By now you’ll be noticing the weather theme in the titles. It has been colder than we expected and it is unusually cold for this time of year.
We are the last ship to do this cruise until Spring 2025.
Ordinarily weather in the low double figures is what is expected. We’ve been ten to fifteen degrees below this. There has been a prevailing strong and nasty stream of cold air flowing down from the arctic. Including a few days of extremely high winds.
We were prepared. We’ve visited at this time of year so prepared for an arctic blast.
Kits allowed us to appreciate the warmth of the ship and the delicious hot chocolates served up by Toni in Baristas.
So as we dock at St John the weather is no different. Sub zero again. What has dissipated is the harsh Atlantic winds. We are a little more south and a little more west. So somewhat protected as we venture further down the east coast. We are travelling in a south westerly direction away from the arctic.
Mardi has a bit of a sleep in and I go to a lecture on our next few stops. First three stop in the continental USA. Portland, Newport and Boston.
The speaker talks about the historic development of the area called New England. Settled by Europeans in the 1600s as they did everywhere, ripping land from the indigenous people of wherever the British empire wanted to put to its own roots. It’s all part of the evolution of the modern world.
Interestingly one of the drivers into New England by the English was the need for wood to build warships and continue their insatiable need to battle anyone they encountered. In England at the time, 1600s and without mass transit just yet, the English had exhausted what they thought was all of their usable wood to build ships. So they plundered Portland. Claiming the tallest trees in the name of the king for masts to new ships and all other wood for building the ships.
Our presenter went on about the fishing in the sea. Records indicate that the same volume of fish was taken from the Atlantic between 1600 and 1800 as was the case between 1800 and 1815. Astonishing. That just a short 200 years ago we almost fished the ocean dry in this part of the world. Regulation since that time has slowed the complete destruction of the ecosystems but only just.
He then pointed out some key things to see in each of our next three stops. From elegant Victorian houses in Portland to the freedom trail in Boston. He had an excellent working knowledge of the area.
After the talk I grabbed a quick breakfast and brought some croissants and pastries back for Mardi.
We take it easy for a bit before heading out and exploring St John.
When we did explore we found a quaint market place, Kings square and some nice gift shops. Interestingly in Kings Square were a number of statues. The one honouring war veterans across the ages also had ten or so teenagers camped at the base of it. They were chatting and laughing. As we walked past them we worked out why such a jovial mood. They were all smoking weed. Weed is pretty much legal everywhere. And the smell is everywhere. Strong and obvious. We pad them and soon the scent of Mary Jane comes a behind us.
We pass a group of people seemingly handing out food to the homeless. They greet us as we walk by. We stop and chat. They are friendly and obviously kind hearted. They ask us about Australia. We tell them about our home city. Then they explain what they’re doing. They’re sharing the word of Jesus and helping those in need. If only religion were that simple and good more people might get on board. I’m an atheist. I don’t have any belief or faith in a higher being. But to those who do. Good on you. The problem as I see it today in organised religion is its pervasive nature and influence and power over a raft of every day things. Elections, schooling, choice, economics etc. believe and do good deeds like these humble folks today and maybe the world would be a better place.
It’s time for a drink.
We locate a Tim Hortin’s. Canada’s equivalent to Starbucks. We enjoy a hot chocolate and the fast wifi we been deprived of on the ship.
After our hot chocolates and fix of the internet we wander the streets looking in shops.
We head back to the ship and chill out for a while. We have a quick lunch in the buffet. Chicken satay sticks salad, fish today.
After lunch I head out to the Reverse Rapids. St John is known for the highest tides in the world. Four reasons explain this.
- Resonance: The Bay of Fundy has a unique shape that causes tidal waters to resonate. The length and shape of the bay create a natural amplification effect, where incoming tides “fit” into the bay and amplify the tidal range.
- Tidal Range: The Bay of Fundy is characterized by a significant difference between high tide and low tide, often exceeding 15 meters (nearly 50 feet) in some areas. The funnel shape of the bay concentrates the water, increasing the height of the tides.
- Earth’s Rotation and Gravitational Pull: The gravitational pull of the moon and the sun plays a major role in the tides. As the earth rotates, the combination of the gravitational forces and the relative positions of these celestial bodies contributes to the tidal patterns experienced in the Bay of Fundy.
- Narrow Inlets: The shape of the inlets leading into the Bay of Fundy restricts water flow, further increasing the tidal effect. Water flowing in and out of the bay gets constricted, leading to higher tides.
These factors combined make Saint John in the Bay of Fundy one of the most significant locations in the world for tidal fluctuations, contributing to its notable tidal heights.
Today though as I visit the site is unremarkable. Louise, where the rapids are at their height is at 20 minutes after midnight tonight. I arrive an hour is so after high tide. So there is a little activity but nothing spectacular.
I explore the area, scaling the 268 steps down to the viewing platforms. And of course the 268 back up. Exhausting work. But fun.
I head back to the ship and spend some time with Mardi in Baristas. We enjoy hot chocolates before heading off to today’s episode of trivia.
We score poorly today. 8 out of 17. Who knows who built the hanging gardens of Babylon? And who were King Solomon’s parents? Oh well. There’s always tomorrow.
After trivia we go to Batista’s for a drink and do the daily Mensa Quiz. We are getting quite good at these odd questions.
For dinner we to the main dining room. It opens at 6:30 but we generally wait till about 8 o’clock. At 6:30 there’s always a queue of. eager and hungry passengers keen to grab a steak and a seat by a window. We sit and watch the flow of the queue as people stream in. Just before 8.00 pm we wander up to the desk and I seated I had a nice little table down the back near your window. The menu changes every day so we’re keen to see what his offer tonight. we both enjoy tuna tartare, lobster bisque and beef tournedos. we sit and chat with the staff, they are incredibly friendly and engaging.
After dinner we attend a show. Our cruise director Carson puts on a show of Broadway classics he says resemble his life. Carson is a charismatic 38 year old who wanted to make it on Broadway, but instead found his calling on cruise ships.
We head back to our room. One of my highlights is our nightly review of Currents, the ships newspaper and a four page Australian news for the Aussie’s on board. Us!
Mardi puts on her best news reader voice and reads them to me. It’s a great way to end the night with a cup of tea. Tomorrow Portland and immigration checks to get into the USA. It is also election day tomorrow, 5 November 2024. Will America do the unthinkable again?
