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I was born and raised in Nova Scotia. The ocean, history, people, scenery and so much more are part of the fabric, that I am so lucky to have been made from. Going home is always good.
This summer, I got to spend a whirlwind of six days in my home province. Here are some pictures of my favourite places.
Stubs.
Sir Sanford Fleming Park, Halifax Nova Scotia
Sir Sanford Fleming Park, Halifax Nova Scotia
Sir Sanford Fleming Park, Halifax Nova Scotia
Sir Sanford Fleming Park, Halifax Nova Scotia
Sir Sanford Fleming Park, Halifax Nova Scotia
Sir Sanford Fleming Park, Halifax Nova Scotia
Sir Sanford Fleming Park, Halifax Nova Scotia
Sir Sanford Fleming Park, Halifax Nova Scotia
Sir Sanford Fleming Park, Halifax Nova Scotia
Sir Sanford Fleming Park, Halifax Nova Scotia
Sir Sanford Fleming Park, Halifax Nova Scotia
The Frog Pond, Halifax
York Redoubt, National Historic Site. Halifax, Nova Scotia
York Redoubt, National Historic Site. Halifax, Nova Scotia
York Redoubt, National Historic Site. Halifax, Nova Scotia
York Redoubt, National Historic Site. Halifax, Nova Scotia
York Redoubt, National Historic Site. Halifax, Nova Scotia
York Redoubt, National Historic Site. Halifax, Nova Scotia
York Redoubt, National Historic Site. Halifax, Nova Scotia
York Redoubt, National Historic Site. Halifax, Nova Scotia
Peggy’s Cove, Nova Scotia
Peggy’s Cove, Nova Scotia
Peggy’s Cove, Nova Scotia
Peggy’s Cove, Nova Scotia
Pictou County, Nova Scotia
Stubs. Circa 1983
Sydney Harbour Hopper. Sydney, Nova Scotia Canada
Selfie with Grampy. Then, an explanation of what a selfie is.
Alexander Graham Bell Museum. Baddeck, Nova Scotia
Point Pleasant Park, Halifax Nova Scotia
Point Pleasant Park, Halifax Nova Scotia
Point Pleasant Park, Halifax Nova Scotia
Point Pleasant Park, Halifax Nova Scotia
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As the end of my time in this beautiful country comes to end, I am only left with good memories of this place and go home, as much hoped, relaxed and ready to face real life again.
The people here are amazing. Full of smiles, ready to help and genuinely want you to enjoy their country to the max. When people are telling you about things or places they think you should see, there is no sense of selling it, rather an endorsement from someone who loves their country. I found this to be true everywhere I went. No one was pushy here, no one seemed to have an agenda, they just really, really love their country.
My time on Little Corn Island was really amazing. My diving was really fun and as I had hoped, laid back. Not only that though, the culture on the island is still so unique. Despite being a good hub for tourists, there is not one single vehicle on the island. There is a sidewalk that runs through the main part of town and good goods are moved via a wagon of sorts. Some people have horses and that is the speediest way you can get anywhere. People still look you in the eye when you pass them on this sidewalk, they wish you good morning. There is an amazing sense of community here and I can understand why people return again and again to this tiny destination. My walk from my hotel into the dive shop was just over a half an hour and I really came to look forward to it. It was a peaceful walk where I preoccupied my thoughts with my irrational fear of a tarantula falling from the trees above onto my head. Although it never happened, I didn’t let my guard down, just in case.
After Little Corn, I went by car almost three hours to the Pacific coast and stayed in a place called San Juan del Sur. The beach here is really nice but I have to say, overall not my kind of town. I’m about ten years too late to enjoy this place to the max. It is filled with bars everywhere you look and this was this first place in Nicaragua people tried to sell you things from the beach or when you at a restaurant. Although these can be qualities people come to expect in certain destinations, it was in contrast to my experience in the rest of the country. Nonetheless, the topography here is very different than the other places I had visited, and I took the time to read my book (about Arctic exploration before 1921, funny book to read when it’s 35c outside!), wander the streets and get lost in my own thoughts. Not a bad way to spend two days.
A few pictures from my remaining few days in Nicaragua.
Stubs.
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Just a few videos of my dives…
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My main reason for venturing to Little Corn was, to dive. From what I could tell, this was the best diving in all of Nicaragua and I was so excited to see it for myself. I dove with a dive shop called Dive Little Corn (www.divelittlecorn.net/cms) . Everyone was so amazing and all of the dives, I can say I genuinely enjoyed. All relatively easy dives, with good visibility, it’s never not fun to be under the ocean as far as I’m concerned.
Here are some of my favourite pictures from my five dives. Videos to come!
Stubs.
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Today was all about Nicaraguan volcanoes!
This morning I had the pleasure of diving with a group called Volcano Divers and we did a dive in Laguna de Apoyo, a lake inside the crater of a volcano. One of the best parts of diving with this group is that all of the profits, from the diving and the associated hostel, go towards a charity: The Peace Project (www.thepeaceprojectnicargua.org). This projects is totally focused on access to education for Nicaraguans who may not other wise be able to afford it.
The dive was a lot of fun, 54 minute dive with a max depth of 54ft (the lake is 600ft deep!). The last time I dove in a volcanic lake was in Iceland, so it was cool to see the difference. This lake was mostly void of anything with color, so the pictures aren’t great. There were some fish though and the highlight was seeing the thermal columns of warm water escaping from the heart of the volcanoes. The rocks around would even heat up and were quite warm to the touch. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a nice easy dive and an overall cool experience. Videos of the thermal flows when I get better wifi.
This evening, I had the pleasure of taking a tour with Danny’s Tours (dannytour.granadaallinone.com) from here in Granada. Danny was born and raised here and it was super interesting to get to talk to him about everything from politics to fishing. He took me to cross yet another item off my bucket list: seeing molten lava. We took a trip to the summit of Masaya Volcano for the night tour. It was pretty awesome. What struck me was the amount of bats flying around in the SO2 and when it was quiet enough, you could actually hear it rushing by. They only allow so many tourists up at a time, in case something happens, it’s easier to evacuate, and you are also somewhat limited because you are getting exposed to the gas, which some people can be really sensitive to. The pictures don’t really do it justice in the same way the pictures from diving don’t but I’m all about the experience and spending too much time with my camera.
Tomorrow, I will fly to Corn Island on the Caribbean side and from there, I will take a boat to Little Corn Island, which will be my home for the next five days.
Stubs.
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Central America has never let me down. Belize, Mexico, Panama and Costa Rica have all been amazing trips for me. When it came time to decide where to go on an adventure when time was somewhat limited, to pick another country in this region was an easy choice.
A red-eye to Mexico City and a quick leap to Nicaragua from there, the trip here was easy and stress free. First impressions of this country are is that it is just filled with culture. Color in the buildings, friendly people and smiles all around.
For my first two nights, I’m staying at a really adorable tiny hotel called Casa Lucia in Granada. From the outside, you would never guess how well put together and peaceful the inside is, all of the staff were bursting with friendliness. Not one to waste too much time, I was checked into the hotel for an hour and a half and I was off on my first adventure. I went kayaking with a wonderful gentlemen named William, who didn’t know very much English but was bursting with enthusiasm! He showed me so many birds, most interestingly I saw a blue jay and a kingfisher! Two birds who also call Canada home. When we discussed the blue jay and how often I we see them around our house, he exclaimed that his favorite blue jay is the baseball team. Then he exclaimed with his paddle in the air, “GO BLUE JAYS, GO! NOT SEATTLE, TORONTO!!!!”. I couldn’t stop laughing.
The other highlight from the kayak trip was the moment I looked down on my arm and saw a super gross white spider. Not a big one, but certainly not a small one either! I gasped, and flicked it off my arm and tried to paddle away as fast as possible until the spider STARTED RUNNING ON THE WATER TOWARDS MY KAYAK! I can’t remember the lat time I went kayaking and didn’t end up either finding a spider on me, or in my kayak. I am not exactly sure why I still continue to pursue this activity but there’s nothing like being out on the water that quietly.
Tomorrow, my first dive here, in a volcanic lake.
Stubs.
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The dream to go to Easter Island never included diving. When I found out it was even an option, I was over the moon. What an amazing bonus. I had no expectations but whatever was at the bottom of the ocean that far away, I wanted to see it.
We did three dives in one day. From the research I had done, I was so thrilled to see a picture of a Moai at the bottom of the sea. What an adventure! As if it wasn’t cool enough to see them in person but to see one diving, WHAT!?
The first two dives were pretty cool. Mostly comprised of hard corals, it was a pretty unique environment compared to many others I have seen. The landscape has to be hearty to survive some of the storms that far out in the ocean. Some of my favorite fish were there, puffer fish and my absolute favorite, trumpet fish.
Although the dives were cool and any time diving is a good time, I was seriously anticipating seeing this Moai.
On the third dive, it was time. I was pumped. My heart was actually racing as I saw it out of the distance. When we were face to face with it, I smiled in my regulator. Amazing. I swam around it, took it in, loved taking pictures and was excited for Scott and I to share in this moment together.
After the dive, back on shore, I was standing at the harbor looking out to where we just were. Then, it struck me… how did that Moai get there? Why would people take the risk of damaging it to put it under the ocean for the handful of divers who will dive there in a year? I turned to the shop owner and asked him how the Moai ended up in the ocean. That is when he blatantly said, “we put it there, you know it’s fake, right?”.
Thwarted again. Still, it was a fun adventure.
Stubs.
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Easter Island was one of those places on the bucket list that, in the back of my mind, never really thought I would ever get to. The remoteness of it, the distance from Canada and the cost of it are all things that make this trip a challenge. When we made the plunge to go, I couldn’t have been more excited.
We only had one night in Santiago and were so thrilled to stay at The Aubrey Hotel. A tiny hotel in the heart of the restaurant and shopping district, the 15 rooms are all located in an old mansion. From here, you could walk to a lot of amazing restaurants and listen to the sounds of Chile outside the windows. Although the stay before Easter Island was only one night, we did return to the hotel two more times in our stay overs in Santiago.
The arrival on Easter Island is hard to describe. You can tell you’re on an adventure right from the moment the plane lands. Live music, smiling faces and my first fresh flower lei kicked off the adventure well. We stayed at Iorana Hotel, which is right is right on the ocean. About a 15 minute walk out of town, this place was perfect for us.
The pictures in this blog are from our adventuring together without a guide. We just rented a car to tour the island. I will say, without a guide, we were a little lost. The story was missing some key information and without that, some features of the island were a little confusing. Mainly, why all of the heads (the Moai) that we saw in the first few days were laying on the ground. We had this iconic vision in our head of driving around and stopping every two minutes to admire these Moai, and that was just not the case. A few hours into touring and we were, to say the least, confused.
At the very end of the day, we found the mecca of the Moai, “The Quarry”, where all the rocks were mined for all of the heads. This place was everything we had pictured and the best part was, we had the entire place to ourselves. Not only was it an experience to be there and look these ancient stones directly in the face but to enjoy it with peace and quiet and have the opportunity to have the place to ourselves, was.. well, priceless. I will forever be grateful for that time, it was a beautiful gift from the universe.
Stubs.
Easter Island was one of those places on the bucket list that, in the back of my mind, never really thought I would ever get to. The remoteness of it, the distance from Canada and the cost of it are all things that make this trip a challenge.
We only had one night in Santiago and were so thrilled to stay at The Aubrey Hotel. A tiny hotel in the heart of the restaurant and shopping district, the 15 rooms are all located in an old mansion. From here, you could walk to a lot of amazing restaurants and listen to the sounds of Chile outside the windows. Although the stay before Easter Island was only one night, we did return to the hotel two more times in our stay overs in Santiago.
The arrival on Easter Island is hard to describe. You can tell you’re on an adventure right from the moment the plane lands. Live music, smiling faces and my first fresh flower lei kicked off the adventure well. We stayed at Iorana Hotel, which is the only hotel on the island that is right on the ocean. About a 15 minute walk out of town, this place was perfect for us.
The pictures in this blog are from our adventuring together without a guide. We just rented a car to tour the island. I will say, without a guide, we were a little lost. The story was missing some key information and without that, some features of the island were a little confusing. Mainly, why all of the heads (the Moai) that we saw in the first few days were laying on the ground. We had this iconic vision in our head of driving around and stopping every two minutes to admire these Moai, and that was just not the case. A few hours into touring and we were, to say the least, confused.
At the very end of the day, we found the mecca of the Moai, “The Quarry”, where all the rocks were mined for all of the heads. This place was everything we had pictured and the best part was, we had the entire place to ourselves. Not only was it an experience to be there and look these ancient stones directly in the face but to enjoy it with peace and quiet and have the opportunity to have the place to ourselves, was.. well, priceless. I will forever be grateful for that time, it was a beautiful gift from the universe.
Stubs.
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Some pictures from an amazing road trip through southern Saskatchewan last year. If anyone is looking for a different kind of summer camping adventure, I’d highly recommend it. Off the beaten path and not as often travelled, this is a gem in Canadian geography and plays host to some uniquely prairie creatures.
One of our favorite stops was the Claybank Brick Plant National Historic Site. A fun site to tour and a great place to take pictures and we had the place to ourselves. Even Caper could explore.
What would a Canadian road trip be without some awesome ghost towns too. This trip had it all. Enjoy.
Stubs.
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Dive #21 San Francisco Maru, 170ft, 38min dive
The San Francisco Maru is an iconic dive, in Truk Lagoon, and for that matter, in the world. The wreck is legendary for its tanks that sit on the decks, the amazing bow gun that has much less growth on it than all the others because of its depth, and the amazing water trucks, still intact that sit inside the holds. Oh yes, and the cargo hold filled with bombs. All of it, starts at 160ft. This is a deep dive by recreational standards but is a testament to how good planning and preparation can make many things safe.
This is a dive that is different. During the week of diving, you prepare and do debriefs on every dive. Every aspect of every dive is taken seriously but this dive, the mood changes. Going this deep requires a solid plan that can’t be deviated from. To divert from the plan may make your dive buddies think that you are suffering from nitrogen narcosis, which essentially means that you’ve become high from nitrogen and this type of narcosis can cause a lot of opportunity for trouble at depths, especially inside wrecks. You go over the route for the dive again and again with the group.
When I did this dive in 2013, I hit a new personal record of 157ft. I felt on top of the world. It was, and still is, to date one of my best dives. I’ll never forget how good that felt, how accomplished I felt to get that deep, safely.
Diving for me has never been about records but … I’ll admit. I wanted to break that one. When I did the dive in ’13, I had gone for a safe dive plan because I wasn’t sure how my body would react at those depths. When I got to 157ft and felt amazing, I could only look into the holds at the bombs and water trucks longingly because it wasn’t in the plan and we had to stick to it. I wasn’t going to waste my opportunity this time.
Again, at 157′ (which is about the depth of the deck), I felt amazing. My thoughts were clear, my breathing was good, and it was time to enter the holds. Dropping into the hold with the bombs, the sheer volume of them was overwhelming. It was while floating in the hold, I started to realize the narcosis had set in. When you know yoursel and what your brain does under narcosis, you can control it when it’s in the early stages. You start to focus on the task at hand and try to keep your brain sharp. By the time we swam through to the other cargo hold and began to swim by the water trucks, I was hearing superhero music in my head. Although I certainly did feel like a superhero in that moment, it was my sign for it’s time to get out of there. It was fun but now was time to go. The slow assent went well, decompression time were right on the money and we got back on the boat feeling on top of the world. I didn’t even realize until we were hanging out decompressing that I had hit 170ft.
There is nothing like diving the San Francisco Maru and I had just done it twice.
Stubs.
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