Truro - Hopewell Rocks

The sun shines as if yesterday never happened. And so, of course, I regret that I will leave this beautiful spot today. The motel was really great, and I will appreciate it even more later, but right now I don't know that yet.

I drive back the same way I came in. There aren't many alternatives here either. As I leave Nova Scotia, I see on the other side cars waiting for their check. But the queue is not long, so they must not have tightened the controls.

At Mocton in New Brunswick, I drive down the Bay of Fundy and pass by my motel shortly before reaching my destination. I already anticipate something bad. But more on that later. Hopewell Rock is right next to it, and I find plenty of space on an oversized parking lot and head to the Interpretive Center. There, I pay $14 and then get to admire this unusual coastal formation at low tide. It's a marvel of nature. You can walk on the ocean floor where the sea will be 10m higher in a few hours. The highest tidal range in the world. I spend 2 hours down there and decide to come back later when the tide comes in.

3 of the restaurants I try to visit here are closed. That's why I check in early and ask where I can get something to eat. Sophie from China hands me a list along with the room key. All three restaurants are on it, which I have already unsuccessfully visited. But there's a diner 11 km away that I haven't tried yet. I take a look at my room and see a cramped room without a refrigerator or microwave. Also, terrible internet. The cleanliness is okay, but when I consider that this place is more expensive than yesterday's, I regret my decision. Especially since it was based on the idea that I would visit the rocks again tomorrow. But since I've already done that, I would have been better off staying in Moncton, which is also on the way tomorrow. Well, it had to happen.

The diner is actually open, and it's a fun experience. It's actually located at a gas station, and four old men sit beside me, obviously regulars, and flirt with the waitress. The jokes are too good. I order my obligatory fish and chips, and it's exceptionally good for a place like this. In Utah, I once had one of the best pizzas of my life - also at a gas station.

Afterwards, I go back to the Hopewell Rocks behind a school bus. School buses in Canada have absolute priority here. Once they stop, you can't overtake them or even pass them on the other side. So you chug along behind them and always wait until one by one is dropped off right at the front door. Fascinating.

When I arrive at the Hopewell Rocks again at 4 o'clock, the tide has already arrived. Where hundreds of walkers were before, the ocean has reclaimed its space and rushes against the rocks. The comparison is absolutely breathtaking. I enjoy the view for a while from the numerous viewpoints, as it is no longer allowed to enter the beach.

Back at the motel, the nightmare becomes fully apparent. I got a noisy unit, which means that people above me are stomping around on my head. The walls are so damn thin that you can hear every step and every turn of the faucet. And for some, it seems to be a hobby to walk around in the room. I don't regret having earplugs with me.

I decide to skip breakfast here tomorrow and as soon as I wake up or if I can't sleep anymore, I will leave this awful place. Since tomorrow is a travel day anyway, and I have rented an apartment that I will live in alone, I can rest there. It won't be as easy here.