On Saturday evening, after having visited the Interpretive Centre in Skidegate (a few miles east of QCV) a large storm broke and carried wrenching waves in from the east (which is totally exposed to those troublesome east winds). They could have wrenched our anchor out - so Larry decided we should leave immediately. Which we did in the pouring rain. We passed a large structure which looked like a hotel (no lights on, but a small motor launch parked on it's windward side). We hypothesized that it was probably the 'floating research lab' used by the many science and tech people who serve here over the summers for the jointly-operated Canadian National Parks Service and the Haida Gwaii Nation.
Yesterday, when the Captain deemed it safe to go back to QCV. we motored past it - it had travelled all the way to a small island and was snugged down at a strange angle on the shore.
We much enjoyed the orientation on Saturday given by Jodi Bissett who agreed to come in and give us the talk - along with the 'passports' which we need to carry with us whenever we are on the lands of the Haida Gwaii in the coming days. Larry and I have been here before - he in the 1980s and both of us in 1993 - but it was good to review the issues so that we can comply with all the rules for visiting this magical land.
It's early on Tuesday now, and we're motoring towards the east, preparatory to 'rouding a corner' and going into the heart of Moresby Island, where all the Woreld Heritage Sites of this Nation are centred.
So this is our last chance to post a few photos - these are of one of the totems outside the Centre in Skidegate. Each figure in this structure (see closeup) has intrinsic characteristics and meaning for the Haida Gwaii culture. They often represent the animals which are of most importance to the particular clan within the First Nation.
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| A spectacular totem in a beautiful setting |
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| A closeup -- totem and person! |
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