August 9, 2008 - Saturday - Day 40
USA/MEXICO/CANADA
DOUBLE CROSS COUNTRY
& THE TRANSCANADA HIGHWAY
-- OR BUST - SUMMER 2008
Miles Today - 0 - Total Miles - 9,313
(NOT over 10,000 as reported yesterday)
RAIN DAY IN MATTAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA
(-staying at Velois Motel-)
- RAIN DAY ON THE RIVER-
August 9, 2008 - Saturday - Day 40
USA/MEXICO/CANADA
DOUBLE CROSS COUNTRY
& THE TRANSCANADA HIGHWAY
-- OR BUST - SUMMER 2008
Miles Today - 0 - Total Miles - 9,313
(NOT over 10,000 as reported yesterday)
RAIN DAY IN MATTAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA
(-staying at Velois Motel-)
- RAIN DAY -
When I awoke it was raining. So I made the executive decision to hunker down, and take a rest day. And during this day I could - and did - plan the end-trip days ahead more exactly. I decided routing, etc., reorganized gear for the last time, worked on some writing projects which I had been procrastinating or didn't have time for, and generally took it easy. Spent much of the day in the dining area where there was internet accessibility and the great view of the river.
When I went to the counter to pay for the extra day, I said slyly and with a grin, “So, the waitress told me last night that if I stayed an another night, it would be half price, right?” Darn. He didn't buy the line!
I went right to work on the “How to Ride a Motorcycle” piece, and also on the section about the song words. Both were fun and enjoyable to work on. You should have both these items in your mailbox by the end of this day.
It rained pretty steadily until about 3pm. I don't usually look at the forecasts, but when I did today it said rain in the area for the next three days. Luckily, I'm moving out of the area tomorrow. Unluckily, it's rain for the area I'm going into as well.
But I'll go tomorrow no matter what. And I spent part of this day getting ready for a wet ride - making sure rain gear was laid out, and making sure that rain covers were ready. I especially worked on the tank bag which really hasn't had a decent cover since I began. (Remember the horrifying plastic bag billowing incident during the sandstorm?)
You may have noticed that the Transcanada route numbers have changed. I followed Route 1 for almost halfway across it seems. Now I have some other numbers, though with the Transcanada Highway symbols around them.
This is what an on-line source says about the numbering:
Route numbering on the Trans-Canada Highway is also handled by the provinces. The Western provinces have coordinated their highway numbers so that the main Trans-Canada route is designated Highway 1; however, from the Manitoba-Ontario border eastwards, the highway numbers change at each provincial boundary. As the Trans-Canada route was composed of sections from pre-existing provincial highways, it is unlikely that the Trans-Canada Highway will ever have a uniform designation across the whole country.
Miscellaneous Items, Asides, and Confessions:
- When home, I'm getting myself a new pair of boots.
- Note to self: Although you USED to be able to get through a day's exertion with a handful of nuts and a couple pieces of fruit in your 30's and 40's, you just cannot do that any more.
- Suggestions to travelers: Before leaving any place make sure belly and tank are full, but bladder and everything else is empty. Also, never trust a toilet that has a plunger beside it, and always check for toilet paper FIRST!
- Perhaps readers have been wondering how does one stay on the bike for 6 or 7 hours? Well, as for me, I do a lot of thinking, shifting leg positions, and enjoying the views. Also, while riding I work on my posture, my poems, trying to figure little math problems of the miles gone so far and to go, and do abwork.
- The first half hour down the road in the mornings is often filled with thoughts of maybe having forgotten something. I mean, I'm already 15 to 20 miles down the road, so what IF I HAD forgotten something? Too late! The chargers? The (gasp!) computer? And then, if a synapse misfires, and I don't recall putting something in the bag, I have to stop and take a look. A checklist would take too long, there's so much. Oh, it's all just a little morning angst.
- I was sorry to note that the comedian Bernie Mac died today. I liked the guy.
Received a nice email from my friend Charles. He wrote:
I am deeply impressed by the freely offered kindness of total strangers during all your trip. Maybe there is hope for all of us.
In the US, Mexico , and Canada, people have gone out of their way to help, give better directions, help with food, etc.
What an upper, (contrasted to downers). Your narratives are renewing my faith in the innate goodness of humans.
And this trip was no different from all the others. I have often said that the country is NOT what we see and read in the daily spewing of bad news in the newspapers and on news radio. That is all skewed to the sensationalistic bad side of people, and not representative of the general population. And it is alarmingly bad for our psyches to constantly be bombarded by all that. It effects our thinking and our views of the world. A great thing about these trips of mine is that I escape all that news dribble for awhile at least. I try to avoid it when home, and do for a few weeks before sinking back into the habit of listening to it all.
I also heard again from my Canadian friend, Jacki. Here are a few things of insight and interest that she pointed out to me:
I was waiting for you to comment on Tim Hortons....this is like the delicacy of the country. lol. They are everywhere and are the most popular places anywhere. When we go to the city, they are always busy and line ups inside and at the drive thru......they are worth the wait if you have the time. The coffee is favorite there.....you can order a double-double or a "double-cream" with them.
Yes there are subways everywhere and we even have one up here in our little town of 2000 people in the middle of nowhere lol.
In Canada the governments have cut back on highways crews so much that they don't have enough people to do the work so they always hire out the jobs to the highest bidder through tenders. Most of these companies do not do the job right, they do it as cheap as possible and never done on time ever. Up here we have abridge that had to be replaced (not a real big one either) and the company they hired to do it took 2 years to complete and now they are fixing it again, it is so frustrating to see tax dollars wasted, do it right the first time and you won't have to fix it. But that is sadly not the case up here. We get taxed to death up here and really wonder where all this extra money is actually going, we never see any improvements which is sad.
As for the metric system, the younger generation only know that system, but for us who grew up with the old system it is hard for us to take. We still figure out mileage conversion and use mph or miles away and not kilometers (km). I still use the old system for baking with cups and ounces and quarts etc.
I missed not getting to see some vacationing friends in Quebec by a day it seems. But because of this delay day, I DID get to have dinner with some folks from my old neighborhood. I delivered their newspaper, had their children as second graders, and played chess with the dad when I was running a monthly chess club out of the bookstore, Barnes and Noble, some 18 years ago. We go back about 38 years. I've taken their family picture, and attended the ceremony when the boys won Eagle Badges. Paul, a handsome mustachioed 40+ year-old-guy, and student at Coopertown Elementary where I taught had been keeping tabs on the trip. And by coincidence, a bunch of the guys in the Wojtowicz family happen to come camping to the area in Canada just nearly where I am. We hooked up initially by email and then by my Skype, and Paul's cell phone.
The group included father Ed, brothers Chris (with son Neil) and Paul, brother-in-law Jon (and his son Nick). Neil and Nick were a cute seven and eight respectively. This hardy band of guys was going backwoods camping, and I was impressed. They have done so over the last number of years. (John, the brother I had as a second grader, was camping in Maine at this time, and I may get to see him in a couple days.)
The seven met me at the motel where I'm staying, and I had reserved a window table so the river made a good view for us all as we ate and chatted. I learned a lot about portaging and canoes and how all the equipment and food is worked out for such a trip. I got to hear some of their stories about trips past, and narrow escapes, and holes in canoes.
After I heard all these things and tried to picture what they would be doing the next few days I was alternately impressed, envious, and glad not to be going with them!
After hearing about the excursion and the details about being in the wilderness and the elements, I remarked, “I HAD been concerned about the weather for my ride tomorrow, but compared to what YOU guys are doing, I'm not concerned at ALL now!”
It was wonderful seeing folks from home, and the coincidence that they were vacationing right in this area at this time was incredible.
We were together about an hour or more, and then they had to go to get to their starting place. I said I wanted to be sure to hear about how it went.
I finished off the evening with getting all packed and ready for tomorrow's ride. Rain or not, I'm heading out in the morning. (Well, ummm… If it's wind-whipping gales of torrential downpour… well, then MAYBE I'd consider staying another day. (But don't tell those Wojtowicz guys - because then I'd REALLY seem like a big wimp to them!
I'm hoping most of you are also checking out the photos. Although not today, there are usually quite a number that go along with the day's text. To view photos from today or the whole trip, you can check out
http://www.photostockplus.com/home.php?tmpl=45&user_id=42473&event=196141
Also, you can check out the past day journal entries by going to joelperlish.com, and clicking on the appropriate trip down at the bottom on the left hand corner. Do this by hopping over to http://www.joelperlish.com/blog/blog.html... and/or you can just email me back and I'll put you on the daily send list. I especially recommend days 10, 12 (the sandstorm day!), 14 (the most nostalgic day), 32 (the best day) and day 37 (the most dangerous day).
