Wednesday, 12 July 2006

Arnolds Cove to Trinity (Newfoundland)

Lew had left one of his rods with me so I was up at 5:30 to see if I had any better luck this morning. It was still breezy and foggy, and although there seemed to be the occasional trout jumping at the surface I didn't get so much as a nibble. Eventually I gave up, and packed to move on. I was back on the TCH by 7:30 and cycled the 23 km to Goobies where I stopped once again for breakfast. I've never had so many cooked breakfasts.

When I set off again the fog had lifted but it was still overcast. I had another 27 km to go on the TCH to get to Clarenville, and there were some great views along the way, especially once the TCH reached the coast. I spent an hour and a half in Diversion CyberCafe uploading photos and blog before buying some snacks to picnic on along the way. I took route 230 out of Clarenville along the coast past Random Island and onto the Bonavista Peninsula. The route was quite hilly and for the first part there wasn't much to see as the road was lined with a mixture of conifer and birch forest. I stopped at a gas station to check my tyre pressures (and have an ice cream) and everyone was really friendly and interested in what I was doing and where I was from. The garage employee, the shop assistant, even the customers were joining in. "Meet this guy, he's cycled all the way from Boston. Yis Boy" It was quite entertaining and fun. They also warned me that rain was on the way. They were right.

By 3 pm it was spitting and by 4 pm I was drenched once again. I didn't stop to put on my rain-jacket as I was in a hurry to get to Trinity. The last 20 km into Trinity was beautiful, but because of the rain there was no chance of a photo. I turned off the 230 road onto the 239 and these last 3 km were alongside the water - a pretty scenic entrance. The Trinity Cabins (& campground) was right at the start of the community and I stood dripping at the doorway of the office while they explained to me where I could pitch my tent - which I did as quickly as I could manage in the rain. once inside, I mopped the floor with my already wet clothes, towelled dry, put on some dry clothes and went to pay ($11.40) and find out where the Rising Tide Theatre was. They had a theatre/dinner starting at 5:30, so I just had time to leap back on the bike and cycle into Trinity itself, which I discovered is stunningly pretty, even in the wet. Almost picture postcard perfect.

I was just in time for the dinner, which was accompanied with a range of folk songs, music and comedy sketches, etc. which was very good, except that I was right at the back of the hall so I couldn't always catch what was being said. Dinner and the entertainment took almost 2 hours after which they had to convert the dinner hall into theatre seating for the evening play. I was still hungry, so I went to the Dock Marina Restaurant for a snack, and an opportunity to write diary until the theatre doors opened again for 'No Man's Land' - a play by Kevin Major from his novel of the same name.

"July 1st, 1916 is remembered as the day the best and brightest of a generation of young Newfoundland men were virtually wiped out. From every bay and cove and town, from fishing stage to merchant's home, they marched off to the great war, proud members of their very own Newfoundland Regiment. They never suspected what one terrible morning of treachery would bring. The Battle of Beaumont Hamel is considered the greatest tragedy in our history. In the midst of that horror were real people, much like the sons and fathers of any era. And beyond the trenches were lovers and mothers and others who held them dear. Through this play you will see why we hold to this July morning with such force, why it will never be forgotten."

I'm not ashamed to say it brought a tear to my eye; but then I'm a sucker for anything sad. The play was very well staged and acted. I'm not going to waste words trying to describe it as I could never do it justice. In sentiment, it's perhaps very like one of my cycling songs, performed by The Pogues on their "Rum, Sodomy and the Lash" album; "And the band played Waltzing Matilda"

When I was a young man I carried my pack
And I lived the free life of a rover
From the Murrays green basin to the dusty outback
I waltzed my Matilda all over
Then in nineteen fifteen my country said Son
It's time to stop rambling 'cause there's work to be done
So they gave me a tin hat and they gave me a gun
And they sent me away to the war

And the band played Waltzing Matilda
As we sailed away from the quay
And amidst all the tears and the shouts and the cheers
We sailed off to Gallipoli

How well I remember that terrible day
How the blood stained the sand and the water
And how in that hell that they called Suvla Bay
We were butchered like lambs at the slaughter
Johnny Turk he was ready, he primed himself well
He chased us with bullets, he rained us with shells
And in five minutes flat he'd blown us all to hell
Nearly blew us right back to Australia

And the band played Waltzing Matilda
As we stopped to bury our slain
We buried ours and the Turks buried theirs
Then we started all over again

Now those that were left, did our best to survive
In a mad world of blood, death and fire
And for seven long weeks I kept myself alive
While the corpses around me piled higher
Then a big Turkish shell knocked me arse over tit
And when I awoke in my hospital bed
And saw what it had done, Christ I wished I was dead
Never knew there were worse things than dying

For no more I'll go waltzing Matilda
To the green bushes so far and so near
For to hump tent and pegs, a man needs two legs
No more waltzing Matilda for me

So they collected the cripples, the wounded, the maimed
And they shipped us back home to Australia
The armless, the legless, the blind, the insane
Those proud wounded heroes of Suvla
And as our ship docked back at Circular Quay
I looked down to the place where my legs used to be
And thanked Christ there was nobody waiting for me
To grieve and to mourn and to pity

And the band played Waltzing Matilda
As they carried us down the gangway
But nobody cheered, they just stood and stared
Then turned all their faces... away

So now every April I sit on my porch
And I watch the parade pass before me
And I see my old comrades, how proudly they march
Reliving old dreams of past glory
But I see only old men all twisted and torn
The forgotten heroes of a forgotten war
And when the young people ask me, "What are they marching for?"
And I ask myself the same question

And the band still plays Waltzing Matilda
And the veterans still answer the call
But year after year their numbers get fewer
Some day no one will march there at all

So a Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda
Who'll come a waltzing Matilda with me

Afterwards as I was cycling back to the campsite, a car pulled up and a familiar looking face leaned out and shouted "It's too late to go to bed, follow me!" Ed Kielly had played the part of Governor Davidson in the play; he'd seen me arrive into Trinity earlier, soaking wet. I ended up back at his house with a small crowd including some other members of the cast having a drink before we moved on to Rocky's Lounge - the only bar in town - where they have a "Dance-Up" on Wednesday evenings; traditional Newfoundland music and dancing. Fortunately I didn't have to dance (I have two left feet) It was after 1 am by the time I finally got back to my wet tent. It had rained heavily during the dinner/theatre, but had been dry by the time the evening play was on, which was lucky for the performers as they had to march around outside as part of the play, and the evening ended clear but very cold as the wind had shifted around to the north-east.

Distance: 121.0 km
Cycling time: 5:33
Total distance: 3627.5 km