We found a New Land

Tuesday, August 14th, 2007
North Sydney, Nova Scotia to Doyles, Newfoundland
29.6 miles (NOT!)
Cloudy, rainy, windy

Headed out early, after unhooking in a drizzle, to get to the ferry terminal by 7:30 am for the seven hour ride to Newfoundland. Not Newfundland, mind you, as I’ve always said it, but NewfundLAND! They speak a different language in this place, and that’s for sure!

I had considered renting a car and driving over for a few days, rather than bringing the coach, but after careful study, plus the fact there wasn’t a rental car to be had anywhere, I decided to go ahead and take the ferry. Overall, me thinks it will be cheaper in the long run. The RV parks are inexpensive, and the hotel rooms are pricey!

Getting to the ferry was a snap – 10 minutes from the Arm of Gold park in North Sydney, where the Good Sam Tour ended up. Had just enough time to walk Penny and turn off the propane, and it was time to board.

This is quite a ferry – big, for one thing, which is a treat after the last ferry ride! They offered live entertainment off and on throughout the day – NewfundLAND mandolin, accordion, spoons, and a multitude of other instruments played by a youngish couple who obviously love sharing their Newfie heritage! They were delightful!

There was a video game room, and a play room for kids, and numerous seating arrangements plus private rooms which could be rented for extra. Plus the cafeteria actually served decent food at a reasonable price.

All in all a pleasant crossing, even in less than pleasant weather! Except for poor Penny who had to stay in the coach by herself. She wasn’t pleased. But the option was for her to be locked in a tiny little crate on the main deck, and I know she’d have like that a whole lot less!

Left at 9 am, and arrived about 4 pm. Mind you, NewfundLAND operates in a different time warp – they have their own time zone, a half hour off from anywhere else! I’ve already heard complaints from people about figuring out when TV shows are on – as if there was any TV to watch here. I get one channel, poorly, playing what is very obviously local stuff, ‘cause I can barely understand what they’re saying.

The countryside is lovely though – way more mountains than the other Maritimes. Unfortunately the first thing one sees when leaving the ferry terminal is a large cemetery. You’d think the province could route the visitors another way, to have their first visions be of something a little more . . . alive??

Then you immediately pass by a lumber mill of some sort, spouting clouds of smoke, making visibility even worse!

Once past that though, the countryside opens up to green and beautiful!

Signs are posted warning of several things that all visitors should know:
It’s illegal to drive while using a hand-held cell phone! Good for them!!
Sales tax is 14%! Yikes!

Legal age to purchase booze is 19, but you better not have a blood alcohol level of more than .05 milligrams and be behind the wheel! That’s a serious ‘don’t drink and drive’ rule!

Moose warnings are serious and do catch your eye. The moose is going to win if you have a confrontation on the road! There are no snakes, raccoons, skunks or porcupines on the island!

I had heard some of the ferry crew talking amongst themselves, saying that NewfundLAND is 50 years behind the times. You get that feeling just looking at the small businesses and the vehicles on the farms. But the people make up for it all. They are delightful – friendly, happy, laughing.

I’m glad I came! Except for the nasty little black flying things that bite! Bug spray, before going outside again!! And sadly too, the weather was so dreary that I didn't get a single decent photo.

Surprisingly, there are two other campers from Arizona here right now – one couple even has a home in Tucson, only about a mile and a half from the RV park I’m looking at for future wintering (when I’m not in Mexico)!! I suspect I’ll see Bill and his wife on the road off and on for the next several days, as it seems we’ll be covering the same ground! Small planet – I’m about 6000 miles from home and meet a neighbor!