15.09.2012 – 15.09.2012  21 °C

Before I start today’s blog I had to put in this note. I titled today’s blog Phenomenon, and immediately I started humming the Muppet Mahna Mahna song.. Too funny! :).. If you want to have a laugh check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wM89T74MPnE

First day of being out on the road! I drove almost directly across the peninsula from Halifax over to the Bay of Fundy where I spent the remainder of my day driving around the edges to Truro.

It actually took me quite a while to get myself out of Halifax! Firstly, I went hunting a major shopping mall to find some bits and pieces that I needed. I had driven past the shops the day previous so I thought I’d be able to find it easily… Not so! 30 odd minutes later and two attempts at using the Sat Nav and I finally found a mall worthy of talking about.

My main goals in my shopping trip today were to buy a small thermos and small fridge bag (both of which I’ve worked out a pretty necessary when you are travelling around in a car). Almost an hour later I finally left the grocery store with most of my shopping list complete. I also found myself a Sears outlet store and couldn’t help myself but go and have a look.. They had plenty of good quality clothing but nothing that I really needed so after wandering around for a while I exited to try out one other store that Sara had recommended. She told me to go and see what Winners had in their store. Winners, is like an outlet store but it stocks clothing from most boutique shops, so plenty of random, but high end clothing. I couldn’t help but buy myself another long sleeved shirt (which I will more than likely wear here in NS, it’s getting chillier every day—well that’s how I justified the purchase to myself anyhow!) and another t-shirt (which I’ve now worked out I don’t need and was a complete waste of money). The problem I have here in the States and Canada is that clothing (and good stuff not Big W style clothing) is SO cheap, so you can’t help but buy one more shirt or one more jumper or…….

Well over an hour and half later I finally hit the road for the Bay of Fundy (by now it was nearly edging lunchtime, so half of my day has been wasted here in Halifax!) The drive across the peninsula wasn’t very exciting. This part of Nova Scotia is covered in farms and small villages and it took me longer than I thought to get over to the Bay. The Bay of Fundy is one of the “must see” areas according to my LP so here I am over on the Bay. It is a must see because of the phenomenal changes in the tide height. Apparently at low tide you can walk half way out into the bay!! Finger’s crossed I can see that phenomenon. I couldn’t really get a straight answer from anyone as to why the tides are so dramatic here in the Bay so I’ve turned to my trusty helper, Google for a response. If you are interested in why the tides are so big (and for the record, the largest tidal change ever recorded anywhere in the world occurred here in the bay at a staggering 17m!) have a quick look at this website which seems to explain the phenomenon.. http://www.therocks.ca/science/hightides.html

The Bay itself, isn’t really the prettiest I’ve ever seen. For starters the bay is a silted bay, so the water is actually a deep red colour. Really not that pretty. The colour of the rocks and the silt though is pretty impressive.. Deep ruby red rocks line the coast of the Bay of Fundy. You can just imagine the colour that this dirt would dye a shirt… And guess what? I’m going to discover that tomorrow when I head out on the Bay to do some tidal rafting!! (But I’m getting a little ahead of myself).

Ok, so lunch today was at the first stop off area I could find. I’ve been sticking with our trip philosophy that when you find a table and chairs you use it whether you are hungry or not! It seems to be more an issue with bathrooms though, because I swear I’ve driven for half of the day today and seen no public amenities…. By the time my lunch break was over, I had donned my jumper and rain jacket to keep myself warm. (I guess my new long sleeved shirt is going to get some work). It’s amazing the changes in the weather and temp here… Yesterday, sun was shining and the temp was mid twenties. Today, overcast, threatening rain, very windy and probably late teens!

By the time I got back in the car I decided that my next stop had to be to find a bathroom. Looking on the map at the rest area there was a lighthouse coming up on the Bay and it appeared to have amenities so that was my next stop. At the lighthouse I found not only a bathroom (thank heavens) but two gabby old ladies who wile away their days chatting to the random tourists who turn up to see their lighthouse. These two were a real laugh, both in their late seventies and neither of them had ever really been out of the province of Nova Scotia. Although they did hasten to tell me that they had been to New Brunswick once and the other had been on the ferry to PEI to visit a cousin. Too funny! They were in awe of the fact I was travelling around NS by myself. What I took away from the conversation was that these two wonderful old ladies are happy just sitting on the porch of the keeper’s cottage, crocheting their jumpers (or whatever they were making) and gabbing to the occasional tourist who pops in for a visit… I’m thinking it must be fairly irregularly though, if they are surprised to find me driving myself around the province?

Before I left their area, I had to go on a tour of the tiny lighthouse to please the old ducks (which is a very small one roomed building with a ladder up to the light) and I had to stop and write in their visitor book (M&D will know what I’m referring to here) as well as exclaim over their wonderful handicrafts that they were trying to sell to the luckless tourists. Fortunately, they took me for a uni student so didn’t try to pressure me into buying any of their useless nick nacks!

From the lighthouse I headed further around the bay towards Maitland. I made a stop in this town late in the afternoon to book myself in for a tidal rafting excursion for the following morning on the Shubenacadie River.. Absolutely can’t wait to get out on the Bay and ride the Bore!!!

I spent my evening in the larger town of Truro, actually down at the local Staples (the Nth American version of Officeworks) checking out the likelihood of me buying a waterproof camera for my tidal boring experience… I decided that although I’d love one, I really didn’t need it… I bet I’m going to be spewing tomorrow when I don’t have any shots of me going nuts on the river……….