Good bye Newfoundland

After a week we finally left Gros Morne.  This is definitely a place we would like to return to.  We headed straight for a big centre.  For almost 3 weeks we have not been in a big city-centre and have had to shop at little grocery stores or co-ops where we paid $4.00 for a loaf of bread and $4.00 for a dozen eggs. Vegetables are also expensive so have been eating more canned vegetables and spaghetti type foods.  It was great to shop at a Dominion's (President's Choice equivalent) and stock up on all the things that had run low.  We spent over $170. But our cupboards are full again!  We were in Corner Brook and had planned to camp there and do some exploring.  There were caves there that looked interesting.  So after shopping and then going out for lunch we headed to our campsite.  It was a Kinsmen park and the write up sounded nice.  It had laundry and after the last few rainy hikes I needed to do some laundry.  We got to the campground and were assigned our site.  In a field, in a row of trailers.  It claimed to have wooded sites but they were for full hookups and they were all full.  It was the most disgusting campsite yet.  The garbage in our site was full, rotting and smelly.  In the site beside us, the garbage  had been dumped out and was spread everywhere and the crows were feeding on it.  I wanted to leave, but Gerry suggested we go sight seeing and then just come back to sleep.  So I agreed but we decided to check out the laundry and washrooms on the way out.  Then I lost it.  Garbage cans overflowing and filthy bathroom and laundry.  I would not use it, even with my new lowered standards. So I told  Gerry I could not stay there.  I went back to the office and although they had a no refund policy, I got my money back. We moved further south to the site we had picked out for the next night.  It was a lovely provincial campsite, and our site was right by the water.  We booked in for 2 nights. Unfortunately,  it was very windy there.  We put the kitchen tent up to dry, thinking the wind would dry it quickly and went off to shower.  When we got back the tent was literally twisted inside out.  One of the poles was totally broken from the twisting.  So maybe not such a good idea.  The next day, we hiked a mountain to a beautiful view point.   I have to say Newfoundland spends a lot of money on their trails. We have hiked miles and miles of boardwalks and climbed stairs in the middle of nowhere.  This hike was about 300 metres up and there were 814 stairs (I counted on the way down),  as well as just normal path leading up. I kept thinking about the people who built these stairs and how far they had to carry the wood to do it. I was very impressed. In the afternoon we went for a drive along the coast. It was very rugged and beautiful.  We met  a local who encouraged us to head to the point of the Pennisula.  Which we did.  It was further than we had planned to go, but so worth it. You'll just have to see the pictures when we get back.  On the way back it was late, and dark and rainy making for a long, tiring day.  Our last day in Newfoundland was  a bit of a drag. As we were driving to Port aux Basques the check engine light on the van came on.  We consulted the manual and decided we could drive it if Gerry took it easy.  We headed straight for a garage I had contacted when we reached Port aux Basques. We got there at 11:30.  The mechanic  thought he could squeeze us in between 12:30 and 1:30. He finally looked at the van at 4:00.  What did we do all that time? We sat in the van waiting. So it wasn't a great day.  But he deemed the van was ok to drive. ( I was driving it anyway  - no way I was missing our ferry). But he suggested we get it checked out as soon as we got to Nova Scotia.  The next day we caught the ferry.  It was a good ride back.  It took 7 hours and cost $250. We  were sad to leave Newfoundland.  We loved the coastal scenery, the hiking and the people.  We did not love the rain, wind and fog which I think are pretty common in Newfoundland.  But now we are looking forward to new adventures in Nova Scotia.  Here we go....