Dree's Notes

The view from the docks was priceless, and we enjoyed it every day in Nanaimo during spring break. My recommendations include: the Buccaneer's kitchenette as a base for daily explorations and the basic necessities, Javawocky for chai tea and chili, Troller's for fish and chips, Hub Cycle downtown for bike rentals, and a hike on Newcastle Island for restoring your soul. Of the five I just mentioned, the last two are complicated and require some explanation. When we visited, Hub Cycle was right next to a couple of downtown buildings that burned down. That meant a safety fence, and restricted sidewalk use. If you walk from the big casino towards the A&W downtown, straight through the Shaw Building parking lot, then take the stairs down on your right, you will descend into a street that you would not have otherwise guessed existed. In this alternate domain, there will be cool people who will gladly rent you a couple of wheels. Another thing you need to know about Nanai...

How could the story of the worst mining disaster in US history be of interest to someone who is not American, living 100 years later? Because Michael Punke has done it again, making history come alive, and drawing plenty of comparisons between what happened then and events in our day. Big corporations lobbying the government and buying senators and judges... Thugs hired to take care of  an annoying union spokesperson... Epic survival strategies and stories of guys who made it out of a burning mine alive, as well as the tragedies of those who didn't... this book has it all.