Titanic & Halifax Canada Connection

#TitanicHalifaxNSCanadaConnection

I best way to start the story is to begin in Dublin Ireland where White Star was building two Ocean Liners to compete with the Cunard Shipping Line (which used in the beginning Roman names)

So this is why the name Titanic ( Greek from Titans) and its sister ship Olympic got its namesake
White Star knew it could not match Cunard for speed so it opted for size plus opulence, so over the next two years at the Harland / Wolff Shipyards the dream took shape

The Olympic was completed first and Captain Edward Smith was at the helm when it collided with the HMS Hawke near the Isle of Wight (two compartments filled up with water but the ship was able to make it back at port)
Because of repairs needed, workers on the Titanic site were pulled away thus leaving her maiden voyage delayed (8 weeks) and you guessed it.......into Iceberg Season

Finally as the Titanic departed from Southampton England April 10th 1912 with small stops in Cherbourg France plus Queenstown Ireland with (yes the same) Captain Edward Smith maybe overconfident with surviving a collision at sea with a Naval Boat (my opinion)

 

Todays Cable Wharf in Halifax 
But in the early 1900s it was responsible for the laying and the maintenance of transatlantic cables
It was these folks who got hired by White Star with the grim task to pickup any bodies from the Titanic sinking on April 15,1912

The Mackay-Bennett left the Port of Halifax for its three day 800 nautical mile journey with a clergy, undertaker, 100 coffins, blocks of ice plus regular supplies

 On a side note; St Johns Newfoundland was closer to the disaster but it was not part of Canada until 1949, its an island so relatives would have a hard time getting there to claim any bodies, plus Halifax just had more resources and knowhow
 
So once Mackay-Bennett reached the area they recovered 306 bodies which were given a number
 plus all clothing, body markings etc was cataloged
Then 116 souls were given proper burial at sea and the ship returned with 190 victims that was well over what they were equipped to handle

Once the ship arrived into Halifax all the unclaimed bodies (of what was determined to be 2nd &3rd Class passengers) were brought to the Mayflower Curling Rink to be laid on the ice sheets with temporary walls put up for respect

All the First Class Passengers were sent to JA Snow Funeral Home on Argyle Street (now the Five Fishermen Restaurant)
One of the 59 bodies that were claimed by relatives was John Jacob Astor IV, which the family paid the crew members of the Mackay-Bennett a reward for the recovery of his body,
 as promised earlier

Todays Five Fishermen 

St Pauls Church (downtown Halifax at Parade Square) held a memorial service for the victims plus one of its parishioners, Mr. George Wright 

George Wright was a very successful businessman and philanthropist of Halifax.
 His house on Young Avenue (ironically) was signed over to the Local Council of Women before he boarded the Titanic through his lawyer

He has a few other Historic Registered Buildings on Barrington Street, was also a huge contributor to the YMCA plus Dalhousie University
 Also owned several boats, so they created the George Wright Cup (that the local Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron) which has races each year in his memory

St Georges Church was the site of a proper burial paid for by the crew of the Mackay Bennett with that reward money for a unknown child (19 months old)
Eventually with improved DNA testing the baby was finally identified as Sidney Leslie Goodwin in 2008 

The Fairview Lawn Cemetery is a denominational resting site run by the City of Halifax and was established in 1893.
White Star paid for the headstones plus upkeep until 1930, then the Titanic Society of Atlantic Canada stepped in to take over

Approximately one third of the 121 buried here still have no name attached to the marker 😢
As you can see, every person pulled out of the water was assigned a number with James McGrady being the last at 330

Alma Palsson was thought at one point to be the mother of the unknown child so purposely were laid to rest near each other 

This headstone is much larger than the rest and again the crew of the Mackay-Bennett used their reward money to send their respects to (as they felt) as one of their own

Eventually the identity was established
So a smaller plaque was put in place for Sidney Leslie Goodwin, but the large stone marker was kept for all the other children lost that night in the North Atlantic Ocean

In just over five years later the city had to endure their own tragedy after grieving and helping the Titanic
 The Halifax Explosion had close to 2000 casualties due to the blast debris, fires or collapsed buildings  plus another 9000 injured.

What Halifax learned during the horrific Titanic situation was with identifying the bodies through meticulous record keeping which helped immensely with the healing process.....again!

The Ironic Tragedy of Halifax and Titanic

Samuel Cunard was born in Halifax plus amassed great wealth through banking, lumber, coal and iron
He also had built a merchant fleet of around 40 vessels to establish a mail service between England and North America.
 He moved to the UK once the British Government opened up bidding on contracts and
as they say the rest his history

 He later ventured into passenger vessels with now to present time the Port of Halifax receives approximately 200 ships with traditionally the Queen Mary 2 making a few visits per season 

The Cunard Ship RMS Carpathia rescued 705 passengers from the Titanic lifeboats and took them to New York 

 Irony
After it was put into military service
 It was sunk by a German U-Boat, later found in the year 2000 just 120 miles off the coast of Ireland
 But remember the Titanic was built in Belfast

Showing the will of the human spirit to keep moving forward

Richard Williams survived the Titanic but was in the water so long the doctors wanted to amputate both legs, he refused
After he recovered he went on to win the US Nationals 1914 & 1916, Wimbledon Doubles 1920 plus Olympic Gold Mixed Doubles 1924

Hilda Slayter was born in Halifax and survived the sinking 
Then married, lived in western Canada before returning to the east coast only to have
pulled through the Halifax Explosion, finally moved to England where she passed

Life is full circle as then her ashes were returned and was buried at Camp Hill Cemetery in Halifax

Post Titanic Tragedy

The Bedford Institute of Oceanography (BIO) of Halifax did not directly find the Titanic, but it played a crucial role in supporting the Dr Robert Ballard expedition team through logistical and scientific support.
 Which then through that help found the doomed ship in 1985

KeyTip
If ever in my beautiful City of Halifax, make a point of visiting The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic located on the Harbor Boardwalk next to the previously mentioned Cable Wharf 
For under $10.00 to can see exhibits of the Titanic and Halifax Explosion 

The Aftermath and Silver Lining  
Famous People (for many reasons) who were to have sailed that day but had to cancel, which in hindsight benefited mankind in many ways

A) Guglielmo Marconi; his wireless telegraph system revolutionized global communications and ironically that night when the ship hit the iceberg, distress signals went out which eventually saved over 700 passengers
B) Milton Hershey; was more than a chocolatier, he was also a philanthropist who started a boarding school for orphaned boys in 1909 and today provides free K-12 education plus housing for thousands of underprivileged children
C) JP Morgan; the American banker who during World War 1 organized a syndicate of 2,000+ banks to underwrite $1.5 billion in Allied War Bonds
D) George Vanderbilt; he was born into wealth because of the families rail and ship businesses but was unlike many industrial tycoons of his era. He dedicated much of his energy plus wealth to land preservation by first creating the Pisgah National Forest (86,000 acres) and the public enrichment by supporting the arts
E) Henry Clay Frick; made his fortune in the steel industry (who after his passing) gave the City of New York his Fifth Avenue mansion and world class art collection as a public museum. He also established public parks and gifted millions of dollars to universities plus hospitals  

 

Dingle Park & Melville Island Halifax Canada

 

#DingleParkMelvilleIsland_NSCanada

On our way to Dingle Park (old British slang for a small wooded valley) that contains treed plus open areas, saltwater frontage with a freshwater pond, many walking paths plus some small beaches
 The area (95 acres) was given to Halifax in 1908 by Sir Sandford Fleming

KeyTip;
When heading to Dingle Park

Look for Anchor Drive plus this Monument
 This piece of iron flew 5kms (2.5miles) in the air and landed here hence the name of the street

  It is a 540 kilograms (1200lbs) of the anchor shaft from the ship Mont Blanc that blew up in Halifax Harbor, which then created the largest man-made explosion up to the atomic age

KeyTip
After leaving the Halifax Explosion Monument
Next look across the water to see Melville Island British Military Prison which held inmates from the French Revolutionary, Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812

Today it is a Clubhouse for the Armdale Yacht Club

Deadmans Island was a small peninsula near Melville Prison which served as a burial ground from those who were inmates there
The prisoners endured harsh living conditions, and by doing hard labor like breaking granite or carrying heavy cannonballs....... many did not last 

Finally the park was created in 2005 to protect the area from development, plus also to allow a final resting place for those lost souls
 Some were also remembered in May of that year as the American Government erected a memorial which included men from the USS Chesapeake 

 

Sir Sanford Fleming moved from Scotland to Canada in 1845.
 He was educated at Columbia University, Toronto and Queen Universities.

 He eventually moved up to Engineer in Chief for the Canadian Pacific Railway which led him to Halifax with the task of a Intercolonial railway to Quebec.
 It was then he came up with the concept of Universal Standard Time (1884) for scheduling purposes.

Was also the Chancellor of Queens University, a Director at the Hudson Bay Company, a member of the Halifax Club and what the heck.....designed the countrys first postage stamp 😀
  

Sir Sandford Fleming Park was donated to the people of Halifax for the 150th anniversary of a government which was deemed responsible and representing the citizens since 1758,
 when the City was established 

Memorial Tower was built in 1912 with the City of Halifax 
and the local Canadian Club receiving many donations from within the British Empire

Those gifts are commemorated on the inside walls with either Plaques or Stones from the respective countries

The architectural design of the Dingle Tower is divided into three sections

The base is ironstone from a nearby quarry, with a granite midsection and a copper roof with a pronounced overhang.
The entrance has two large bronze lions that were donated by The Royal Colonial Institute of London in 1913

 An interesting fact
  British sculptor Albert Brucejoy got his influence for his statuette in Halifax from the monumental lions at Trafalgar Square 

After climbing ten flights of stairs and now looking out at the Northwest Arm
 (early on known as Sandwich River)

Its an 3.5km (2 mi) inlet that extends from the Halifax Harbor
( so yes the Atlantic Ocean and its saltwater)

The Arm is Sheltered;
 So an ideal place for marinas, sailing, kayaking plus of course to enjoy Dingle Park from one of the great Canadians / Haligonians .....Sir Sandford Fleming!

Peggys Cove, Nova Scotia Canada

#PeggysCoveNSCanada

Formed thousands of years ago by the glaciers and then smoothed over by raw nature,
 the natural beauty here is amazing but you need to respect the
 mighty Atlantic Ocean.
 Its dangerous to venture onto the dark/black part of the rocks, as a wave can sweep you out to the sea where you cannot be saved 

With only 30 permanent residents Peggys Cove still operates as a village with its own schoolhouse, church, general store and as you can see a lobster industry

 

The area is a vibrant community of local artisans that showcases their work through either a collaborative co-op, independent studios or curated galleries

My Picks
A) Hags on the Hill; an on the job neat encounter, as you get to meet the makers of the handcrafted leather goods, jewelry, pottery and its woodwork all at this location
B) Holy Mackerel Store; has a great collection of what i would consider non-tacky regional
 gifts and souvenirs 
C) Amos Pewter; you can have an interactive hands on experience in making your own pewter sand dollars, or watch the molten white metal cast into molds for something else you can buy
D) Neil Depew Gallery; features original watercolor and acrylic landscapes painted by the aforementioned artist and his mother
E) William deGarthe Art Gallery; this is my favorite as it honors the legacy of this sculptor
and marine painter who lived seasonally here in the village
He was born in Finland but immigrated to Canada in 1926, studied art in Europe, also the Montreal Museum and finally at Mount Allison University in nearby Sackville NB
Then he starting teaching at the Nova Scotia College of Art, which after during the summer school break would spend his time at Peggys Cove
In 1977 after his passing, the family formally gifted a collection of his paintings to the Province as an appreciation of what the area meant to him as an artist 

Originally called the Adirondack Chair (from the same name of the mountains) of New York, we in Canada have adopted it and call it a Muskoka Chair
So a perfect fit for our lifestyle in this Eastern part of my country

Located in the village and started by artist William E deGarthe at age 70
It is a 30 meter (100 feet) wall of granite that he finished 80%, before he passed in 1983
 It took him six years to sculpt these 32 figures to pay homage to the fishermen who lost their lives at sea and to the families who also suffered their own anguish 

Memorial
The last 20% was not completed, a fitting honor to the man for his commitment
 on this project

So why the name Peggy you ask.

Well the Hollywood version 😅 is she was the only survivor of a shipwreck who married a local
But sorry, history says that Samuel de Champlain (Father of New France) was expanding the land holdings for his country and named the area after his mother
Marguerite (Margret; nickname is Peggy) Le Roy 

The famous and most photographed lighthouse in North America (no kidding, look it up)

The first was constructed in 1868 as a wooden house with a light beacon on top,
 the next version was built in 1914 and even was used as the local Post Office until it was closed for safety reasons in 2009
Finally it was protected by the Heritage Lighthouse Act 

The Old Sea Dog paying respect to all those experienced and hardened people who made their
living on / from the ocean

Lobster
The season in this area runs from late November to end of May, it is dangerous work but very lucrative if you so happen to have one of those prized licenses
Crustaceans have come a long way onto menus world-wide,
as i remember by late grandfather would mention they would grind them up for fertilizer to be used on his farm in Prince Edward Island

Also in his time if you went to school with a lobster sandwich, you were deemed poor 
Well priced at $25.99 per kilo now (one pound) you will become broke
buying too many lobster rolls 😅

 Colors of the Industry
Great for photos yes but it serves a purpose, as each fish harvester uses a unique pattern of stripes or solid hues to easily spot and claim their own equipment
You will also see on the buoys painted license numbers, initials or tags so the authorities
 knows who owns the gear

Walking the rocks outside the village and watching each step i make
 on this very uneven surface

The awesomeness of Peggys Cove and all of its granite

KeyTip:
 Some of your best photographic opportunities is to park past Peggys Cove and walk back to it.
 Look close, you can see the lighthouse on the top right corner

Monster Surf
The sea was quite today but always showing her the respect it deserves
As when major storm systems move up our way from the Gulf of Mexico during the hurricane season  (Dorian, Lee & Erin) the local authorities will close the access roads to Peggys Cove
 during these dangerous times

Showing the effects of the weather from the
 Atlantic Ocean

My artist versions from my time @ Peggys Cove

Florida Everglades by Airboat

#FloridaEvergladesAirboat


KeyTip
Lesson to myself; next time make an effort to read up on the local airboat companies and do not assume everything is copacetic, why you ask

 To my amazement (as i was able to read the room quickly) on how disorganized this particular operator was with his only cash policy, no headsets for the noise, trying to overcrowd the swamp boat etc,

 Then i complained to all the various safety concerns in which we got things straightened out for myself and (at first) strangers but WE ALL ARE adventure travellers......so friends at the end of the tour
 
 So after i did a little research and found out between 2007 to 2017 there were 55 airboat accidents which unfortunately resulted in 2 fatalities plus 130 injured passengers or the drivers
 During the investigation it was found the causes were mostly due to excessive speed plus inattention to fixed objects (mangrove islands, tree branches, stumps/roots or other airboats) 

 So after the State of Florida implemented a new set of rules and regulations (2019) to this growing industry to take it from its cowboy days to present times 

  What came out was the Drivers of Airboats, the Course Testing Providers, the Instructors plus its Qualifications now all have to follow these strict guidelines.
But after all this the State of Florida still does not require airboats or their captains to carry insurance

 So with all that above information read the reviews and only use the most qualified companies so you can enjoy your Everglades experience without worry
 

 

The Florida Everglades is a subtropical wetland ecosystem spanning over two million acres covering across central and southern Florida
At one time the ecosystem of this area was connected by both wetlands plus bodies of water, but since the 1800s that has changed
 As always, it was mankind sculpting the landscape through development with water diversions plus flood control structures
 The end result, the size of the National Park has been decreased  

Even after viewing the Alligator Farm and seeing these creatures up close, you REALLY still need to post this sign 
 No Swimming......Some Humans Are So Stupid 😂

As we follow another Airboat on the tour here are some interesting facts;

 A) The preferred choice is to use an automotive engine over aircraft because of the cost of the fuel which is much cheaper
 B) The hulls are all made from either aluminum or fiberglass
C) There are no brakes or reverse on these Fanboats plus they have no operating parts below the waterline
 D) The first Swamp Boats started in Florida in the 1930s and moving forward are now used for ecotourism, hunting, fishing plus rescues
E) Airboats were used to save thousands during Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans
F) U.S. Special Forces and the Coast Guard  use this versatile craft

There is much diversity of plants in the Everglades; with Sawgrass, Cacti, Lichens, Wildflowers, Algae, Bromeliads plus Orchids which actually are found up in the trees and get their nutrients through the aerial roots 

As for trees;
 Many different types of Cypress with the most being the Bald and Pond species
Water Tupelo, Florida Royal Palm, Red, White / Black Mangroves, plus other hardwoods that are found on areas they call Hardwood Hammocks (islands) 

The Everglades has extraordinary wildlife with more than 360 Bird Species, Bottlenose Dolphins, West Indian Manatees, Florida Panthers (less than 100😢)
 Alligators (that are colored black with U-Shaped snout) Crocodiles (color of a lighter grayish brown with V-Shaped front) and many different types of snakes

KeyTip;
 The best time to see all the wildlife is either dawn or dusk, so try to book your tour then 

I could not post this blog without mentioning my local connection (Eastern Canada and my Province of Nova Scotia) with Alexander Graham Bell (yes the phone inventor) as he had his Summer Home built in my area of Baddeck, Cape Breton 

It was here he was always experimenting with many forms of transportation (first flight in Canada......the Silver Dart Plane for example)
 plus he became one of the pioneers of hydrofoil experimental prototypes

 The first was built in 1905 and it was called the Ugly Duckling
 Then in 1919 one of his Fanboats travelled over 115kms per hour (70 mph) a record that withstood for almost a decade 

So with that history connection I HAD to do a ride on a Swamp Boat in Florida even though it is 3200 kms (2000 miles) away from my home of Nova Scotia

Camel Trekking the Sahara Desert

#CamelTrekkingSahara

The Sahara Desert is that large it covers 10 different countries of Africa (Algeria, Chad, Egypt, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Western Sahara, Sudan plus Tunisia) 
It has dry valleys, mountains, salt flats, barren rocky plateaus and sand dunes

On this adventure i will just touch just a small piece of it, but will still get a feel what its like to trek one of the worlds great natural spans 

 

Fun Facts;

A) Only the deserts of Antarctica and the Northern Arctic (both considered dry regions) have larger masses, so that makes the Sahara the largest HOT desert in the World ( 9,200,000 sq kms / 3,600,000 sq miles.....as big as Continental USA)

 B) The Bedouins (meaning desert dwellers) live in the Sahara plus survive by moving around by making tent camps near natural resources depending on the season

 C) The record high temperature recorded was 58C (136F) but depending on the time of the year its comfortable for us adventure travelers, for example when i was there 27C (80F) so normal for me

 D) Archeologists have found many wonders in the desert from Saharan Rock Paintings, Stone Circles and Dinosaur Fossils

E) The Sahara is 70% rock with only the other 30% being of sand 

F) The highest point in the desert is the Emi Koussi Volcano at 3400 meters (11,150 feet) which also has some hot springs if your in the area 

G) You think of the desert you think dry, not here 
 There are over 20 saltwater lakes with one exception Lake Chad (freshwater) plus over 90 oases
 (shade & rest areas)
But remember, it is spread over 4.8 million kms (3 million miles) so do not try to find these fertile spots on your own 😅

 H) The area in the Tunisian Sahara was used for the movie set of Star Wars many times
 Present Day;
 now the fictional birth village of Luke Skywalker has some remnants left behind for all the film buffs to visit

As we head out from Marrakesh with my group, i find out they are all from France (which at one time ruled Morocco 1912-1955) so French has been kept within the culture and still being one of the languages spoken here

So i knew my Canadian French (different grammar, vowels, vocabulary plus pronunciations) is not like that of the Parisian French, but we managed 

My biggest concern was if i was hurting the camel as being a lover of all animals that would go against my principles
To ease my fears i was told these Ships of the Desert can carry 600kg (1300 lbs), travel 40kms (25 miles) plus go 10 days without water
Plus i also noticed the handlers were very good to their caravans..... as well as they should be as this is how they made their living off us tourists


  Some Ethical Guidelines to Follow;
 A) Go with tour operators that have animal welfare policies such as World Expeditions or Intrepid Travel
 B) Ask the operators how their camels are trained and treated
C) Only book camels in the environments they have evolved to survive in, the desert
For example if you see rides offered in tropical, humid or non-desert landscapes this is a red flag
D) Visual check on your part; the camels should look settled plus calm, eyes should be clear, skin in good condition and no wear spots under the harnesses, saddles or halters
 E) Only one person per camel as the shady tour operators will double up to maximize profit
 F) Finally the multi-day safaris at a slow pace is much better than the quick turnarounds on the camels

As we wait for our Berber hosts i was told by our guides that some continue their nomadic desert lifestyle and others the tradition of farming with a culture that dates back for more than 4000 years

We are then served a Berber Tea (Atay) which is a mixture of green tea leaves, fresh mint leaves plus lots of sugar, then slices of bread with olive oil, jam and honey

As we take a break i noticed most of our transportation were of the one hump dromedaries and my handler tells me that when born,
 the calves have no hump until they start to eat solid food which eventually will grow into 80 lbs of fat, not water as what most people would of have assumed 

Yes i have ridden horses many times and a camel is a different experience, but not a difficult skill to learn very quickly
The only awkward moments for most novice riders i could see was the getting on/off part of the ride

KeyTip; it should not be filmed by your friends 😅

I was told Camels are sensitive creatures who will tell you when they are not comfortable with their passenger, but my Buddie liked the idea of me getting some extra grass and leaves

Also my guide told me Camels recognize poisonous plants growing in any area so will not eat them  Intelligence Growth, through social learning by watching what others in the flock have done

I was told the men cover their faces to show respect and modesty as the mouth is considered to be one of the most revealing parts of a mans body
But as you read below, it is also for protection from blowing sand, sun plus insects

On the way back after my two day trek the hotel driver kept pointing at my face (he knew no English) So i put up my fingers to feel and to my surprise had a stinger, then i pulled it out so within minutes i could feel it swelling up

What to do in Northwest Africa in this situation i asked myself
Well i remembered the old Indiana Jones movies 😂 so went to the local bar, asked for two whiskeys  (which got a stare from the bartender) and downed one, the other i pored on the wound

Next morning i was feeling a little off, not sure if it was the alcohol (as i do not drink hard liquor) or if it was the poison from whatever bit me
 But nonetheless was on the mend enough to do a hike of the nearby Atlas Mountains

Did this charcoal drawing  (saying thanks) to the great country of Morocco for this latest adventure