A Post-Modernist Portrait

On our first full day in Canada, we woke up real early as to get out of the maintenance building before the maintenance guys showed up. So early, in fact, that we woke up the birds who had also nested in the garage where we were sleeping. Looking back, we were living like these birds, putting up our tents and sleeping bags in all the nooks and crannies of this industrial society.

We admired the falls for a bit more and ate breakfast in one of the tourist buildings. The doors were open though the place was closed, but we went in nonetheless. We were just happy to have a place to sit and get out of the rain from the falls (you can get soaked just standing next to it!). After eating an, I'll say, interesting breakfast of bacon, penne, and lots and lots of grease, we got directions from a janitor at the building who told us about this nice bike route along the Welland Canal. You can get pretty bad directions when you are on the road, but man, this guy knew his stuff. All in all, our experience with the Canadians was that of utter ease, openness, and friendliness and we were so grateful for such acceptance.

The road was quiet and scenic as we rode down to Port Colburne. We stopped in Welland to use some internet. We also saw a canoe race on the canal on our way down; we stayed and routed from the "dragonslayer toddlers," though our team drew last place :(. We got a little off the bike friendly track when we ended up on one of the major highways with no shoulders, but made it through. We spent the evening washing our clothes at the laundromat and buying groceries from the local "no frills" (big in Canada).

As the sun was setting and as we rode towards one of the provincial parks where it cost 45 dollars to camp, Lenny made a powerful proposal - let's do this for free. We knocked on a few doors and asked where we could set ourselves up - after a few tries, we learned about this abandoned beach front where an old summer camp used to be. Another nook for us to make our nests.

And what a nook it was. The sun was setting over Lake Eerie as we stood on the rocks before the sandy beach and we all looked on in awe. Such beauty. Behind us, still more beauty as we gazed over the ruins of the camp that once was among the sandy dunes. One building had completely collapsed. Standing in the remains of what once was in this beautiful natural setting, I began to imagine what the end of industry might look like, a post-modernist world. It was all at once beautiful, exciting, and freeing to be out.

Dinner of Italian sausages, red peppers, and onions. Yum. Gotta thank Lenny for bringing along that camping stove - warm food is a real treat at the end of the day. 

We were on alert though, for we had passed a few "no trespassing signs" on the way in. In the dark of the night just before laying down for sleep, lights shone on the beach. Everyone hit the dirt as some strange vehicle went by. Then, some people got out and walked right into the camp, away from where we were sleeping. Nothing happened for a while, so we went and investigated. What a frightening experience wandering over the broken glass around the abandoned buildings; we didn't find anything and went to sleep. 

The next morning, our cooking appliances had moved! Nothing was missing, but we found a few containers on a cement walkway down to the beach. 

How did they get there? Still a mystery. I say the place was haunted :).

Michael