Doug was informed that it was the tail end of a hurricane that we experienced the day before at Bona Vista. But today was the ideal weather for ending the marathon. The sun expressed it's golden glory.
The walk from Portugal Cove Road and Highway 1 was a windy, snakey route around Quidi Vidi Lake, east on Water Street and onto Blackhead Road to Cape Spear.
On Water Street a man with a shaven head doing renovations at a store-front, adressed me as either 'Dalai Lama,' 'Hare Lama,' or 'Dalai Rama.' I stopped. "I met one of you guys at Main and Hastings (a Vancouver slum region) some years ago. It was the opening of a bank that was to help the low-income people in the area with financing. The current Premier of British Columbia and the former leader, Mike Harcourt were there."
"Was it '96?" I asked.
"Yes, come to think of it."
"That was me during my first pilgrimage," I stated. We continued our conversation. It is a small world we agreed. After I left him I thought, "It is a small world with not enough monks." I was spotted because of the robes, which represent detachment, simplicity, compassion, wisdom and freedom. I feel that the world could use more monks to share the road to remind the people of a more spiritual obligation.
Paul Connolly, who sings in the Basilica choir and has a love for Jesus and Krishna alike, came to join me for the last leg of the trek. The vistas up to the last step and to Canada's oldest lighthouse (The Cape Spear) were spectacular.
Jan, another local Newfoundlander, also came to walk the last steps into a ravine where we would actually touch the cool Atlantic liquid splashing against well worn rocks. Bruce, from CBC-TV, was there to capture the final moments of the walk. St. John's newspaper the Telegram also came out to cover the story. CBC radio also talked about the walk as part of the early morning news.
Tourists were enthusiastic, on this fine day of clear weather, to visit the eastern-most point of North America, Cape Spear. Amongst them was a group of car enthusiasts from a car club in Ontario who drove their antique automobiles past us finalizing their long journey. One tourist group from Montreal in a shuttle bus stopped to offer congratulations on our trek which they had heard about. They also sang the song 'Happy Trails to You (Until We Meet Again).'
Paul, Jan, Doug, Billie and I conducted a mini-celebration with kirtan (chanting), the optimum course for any happy event. There is no better way to express gratitude for the energy, space, time and opportunity that has been made available for this venture.
My special thanks goes out to all the kind people who helped along the way; most of them were unknown to me but resonated some kind of feeling. Many people provided accomodations, food, funding and time.
A very special thanks goes to Nitai Rama, Garuda and Doug. There is obviously a big feeling of inadequate gratitude to guru, Srila Prabhupada and to the creator, Krishna. Thanks for the legs.
I will have to tally the distance of three cross-country walks but a ball-park figure would be somewhere in the neighborhood of 23,000 kilometers.
I ended this day at the residence of Dr. Vikram Jala in Clarenville, Newfoundland. My sister, Pauline called to convey to me that our father's health is failing and that he may not have long to live. So I called him at the hospital and thanked him over and again for all that he had done for me in giving all the good things- in principle, purpose, belief in the creator, the love of fresh air, early rising, keeping active and walking those trails.
23 kms
THE REPORT ON WALKING WILL CONTINUE...................................
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