#52 365+ gifts

Howdy,

yep, it's getting long again. So here is a brief overview

• Edmonton - Farewell to CJ & Kate
• Calgary
• Edward creek
• Prucer creer
• Darwin Creek
• Prince George
• The end of a road trip
• 365+ gifts

Edmonton - Farewell to CJ & Kate

As already mentioned, we went to lunch together and then I briefly showed them both this huge mall from last time. Since this was of course completely overcrowded at the weekend, we were out again relatively quickly. Then we went to the Elk National Park, where I discovered the bison the night before. Except for five ducks we didn't see anything at all. This park is accessible by car and we drove through it once. I was a little disappointed, as it is also known for its elk population, of which almost nothing was seen. On top of that, I really wanted CJ and Kate to see these animals too. On the way to the exit I said that I would give the one ring road one last chance and lo and behold, the bison came. The herd gradually emerged from the forest from a great distance. Even though the distance was really great, which meant that CJ & Kate only saw the animals minimally, they at least saw them. 😁 After this experience, the next destination was called the airport with a heavy heart. When I got there, I wanted to do it very quickly, as one person had already shed tears on the journey. So it was probably time to say goodbye forever. I really fell in love with CJ & Kate and really miss them. Maybe we can see each other again sometime...

Calgary

Edmonton was just (in my eyes) a very unattractive city and since I didn't want to explore it further without CJ and Kate, I decided to drive a little bit towards the next city. Halfway there I spent the night at a lake and then went to Calgary. On Highway 2, also known as Queen Elizabeth II, I saw for the first time that the smoke was so high up that the rain clouds were drifting underneath it.....it was getting annoying.

In 1875 a police post was established to combat the illegal whiskey trade on the Bow River. Thanks to the possible train connection in 1883, more and more farms were formed in this place. Animal farms in particular were booming, so that Calgary soon became the center of the meat industry. The discovery of petroleum in 1914 sparked Canada's first oil boom and enabled it to quickly become the largest city in the province and the fourth largest in Canada. The city then received worldwide attention in 1988 when it hosted the 15th Winter Olympic Games.

Despite all this, this city is still an absolute cowboy town. Almost everyone wears cowboy boots and hats, even the cops. That was very funny. For over 100 years, Calgary has also hosted the world's largest rodeo in the world. And yet this city is also very unattractive. Annoyingly, I thought in the morning that I would just start the day with a lot of water, because I'm currently not drinking enough...... I can still get upset about the point that in what is probably the busiest pedestrian zone There is no public toilet in town and the nearest was 1.2km away. I almost went crazy 🤯 Luckily not all restaurants had staff at the front door. 😅

It was much more relaxed then along the pedestrian zone, where you could also see the Calgary Tower, which was completed in 1968 and weighed almost 11,000 tons and was 191 meters high. The end of the day should be the "Heritage Park". This is supposed to represent life in the Wild West. Admission would have cost me a whopping $34, which I hadn't realized for a park. I then went through the gate where nobody stopped me and so I strolled my way. After a while I started wondering why no one else was walking around. This was then clarified by the security lady who informed me that the park has been closed for over an hour and that I should please leave. whoops 😁 But then why do you leave the gate open.

Arrived outside, I noticed the beginning of a Jewish wedding and then we went to the sleeping place. This was a parking lot at the city park or whatever that should be. Next to me was a van with an older couple and then there was a truck and a Chevrolet. The couple on the truck I think were on a date and they were going stargazing...in Calgary...with the smoke. 😂 The couple in the other car, where the woman also came in another car, were (I think) only there for "Netflix and Chill". I don't know why people in Canada prefer parking lots for stuff like this. 🧐😅

As I said, the city was not very attractive and so I decided to leave.

Grand cache

In order to reach my next destination, I had to drive along the Icefield Parkhighway one more time. Such a pity. 🤩😅 The Rocky Mountains just appeared so suddenly from behind a hill and although it was super smoky and cloudy/rainy, this ride was once again an absolute dream. I missed Kate so much as a passenger as this time no photos could be taken while driving. 😅 I also stopped at almost every spot we hadn't stopped at the previous week. At one lake (representing the highest point of the highway) you could see the retreat of the glacier so clearly. Insanely shocking ..... I planned the trip so that I drive part of it at sunset, because then these unbelievably awesome mountains look even better. Furthermore, the evening hours also mean more and more wildlife activity.

Unfortunately, I "only" saw mountain goats, which were also nice to look at. In Jasper, I made a quick stop at the old campground to sneak a shower. 😁 And then, after about 6 hours of driving, I arrived at my sleeping place shortly before midnight. I have absolutely nothing against long car drives in Canada, although the smoke currently obscures the view, but I've always hated driving at night. Especially here in Canada I am extremely concerned about wild animals and some drivers sometimes don't know how to turn off the high beams again. But no matter... After the night we went to Grande Cache.

In short: nothing going on. super small. Was only in the visitor center.

Grande Prarie

Since Grande Cache had nothing to offer, we continued to Grand Prarie.

I can also be brief here: also had nothing to offer.

So we went to the sleeping place with zero action taken. On the way there I must have passed a moose farm, otherwise I can't explain it. Because suddenly hundreds of mooses appeared on the right side. I've never seen so many moose, but I couldn't stop so quickly on the highway.

After my night at the lake I went on to ...

Dawson Creek

On the way there I had to stop briefly to relieve myself. This place was aoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo... Whatever the reason, you just put them there. It doesn't matter - I finally came back to a city that at least has something to offer. Actually, Dawson Creek is also quite unspectacular, if it weren't for the famous "Alaska Highway". This road, which begins in Dawson Creek and is almost 2300 kilometers long, leads directly into the remoteness of Alaska and was built by 30,000 American soldiers during World War II. One of the greatest disasters is the detonation of 60,000 boxes of dynamite downtown in 1943, killing a city block and five lives.

In addition to these "highlights" of the city, which are now very much taped up, there are two small museums right in the visitor center that show the construction of the highway and the development of the city in more detail.

I actually wanted to do another "hike" nearby, but the trails were overgrown and I didn't want to spend most of my hike in waist-high grass. For this and a few other reasons, I decided to cut short this hike halfway through.

This was it then again in this city. 😅 After I had waited for the main thunderstorm, it went on again....

Prince George

On the way to the next town I finally had another great experience. I haven't seen the sky since the Rocky Mountains. It's either smoky, cloudy, or both. The rain that has been going on for a few days and the meanwhile autumnal temperatures did not exactly let my mood grow, so I was all the more happy that I saw four (!) black bears on the way. Wow, I celebrated every single bear like that. I saw my last one in Squamish and that was eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeteeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee this up: I really needed that to spread a good mood again. 😁🥳

In the dark (it's getting dark really early again🥲) at my sleeping place, all I had to do was sleep and hope that the car was closed, because I heard something outside all the time. 🧐 The next morning I got out of my car more confused than awake and wished the cyclist, who had also slept there, a good morning. This in turn just called to me: There is a bear! And what can I tell you, I just didn't notice it at all, because there was actually a large adult black bear about 10 meters behind me. Some idiotic person threw a few kilograms of apples there, which the bear of course treated himself to. Fortunately, black bears are quite skittish and so he watched us both briefly before disappearing a little deeper into the bushes. Craziness! Just five bears in such a short time and then also so close! Hammer!

Prince Georg was one thing above all this Thursday: White. An absolutely thick cloud of fog has enshrouded this city and so I figured it doesn't matter what I'm looking at, I might as well be looking at a blank sheet of paper if I saw the same thing. So I decided to go to the last place.

Barkerville

This village was a former gold mining town that was rebuilt after it was almost completely destroyed by fire. After about 40 years the gold rush ended and the city became a ghost town. Since 1958 this place has been restored and used as a tourist attraction. Since this is an "entire place" and not just a park, I was happy to pay the $21. 😅 It's really cool and also very informative. I love such an old architectural style and would like to immerse myself in such a world for 24 hours. 🤵 However, at some point there was a bit too much information, so I rather strolled through. The absolute highlight was the blacksmith, who still works with the old tools from over 100 years ago. This man must have incredible shoulders and incredibly awesome forearms. After all, he had to be bellows with his right arm all the time, and I think it's good on the forearm when you have to swing the hammer all the time. :D After this brief historical look into the past, I went to my sleeping place, where I am now writing these lines.

The end of a road trip

Tomorrow it's about three hours south and then about 2 ½ hours west. A well-known destination awaits me there: Tatla Lake.

I've been on my road trip since June 6th. Together Frodo and I rode 8,825 kilometers together. (The starting point of my measurement was the mileage at the oil change in Williams Lake on June 6th). It feels like 90% of the time we were only on the road in British Columbia. This province alone is so huge and beautiful. It is absolutely amazing what I was able to experience and discover.

With Barkerville I have now traveled to over 23 cities and met all sorts of different people. Of course I am incredibly grateful for the friendship with Vedesh and his Indian food and of course also for the acquaintance with CJ & Kate. I also have these people to thank for some things that made my journey easier. Of course, I wasn't always on the go and the three-week break on my first farm was definitely not planned that way, but actually only one night.😂

My original plan was to drive through all provinces and territories once.... both my wallet and my time can't stop laughing to this day.

It's crazy how long it takes when you really take your time in some places. If I really wanted to, I could be on the east coast in ten days.

Another point that needs to be added is the financial aspect. Food and fuel are almost always expensive. In Alberta, of course, the fuel was a dream! 🤩 As soon as I saw the gas price (up to $2.00) I knew I was back in BC. 😭 Since the importance of TRANSPARENCY was conveyed in the preparatory service, while the state school authority does not master this perfectly itself, I thought I would disclose my finances to you in a very transparent way.

These aren't 100% real because sometimes I had to split the stuff from one receipt into two lists and then I didn't add the taxes to it since the prices in Canada are excluding taxes (I hate that! 😅) Also, they have Provinces have different taxes....oh and now and then I'm sure I've forgotten a thing or two. However, this only serves to give a small overview and I used it myself. I know how bad I am with money and so I wanted to keep track of things. 😁 And yes, I know McDonalds is often there, but in defence: that was with my travel companions when I arrived at my destination in the dark or it was just shitty weather and I couldn't cook outside, oh and when I felt like an ice cream. 😂

365+ gifts

Today, August 24, 2023, while I'm writing these lines in my car somewhere on some highway, I'm celebrating my one year anniversary.🥳

One year ago today I flew from Frankfurt am Main to Vancouver in 10:35 hours with the Condor machine DE2454.

Since this blog is already too long, I don't want to digress and will do it anyway.

I really can't believe it. With the end of my road trip, my one-year visa also ends. How lucky that I have a visitor record and didn't have to sit on the plane to Germany today, because to be honest...I don't want that. This country is so incredibly beautiful. Sure, there are also negative points, but these are skilfully hidden by my "What a beautiful nature" glasses, so I hardly bothered with them. 😅 I love this country! I just don't understand how a country can be so beautiful!

A year ago tomorrow (25.08 on my calendar), Anja picked me up in Kelowna and at the time I asked her if these mountains were normal for her and she said yes. In the meantime I've spoken to a lot of people who have also been here in Canada for a long time and they all said that they see the landscape as "normal" and I don't understand that at all. Every day I think (exaggeratedly) what a damn awesome country this is and I'm grateful every day that I can travel to this country.

Because that is absolutely not a matter of course. Every day here is a gift for me and I am aware of that. Not many people can afford that. Here (and probably also in other tourist countries) you mainly meet Western Europeans (mainly Germany, France, England) and Americans. You hardly meet people from South America, Africa or West Asia here. We're just privileged to have grown up in a very rich country and I'm lucky that I was able to afford to make this journey. Meanwhile, I also know that a lot of Germans can afford it.... one thing that annoys me (for whatever reason) is the excessive proportion of Germans. It doesn't matter where you are, you meet Germans or see German shops even in the middle of nowhere. German is just sixth among the languages spoken in Canada.

Anyway, back to the most beautiful country in the world 😋😅

I'm trying to get the animals together that I've already seen here:

• black bears
• an orca
• praying mantis
• different ducks
• moose
• deer
• deer
• coyotes
• fishing marten
• otter
• Pelicans - bison
• wild horses
• Lynxes
• foxes
• marmots
• mountain goat
• mountain goat
• various eagles (osprey, bald eagle, golden eagle) - various birds (hummingbirds, mountain bluebird, redwing blackbird, nutcracker, .... )
• chipmunks
• ...

And the best thing about it is that all these animals were free and not in a zoo.❤️ This nature and this animal world fascinates me again and again. Even if the weather is absolutely bad, you can always find a corner where you can prove that this country is an absolute dream.

And besides all this beauty, I've still skipped my biggest shadow. Correct! I didn't shave!

No kidding, I overcame my fear of English. While I was still getting slight “anxiety attacks” in class that felt like I was turned to stone, today I can usually have conversations here without any problems. Sure, everyone knows with my strong accent that I'm from Germany and also that my English isn't perfect, but do you remember how I wrote in the blog almost a year ago that my brain shuts down after half an hour? Thank God (!) I'm far away from that now and I can just speak English.... who would have thought that. I certainly don't.

I experienced so many amazing things this year:

• just fired a gun after three hours on my first farm back then. 😂
• “Showered” with a bucket of water only once a week after the sauna,
• disturbed a sacred burial,
• rocked a winter wild animal workshop felt alone,
• rode the quad across the lake,
• seen wildlife
• started super stupid actions, such as the glacier 😅
• completed a road trip alone and didn't die. :😁
• ....

Oh, I could list and tell so many more. In the end, the result is always the same: pure gratitude!

CJ and Kate also told me during our last conversation that wildlife and nature is my passion as I always tell stories with an absolute passion. :D And yes, I can't say it often enough: This flora and fauna overwhelms me again and again.

Of course, I have to add negative points as well.....

• I still haven't seen a grizzly and what's even worse...
• I still haven't seen the Northern Lights!😭😭😭

But I still have time and I want to use it as best I can.

May the next few weeks pass very slowly, so that I can stay here for as long as possible.

Your canadian lover

Samuel🇨🇦❤️🇨🇦

Addendum: On Friday, everything really came to an end. :D I still have three dollars in my account, I still have fuel for 100 kilometers, my petrol and water canisters are empty and the worst thing... my flip-flops, which have been with me for years, broke today, or actually only that one flip. I'll put it this way, I could have walked barefoot, it wouldn't have made any difference. So far they had already expired, but it's still too bad....

But since everything ended like this, it's good that my road trip ended here in Tatla Lake today.

Bye