Sunday morning we said farewell to the five couples who are leaving the caravan while enjoying coffee and donuts, sharing laughs and planning the next few travel days. Around 2 pm we all hitched up and drove the 10 minutes to the ferry parking lot and waited another two hours before rolling into the belly of the boat. 
The route this ferry takes is a 15 hours trip to the harbor at Argentia, Newfoundland on the north east point. (The proper pronunciation is “New fund LAND) We will then drive about two hours to the largest city on the island, St. John’s and stay at Pippy Park Campground. We enjoyed a nice buffet dinner on the boat, played a game of Quarkle, and retired to our tiny 4 bunk-bed cabin for a rolling night’s sleep. We docked around 10 AM. John helped Janet and Mellow with their two dogs, two kennels and bags. The dogs were beyond excited to be out of their kennels!
John and I decided to explore the city which has lots of walking and biking trails. After going around in circles for a bit, we met a couple at a stop light who then guided us to their favorite path along the Rennes Mill River towards downtown. They were very nice and told us about the sites we should see and the restaurants they enjoyed. We returned back to the campground in time for the exciting “Screech In”!
Everyone who visited Newfoundland for the first time must take part in a Screech In as an initiation to become an honorary Newfoundlander or Newfie. It involves dining on split pea soup (some of the best we have ever had), learning the language of the Newfies, and drinking a shot of Screech before kissing the arse of a Puffin or kissing a cod! What is Screeck? It is a rum made from molasses that is very rough going down and makes one want to “Screech!”
We also joined in the entertainment of the Ugly Sticks! A local artist makes these devices from a stick of driftwood to which she has attached a tin can head on top, a rubber boot on the bottom and clapping bottle caps all up and down the stick. The tin can head is decorated into ugly faces, cute ladies, or crazy men. We then danced while keeping rhythm by bouncing the stick and rubbing it with a notched handle. Lots of laughs and fun.
The language is very funny: Bless your little cotton socks!; How’s ya gettin on by?; Oh, me nerves!; Who ya longs to? (who are your parents?); Yer cracked bye! (you crazy?) Some shockin’ good!; Wadda ya at dere Buddy?; and Stunned as me arse! Just as other Canadians say “Eh?”, Newfoundlanders say “by”.
“Good At Ya, By!"
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