It
turned out to be a very long and rainy day. When I came out of the homestay to
keep my things in the car I realised that it had rained possibly through the
night. It still was raining and the grey skies did not bode anything positive
on the weather for the rest of the day. I feasted on two types of cereals and
left the homestay, which had been comfortable. It was a big basement room, well
furnished and maintained. The only problem were the steps I had to take to the
basement. The owner of the homestay, a Chinese guy who looked like he stayed
alone in the large house, seemed a shy kind of person, who was not very open to
a prolonged conversation. Anyway, the stay had been alright and I was ready to
move to the last few provinces of Canada.
Prince
Edward Island (PEI) was not on the initial itinerary because I didn't know that
the charming province could be reached by the awesome Confederation Bridge. My
Aunt in Vancouver prodded me to change the itinerary and I am eternally
grateful to her for that. I reached the take-off to the bridge after about 90
km of driving. As I was nearing the approach of the bridge there was a sign
board that said that I would have to pay a toll of nearly C$50. I waited for
the toll booth to arrive, but I saw nothing that resembled one. I relaxed
behind the wheel to enjoy what I could of the bridge in the driving rain and
mist.
The Confederation Bridge is the longest bridge in the world over frozen
waters. The Northumberland Strait freezes in winter and was the main reason for
the 13 km, 62 span bridge to be built by 1997 in four years after many decades
of indecision. The 1.5 million vehicles that annually across the bridge every
year has justified the humongous investment. It costs C$47.75 for a two axle
vehicle in toll for a crossing. I considered my money wasted as the rains played
spoilsport and didn't give me an opportunity to enjoy the sights from the
bridge.
As
I neared the end of the bridge I saw a lighthouse to my right and decided to
take a detour to take a few pictures. The severe winds made mincemeat of the
umbrella and the rain drenched me inside out. I got almost blown over by the
stormy winds and I could only get a few photographs done as I feared for the
mobile and my stability. The location where I was was the Maritime/Rail
Historical Park which is located in the erstwhile ferry terminal operated by
Marine Atlantic. In a few minutes my hands had gone numb and I had to run back
to the car to avoid any further damage to self and mobile.
I
surmised that I would have to make the toll payment at the end of the bridge. I
did not come across any till I reached the charming city of Charlottetown, the
capital of PEI. The historic city was named after the Queen consort of King
George III and was the host in 1864 of the hosted the Charlottetown Conference.
Following this meeting was born the Canadian Confederation and motto of the
came to be “Birthplace of Confederation”.
It was still raining when I reached
the waterfront of the city. The Peakes Wharf Historical Site is where the
fathers of the Confederation landed in 1864 for the Charlottetown Conference.
The waterfront is a happening place in the city. I rushed to admire a Love Lock
installation that had numerous locks on it signifying the large number of
lovers who had sworn eternal love to each other at the installation. It may be
interesting to know how many of those are still love locked! A public piano has
been placed on the waterfront too for those who wished to try their hand at it.
My
next halt was the St. Dunstan's Basilica, which is an ornate building and its
chapels and sanctum sanctorum are extremely attractive. The 1916 building is
now a National Historic Site of Canada. After spending a few minutes in prayer
I drove a bit over 50 km to the Wood Islands Ferry operated by NFL to take a
ferry to Nova Scotia. I did not have prior booking of a crossing nor did I know
the ferry timing. When I reached the terminal gate a bit after 1.30 pm the lady
told me that the next crossing would be three hours later. I took a ticket and
waited the rest of the time in the designated queue and worked on some pending
documentation. Time did go by fast. Before the boarding was announced I went to
the cafeteria for a cup of coffee. The crossing took just over 75 minutes. As
usual, it was an efficient crossing.
The
drive from Caribou Island to the North Sydney ferry terminal was nearly 280 km.
I had to complete the last leg of that drive in heavy mist and failing light and
it was a challenge as I am loathe to drive after dusk. I was indeed very
fortunate not to come across any animals on the road. Even in thick mist with
near zero visibility the speed was maintained at 100 kph!
I
had a booking for the 11.45 pm ferry from North Sydney ferry landing in Nova
Scotia to Channel-Port aux Basques in Newfoundland. When I reached the terminal
a bit after 9 pm the ferry boarding had already started. The large ferry took
in more than 300 vehicles into its cavernous belly before setting sail for my
tenth province, Newfoundland.
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