Keji and Guinness Falls

Man, was the night warm. The ceiling fan was on full blast and you were still sweating.

At breakfast our host Marc said that it was very warm at the moment, which was unusual. And that's how you start a conversation. He actually comes from Idaho, was in China for 9 years before Corona and taught Taiwanese as an English teacher. When he returned they were looking for IT people, then he did that. His family wanted a house with a pool - and here it is. Now he is a hotelier in the middle of nowhere. However, a bit different from the German standard. It's actually a shame, with a few little things like that (e.g. cutting off dead plants, putting the chairs back that a bear knocked over days ago, wiping the window sills clean) the whole thing could look even more homely.

Today we explore Kejimkujik National Park. Our host lends us an effective mosquito spray.

Facts

The park consists of two parts: the main park (381 km²) in the interior of the Nova Scotia Peninsula and a secondary park (22 km²), which is marked Seaside, on the coast of the Atlantic

We visit the main part

of the park, which is forested with many lakes and rivers. In the time of the indigenous Mi'kmag people, these waterways were important canoe routes from the Bay of Fundy to the Atlantic. The park is home to numerous sites from that time.

It was named after Kejimkujik Lake, the largest lake within the park. The lake's name comes from the Mi'kmaq and means "trying to escape" or "swollen waters". The park service translates the name Kejimkujik from the Mi'kmaq word "tired muscle." Well, if you wanted to paddle the length of it, that would probably be the case😄.

The first walk, to warm up, takes us to the Beech Grove Trail,

past Mill Falls

or as I call them Guinness Falls. The water here is the color of Guinness beer. Filling, nitrogen capsule in and done.

Facts

The bogs add naturally occurring organic matter to the waterways. Tannins turn the water brown and saponins are like natural soaps: they fall over a waterfall and form stable foam.

A 6.2 km hike through the forest. Since it is relatively flat (only a moderate incline), we can pick up the pace.

This part of the forest is relatively clean apart from a few mushrooms and some moss.

Today it's been quite warm and humid since the sun came out. I feel like I just got out of the shower - just without drying off.

The next stop to cool down is the Hemlocks and Hardwoods Trail. A 5.5 km trail through a forest section with old and thick trees.

Facts

Some of Nova Scotia's oldest trees are the 300-year-old hemlocks that can be seen along this trail. (I'm just wondering how old our beech tree at home on the round part is) There is a large population of these firs in one section and when you stand there you notice how different it feels under the dense canopy of leaves: cool, dark and damp.

A wooden walkway leads over the very sensitive roots of these giants. A nice trail to walk.

But after almost 12 km my feet are starting to hurt and the desire to hike is also dwindling.

Beach time. Unfortunately the swimming trunks are in the room, where they are dry and warm. The water is too brown for me anyway because it's not cold, says Shahaatz.

So we take a short siesta, I watch the people and Shahaatz does what he always does……😴

The stomach slowly begins to growl. There's a sporting event in the park today. Triathlon for kids and adults - there will definitely be something to eat - is the same for us.

We look at the last participants with a milkshake (I coffee, Shahaatz strawberry) and a portion of sweet potato fries. We go home completely exhausted (we, not the participants). We will replace our dinner today with a tight posture (that's what my grandma always says). It doesn't make any sense to burn off calories for 12 km and then eat them back up again.

With that in mind, bon appetit.