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C A N A D A

It had been many years, set in my mind to head to the north of the americas and visit this grand majestic scape. Only weeks after my reunited union with my partner had come to a close as he returned to Australia I had two weeks left in Turkey before leaving for Canada. Something I had been looking forward to from afar for a long many years was finally drawing closer and wielding itself into my reality.

As this story goes I had a friend of whom I had met online years ago Sufjan, he had now married his partner Daniel. Together living in an apartment in the township of Kitchener in the province of Ontario. I was to arrive in Toronto and be based in Kitchener and do all my ventures from there. Upon arriving in the fall the weather was a blissful break from scorching Turkish and European summers. I was stayed in Kitchener for about one and a half weeks before flying off to Calgary where I would meet Mike.

This story of how I met Mike goes back to my time in Malta, where I was hosted under Luke. Now it was Mike’s turn as he was in Malta, also under the care of Luke although perhaps not as much as I as Mike had visited Malta before, whereas for me it was my first time. Luke had notified me of Mike’s arrival into Turkey and if i’ld take him on a little tour to show him around as it was his first time visiting Istanbul’s sprawl, so I agreed. We met the very first day he arrived and we had a lot of fun talking and connecting all the dots between our lives, the comparisons and differences alike. It was five days of venturing around the sights around me of which not even I had yet seen. Soon his time expired so after heading out to the islands we walked back to his temporary address in Istanbul said our goodbyes and parted, unknowingly that we would be reunited again only months later.

So here I find myself in Calgary meeting Mike again, though this time on his turf. The temperatures here were sub temps, and I loved every degree below zero. The experience was magical from start to finish, we visited cities, towns, mountains, oceans and thermal baths, forests and snow plains all wild and free.

I was invited into Mike’s home where he and his partner Steven along with their baby Mezzo all lived in a small sleepy fishing village called Steveston. It was roughly forty minutes south from Vancouver city. I stayed their for a period of two point five weeks. Venturing to Vancouver Island, Tofino, and Victoria, Whistler and Squamish, Banf and Jasper on the mainland.

My most fond memories were found amongst the rawest untouched natural scapes; Pacific Rim National Park, the ocean so vast so raw and wild, was like stepping backward through time ten thousand years. This place was beyond wild, it was sunset when we reached the shore, the Pacific Ocean was roaring as the sun turned into a blooming wild orange the sky bled as the orange rays coloured the space filling the sky. There were seaweed sprawls stretching kilometres like some kind of dead squid monster along the sand shore lines.

Six plains glacier, in Alberta Banf. The walk in the snow walking upward into the mountains as we witnessed avalanches and heard the crackling thunder of the glacier as she cracked, her cry so loud could be heard from many miles away. Contrasting with the everlasting silence at the tea house amongst the woodland critters and pines. Snow for as far as the eye can see and still silence for as far as one may hear. The silence in this place was holy, like nothing I have ever heard or in this case couldn’t hear. It was a holy experience for sure. I also recall seeing icicles and water flows frozen still and hard to hold, what was once flowing water was a hard long shard in my hand, cold and beautiful.

The Cathedral Grove, and the other forests we visited were from a prehistoric era. Walking through here was hauntingly beautiful, natures own cathedral.

Jasper National park, the wide open wow had me struck in awe as we walked through this vast valley of snow and ice I was dumbfounded. The utter beauty of this place with winter laid out upon many fields and climbing upwards covering entire mountains, what words can describe this place? I find none. The mere memory gives me chills. A place I will never forget, as I recall the wind blasting me all over wrapping me in a cold cocoon of iced beauty. The pleasure of visiting such a place of unrivalled beauty, blessed to be.

Tofino town and the hot springs and animal adventure tour another amazing experience, as never before had I been in such company of beautiful wildlife, eagles, otters, and whales. All so close and befriending almost. The township of Tofino was a small one but enough to meet ones needs. The hot springs were a refreshing comfort, cut into the rocks along the bays of this small island offshoot covered in thick moss covered forests. Was a place like from a fable told many old years ago.

Returning back to Steveston, and having a more urban city central experience visiting Vancouver as well as Victoria both cities equipped with both their personalities, Vancouver had a very male energy about him surrounded with rugged mountains a bay city also, where Victoria with her bay also had lush parklands and such beautiful nature, wild raw and free could only be a wild woman.

It would soon be time for me to return to Ontario for one last get away before my return to Australia.

Daniels family had access to a cottage so we would head out for a weekend refuge away from the big city and suburbs of Kitchener / Toronto and escape among the woodlands and lake country. This humble abode was a dreamers dream. Sufyan accompanied me along with Daniels family plus extension, there was also a pack of family pups to keep us company. We had a day of hiking along ice frosted lakes I was brought to witness dams built by beavers. We also spent some time on the water in a boat.

The experience of being out there was just something I have always dreamed of. I will hold these memories forever close only to dream to revisit these amazing experiences and places again with my own partner in life on this truly magical journey.

Upon arrival back to the towns, cities, and suburbs, I spent my final days walking and touring Toronto mainly. Such an amazing city, so cold and beautiful. I was blessed with snowfall in the urban sprawl of this concrete jungle, and I recall just being in awe of it. Feeling the cold pressed upon my being, and thinking to myself this is bliss being blessed down upon me.

The pleasure was short lived as I was to return home to a renewed pleasure of returning home to my life as it was before I had left it, however with new knowledge and experiences as well as memories to help me along with building my life and my future.

This journey continues....

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