Wednesday, August 8
The picturesque town of Saguenay is actually the union of a number of cities and townships and serves as the gateway to the majestic Saguenay Fjord, an area rich in history and culture.
Founded: Originally settled in the 1840's and was reborn in 2002 when 7 municipalities formed as one city.
Region: Sits on the Saguenay River about 120 miles north of Quebec City.
Population: 144,746 (2011)
Climate: Summers are sunny and warm and winters are often bitterly cold, windy and snowy.
Language: English and French
Currency: Canadian Dollar (CAD)
Today was another perfect day.... sunshine and blue skies... ideal conditions for a canoe ride and a bear hunt!
There were 12 of us on a full day private tour with Okwari Advenutres. Our tour guide, Vicki was there to meet us in a bright yellow school bus.
Our first stop on our itinerary was to the Interpretations Walking Trail and Canyon. We walked about half a kilometre on a track beside the river with Vicki who explained about the natural environment including medicinal plants and trees. After walking to the waterfall and dam our bus picked us up and took us to an aboriginal site.
We took a trip back in time and discovered the lifestyle and land use practices of the indigenous people following the arrivals of Europeans on this continent. We met a First Nations couple who explained and demonstrated various techniques used for hunting, trapping and fishing. We even got to taste some traditional food like bannock which is a type of bread with cranberries through it and tea made from leaves. A very simple way of life centred around high family values.
After a traditional blessing we were on the road again to our lunch spot which overlooked the beautiful Lake Come. Our lunch consisted of a 3 course hearty meal washed down with a cold drink. The view over the lake was very relaxing and restful before our planned Rabaska canoe trip.
We were all kitted up with life jackets and an oar. Our group was split into two.... getting into the Voyager canoe was a challenge but much easier than getting out for some with bad or artificial knees as it was quite a step up to the pier and the canoe was not that stable. The Rabaska canoe, formally used by trappers, is 8m long and can seat up to ten people. We had a very peaceful paddle taking in the serenity and beauty and keeping an eye out for beavers who built the lake. There are three families of beavers living at the lake but we only got to see their houses.... a beautiful way to spend the afternoon.
Our last stop before heading back to the ship was to find the black bears. Find them we did seeing six in total. There were a few big ones and some playful youngsters. We also saw some pretty Blue Jay birds, woodpeckers and some playful squirrels that were teasing the bears.
Safely delivered back to the port we had about 30 minutes to make use of the free wifi available in the terminal.
Another successful tour! Tomorrow we do it all again in Quebec.
The picturesque town of Saguenay is actually the union of a number of cities and townships and serves as the gateway to the majestic Saguenay Fjord, an area rich in history and culture.
Founded: Originally settled in the 1840's and was reborn in 2002 when 7 municipalities formed as one city.
Region: Sits on the Saguenay River about 120 miles north of Quebec City.
Population: 144,746 (2011)
Climate: Summers are sunny and warm and winters are often bitterly cold, windy and snowy.
Language: English and French
Currency: Canadian Dollar (CAD)
Today was another perfect day.... sunshine and blue skies... ideal conditions for a canoe ride and a bear hunt!
There were 12 of us on a full day private tour with Okwari Advenutres. Our tour guide, Vicki was there to meet us in a bright yellow school bus.
Our first stop on our itinerary was to the Interpretations Walking Trail and Canyon. We walked about half a kilometre on a track beside the river with Vicki who explained about the natural environment including medicinal plants and trees. After walking to the waterfall and dam our bus picked us up and took us to an aboriginal site.
We took a trip back in time and discovered the lifestyle and land use practices of the indigenous people following the arrivals of Europeans on this continent. We met a First Nations couple who explained and demonstrated various techniques used for hunting, trapping and fishing. We even got to taste some traditional food like bannock which is a type of bread with cranberries through it and tea made from leaves. A very simple way of life centred around high family values.
After a traditional blessing we were on the road again to our lunch spot which overlooked the beautiful Lake Come. Our lunch consisted of a 3 course hearty meal washed down with a cold drink. The view over the lake was very relaxing and restful before our planned Rabaska canoe trip.
We were all kitted up with life jackets and an oar. Our group was split into two.... getting into the Voyager canoe was a challenge but much easier than getting out for some with bad or artificial knees as it was quite a step up to the pier and the canoe was not that stable. The Rabaska canoe, formally used by trappers, is 8m long and can seat up to ten people. We had a very peaceful paddle taking in the serenity and beauty and keeping an eye out for beavers who built the lake. There are three families of beavers living at the lake but we only got to see their houses.... a beautiful way to spend the afternoon.
Our last stop before heading back to the ship was to find the black bears. Find them we did seeing six in total. There were a few big ones and some playful youngsters. We also saw some pretty Blue Jay birds, woodpeckers and some playful squirrels that were teasing the bears.
Safely delivered back to the port we had about 30 minutes to make use of the free wifi available in the terminal.
Another successful tour! Tomorrow we do it all again in Quebec.
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