Little did we know about Canada….

We spent a half year in British Columbia and almost felt like Canadians. Snow capped mountains, ocean always nearby, green forests and sandy beaches…. It all started to feel like home. Even the cities, first Victoria, then Vancouver, felt somewhat familiar.

But as we started to follow Zouterik on her journey from Pacific to Atlantic, the rest of the country introduced itself to us….

Because even though we were the ones hitting the gas, this vast, rugged en gigantic country closes in on you like a squall in the tropics or dense fog on the Atlantic shoreline.

The immense space, the huge distances, the endless wilderness, the roads that continue into the horizon, the living skies and the absence of other living souls for long stretches of time leave us tiny, humble and in awe.

Now we get to know the real character and face of Canada. And, coincidence or not, it all comes together for us here, in Thunder Bay on the westernmost point of the Great Lake Superior.

After driving 4000 kilometers from Vancouver, our car broke down. With 2000 kilometers to go until we reach Zouterik in the old port marina of Quebec City, we explored all our options but had no other choice then to have our car repaired, here in Thunder Bay. Parts had to be ordered and we would be stuck here for a week…

The funny thing is that Thunder Bay has been highest on our list of locations to launch Zouterik again. But after we learned that the Great Lakes can still be frozen in May, we had to change Zouteriks destination to Quebec City.

In Thunder Bay we got to see the average face of Canada, with all its beauty ánd its everyday challenges. Thunder Bay is not a big city, it isn’t particularly pretty. There’s no world famous museum, neither a historic city center, nor a tropical beach. It has some nice neigbourhoods but also streets you might want to avoid.

But what Thunder Bay does have is a world class hostel! The lovely people that work here, their hospitality, the fully equipped kitchen for Linde to bake cookies and for me to cook daily meals, the comfy beds, the softest sheets you’ve ever slept under, the spotlessly clean bathrooms, the free breakfast, the personal attention, Boss Lady the house dog, the atmosphere, the Wall filled with personal stories that read like a book, the camp fires, the collection of family games, the sofa that makes you never wanting to get up again…

Ok you get my point: the Haven hostel became home for a week. We explored the city, baked, cooked, relaxed, read, played card games and hide and seek and enjoyed a campfire, dinners and wonderful conversations. And at the ends of the past eight days: slept like babies in our cozy bunk beds under those soft satin sheets.

Yesterday the garage rang: our car had been fixed! Today we’ll continu our roadtrip east. We’re very sad to have to say goodbye.

Dear staff of the Haven hostel, dear Holly, Hanuman, Chiara, Kelsey, Skyler and Jaz. Thank you for being you and for giving these sailors a week we’ll never forget!

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