The Mountain Pass

July 5, 2010

Finally we reached the Rocky Mountains and decided to stay a while. We set up camp in Banff National Park, with a prime view of a mountain Nick's father climbed in his younger days. From there we enjoyed day trips to beautiful spots in the park, such as Lake Louise, whose surreal blue water was almost unbelievable. We had fun chopping wood, playing catch, reading in the grass, and cooking over the fire. On that note - it's worth mentioning that meals were gourmet, ranging from tasty curries, to fancy pastas, to complicated salads. Dinner was no joke with Chef Shofield!

Afterwards we decided to take a dive south so we could hit the Crow's Nest Pass across the border into British Columbia. This way, not only could we take the beautiful windy road with the great views, but we could also drive right through the Okanagan Valley, where cherry and peach orchards were abundant, and beautiful vineyards lined the highway. There we stayed at a great campsite across from a beach and got to enjoy some lake swimming!

Like all good trips, this one came to an end at the beginning of July when John and I found ourselves finally in Prince George, British Columbia - the ultimate destination, not only for our trip, but for our lives for the next two years. We left our friends in Vancouver, where they attended a long-awaited wedding, and drove 10 hours north to start our Master's degrees at UNBC.

Sometimes no amount of words can wrap up a month-long journey across a country, but a couple short YouTube videos seem to do the trick. Made by Nick Schofield - the creative superstar who will never let us forget all the laughs and beautiful sights we shared together.

Adios Alberta

June 23, 2010

LAST CHANCE SALOON in Drumheller was said to be haunted, so naturally John, Nick, Andrea, and I checked it out and ended up having a drink and staying the night. In reality, the only thing that was haunted was possibly the owners and some of the locals - with thoughts of oil and money. Nevertheless, it was a jolly ol' time with quarter gallons of beer in a mason jar for only $5. Another M.E.C. stop in Calgary helped to complete my provincial patch collection. We were lucky enough to spend the night with my Uncle Joey and cousins. They put us up in their trailer and we fell asleep watching Fargo.

- The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion -
Albert Camus

- Many a boomerang does not return but chooses freedom instead -

 

Central in Canada

June 16, 2010

Three provinces later...

Winnipeg was small but had some hidden hotspots for the modern day hippy. A great M.E.C. took care of some outdoor needs and sent us in the direction of the 'Exchange District', where we found some great spaces to eat, relax, listen, and dessert! We camped in Foam Lake the next night, with a slogan like "Best place in the WORLD to live" who wouldn't?

The prairies were typically flat, but atypically green and lush! There was a 360° view of the horizon, and the purity of hues - yellow from the hay bales, blue from the water where it's been flooded, and green from the manicured grass - was my favourite part of central Canada. In Saskatoon we stayed with Andrea's oldest brother Paul, perused the Mendel Art Gallery, and cuddled up in an independent theatre to watch The Trotsky (starring the city we left, Montreal). Now we are in Alberta camping in the Dinosaur Provincial Park, where the most dinasaur fossils have been found in almost all the world! We enjoyed an educational bus trip around the park with a theatrical tour guide named Kate. We found actual dinosaur fossils, touched rock imprints of dinosaur skin, and saw a petrified log: a process of mineralization where all the molecules in the tree turn into rock. Our next stop is Drumheller, and then onto Calgary. Alberta and BC will have our most attention, but the other parts have captured our hearts as well.

- I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. They are so unlike your Christ -

Ghandi

Out of Ontario

June 20, 2010

Since Martin and Sue's cottage, we've camped at Berret River on the beach, swam in Lake Superior, slept near some falls in Thunder Bay, and tried to fix some car troubles in Dryden (coincidentally, the town two friends that I met in Mexico are from). Now Canada is beginning to "come together". To pass time in the car we've picked up some decks of Trivial Pursuit, attempted to recall all 50 States of the U.S.A., and listened to many old and new albums.

P.S. Today we met 4 boys traveling from Victoria, B.C. to Halifax on a four person tandem bicycle. They started on May 5th and expect to be out east by July 25th. They are on their 6th set of tires. Our encounter just proves the inevitable: however crazy you think what you are doing is, there is always someone doing something crazier.


- Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back -

- If you think education is expensive, try ignorance -

Road Trip - Crossing Canada

June 7, 2010

I am sitting on a dock in Sault Ste. Marie at Martin and Sue's camp. John, Andrea and Nick are walking through the forest, finding a good spot to dive into the lake. I've got a cold, but the fresh air and the warm sun are helping. We started our month-long road trip two days ago (which actually could have been yesterday, now that the days seem like weeks again).

I do know that the first night it rained, and I realized, for the first time, that I'm scared of the sound of rain hitting the tent. I'm sure there will be other discoveries like this along the way. For now I'm rediscovering what it feels like to be in my element - experiencing.

- A man can stand anything except a succession of ordinary days -

J.S. Von Gothe

A Return to BsAs, A Final Farewell

Just as I always return to the city after my adventures outdoors, we returned to BsAs for the last week of our journey.

Spending time with our Argentinian family was the last thing we were really looking forward to. Edgardo and Belen took us to a futbol game in La Boca, where pride and energy were in abundance. We took tango lessons with Belen down the street, and learned some sweet dance moves we're sure not to forget. We took Nico to a drum festival downtown and got to hear some sweet and crazy female vocalists jam with the bongos. We enjoyed a couple late night dinners in the "family only" kitchen of Aroaz, and even were driven to a newly bought apartment of theirs in order to look through a box of old and funny photos of the family.

Needless to say, when Edgardo was ready to drive us to the airport, we were not excited to go!

But alas, tans on our faces, souvenirs in the bag, and Fernet and Mate in the belly, we headed back to North America - back to the hard life.

Making Connections, Cordoba

Our last night spent traveling in the innards of Argentina was in Cordoba, Argentina's oldest city. For the first time in 3 months we found ourselves with a traveler's guide and so took to the churches and cathedrals, with detailed descriptions of each at our side. When we were done in the city we headed an hour East to a small town called Tanti, on a bit of a gamble, to meet (and hopefully stay with) Chofa's son, Eduardo.

We lucked out again ("When it rains, it stops") because Eduardo was a really kind host, and the three of us bonded over hikes, music, shredding corn, a failed lentil soup, and a night out on the town. In only a day and a half it was heart-wrenching to say goodbye.

I don't know how we did it all, but we did (and hopefully will do it again... and again).