Gampo Abbey - Found at Last!

Aloha Everyone,

We made it!!! J.J. asked me this morning if we would like to attempt one more time to see if we could find Gampo Abbey. I enthusiastically concurred.

There was no signs on the road leading to the Abbey. As Honu climbed the narrow, dusty, mountainous road, I knew that we were on the right track.

The public visitations are available only during the summer months. One can also apply for meditation retreat lasting 7 - 14 days and one year at most.

A sign at the entry way invited us to walk around the ground and visit the Stupa, a place of meditation. We placed our donation in the simple wooden box and walked in.

It was profoundly powerful, spiritual experience to be able walk on the ground imagining that this is where Pema Chodron does her walking meditations. Inhaling the fragrance of grasses and wild flowers and listening to the sound of a brook was as close as I can get to practicing with Pema. For those of you who practiced meditation with me, I will be writing a separate entry in www.yogaandmeditationforseniors.blogspot.com

Lunch stop at Charlene!s Restaurant for their famous seafood chowder. I had a cup of chowder while J.J. enjoyed a large bowl of the steaming meal. We had an interesting conversation with Candice and Darrel from British Columbia who were visiting Nova Scotia.

We are staying at Linwood Harbour Campground located in Linwood, Nova Scotia. Tory, the owner and operator purchased the land and built the beautiful and spacious camping ground 12 years ago. Tory mentioned that he completely refurbished the 150 years old barn. It now houses his office, laundry room and men and women's showers and toilets.

This is a perfect place for our stay. We took showers and finished 3 loads of laundry, then spent the evening catching up on our correspondences using their very reliable WiFi.

www.linwoodcampground.com

Aloha -- Cathi

Sandeannie's Tea Room & Bakery, Quest to Find Gampo Abbey, J.J.'s Lobster Dinner

Aloha Everyone,

I was up before 5:00 AM, as I was so excited I couldn't go back to sleep. J.J. woke up about an hour later while I was doing my yoga practice. By 8:30 AM, we finished our breakfast and left the RV park behind. It is 57 degrees Fahrenheit, sunny and clear: another beautiful day.  

This is our second entry to Canada with Honu and we have positive impressions.

For example, her cities, towns, villages and streets we've driven by are extremely clean. We have not seen any graffiti or trash. People we are meeting seem happy and satisfied with their lives. They are friendly, courteous and helpful. Yes, we love Canada and its people!!!

Lunch at Sandeannie's Tea Room & Bakery in Inverness. J.J.'s scallops and my French Toast.

http://www.sandeannies.com/

Nova Scotia: For the first 150 years of European settlements, the colony was primarily French Arcadians. Others from Europe followed. Today, Dutch bakeries, Scottish tartan shops and French boulangeries are doing business side by side.

We passed by Seafood Stop Restaurant to purchase a whole lobster for J.J. before we entered the Cape Breton Highlands National Park. We paid a total of $41 Canadian or US $32.80 for 2 senior 24 hrs passes, one night stay at their camping site with electrical hook-up.

The day was young, only 2:25 PM. J.J. kindly offered for us to drive to Pleasant Bay about 25 miles one way to see if we could find Gampo Abbey, my ultimate destination for this chapter of our adventure. Our first attempt to find the Abbey was unsuccessful. However, we were able to appreciate the scenic beauty of the western coastal region of the park. To describe the area, parts of the coastal area is like Big Sur in Northern California, also the drive from Hanauma Bay towards Makapuu Point on the island of Oahu, Hawaii and finally, the green rolling hills of Scotland.

J.J.'s steamed lobster dinner and my baby spinach/kale salad with roasted almonds.

We enjoyed apple strudel from Sandeannie's for dessert.

Aloha -- Cathi

Nova Scotia and Thinkers Lodge

Aloha Everyone,

Foggy morning but the sun was trying to peek out of the cloudy sky. After leaving the ferry, it took us over one hour and fifteen minutes to navigate a 15 miles stretch of highway in a snail-paced traffic due to road construction.

Slow traffic gave me a chance to photograph the simple but effective directional sign for cable-ferries. We were told that ferry services are free to residents as well as to tourists.

At the Nova Scotia Visitor Information Center in Amherst, J.J. and I were able to obtain comprehensive route and direction to our ultimate destination of Cape Breton. Here is the photo of the woman who assisted us. My sincere apologies for misplacing the sticky note where I jotted down her name.

In the village of Pugwash, we had 3 objectives:

1) To find an excellent restaurant for lunch

2) To find a gas station where they sell diesel 

3) To find a supermarket

I walked into the tourist information office only to find that it had a "Closed" sign. Lisa, who was seated in an office just across the doorway smiled and was more than helpful. She answer my three questions then went on to offer additional information about Pugwash.

To tell the complete story of Pugwash would require that I devote at least one entire blog. In a nutshell, a meeting held at the Thinkers' Lodge in 1957 was instrumental in the formation of an international movement for nuclear disarmament and world peace. www.thinkerslodge.org

Lisa turned out to be the county clerk treasurer and all 3 of her recommendations turned out beautifully -- especially our lunch at Hillcrest View Restaurant.

This out-of-town location with a small sign could have been easily bypassed if we were not famished and not seriously focused on finding this place.

When we mentioned to Alisha that we are from Hawaii and live in a RV and traveling to see the world, her reaction was, "Oh my gosh, my grandmother is doing that!!!"  Ah we never know where and when we might meet a kindred spirit. If you are reading this Alisha, please wish your grandmother a very happy life!!!

We have been driving along Northumberland  Shore and tonight we are staying at an RV park located in Pictou Harbour south of Prince Edward Island.

We had a choice of accommodation at the Caribou County Park just a few kilometers away. It was gorgeous, lots of trees and very few campers. However no electrical hook-up and no WiFi was sufficient deterrent for us to select this more congested location. Yes, sometimes technology over rides simplicity and nature.

To our granddaughter, sharing you this amazing collection of pumpkins we saw today at a storefront in Pugwash.

Aloha -- Cathi