Well, its done. I did it. Its over. I'm in Halifax, the recently decided end to my odyssey. I'm relieved, excited, surprised, and many other emoticons. Relieved that I no longer have to worry about wind ruining my day; excited that I biked over 2000 km; surprised at the fact that I was able to do it. I mean, it wasnt easy, there were many times I wanted to quit, and I have truncated the original plan significantly, but still, I mean, it wasn't THAT hard. I'm going to spend the next couple days enjoying the city, and seeing as much as possible: Dalhousie, the Citadel, the Alexander Keiths Brewery, the waterfront, all of it. And on foot, not on my bike. So, rather than try to sum up the experience in a few contrite phrases, I have prepared a list of things I really liked, and things that I could have done without on this trek (hey, thats the name of my bike!) I present to you, loyal reader, my Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down (which I ripped off from the Silhouette)
Thumbs Up to:
-Making it to Halifax
-all the support from family and friends, could not have done it without you, especially my Mom and Dad
-my bike, for having minimal mechanical problems the whole time
-friendly drivers, who gave me lots of space on the road, more so than was neccesary
-Tim Hortons, my shelter from the storms
-Quebec Hostels, which were beautiful for the price in both QC and Rivier-du-Loup
-CBC Radio 1, for giving me the news on the road, and also for being the only English speaking radio station in Quebec (the province)
-people who let me stay at their place, giving me food, showers, and a bed, couch or floor to sleep on (you know who you are!)
-random helpful Canadians, like Floyd the Hobo in Cornwall
-Highway 2 in New Brunswick, for having the widest smoothest shoulder I rode
-doing shots in the kitchen of Shed Cafe with Ross
-Spicy Garpar wings- I cant explain, you just have to try them
-St Hubert Chicken- its even better than Swiss Chalet
-Pauls thermarest, which kept me comfy while camping
-two nights of free camping!
-Grand Falls (its not just a name)
-Mrs Campbells chocolate cake
-the St John to Digby ferry- talk about a classy ship
-UNBSJ residence, which was nicer than most motels, and way cheaper
-riding with random people in different cities, like the scottish guy in Quebec
Thumbs Down to:
-wind
-rude drivers who didnt want me on 'their' road, despite the fact that its the law (i got called a butthead today, by a grown man! I though 6 year olds used that word). Luckily, these were few and far between
-towns that dont have Tim Hortons- you call yourself Canadian!?
-Fredricton Hostel (didnt realize Hostel was code for halfway house: sketchy!)
-losing CBC Radio 1 between QC and Riviere du Loup- where did you go?
-french pop music- its like our pop music, but worse!
-Quebec side roads, which havent been patched or repaved in 60 years
-Dave's sleeping bag, which was not nearly warm enough for this weather (though I still appreciated you lending it to me!)
-getting lost in cities
I think that gives you a good idea of what kind of things made up this trip. One of the best things I have taken away from this trip is that biking is a great way to see areas in a way that you might miss in a car. I got to see moose up close, ride through some beautiful parks and forests, and stay in some cool places. I am very excited to take my bike to different places around the world and explore them too (next stop, Ireland). However, I definitely want to do some less ambitious trips for a while (maybe 7 to 10 days), and definitely with other people as well. Though there are lots of ways to stay distracted on the road, its always nice to share the ride with someone else. Thanks to all for following my progress, and I hope I will see you all on the road soon.
Sincerly, Matt Gibson
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Nova Scotia Bound
So, its been a while since I was able to update this, but thats not to say that lots hasn't happened since then. In fact, I've been through an entire province, biked over 1800 km in total, saw several moose, and stayed in some sketchy hostels.
Leaving Riviere du Loup was my first serious mountain experience, and man was it a baptism by fire. As soon as I left the hostel (which was great except for the worlds loudest snoring man in the bed next to mine. I mean, seriously, this guy had the entire brass and woodwind sections of the TSO in his nostrils. How is it humanly possible to make that much noise with your face, and not wake yourself up?) I hit the mountains. In fact, the entire morning seemed to be nothing but uphills, with only short downhills as a reward for my work. However, after lunch this all seemed to switch around, and I was going downhill almost the whole time, making the afternoon fly by. Camped that night at a campground that, while open, had no one maning the gate; thus, free camping for Matt. In fact, I got to camp for free the next night too, at Grand Falls. And thats not just a name, these falls were HUGE! I got some pictures, which I will try to post tommorow. That day I had the wind at my back, so I was flying. Also, I crossed into New Brunswick after the first hour of riding, which was exciting, at least for a little while. Despite people telling me the "scenic route" is nicer, I quickly discovered that the Transcanada passes through essentially the same areas, and does not have the same potholes and narrow shoulder the scenic route does. In fact, the shoulder on the Trans-can is the size of an entire lane, giving me plenty of room to stretch my tires.
Day 20 was the toughest day of this trip. Though I had planned to make it to the hostel in Woodstock over 2 days, I ended up pushing through and making it there in one. The main reason for this was that I got caught in the scariest storm of my life: gale force wind, thunder and lightning, even hail. Seriously. And me, alone on my bike, 10 miles from anywhere. After passing the tail end of the storm in a Tim Hortons, already soaked to the bone, I decided I needed to stay indoors, and headed for woodstock. Dragging my butt into town after 115 km, I got to the hostel and crashed, hard. Since then Ive been to Fredricton, which was a rather sketchy hostel, and now Saint John. Tommorow I take a 3 hour ferry to Digby, Nova Scotia, and I am hoping to reach Halifax on Saturday. I will spend a few days there (2 or 3, depending) and then head back home for some needed recuperation, before heading on some shorter, more reasonable excursions to Hamilton, Guelph, and the cottage. Though I have had some really good days, seen some cool places, and overcome some intense challenges, I really do miss home; as many a hackneyed blues song have sang, the road is hard.
Leaving Riviere du Loup was my first serious mountain experience, and man was it a baptism by fire. As soon as I left the hostel (which was great except for the worlds loudest snoring man in the bed next to mine. I mean, seriously, this guy had the entire brass and woodwind sections of the TSO in his nostrils. How is it humanly possible to make that much noise with your face, and not wake yourself up?) I hit the mountains. In fact, the entire morning seemed to be nothing but uphills, with only short downhills as a reward for my work. However, after lunch this all seemed to switch around, and I was going downhill almost the whole time, making the afternoon fly by. Camped that night at a campground that, while open, had no one maning the gate; thus, free camping for Matt. In fact, I got to camp for free the next night too, at Grand Falls. And thats not just a name, these falls were HUGE! I got some pictures, which I will try to post tommorow. That day I had the wind at my back, so I was flying. Also, I crossed into New Brunswick after the first hour of riding, which was exciting, at least for a little while. Despite people telling me the "scenic route" is nicer, I quickly discovered that the Transcanada passes through essentially the same areas, and does not have the same potholes and narrow shoulder the scenic route does. In fact, the shoulder on the Trans-can is the size of an entire lane, giving me plenty of room to stretch my tires.
Day 20 was the toughest day of this trip. Though I had planned to make it to the hostel in Woodstock over 2 days, I ended up pushing through and making it there in one. The main reason for this was that I got caught in the scariest storm of my life: gale force wind, thunder and lightning, even hail. Seriously. And me, alone on my bike, 10 miles from anywhere. After passing the tail end of the storm in a Tim Hortons, already soaked to the bone, I decided I needed to stay indoors, and headed for woodstock. Dragging my butt into town after 115 km, I got to the hostel and crashed, hard. Since then Ive been to Fredricton, which was a rather sketchy hostel, and now Saint John. Tommorow I take a 3 hour ferry to Digby, Nova Scotia, and I am hoping to reach Halifax on Saturday. I will spend a few days there (2 or 3, depending) and then head back home for some needed recuperation, before heading on some shorter, more reasonable excursions to Hamilton, Guelph, and the cottage. Though I have had some really good days, seen some cool places, and overcome some intense challenges, I really do miss home; as many a hackneyed blues song have sang, the road is hard.
Friday, May 16, 2008
On the way out
I have almost reached the end of Quebec! I am currently in Riviere-du-Loup, on the south shore of the St Lawrence River. Tommorow i head south to Notre Dame du Lac, and then New Brunswick on sunday! I am very excited, though I am sure the border crossing will pass without much fanfare. Nevertheless, it will be nice to go to a province with a better chance of finding and Anglophone than I have hear. The last few days have been quite lovely, even though the wind is STILL against me. Maybe Chris Henry is right, and the big G is spiteing me for my lack of faith. Ah well, ill show him who`s god.
Quebec was lots of fun, as I finnally met some people my own age, including a sailor from New Brunswick and two nice German girls (apparently they dont listen to death metal or David Hasselhoff, who knew?) I got to walk around the city, see the Plains of Abraham and the old citadel, which was very nice. Also, the hostel was quite comfy, and I got to play some foosball, which always bolsters the spirit.
The terrain since leaving Quebec city has been great, with lots of rolling hills and mountains, though luckily i get to go between most of them, rather than over. Its much more interesting than flat Ontario, and Im excited to see the coast in NB and NS.One really neat thing leaving Quebec was meeting two men who are doing the `Multi-faith walk against Violence.` They are literally walking across the whole country, from Halifax to Vancouver! I stopped and chatted with them, wished them luck and continued on my relatively paltry journey. Oh well, someones always gotta one up you. I can truly understand why this is called La Belle Province, though really only north of Q city.
I also got to go to walmart today to buy some new clothes, since my old ones were a little ratty. Also, I picked up some pyjama pants, which will hopefully keep me a little warmer when I camp, as dave`s sleeping bag has been less than toasty so far. Thats all for now, thanks to everyone for the support, especially Janey and Jamie for their unorthodox theories on wind, and I will see you on the road!
Matt
Quebec was lots of fun, as I finnally met some people my own age, including a sailor from New Brunswick and two nice German girls (apparently they dont listen to death metal or David Hasselhoff, who knew?) I got to walk around the city, see the Plains of Abraham and the old citadel, which was very nice. Also, the hostel was quite comfy, and I got to play some foosball, which always bolsters the spirit.
The terrain since leaving Quebec city has been great, with lots of rolling hills and mountains, though luckily i get to go between most of them, rather than over. Its much more interesting than flat Ontario, and Im excited to see the coast in NB and NS.One really neat thing leaving Quebec was meeting two men who are doing the `Multi-faith walk against Violence.` They are literally walking across the whole country, from Halifax to Vancouver! I stopped and chatted with them, wished them luck and continued on my relatively paltry journey. Oh well, someones always gotta one up you. I can truly understand why this is called La Belle Province, though really only north of Q city.
I also got to go to walmart today to buy some new clothes, since my old ones were a little ratty. Also, I picked up some pyjama pants, which will hopefully keep me a little warmer when I camp, as dave`s sleeping bag has been less than toasty so far. Thats all for now, thanks to everyone for the support, especially Janey and Jamie for their unorthodox theories on wind, and I will see you on the road!
Matt
Monday, May 12, 2008
After three grueling days I have made it to Quebec, a city celebrating its 400th anniversary this summer! The last couple days have been straining, both mentally and physically (mostly mentally) but I'm here now and ready to take a bit of time off. Also, I have passed the 1000 km mark. I am staying in a hostel located right in the old part of the city, which is awesome. The streets are narrow and steep, reminiscent of the old Italian cities I saw this Christmas. The hostel itself is very nice as well, though I got shafted to the top bunk.
Leaving Montreal was very confusing, as it is a difficult city to navigate out of. However, it is well designed for bikers, as there are tons of bike lanes all through the city. In fact, it has twice been named the most bike-friendly city in Canada. My goal to reach Trois Rivieres that day was way too ambitious, and I fell about 40 km short. However, 115 aint bad, and it was my longest day to boot. As i rode through the city the next day, I was glad I hadn't stayed there for the night: that place stinks! I mean this in the literal sense, it was the worst smelling city I have ever had the displeasure of riding through, and I used to live in Hamilton! It was as if someone was burning rotten fish, then throwing salt water on top if it, while standing next to a giant fan. Also, I think there was some rendering fat involved. I got out of there as quick as possible, which was difficult as I was now riding into the strongest headwind I have encountered thus far. This was the mentally straining part. Its hard to understand the toll heavy wind has on a bikers morale without experiencing it, but I can now say I have much greater sympathy for Sisyphus, as it truly felt like I was pushing a rock up hill only to have it roll back down at the top. No matter how hard one pedals, it doesnt feel like you are getting anywhere. By the end, I was literally cursing the sky and ready to quit. Defeated, I rolled into a motel in St. Anne-des-Perades, aka Nowhere. After a few phone calls from Chris Henry, Jamie MacDonald and my always-encouraging family, I fell asleep questioning my ability to continue this journey.
Nevertheless, this morning rose bright and, well, windy. However, the wind was less direct and less powerful, and I was able to make decent progress. Rolling into Donnaconna (which sounds Italian to me), I saw over a massive hill the most beautiful sight I had seen in days: the golden arches of McDonalds! Sitting down to a calorie rich lunch boosted my mind and body, and this afternoon I finally made it to Quebec city and the hostel I had reserved. Tommorow I will explore the old city, and maybe even go see a production of Les Miserables (i wonder if its in French?). After that, I continue up Quebec, though on the other side of the river, toward Riviers-du-Loup, where i turn 90 degrees for New Brunswick.
More things I have learned
1. Hubris: its not just for the Greeks- looking back now, its strange to think I pictured this trip as simple. My recent experience has certainly humbled me to the size of our country, and the amount of effort it takes to cross it. I am continually having to reevaluate my abilities each day, and accept the challenges I am faced with.
2. After a long day, any motel is a good motel- I dont care how many people have been killed on that bed, Im sleeping on it.
3. I still hate the wind- Colbert is wrong, bears are not the number 1 threat to America, wind is.
4. My family and friends are ridiculously supportive- thanks to everyone who has called, messaged, emailed, etc. Its awesome knowing so many people are interested in what Im doing.
5. Nick Ellens has his work cut out for him- my buddy Nick is biking across the entire continent, through the US, for a total of 6000 km, as part of a big charity ride. Good luck man, you're a braver soul than I.
Leaving Montreal was very confusing, as it is a difficult city to navigate out of. However, it is well designed for bikers, as there are tons of bike lanes all through the city. In fact, it has twice been named the most bike-friendly city in Canada. My goal to reach Trois Rivieres that day was way too ambitious, and I fell about 40 km short. However, 115 aint bad, and it was my longest day to boot. As i rode through the city the next day, I was glad I hadn't stayed there for the night: that place stinks! I mean this in the literal sense, it was the worst smelling city I have ever had the displeasure of riding through, and I used to live in Hamilton! It was as if someone was burning rotten fish, then throwing salt water on top if it, while standing next to a giant fan. Also, I think there was some rendering fat involved. I got out of there as quick as possible, which was difficult as I was now riding into the strongest headwind I have encountered thus far. This was the mentally straining part. Its hard to understand the toll heavy wind has on a bikers morale without experiencing it, but I can now say I have much greater sympathy for Sisyphus, as it truly felt like I was pushing a rock up hill only to have it roll back down at the top. No matter how hard one pedals, it doesnt feel like you are getting anywhere. By the end, I was literally cursing the sky and ready to quit. Defeated, I rolled into a motel in St. Anne-des-Perades, aka Nowhere. After a few phone calls from Chris Henry, Jamie MacDonald and my always-encouraging family, I fell asleep questioning my ability to continue this journey.
Nevertheless, this morning rose bright and, well, windy. However, the wind was less direct and less powerful, and I was able to make decent progress. Rolling into Donnaconna (which sounds Italian to me), I saw over a massive hill the most beautiful sight I had seen in days: the golden arches of McDonalds! Sitting down to a calorie rich lunch boosted my mind and body, and this afternoon I finally made it to Quebec city and the hostel I had reserved. Tommorow I will explore the old city, and maybe even go see a production of Les Miserables (i wonder if its in French?). After that, I continue up Quebec, though on the other side of the river, toward Riviers-du-Loup, where i turn 90 degrees for New Brunswick.
More things I have learned
1. Hubris: its not just for the Greeks- looking back now, its strange to think I pictured this trip as simple. My recent experience has certainly humbled me to the size of our country, and the amount of effort it takes to cross it. I am continually having to reevaluate my abilities each day, and accept the challenges I am faced with.
2. After a long day, any motel is a good motel- I dont care how many people have been killed on that bed, Im sleeping on it.
3. I still hate the wind- Colbert is wrong, bears are not the number 1 threat to America, wind is.
4. My family and friends are ridiculously supportive- thanks to everyone who has called, messaged, emailed, etc. Its awesome knowing so many people are interested in what Im doing.
5. Nick Ellens has his work cut out for him- my buddy Nick is biking across the entire continent, through the US, for a total of 6000 km, as part of a big charity ride. Good luck man, you're a braver soul than I.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Montreal
I have reached the cultural heart of Quebec, the beautiful city of Montreal. What a great place to be, I am very excited to explore, and I think I may stay an extra night here to see more of the city. Ross's apartment is great, and it was great to see him again after so long. Im going to run down to the Shed Cafe, where he is the sous-chef, to grab some dinner, then chill out here. I have posted some more pictures, and will do so again in a few days after I walk around Montreal. Cheers, see you on the road.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Bonjour from Quebec
I have made it out of Ontario and into Hudson, Quebec, where I am staying with family friends, the Campbells. Today was a very long day, over 100 km. Though I have done a few 100 k days, or centuries, today was tough due to head winds and terrible roads in Quebec. Apparently they dont care about the state of their highways over here in the QC, which makes for a literally bumpy ride. However, I was able to make it indoors before the rain started, and Mrs. Campbell is baking up a chocolate cake, yummy.
I camped for the first time two days ago, at Grenville camp grounds outside of Brockville. Though I was a little cold, it mostly went off smoothly, and I will definitely be doing more camping in the future. However, I am always going to take an offer of housing and shower when I can, which is why I am here.
I have now biked 700 km in total, including 300 over the last 3 days. However, I have found that the long days really leave me over-exhausted and somewhat cranky, so I am going to try and dial it back slightly, to keep my spirits up. After all, this is about fun, right? Anyway, Montreal tommorow, and then Quebec city soon after that. I will definitely take an extra day in Quebec to see the city, since I have never been. Thanks to all for the support, and I will post more pictures soon (I will try to get one of me with my bike, just for Janet).
See you on the road, Matt
I camped for the first time two days ago, at Grenville camp grounds outside of Brockville. Though I was a little cold, it mostly went off smoothly, and I will definitely be doing more camping in the future. However, I am always going to take an offer of housing and shower when I can, which is why I am here.
I have now biked 700 km in total, including 300 over the last 3 days. However, I have found that the long days really leave me over-exhausted and somewhat cranky, so I am going to try and dial it back slightly, to keep my spirits up. After all, this is about fun, right? Anyway, Montreal tommorow, and then Quebec city soon after that. I will definitely take an extra day in Quebec to see the city, since I have never been. Thanks to all for the support, and I will post more pictures soon (I will try to get one of me with my bike, just for Janet).
See you on the road, Matt
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Kingston
I have arrived in the town of Kings and Queen's (university). Almost 400 km in total so far, and the weather has finally changed for the better. Though it was definitely cold today, the wind was at my back and I was clocking an average of 21 km/h, which was a great improvement on the hard-won 16 ive been averaging the last few days while fighting the wind. Today was a nice change, and showed that i will definitely be able to clock in 100 km days in the immediate future.
After leaving the Hazel residence in Port Hope (which was wonderful, by the way), I faced the wind for yet another day until reaching Brighton. Though I planned to stay in Presquille Park, the cold wet weather and lack of anywhere to buy food forced me to head into Brighton and stay in a motel (sketchy). The ride to Picton was less windy (only slightly), but much wetter. To be honest, I was getting very discouraged and cursing the wind. However, after a couple hours in Tim's trying to get in touch with family friends, I headed 17 km to Kristi Lowe's house for a hot shower and Hungry Man dinner (delicious). Just when it seemed I couldnt deal with anymore crap weather, things turned around, and I had the wind at my back all the way to Kingston, where I am staying with Dave's sister Allison and her fiance Allan. Lots of encouraging messages from friends and family along the whole trip, which has been awesome. As for Nick's concern about saddle sores, I can say that while the first day was like fire on my bum, it has gotten slowly better. My advice would be to take it a little slower at first, allowing your body to work up to being on a bike for long periods of time. Also, make sure to take small breaks every 30 km or so, even just for 5 minutes and a snack.
Things I have learned so far:
1. Rain sucks, but wind is worse- as outlined above, wind is a bikers worst enemy. It honestly sometimes seems that the weather is simply out to get you, and only you. Unfortunately, all you can do is push through until the next Tim Horton's. Conversely, wind can also be your best friend, when its behind you.
2. Farm dogs are jerks- I have now been chased down the road by 2 dogs. I mean fully chased, biting at my heels. I dont know why they hate me, maybe its the yellow.
3. A loaded bike is a great conversation starter- people love to ask where you are going, how the ride has been, etc. I have met several people, including a scottish man i rode with for about 10 clicks, who have been interested in the bike. Sadly, none of these people have been hot single rich women...yet.
4. You can always depend on the kindness of strangers- people have been great about taking me in, wet baggage and all. As the simpsons have taught us, "a stranger's just a friend you havent met".
5. This is so much better than working in an office- despite bad weather, mean dogs and a sore ass, at least im not stuck in a cubicle.
After leaving the Hazel residence in Port Hope (which was wonderful, by the way), I faced the wind for yet another day until reaching Brighton. Though I planned to stay in Presquille Park, the cold wet weather and lack of anywhere to buy food forced me to head into Brighton and stay in a motel (sketchy). The ride to Picton was less windy (only slightly), but much wetter. To be honest, I was getting very discouraged and cursing the wind. However, after a couple hours in Tim's trying to get in touch with family friends, I headed 17 km to Kristi Lowe's house for a hot shower and Hungry Man dinner (delicious). Just when it seemed I couldnt deal with anymore crap weather, things turned around, and I had the wind at my back all the way to Kingston, where I am staying with Dave's sister Allison and her fiance Allan. Lots of encouraging messages from friends and family along the whole trip, which has been awesome. As for Nick's concern about saddle sores, I can say that while the first day was like fire on my bum, it has gotten slowly better. My advice would be to take it a little slower at first, allowing your body to work up to being on a bike for long periods of time. Also, make sure to take small breaks every 30 km or so, even just for 5 minutes and a snack.
Things I have learned so far:
1. Rain sucks, but wind is worse- as outlined above, wind is a bikers worst enemy. It honestly sometimes seems that the weather is simply out to get you, and only you. Unfortunately, all you can do is push through until the next Tim Horton's. Conversely, wind can also be your best friend, when its behind you.
2. Farm dogs are jerks- I have now been chased down the road by 2 dogs. I mean fully chased, biting at my heels. I dont know why they hate me, maybe its the yellow.
3. A loaded bike is a great conversation starter- people love to ask where you are going, how the ride has been, etc. I have met several people, including a scottish man i rode with for about 10 clicks, who have been interested in the bike. Sadly, none of these people have been hot single rich women...yet.
4. You can always depend on the kindness of strangers- people have been great about taking me in, wet baggage and all. As the simpsons have taught us, "a stranger's just a friend you havent met".
5. This is so much better than working in an office- despite bad weather, mean dogs and a sore ass, at least im not stuck in a cubicle.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Toronto to Port Hope (April 29 and 30)
I have arrived in Port Hope on my second day, and will be spending the night with family friends. Though it was only about 40 km from where I slept last night, I cant pass up a free lodging and nice meal. I did over 100 km yesterday, my first day, and I am definitely feeling it today, mostly in my behind. However, I am slogging on, and for the most part it is going well. I guess I should begin at the begining.
Started yesterday by 930, after saying goodbye to Mom and Dad, and headed toward the waterfront. Getting out of the city, and more importantly, getting through Scarborough, was the most frustrating, as it involved a lot of windy roads and confusing paths. As well, the freezing cold made it somewhat miserable going. I have to admit, by the time I hit Ajax around 3pm, I was seriously questioning my decision. However, a long break at Tim Hortons and a call from my pops bolstered my spirits, and the last 40 km to Bowmanville were much faster. Once I got onto dedicated bike trails, I was able to log some serious mileage. I decided to spend the first night in the Port Darlington Marina Hotel, since the campsites werent open yet, and I was sore and cold. Best decision I ever made, and the comfy bed and hot bath eliminated any anxieties I had earlier that day. I made the requisite call home, checked my gear, grabed some dinner and was asleep by 10, exhausted from the first day.
This morning started brighter and warmer, but that quickly died off as I hit heavy winds going due west. That made the ride from Bowmanville to Port Hope seem longer than my first day, and there were no places to stop and eat!Nevertheless, I eventually rolled into town, grabbed a Sub and headed to the library. Port Hope is a very nice old town, and I'm hoping to drop my gear off at the Hazel's and check out the town. There are some nice old buildings and cool cafe. This is the reason I started this trip, or at least one of the reasons. Im definitely looking forward to the weather improving soon, but it looks like I may be in for some rain the next few days. Ive decided that, at least for the first little while, I am not going to worry as much about distance as I am about the journey itself. It seems that, for some strange reasons, towns in Canada are not 100 km apart each. Oh well, I'll get there when I get there, and get back in time somehow. Anyway, thats all for now, i should be in Kingston, within 2, or maybe 3 days.
See you on the road, Matt
Started yesterday by 930, after saying goodbye to Mom and Dad, and headed toward the waterfront. Getting out of the city, and more importantly, getting through Scarborough, was the most frustrating, as it involved a lot of windy roads and confusing paths. As well, the freezing cold made it somewhat miserable going. I have to admit, by the time I hit Ajax around 3pm, I was seriously questioning my decision. However, a long break at Tim Hortons and a call from my pops bolstered my spirits, and the last 40 km to Bowmanville were much faster. Once I got onto dedicated bike trails, I was able to log some serious mileage. I decided to spend the first night in the Port Darlington Marina Hotel, since the campsites werent open yet, and I was sore and cold. Best decision I ever made, and the comfy bed and hot bath eliminated any anxieties I had earlier that day. I made the requisite call home, checked my gear, grabed some dinner and was asleep by 10, exhausted from the first day.
This morning started brighter and warmer, but that quickly died off as I hit heavy winds going due west. That made the ride from Bowmanville to Port Hope seem longer than my first day, and there were no places to stop and eat!Nevertheless, I eventually rolled into town, grabbed a Sub and headed to the library. Port Hope is a very nice old town, and I'm hoping to drop my gear off at the Hazel's and check out the town. There are some nice old buildings and cool cafe. This is the reason I started this trip, or at least one of the reasons. Im definitely looking forward to the weather improving soon, but it looks like I may be in for some rain the next few days. Ive decided that, at least for the first little while, I am not going to worry as much about distance as I am about the journey itself. It seems that, for some strange reasons, towns in Canada are not 100 km apart each. Oh well, I'll get there when I get there, and get back in time somehow. Anyway, thats all for now, i should be in Kingston, within 2, or maybe 3 days.
See you on the road, Matt
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