Haida Gwaii and kayaking!
July 16th, 2009We arrived on Haida Gwaii last night, Wednesday, July 15th. We had a beautiful trip on the long ferry ride over from Prince Rupert to Skidegate. We departed at approximately 1 pm, and we arrived just after 7 pm. We went shopping in the morning and got some groceries to bring for our kayaking trip (you can’t get everything on Haida Gwaii, or so we thought-there is a health food store that’s amazing, it had everything we needed). We bought extra food to eat during the day. Ferry food tends to be fast food, and I cannot eat that, and I just don’t like it…guess I’m a food snob.
We had an amazing day, both napping and being awake and eating and getting excited about being on Haida Gwaii! We were especially giddy as we approached the dock and were waiting for the doors to open!
I didn’t let my cousin Christopher and his partner Bonnie know we were planning on staying with them, or when we were getting here…that was my job, and I just kept forgetting to call them…so we showed up at their door in our taxi with the most amount of luggage anyone has seen! Most of this luggage is our bicycle and our folding kayak (which is in two big duffle bags). The Haida word for this type of behaviour is hunch-ee-ga (nervy). Like I’ve got some nerve doing that!
We were trying to make arrangements for a Haida tour operator to drop us off in Rose Harbour, or as close to Sgun Gwaii/Ninstints as possible. No luck there, so we just found a list and started calling people. We found a tour operator who has room on their boat tomorrow morning at 7 am, on the Sandspit side, or on the Moresby side of Haida Gwaii. We might just get up early and get there, or we might leave by the smaller ferry to get across tonight and camp over there so we can be there promptly. Kevin is sure we can get up and get there on the first crossing, so we’ll likely do that.
It’s been so amazing just being here again. We keep saying that over and over again. I love the ocean, and the beaches..my people!
We had an incredible lunch today at Queen B’s, Bonnie’s cafe, complete with dessert and Royal Early Gray tea for me…mmmmm….
Yep, it’s all about eating for me!
Neither of us will be near any computers, there is no world wide web in Gwaii Haanas, so we won’t get to update until two weeks pass at least.
It’s too bad, there are so many things happening here. Tonight is the launch of a cd box set of ancient Haida Songs at the museum in Skidegate. We’re in Queen Charlotte City, but it’s close enough for us to ride our tandem bicycle to. Tomorrow night is the opening of a display of weavers and weaving as well…we’ll miss that, but the display might still be up when we get back and out of our kayak.
Take care all!
