July 20, 2004 12:00pm

Well, we made it to North Sydney yesterday afternoon, got in the stand-by line for the Newfoundland ferry that would be leaving @ 10:00pm. After napping and eating we got on and set sail. This thing was huge! It had easily held over a hundred cars, trucks and R.V.'s.
Charlie got a bunk that we shared and I wandered around a bit before joining him. So many newfs all in one place...friendly people. I made the mistake of taking gravol just before getting off the boat at 4:00am and have been groggy ever since.

We've made our way up the Northern Penninsula of Newfoundland to go to St. Anthony's where there are icebergs and also to board the ferry for Labrador. I'm sitting here worrying about whether the time in Labrador will be the same as in Newfoundland. A few feet away, in the Ferry ticket office is a guy in all his newf glory speaking in an almost completely incoherent language. He sounds like John McDonald, our old DM in the West...but more Newf than you could ever hear back in Ontario. He sounds just like the guy from King of the Hill, Boomhower.
Charlie and I have had a few tiffs, - whenever I need an answer to a question I should just accept that I have to take what I can get - whether the answer is clear or not. This, I have learned, will avoid fights and flare-ups.
Also, sleeping for several hours at a time in the van helps one to avoid arguments of any kind.

Newfoundland, so far, is a very beautiful and undeveloped land - nothing will resemble civilization until we get closer to St. John's.
I will probably run out of money in the next week or so. Oh well, if you don't hear of me returning, you'll know why. I will have picked up a waitressing job somewhere in Newfoundland and settled down in Heart's Delight, Heart's Desire or Heart's Content.
If only.