Archives for August 2019

Exploring Newfoundland’s West Coast: Western Brook Pond Boat Tour

August 29, 2019 | Leave a Comment

This post is a long time coming! On Canada Day Weekend (yup, months ago) my friends and I took a road trip to the west coast of Newfoundland. We mostly just chilled in the RV, played lawn games, and had some drinks, but we did find the energy to venture up to Western Brook Pond to do the boat tour through the world-famous, breathtaking fjords. I was slightly under-prepared so, unfortunately, the photos are only iPhone photos!

We booked our tour through BonTours, which is the only tour company operating in Western Brook Pond. It was about $65 per person and we did not have to make a deposit to book our tour in advance. I would definitely suggest you book the tour ahead of time as it can be quite busy in the summer.

To access the tour, you’ll need to walk about 3km from the parking lot to the dock. It’s a relatively easy walk and takes about 30-45 minutes depending on your fitness level. I suggest bringing a bottle of water and a snack as the food at the tour facility is quite pricey.

The boat tour was fantastic. It’s about two hours long. We stood at the front of the boat the entire time so our views were fantastic. There is seating on top of the boat, at the back, and inside. The tour guide was great. He was friendly and informative. On the way back, he even played a few local tunes and everyone sang along.

There are so many remarkable facts about Western Brook Pond. What particularly stands out in my mind are the tales of huge chunks of the cliffs falling into the water, once even causing a 100-foot tsunami. The pond also carries extremely low levels of electrical charge compared to other bodies of water, meaning it is unable to support much marine life and therefore the water is pristine.

I know my pictures aren’t much. You might even be wondering after reading this post, “why would I bother going all that way for a boat tour in a little pond?”

Well, words and photos will NEVER demonstrate the magnitude of the fjords. To give you an idea, the CN Tower is 553 meters tall, and the tallest rock face in Western Brook Pond is 600 meters. It’ll blow your mind!

Have you been to Western Brook Pond? My goal is to snowmobile it next, and hopefully hike it someday. Let us know what you thought of the experience in the comments below or by reaching out on social media, @twowildtides!

Check out our other adventures on the west coast of Newfoundland:

The Trek of My Life: Day 4

August 26, 2019 | Leave a Comment

Day 4 started early as always. I devoured a protein bar and we headed off in the early hours of the morning. We were all a little excited because today was supposed to be a little easier (whatever that means). We came to realize that 2 more hours often meant 4 and easier was not necessarily a great descriptor. But we loved it!

We hiked for hours and hours today, chatting along the way. We reached our first Machu Picchu check point where we had to leave our names and passport information. Records of who was on the trail were etched in giant books on the worker’s desk. Then after a quick coffee tasting we were off. Our morning was quite challenging all uphill terrain which was very steep. We saw some beautiful ruins and had great views of the mountains. We were drenched in sweat by the time we reached our lunch stop and the meal was delicious. There was cold juice with our lunch, a rare treat on our last few days of trekking. We devoured it.

The afternoon was all downhill and quite steep. I was grateful for my poles which took some of the impact off of my knees. It was always faster going down because although it was hard on the joints we didn’t need to take rest stops. This made the time pass quickly and allowed us the opportunity to have conversation; something that wasn’t always possible on the way up. By mid afternoon we reached the train station where you could hop on or choose to continue hiking to Aguas Caliente. Stubborn we all were – no one took the train. We were a group of very determined individuals who were not going to quit. Let me tell you walking into Aguas Caliente was a sigh of relief, a real feeling of accomplishment.

That night we all had dinner and then went to our hostel to fight over the hot water for a shower. Then we all headed to explore the quaint little town, take in one of their festivals and get some grub.

It wasn’t long before we were sound asleep dreaming of Machu Picchu.

Hi from the morning protein bar pit stop!

Keep reading: Day 5.

St. Pierre & Miquelon: What To Do and What To See

August 22, 2019 | Leave a Comment

St. Pierre & Miquelon is a fascinating place. It is a slice of France off the continent of North America. More precisely, it is an archipelago (a group of islands), about 20 km off the southern coast of Newfoundland. St. Pierre is the smaller, more densely populated island, while Miquelon and Langlade are larger, more sparsely populated islands. St. Pierre and Miquelon can be reached by plane or ferry. Unfortunately, I didn’t make it out to Miquelon or Langlade on my trip there, so it’s on the list for next time. Keep reading to find out some of the best sites and attractions in St. Pierre that you won’t want to miss!

First thing’s first: grab a tourist map. The small ones offered by the tourism office are ideal (you can grab them on the ferry)– they helped us get around the island, find where to eat and grab a drink, and they have a handy list of all the popular historical sites, monuments, and museums.

The must-sees:

The Graveyard — St. Pierre’s Graveyard is rich with history and fascinating to stroll through. Some of the graves, most of which are above-ground, are quite unique and unusual. Learn the stories of the people who lived in St. Pierre and the tragedies that sometimes cost them their lives. The operation of the graveyard itself is also interesting to learn about, especially the events that caused the entire cemetary to be relocated several times. Be respectful and ask lots of questions.

War Memorials — St. Pierre has quite a few war memorials and monuments due to the many battles, revolutions, and wars France was part of throughout history. St. Pierre’s geographical distance did not immunize them from often being conscripted to fight and defend their country.

Point aux Canons Lighthouse & Fishing Village — Only a couple-minute stroll from the town centre, the lighthouse is worth wandering out to. Also, take a walk through the colourful fishing port and chat with locals about the island’s fishing heritage. Perhaps a good activity to do while you drink your morning coffee?

Arche Museum — Even if you’re not a museum person, I would still recommend checking this one out. It recounts the entire history of the island on easy-to-read interpretation boards and has the coolest artifacts to look at. You’ll even find a real guillotine on display– it really gave me the creeps. The architecture of the museum itself is very interesting. Don’t miss reading about the prohibition history and Al Capone’s role!

Strolling the streets of St. Pierre — This community is absolutely beautiful and for Newfoundlander’s, so reminiscent of home. Have a stroll through the narrow streets of St. Pierre and soak up the vibrant colours, unique shops, and foreign cars. Stop into a patisserie for a delicious snack and wander into the church– you’ll be surprised by the rough contrast of fine architecture and dilapidation.

Frenchi’s — I highly recommend booking Frenchi’s Tours in order to see the sights outside of the town centre. Steve, the main tour guide, was so friendly, knowledgeable, and absolutely hilarious. He spoke great English and could answer all of the questions we had about St. Pierre & Miquelon– and we had lots. We booked the ‘Island Tour’ which took us to all of the breathtaking viewpoints on the eastern side of the island.

You also HAVE to check out l’île aux Marins. Roughly translated to Mariner’s Island, this tiny island was once home to around 600 people. Today, the only inhabitants left are people with cabins and summer homes. On the island, you’ll find the immaculate remains of this community which have been transformed into interactive exhibits where visitors can roam free in and out of the buildings. Read all about it here!

Where to grab a drink and a bite to eat:

The restaurants we loved were Les Délices de Joséphine for coffee and lunch; Les P’tits Graviers and Le Feu de Braise for supper; and Crêperie du Vieux Port was our favourite because they had amazing French and Canadian food and unforgettable traditional crêpes.

We stopped by a few bars, but our absolute favourite was Le Rustique. It had the coolest vibes and it was definitely the busiest.

Let us know what you get up to on your trip to St. Pierre and Miquelon! What was your favourite thing to do or see there? What did we miss? Was there anything you’d do differently? Let us know by commenting below or commenting on our social media, @twowildtides!

Still planning your trip to St. Pierre and Miquelon? Check out our other article: Know Before You Go.

St. Pierre and Miquelon: L’Île-aux-Marins

August 19, 2019 | Leave a Comment

St. Pierre & Miquelon is a fascinating place. It is a slice of France off the continent of North America. More precisely, it is an archipelago (a group of islands), about 20 km off the southern coast of Newfoundland. St. Pierre is the smaller, more densely populated island, while Miquelon and Langlade are larger, more sparsely populated islands. St. Pierre and Miquelon can be reached by plane or ferry. When you arrive on the islands, particularly if you’re coming from Newfoundland, it won’t look that different. The architecture is similar and the rocky, jagged coastline is identical.

Part of the archipelago is L’Île-aux-Marins. Roughly translated to Mariner’s Island, L’Île-aux-Marins is a tiny island that was once inhabited by over 600 people. Today, the only inhabitants left are people with summer homes and cabins who visit the island from St. Pierre or elsewhere. On the island, you’ll find the immaculate remains of this community which have been transformed into interactive exhibits where visitors can roam free in and out of the buildings. It’ll honestly blow you away. It is so worth the trip and I highly recommend grabbing the little ferry out to the island if you ever find yourself in St. Pierre.

The small ferry leaves from St. Pierre (right next to the ferry terminal) several times per day and only costs a couple of dollars. Get there about half hour early to get yourself at the front of the line as sometimes they have to make two trips across if there are a lot of people.

When the ferry docks, you’ll see several buildings and paths. My suggestion is to choose a path that intrigues you and start walking. It’s a small island so you won’t miss anything and you won’t get lost. When standing on the wharf facing the island, to the right is the majority of the community that is now turned into heritage exhibits; to the left is mostly private summer homes and cabins, but there are a couple of sights down there you won’t want to miss, such as an old store house with an excellent collection of antiques and the remains of the shipwrecked Transpacific.

This place is honestly so fascinating. It was a commune until 1945 and had virtually no population by 1965. Now, it is essentially a ghost town that is FREE for you to wander. No worries of trespassing or getting caught. They want you to stroll the island, explore the buildings, and learn about the history. Stop and read the interpretive signs because they are chalked full of information and random facts that will surprise you.

The School / Archipélitude Museum

The Church — This was my favourite part. It was so eerie and desolate. We were blown away by the incredible European architecture and intricate religious items plopped on this tiny, ragged island in the North Atlantic Ocean. It was so unexpected.

The Cemetery

The Shop / Fisherman’s Home

The Jézéquel House is an old home that has been transformed into a sweet café with desserts and hot and cold drinks. Unfortunately we didn’t get to enjoy any sweets as we had to catch the ferry. Hopefully you’ll have more time to check it out!

On Airbnb or the St. Pierre tourism website, you can also find overnight accommodations on L’Île-aux-Marins in one of two old homes. We wish we had known this was an option before we planned our trip because staying on L’Île-aux-Marins would be such a cool experience! Let us know if you decide to stay out there all night– we’d love to hear your story.

Have you been to L’Île-aux-Marins? Did you like it? Let us know your thoughts in the comments or by reaching out on social media, @twowildtides! We love hearing from our awesome readers.

The Trek of My Life: Day 3

August 8, 2019 | 1 Comment

We started hiking this morning before sunrise as usual. The cold Peruvian winter air in the mountains is a very real thing. Those early mornings before the sun rose consisted of coca tea and many layers of clothing.

Today marked our entrance into the jungle which provided us with hot temperatures, a lot of sunshine and a few drops of rain. The scenery was beautiful and I could feel the oxygen rushing into my lungs as we quickly became surrounded by the lush jungle. The scenery was much different to the previous day which consisted mostly of rocks, snow, ice and very little plant life. Today, however, the plants and trees were abundant. I felt much better.

Day 3 was our shortest day of trekking by far as we made it to basecamp before lunch. Our muscles were in full aching mode by now and the raw blisters scattered over my feet made me feel like Reese Witherspoon in Wild. We were truly pushing ourselves to our limits. Our group collectively agreed that you get to this point where it’s all in your head. It’s a complete mind game and it’s all about putting one foot in front of the other no matter how tired, sore, or hungry you get. It’s all about continuing to move forward. This day marked the half way point of our trek. The first thing we all did upon arrival to basecamp was take off our hiking boots, and sit in the grass, soaking up the luscious sunshine.

After lunch we were in for a treat. It was hot spring day! There was an option to head into the nearest town (by van, thank god) to visit the local hot springs. We were all over that! My boyfriend and I were so excited to have a chance to rest our muscles and treat our bodies to some well deserved down time. When we arrived there were only a handful of people there. After a quick cold shower, we headed for the pools. There were a couple warm pools and one hot one. We alternated back and forth and enjoyed the mountainous scenery. We stayed in those pools for a few hours and when we got out we definitely noticed a difference. It really helped my knees and gave them a little break.

On our way back from the hot springs, our van broke down and our guide was on the hunt for some Inca tequila for us to try that evening. After driving on the steep cliff sides, through a couple of streams and down the narrow roads we made it back to basecamp. We were always eager to unwind after a long day of hiking and the Inca tequila really helped. It was basically moonshine and we were told the best way to drink it was to add it to your hot tea with a bit of sugar. Sure enough, it was delicious. After dinner this evening we all socialized around the table and later on at a campfire. And then it was bedtime.