We were beginning to feel as if we had done most of the activities to be done in town, and a niggling bit of restlessness began to creep in. Thankfully, we had a walking tour booked with a local outfitter, and began our day with a stop at their office in Apex.
Our guide took us to a place just outside of the main city, passing by parts of town we had not yet explored. We saw a lake where sled dogs were kept in the off-season, before we pulled up to the start of our hike.
The path was not oft-travelled, and as a result, the blueberries were plump and plentiful, yet I was held back from picking any, as I had already picked up the name of "crazy berry-picker" in the last couple of days.
I can't recall every detail of the conversation, but our guide showed us things he had learned from the local community; how to create a candle wick out of Arctic cotton and moss, how to brew Labrador tea to relieve pain, the marking of a hunted bison, and some many interesting little tidbits. Speaking with him really made me appreciate the way people managed to live on a land that seemed so scarce, compared to the opulence of my hometown that I had often taken for granted.
The way to my heart is through a good spread of food. It was able to warm up even the chilliest of souls, though the hot chocolate arguably played an equally important role.
After lunch, we headed back to the trailhead; to be frank, this guided activity was fun, but the cost made me balk. The best part was speaking with another human at length, and one that had been also born and raised in a different part of Canada, but fallen in love with Iqaluit and decided to make it his home.
Left to my own devices for the afternoon, and with the blessing of some clearer weather after a morning of rain and fog, I picked another bowl full of wild berries.
No comments:
Post a Comment