24 July 2019, Wednesday
Yesterday was a day of intermittent rain, but it was not as rainy as Sunday. Much of the day is spent reviewing and revising our travel plans for the next two weeks to accommodate my cast. The tarp hang is excellent and allows us to cook breakfast and supper in camp despite the rain.
As we drive towards Charlottetown, PEI we will be passing directly by Hopewell Rocks, also known as Flowerpot Rocks or just ”the rocks.” The weather is fair and it will be low tide as we pass, a perfect opportunity to stop in for a visit. The flowerpots are sea stacks, eroded portions of the sea cliffs separated from the mainland. They have trees growing on top which make them look like flower pots. At low tide one can walk on the ocean floor around their base. At high tide they become off shore islands around which people kayak. O and I are directed through a large parking area after O explains about my broken ankle to one of the parking attendants. We are directed to drive up front to the road leading to handicapped parking. At that kiosk, however, O is told he should purchase entry passes and park the car in regular parking. He is given free shuttle tokens so we can ride down to the viewing platform on a shuttle. (Non-handicapped people can also ride the shuttle for $2 per ride.)
I wait by the gate as O parks Vincent. Then I hobble over to the shuttle station with O. The shuttles run quickly and efficiently and we are soon at the viewing deck. The park interpreter tells us there is a road and ramp with a gentle slope leading down to the beach, but she is not sure how I will do on the beach with crutches. After viewing the flower pots from above, I decide I’d like to give the beach a try. The 0.4 km walk down the ramp seems a lot longer than it is. I finally make it down to the wooden ramp leading to the beach and then carefully make my way along the gravel and rocks. This surface is pretty stable, but I forgo hobbling all the way to the stacks as I would have to cross muddy ground to do so.
While O and I are taking photographs and admiring the flowerpots and the red hue of the low tide waters of the upper end of the Bay of Fundy, the interpretive guide catches up with us. She is full of information. The bay appears red because of all the iron in the sand and mud. The sea cliffs are composed of easily eroded conglomerate which is, in turn, composed of glacial till. She also explains that many of the place names here are English corruptions of French words. The name Fundy is a mispronunciation of Fundu, a French word meaning “split” because the Bay of Fundy divides into two arms at its head. This part of New Brunswick is called Shepody, yet another corruption of the French expression “Chapeau Dieu!” or Head (or hat) of God. The original French explorers were said to have exclaimed, “Chapeau Dieu! How beautiful is this land!”
While we are chatting, I jokingly wonder if I can make it back up the ramp before high tide. The guide assures me I have three hours. Back up the ramp I go, to the road leading up to the shuttle circle. As I hobble up the hill in the sun, two maintenance workers drive towards us on an ATV. The driver observes that I look tired so he drops off his partner and gives me a lift the rest of the way up the hill. I thank him and wait in the shade as O catches up. We return on the shuttle to the parking area, and O goes off to retrieve Vincent. We are soon back on the road to PEI.
Although we seem to have plenty of time to get to PEI by 6 pm, the going is at times slow due to either farm machinery on the road or construction. We finally arrive at Confederation Bridge, a graceful construction that spans the Northumberland Strait between New Brunswick and PEI. The bridge is 8 km long and is the longest bridge in the world over ice covered water. It was completed in 1997 at a cost of about 1.5 billion dollars.
PEI looks just as I envisioned it – rolling hills of multiple shades of green, bright flowers, scattered houses and small towns. We reach the Shipwright Inn just as Jason, our host, is about to leave for the day. I had called ahead to tell him we were running late and he had given me instructions as to where to find the key. He greets us and waits for me to hop my way across the lawn of the Inn as O parks Vincent.
Jason is from China. He chose Jason as his English name because the J sound is as close as he could come to the ‘Zh’ sound of his real name. Jason is very friendly and asks about my leg. I retell the story. He informs me that in China it is believed that if you break a bone you will have subsequent good luck. He looks thoughtful as he explains our room is on the second floor, stairs required. “Nevermind,” he says, “I will upgrade you to a first floor room at no charge.” I laugh and tell him my good luck is already beginning. He walks us past the sitting and dining areas of the inn to the Quarter Deck, a beautifully appointed room with a king sized bed, a hot tub and even a handicapped shower. We are directed to Dundee Arms for dinner as it is a short hobble across the street. Here we have a delightful dinner after which we return to our room. O reads while I upload more blog on the refreshingly fast wifi.
