I shouldn’t listen to what people have to say. In the days leading up to my trip to Newfoundland I heard the following things about the ferry ride from Sydney to Newfoundland:
“I’d never get on that boat”
“You don’t get seasick, do you?”
“Why wouldn’t you fly?”
So, when I pulled up to the ferry dock I was understandably a little nervous. And it didn’t help that I was almost late. I hadn’t read the small print saying that I was supposed to be there two hours ahead of time. For some reason I pictured myself arriving 5 minutes before the boat was about to leave, and driving straight on. Apparently, there’s a little more to it than jumping on the ferry that goes back and forth to the Toronto Island.
As you can imagine, I was pretty maxed out by the time I arrived and got my car in line.
After I got my car parked on the boat and got inside, I found a nice comfortable seat and settled in for the six hours it would take to get across. I had everything I needed; a book, a bottle of water, two chocolate bars, and a box of Gravol (which I never ended up taking. Yay, me!). I decided I wasn’t moving from that seat until the boat docked. As it turns out, I did get up once to use the washroom and buy a sandwich. The sandwich was not good (I should have listened to the person who told me, “bring your own food, the stuff on the boat is gross”)
Before the boat departed they asked us all to watch a safety video. After the video started, I looked around, and NO ONE WAS WATCHING IT!! I wanted to scream at them, “why aren’t you watching the video, have you not heard of the Titanic?” I’m guessing the folks on the Titanic neglected to watch the video too. But I watched it all. I memorized how the life jacket worked (there is a whistle attached, so when you are floating in the water you can summon the Coast Guard), and where I was supposed to go to get in a lifeboat (I was on deck seven, so I had to congregate at point A, NOT point B). When it was over I felt rather smug, knowing that if the boat went down, I, and I alone, would know exactly what to do. I figured my chances of survival had significantly increased.
Long story short, the boat ride was a smooth as a Sunday drive in the country. I started and finished a really good book. I ate both chocolate bars. I chatted with the couple beside me and found out they were from Quebec City, and like me, had been to every province except Newfoundland.
All in all, it was a lot of fun on the ferry. I can’t wait for the ride back. I may even have the courage to explore a little bit. I hear there is a gift shop on board, and a restaurant. And I won’t have to watch the video again, but you know I will. You know, with the Titanic and all.