Green and clean

Since I’m back from Jordan and Egypt, I see the world differently.

First of all, I’m now convinced that we are fucked. These two countries are dirty as a dump. Cairo is the most disgusting city I’ve seen in my life, before Lima, which is also a dump. Walking in these cities, you can see trash everywhere : on small streets, on large streets, around buildings, along the road in the desert where nobody lives around… That’s completely crazy. People live among junk.  

I haven’t seen the rest of Africa but since Egypt is not the poorest country of the continent, I guess that it’s not better elsewhere. And what about India, Bangladesh, Philippines and many other countries? I bet they’re all as dirty as Egypt and probably more. Which makes at least half the population of the planet treating their land like a trash. Actually, half the population is probably very conservative. I’d say that it’s probably 75% of the earth’s population that treats it’s land like trash.

So, we’re fucked. I’m sure about that.

By comparison, Canada is green and clean. Very green and very clean and having flew over Africa and over Canada, I see how beautiful Canada is from above. I love my country and I love my province now. So much greenery here.

In the morning, when I drive my daughter to summer camp, I drive along a nice river which is a bit brown, but fuck, it’s now very very beautiful to me. After seeing only desert, dust and trash for two weeks in Egypt/Jordan, our Canada is to me the most beautiful thing in the world.

We have a nice country and we must keep it that way. And as an hommage to my country, here’s my 10 favorite places in every province :

1. Signal Hill, St-John’s (Newfoundland) : Signal Hill is a beautiful hill over the capital of Newfoundland where you can see the ocean in front of you and all the colored houses behind you. I haven’t seen anything similar anywhere around the world. One of the best views in Canada. I’d like to go back there and I can’t say that about many places;
2. Port-Royal, close to Sydney (Nova Scotia) : Port Royal was a french fortress in the 18th century. It’s located on Cape Breton Island and it’s a beautiful historical site to visit. Very impressive;
3. Sand Dunes, Prince Edward Island : I haven’t been in PEI in about 20 years, so it’s hard for me to remember exactly how it looks like but I remember these beautiful sand dunes, just besides the sea. It’s also a charming little province, very quiet.  
4. Nothing, New-Brunswick : New Brunswick is the only province that lacks a point of interest. Each time I go to that province, I feel like dying. Actually, there’s Bay of Fundy which looks beautiful but I’ve never been there.
5. Iles-de-la-Madeleine, Québec : These tiny islands located close to PEI and Nova Scotia are beautiful and very quiet. There’s only a few thousand inhabitants so it’s the perfect spot for some quiet time and beautiful sceneries. I rented a scooter and traveled across the islands during the summer of 2021. It was great. I’d like to go back there too.
6. Toronto, Ontario : Toronto is by far my favorite large city in Canada. If you go there, try to visit Toronto islands which are accessible via a ferry in Toronto’s harbour. That’s the best view you can get of Toronto and these islands are great to visit.
7. St-Boniface, Manitoba : I haven’t see anything else than Winnipeg in Manitoba, so there may be a few interesting places in the province. However, I’ve visited St-Boniface quarter which is the main french area in Manitoba and it was an interesting experience to meet people who can speak french so far from Quebec. The streets name are in french too. And there’s a big cathedral which is interesting to visit. Not the most special place in Canada, but it worths a visit. More interesting than most people think it is.
8. Driving in the south of Saskatchewan : Among all the places I’ve visited in Canada, driving in the south of Saskatchewan is probably in my top 3. The sceneries are flat, but not as boring as people imagine. The fields are yellow and infinite. It’s very calming and sometimes, there’s interesting landscapes that are not flat. I loved driving there and visiting Grassland national park and Castle Butte. It was probably my biggest canadian surprise ever.
9. The Banff/Jasper area in Alberta : Without hesitation, that’s the most spectacular spot in Canada. These mountains are so huge, the lakes are emerald, the road is amazing. The best pictures you can take in Canada are in this location. Any tourist should go there first.
10. Golden, British Columbia : This one is not a conviction pick. I’m not sure what’s the best place to visit in BC because to me, nature in BC and nature in western Alberta are similar (lots of mountains, lakes, forests). The location where Jason Del Vicario lives (in the islands close to Vancouver) is very nice too. So, I’d say that as long as there’s a mountain, some lakes and a waterfall not far, you may be in one of the most beautiful spots in BC. I’m sure there are plenty of these spots.

We have a beautiful country. Let’s keep it that way and let’s all be ecologists. Because the end is near for our planet. Let’s preserve and enjoy what we have because it won’t last.