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Our
adventures in Canada
(5 posts, most recent listed first)
| Hat
Creek Ranch |
Location:
Hat
Creek Ranch,
British
Columbia, Canada
|
| October
21, 2000 - Kiran |
|
 "The
sweat lodge is like a womb," Lorraine said. Our
womb was about 7 feet wide with a dugout pit in the
middle which she was filling with hot lava rocks from
the fire (traditionally carried with reindeer antlers
still attached to part of the skull). "You go in
there and the grandfather rocks absorb what you leave
behind after you purify yourself. You come out with
a fresh beginning, ready to take on new challenges without
old worries." She poured water over the rocks with
a metal ladle. "Can you see the eyes in there?"
A coyote winked at me as the water hissed and bubbled.
|
We
arrived at Hat Creek Ranch, near Cache Creek, BC in the
late afternoon. Lorraine, a Stuctwesemc woman who had
agreed to discuss the traditions of her culture, whisked
us immediately away for "a couple rounds" at
her sweat lodge. We gave thanks to the four directions,
north-east-south-west, by offering tobacco to each direction
we faced. The same was done inside the lodge. We entered
at the left and crawled to a space around the pit, sitting
down on a soft carpet of pine needles. Lorraine made the
offerings and then threw medicine on the rocks: a mixture
including sage, tobacco and willow. The smoke from the
burning medicine made its way past our noses and circled
through the willow branches over our heads. |
The
branches, covered traditionally with skins, made the low
dome cover to the lodge. In complete darkness the sweat
dripped from our pores as we were cleansed.
The
first 'round' is for the Creator. Lorraine prayed (aloud,
but it's up to each person) for all the things the Creator
has provided. She sang a song, and offered a prayer for
the owner of the song. She apologized for not having any
of her instruments; instead, she used a metal water bucket
as a drum while she sang the verses four times, once for
each direction. She prayed for her people, who are going
through a very difficult period. The problems began when
the Europeans brought alcohol over to trade, she says. |
"You
have to pray especially for those who are sick, or who
have taken their own lives. We pray for them to find open
doors to pass through."
The second round is dedicated to the men, the third to
the women, and the final round to yourself. Material things
aren't worthy of prayer, instead strength, courage, wisdom,
guidance...
As you pray, spirits of your ancestors may be sitting
with you.
Feeling very calm and clean, we headed to our home for
the evening, a traditional pit house. We made offerings
of tobacco and sage to the four directions, this time
with more confidence. Our trip is off to a fresh and momentous
start. |
| Typing
by candlelight in a pit house |
Location:
Hat
Creek Ranch,
British Columbia, Canada
|
| October
21, 2000 - Geoff |
|
 It's
hard to type by candlight and the irony of typing on
a notebook computer in the kekuli (pit house)
is not lost on me. Having to rely on the wax and wick
to illuminate this machine is typical of our journey.
The support beams of the pit house are casting angled
shadows. I just had to divert a daddy-long-legs spider
from its path towards Kiran's sleeping bag. I hope I
didn't hurt it as I eased it over the ledge.
|
We
have a bear guarding our door. I wrestled with the skin
of a large black bear and propped it on a board to cut
the draft from the lower entrance as Loraine had suggested.
We feel so good in here. So much of that comes from Loraine's
warm welcome and moving words. It's warm up on the ledge
with a meter of earth over us. There is a nice scent of
sage in the air from the smudge she left with us. Kiran
and I said some words over the fire to express thanks
for the forces and friends that have helped start our
journey. |
We offered tobacco to the four directions before saying
goodnight to the fire. There were only embers left from
the sweet smelling fir boughs and the medicine Loraine
threw on when she built us the fire.I think Kiran may
already be asleep and I'll be there soon. Our air mattresses
are laid over reed mats on the earth ledge. I wonder who
we'll see here tonight. |
| Farewell
Vancouver |
Location:
Vancouver,
British Columbia, Canada
|
| November
2, 2000 - Geoff |
|
 There
are moments when we actually relax. We haven't had any
of those moments but I'm sure they exist. The days since
we returned from Cache Creek have been hectic and a
bit of a blur. I have paint on my fingers and strained
muscles. Sunday night I think I went up and down our
apartment stairs 17 times between midnight and 5AM lugging
furniture and boxes (Kiran's carefully labeled, mine
organized chaos). Monday we returned the bright lively
walls of our home to their original mundane white in
an all night painting frenzy. Now we're attempting to
wind down and forget the errands left to do. Kiran poured
two glasses of red wine and a hot bath with mineral
salts.
|
That
was 2 hours ago. We've spent the time in between saying
phone farewells to our family. The wine still tastes good
but the bath is a bit cold. Our room is on the 23rd floor
of a hotel overlooking English Bay. We're directly across
from the apartment we lived in when we first moved to
Vancouver, also on the 23rd floor. There was a garbage
worker's strike at the time and the stink couldn't quite
reach our lofty abode. There's a garbage strike on now,
three years later. Everything seems to come full circle.
I think the excitement will finally hit us when we strap
our seatbelts on and return our chairs and tables to the
upright and locked position. Until then it's one step
at a time. I'll miss Vancouver, and all of our wonderful
friends and family in Canada. Now it's time to travel
and to make new friends to add to our community. |
| Downsize...
|
Location:
Vancouver,
British Columbia, Canada
|
| November
2, 2000 - Kiran |
|
The
eternal backpacker's dilemma... what to keep, what not
to keep? I try to follow words of advice from my friends,
lay out everything in front of you and then get rid
of half. It is impossible. Just in case this, just in
case that.
|
My
backpack is far too heavy, laden with clothes (we will
encounter every season), electronic gadgets (to document
our trip and update our website), guide books (to do our
research in advance), gifts for kids (well?). |
As
the flurry of stuff piles and unpiles in and around our
bags, the hotel t.v. presents a Jerry Springer show: women
who are proud of their "Double-F" size enlarged
breasts. The women parade around during their introductions
and then defensively shout their justifications to the
demanding and flat-chested studio audience. I wonder if
I will miss North America. |
| Down
under ho! |
Location:
Somewhere over the Pacific
on the way to Australia
|
| November
3, 2000 - Kiran |
|
Sleep,
change planes, eat, sleep, change planes… somewhere
in the 20 hours of flight we lose a day. Soon we will
wake up and be in the land down under.
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Look
for this symbol on our Marriage pages for a short, 3-D, live experience!
