Jan 4

Written by: Tobias
1/4/2010 9:19 AM 

For the fifth time enjoying our holiday driving a perfect, well equipped Go-West RV.

Traveling through Canada, British Columbia, Alberta and parts of the USA.

This year, 2008 we enjoy the hospitality of the Canadian Provence Alberta.

We are heading to

William A. Switzer Prov. Park.Gregg Lake campground. We planned to

At four PM we, my husband Simon and I, arrive at

stay for two days to enjoy the magnificent nature and the overwhelming scenery.

We park "our" RV on a beautiful spot with so much privacy that we have to walk for five

minutes to find other visitors.

The first thing that we notice, it's quiet, with the exception of birds talking to each other.

For us, it feels like a fairytale.

It's a beautiful sunny day, together we take a walk to the ranger station to pay the fee for

our "private parking lot" and to collect information regarding the area.

As we experienced before during all our RV holidays, the friendly and warm hospitality from

campground care takers gives us the feeling that we are really welcome.

We are also given the necessary safety information regarding the other inhabitants of this

area. It means there are bear, coyote, elk, wolves and other natural heavy weights.

We've heard this before and we always obey the given regulations because we like and

hope to travel for many more years to come.

In the evening, enjoying a glass of wine besides the campfire, we are amazed how big the

almost full moon looks above the forest trees. How can it be that it looks bigger here than in

The Netherlands? Could it be imagination?

Suddenly out of the blue, a spooky, chilly noise, somewhere out of the forest! The howling

sound's very scary, though lonely too. It's only for a moment!

Suddenly we are surrounded by howling sounds. The howling is sad but also compulsory.

Frightened with eyes wide open I look to my husband, but he has a logic explanation. The

howling comes from wolves or coyotes.

With a smile I say "O yes" wolves! Way not.

Very nice such a tape recording for tourists is my reply. I am convinced that the ranger made

a tape recording with the howling sounds from wolves and plays it when there is a full moon.

Producing it must have on forehand given them a big smile.

The howling surround us, holds only for a few minutes and suddenly it's very quiet and again

peaceful in this pitch darkness forest.

The next morning we meet our Canadian neighbors from Edmonton, who accept our

invitation to join us for a real Dutch cup of coffee. In the evening they invite us back to join

their campfire and share travel experiences.

And then, in the middle of our conversation, it's back again! There it is, the melancholic

howling of a wolf pack. Can it be a coincidence, the same time as yesterday!

The Canadian neighbors almost wet their selves when they hear my explanation of the tape

recorder theory.

They assure me that it's the real sound of a wolf pack and certainly no tape recording from

the ranger station to please us tourists.

Canada is pure, wild and exiting.

You are warned; they don't put stuffed bears or other animals in the forests.

In Canadian forests real wolves howl to each other, especially during full moon.

Fairytales exist, just like bears.

Enjoy and hope to meet you soon again,

Anna and Simon Benne , The Netherlands.