Prince Rupert and Grenville Channel
British Columbia welcomed us warmly this morning.
We docked at Prince Rupert and cleared customs into Canada. The tidal range was over 20 feet today, and we went ashore at low tide. This allowed us to see countless barnacles and a few colorful sea stars on the enormous wharf pilings; it also meant a rather steep walk uphill to shore!
We arrived on Sunday morning, so town was quiet. Some of us stretched our legs before the museum visit. We passed tidy homes, and bright flowers in well-kept gardens. Totem poles were scattered around downtown buildings and in small parks. Even City Hall, an art deco style building, had native designs along the windows. Downtown streets were easy to walk, but nearby topography is so extreme that a ski slope overlooks the town.
At the Museum of Northern British Columbia we viewed beautiful, traditional pieces of Tsimshian art. Our tour was followed by a Winter Feast performance in the longhouse. We experienced a modified feast, with tastes of traditional food, and each of us received a small gift, representative of the many gifts shared at such events. The performers introduced themselves, and the clans to which they belong. Masked dancers illustrated the best-known myth of the Northwest Coast, how Raven brought light to the world.
After lunch, we cruised among the numerous islands outside Prince Rupert. Sunshine! We sighted pelagic birds such as shearwaters and jaegers. Journeying southward, we enjoyed afternoon tea with freshly made scones, local jams, goat cheeses, and Nanaimo bars.
In the afternoon native British Columbian Bryan Gates gave a presentation about his corner of Canada. Meanwhile, we journeyed past tree-covered islands, through narrow waterways, where the bright yellow-green foliage of western redcedar overhung the water. Here and there enormous logs floated on the surface. A light shower produced a full rainbow which punctuated the afternoon with color.
British Columbia welcomed us warmly this morning.
We docked at Prince Rupert and cleared customs into Canada. The tidal range was over 20 feet today, and we went ashore at low tide. This allowed us to see countless barnacles and a few colorful sea stars on the enormous wharf pilings; it also meant a rather steep walk uphill to shore!
We arrived on Sunday morning, so town was quiet. Some of us stretched our legs before the museum visit. We passed tidy homes, and bright flowers in well-kept gardens. Totem poles were scattered around downtown buildings and in small parks. Even City Hall, an art deco style building, had native designs along the windows. Downtown streets were easy to walk, but nearby topography is so extreme that a ski slope overlooks the town.
At the Museum of Northern British Columbia we viewed beautiful, traditional pieces of Tsimshian art. Our tour was followed by a Winter Feast performance in the longhouse. We experienced a modified feast, with tastes of traditional food, and each of us received a small gift, representative of the many gifts shared at such events. The performers introduced themselves, and the clans to which they belong. Masked dancers illustrated the best-known myth of the Northwest Coast, how Raven brought light to the world.
After lunch, we cruised among the numerous islands outside Prince Rupert. Sunshine! We sighted pelagic birds such as shearwaters and jaegers. Journeying southward, we enjoyed afternoon tea with freshly made scones, local jams, goat cheeses, and Nanaimo bars.
In the afternoon native British Columbian Bryan Gates gave a presentation about his corner of Canada. Meanwhile, we journeyed past tree-covered islands, through narrow waterways, where the bright yellow-green foliage of western redcedar overhung the water. Here and there enormous logs floated on the surface. A light shower produced a full rainbow which punctuated the afternoon with color.
