the never ending land of Ontario
Well, all the rumours are true. Once you hit Ontario it
feels like forever until you come out the other side. I feel like the whole
time we were in a space time continuum, not sure where we really were, what day
it was, how many years we spent there. The prairies cop a lot of sass about how
boring it is to drive through them. Yes, after the 37th canola field
we were a bit over it, but Ontario should get a few slaps on the wrist.
Primarily for having the speed limit of 90 and sometimes 80!!!! The whole way
through, and of course like I said, it just takes forever to work through it.
Northern Ontario was raw, and oceanlike. Making us more hungry for when we finally get to smell the salt in the air. As soon as we passed the border of
Manitoba the landscape instantly changed and we were driving through rock faces
and had a few much-needed turns in the road. Our first stop was spent in Thunderbay,
which also tends to cop a bad rep. Although, we did get a special experience.
Rain has been the real obstacle on this trip. If we can set up before or in a
break of rain, we just have the issue of a rainy tent to sleep for a few
nights. When there is a downpour, we can’t really even sleep in the car because
we have to take everything out to set up the bed, leaving us with a car full of
damp things. When we got to Thunderbay it was one of those days, crazy torrential
downpour. So, we weighed up our options and found ourselves staying at “The
Sleeping Giant Homestay.” Gail, a
beautiful lady who runs it was so genuine and welcoming. We shared stories and
laughs over her homemade pancakes and coffee. She sent us out the door with our
bellies full and hearts warm. From there we went to Pukaskwa National Park.
Another thing I instantly noticed while entering Ontario was the amount of
reserves you pass by. On the way to this park you drive through one. We all
agreed this was our favorite park for your buck so far. Showers, Hikes directly
from your campsite as well as different beaches, and very peaceful and not over
concentrated like most National parks. This was the only park we have seen so
far that reflected the surrounding Aboriginal culture, and most people staying
there seemed to be from the area as well, all knowing each other and visiting
each others’ campsites. This was the first place our neighbours came by for a
chat too, just all in all such an exceptional place. I admit the reserve we
drove through was in your face with the desolation. After visiting the Museum
of Human Rights and listening to what the first people of Canada have to say
about the celebration of 150 years of confederation, it has often been on my
mind. One of the main things I wanted to show the Australians on this road trip
was the unique cultures, the different ways of life and how all the different
tribes adapted to different climates in Canada. I wanted it to be celebrated, and
when you see how poorly these people are living as you enter a government
funded park that boast's about celebrating that exact tribe... you can’t miss the cracks in the foundation.
The terry fox memorial in thunder bay. A national hero for good reason. The boys were impressed
All photos of the houses taken on the way into the reserve. I felt i had to put a visual component to help people feel the full weight of what i was trying to say.
Most our time spent in Northern Ontario was raw and quiet, we passed through Manitoulin Island. The largest freshwater island in the world, a special place which seems to have a lot of people who chose to live self sustainably. As well as 6 different reserves, whose cultures are celebrated especially the weekend after we visited where they host one of the biggest pow wow’s in Canada. We were very disappointed that we missed such a special opportunity. As soon as you left though it all changed, the ferry from the island to Tobermory proved to be the first difficulty. We tried boarding on a Thursday and had a hell of time doing so. The security said it doesn’t matter what day it is, they are always full and they always recommend reserving otherwise you could be waiting a whole day. We somehow got lucky and got through and onto the most visually appealing ferry. Painted with bright colours of aboriginal art."A one of a kind" I heard a driver tell a little boy asking him a million questions a minute. After that, all campsites and parks were booked solid. The first or last spot depending on which way you start on the Bruce Peninsula trail. It goes all the way down to Niagara making it a whopping 892km long hiking trail. Maybe something to add to the bucket list? It’s waters of the Georgian Bay coast were the most pristine, so comparable to the ocean with its crazy opal colour and crystal-clear water. After the long day leaving the island and the fiasco with the ferry we hiked down and couldn’t believe its beauty, we went back the next morning and was disappointed with the waves and storminess that wasn’t quite as enjoyable as the afternoon prior. The crashing waves was my shower that week and most people on the beach were judging my hygiene choices. After floating around in the cold, northern great lakes it was the opposite going south to the big cities. It hits you hard how dense the population is down in the south. One of the best parts of this trip has been meeting up with old friends along the way, I didn’t realize I had so many people to visit in so many different areas until we embarked. They make the places more special and the journey that much sweeter.
This was where we had our swim in Georgian Bay. ahhh best swim yet photo by yoshiko
Who knew Ontario had rattlesnakes? Ollie sure didn't as he almost stepped on this bad boy while pooping in the bush. It was interesting seeing Australians get so excited about a snake. photo by yoshiko
We visited London, Niagara, Hamilton, and of course Toronto. Niagara was what I feel like visiting the strip of Las Vegas feels like, all flashy and showy and offers prime people watching. We went on weekend and it was going off, it was so hot and there was so many people that we checked out the falls and got the heck out of there, straight to Lake Ontario and spent the rest of the day splashing around. Toronto, proved to be a bit more stressful than planned. We had a blast on the first day all experiencing our first Blue Jay’s game, most people left in the 7th inning some due to the heat but mostly because they all thought we were defeated. I bet they are all kicking themselves in the butt now because they missed Pierce getting a grand slam and taking home another win in the pocket, it was epic! We mostly ate in Chinatown, eating Vietnamese and dumplings, we mostly hung around Kensington and the St. Lawrence markets, most of the things we had planned were closed on the Monday we were there, something we didn’t think possible in Toronto but now I know always check that out while visiting, its more common then you think. While in Toronto Yoshi and I had our first couch surfing experience, we stayed with Ahbishek and Dill, two 23-year-old dudes who have moved here from Punjab, India. They were gracious hosts, offering us orange juice off a tray when we first went to meet them, which quickly changed to too many beers. They made us Dahl, we made them Nachos. It was great learning about them and their culture, we had a lot of questions to ask them since we want to visit India in the near future. The cities have been fun and challenging. It usually means sleeping in our Mazda which is more spacious and comfortable then you’d think, but still isn’t the best recipe for sleep. And when you’re road trippin’ sleep is so so necessary. We use so much more energy up just doing basic day to day life activities because its harder than usual. The amount of walking and planning is what leads to the stress and tiredness, I think nature is where we are supposed to be, and now that we have entered Quebec its time to put all the years of French education to the test, and our hiking shoes back on.
Really interesting , your remarks about our cultural differences are valid, seems as a nation we have alot to correct, but at the same time we should be proud to have progressed as far as we have. Keep up the enjoyment , fine writing along with the beautiful photos.
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