitchhiker and teaches me the tricks and what to look for. We hitchhike back to Queen Charlotte in one go with Cody and already at 8:30 we are back at the Premier Creek Lodge. Also Lenore is surprised to see us back so early. We head out quickly again to try to catch a ferry to Sandspit and get a lift from Phil (who, we later discover, also stays at the Premier Creek Lodge). We are too late for the ferry and continue to the Museum describing the Haida Gwaii culture. Very interesting and the totempoles are excellent for photographing. Afterwards we continue to the balancing rock. I really start to like hitchhiking :-) After having drinks with Phil later that day, I discover my crown is loose. In shock I push it back but it will need to be repaired as soon as possible...
Phil is on the same ferry to Prince Rupert as Cliff and me, so we are very lucky to have a ride from the hostel. Cliff offers me to use his phone to call a dentist, but all dentists reply in the same manner: first opening in October and put me on a waiting list. This is not good.... At 18:00 I give up and decide to continue my quest the next day. It is nice to be back in the Pioneer Hostel and after having bought some fresh groceries I eat very carefully on the right side.
I wake up early and call the hospital since they are used to emergencies. They cannot do much except providing painkillers and antibiotics. Luckily I do not need these yet. They do advise to call Dr. Redman and here I am invited to come in at noon. I am extremely happy! I arrive nervously but Dr. Redman is very calm and eases me down very quickly. The anaesthetics make sure I do not feel a thing. In one hour he fixes the damaged crown but cannot give any guarantees it will last for one year... fingers crossed! He also does not charge me a lot, only 193 Canadian dollars. I am a fan of Dr. Redman! In the afternoon I make a nice hike in Prince Rupert with Alexander, a starving artist from Haida Gwaii, and go out for dinner (the first time in ages! What a treat :-)).
The last thing I want to visit in Prince Rupert is a former salmon cannery. With the bus it is only a 15 minute drive. The tour is very good and the harsh life of the workers is described in a lifely manner by the tour guide. While cleaning the salmon in cold water, the ladies would be standing in a tub with warm water to stay warm while at the same time feeding their babies...
The next day it is time to leave Canada and head up into Alaska. A new adventure awaits! I will continue my story on Alaska in a new blog, it is bedtime now :-)
Hasta luego!
