We are moving! We are moving!
Got up at 8 today to make sure I was awake for the big departure. Turns out I didn’t even feel it. I looked out the window at 9-ish, and we had already fully turned around and were slowly on our way up the St. Lawrence. Now, an hour later, we’ve picked up speed, and Montreal is far behind.
The St. Lawrence is beautiful. I mean that in terms of both visual and strategic appeal. I can only imagine the excitement of the first European settlers to arrive here, looking upon all the small islands, the trees, the resources. I can hardly help but look at it and see the potential for colonization myself, what with my extensive days of playing Civilization. But then, aw, rats, there’s already savages here – well, we know how to deal with them! Fitting that I just last night read the section in Jared Diamond’s The Third Chimpanzee on genocide, in which he analyzes whether we have a natural propensity for the act. He doesn't use that as a justification, of course – he certainly doesn’t suggest “of course we commit genocide; we’re programmed to, and so it’s okay to do it every now and then.” No, no, no. He just addresses the fact that it’s not only “evil” people who are capable of it, but rather all of us have the potential in us to want to see a group – however you classify them; race, religion, political beliefs – wiped off the Earth.
Anyway, don’t get the wrong idea – I’m not cynical here or anything. I just like seeing the history in the landscape. Or at least the history as a series of stories I’ve been told.
I just got my first view from the bridge, and my first whiff of the fresh air blowing past me from the observation deck off the bridge; it’s really something.
2:05 pm – Passing Trois Riviers. All the TV channels we get are French now.
I notice we’re playing “stay between the green and orange buoys.” It’s like a big slow game of Waverace 64.
7:30 pm – passed by Quebec City.
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