01/10/2011 Day 38 Cycling Across Canada

Distance Traveled: Sharbot Lake park to some Unused farming area 92km
Money Spent: $15 for junk food
Time cycling: 5 hours 09 minutes
Moving Average: 17.8km/h
Total Distance Traveled: 2649 km

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Wind Wind, Viento (Wind in Spanish), F***ing Wind
Well, at least it didnt rain. Look at the positives right?
Today was very cold and like I mentioned before there was plenty of wind coming directly at me and when it wasnt blowing in my face it would push me off the shoulder of the road. It was hard to keep a constant pace and the wind certainly demoralised me. I would have liked to make it to Ottawa for a night out on Saturday night but it didnt work for me. I could have pushed on into the night but I would have been exhausted and haggard.
The highway opened up to a freeway where I was given a very nice 10 foot shoulder to play on, unfortunately I had to get off the freeway because pedestrians and cyclists were not allowed... shame :(
I camped 30km from downtown in some unused farming area which tonight I will hopefully get a good nights rest. Tomorrow I get to see my ex-girlfriend who I havent seen in two years but to be honest I dont know how I feel about seeing her... Im just going to say im not fussed about meeting.

Um, cooked some good dinner (rice, re hydrated Jerky and vegetables as a soup) then went to bed.
Apparently there is going to be flurries of snow tomorrow morning which certainly is not going to be nice but I have only 30km to the center of the city.

Not suppose to be cycling here… oh, no… but whatever!

30/09/2011 Day 37 Cycling Across Canada

Distance Traveled: Norwood to Sharbot Lake Provincial park 116km
Money Spent: $0
Time cycling: 5 hours 10 minutes
Moving Average: 22.4km/h
Total Distance Traveled: 2557 km

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I woke at midnight having had the sickness pass, I honest have no idea what caused it but im so glad that it only lasted as long as it did. Because I already had somewhat of a lengthy sleep I organised some of this shit (blogging, journal) and grouped all the pictures I have taken over the past few days. I was on the road around 9am after packing my things, something im constantly getting faster at doing.
The morning I was making very good pace along the relatively flat roads despite not much of a shoulder and having avoided running over the remains of frogs and tortoises – there was honestly dead frogs or what looked like dead frogs every few meters on the shoulder of the road, some disembowelled, decapitated and others rotting away – seeing this would put you off frogs legs for sure.... maybe this is a sign that im getting closer to Quebec.
Anyway, as I was saying I was making good pace and one stop off at a rest stop – that you dont get to see much of in Ontario – I sat myself down and made myself an excellent lunch (Potato Mash, Poached Veggies and chili tuna).
At another stop off I met a pair of cyclists, Cole and Mark who started their trip in Toronto, I briefly chatted them before they set off back on the trans-Canadian trail which I want to avoid because this section is not well maintained.
Mid-afternoon the weather certainly took a turn for the worse and it started pissing it down. When the weather is relatively warmish, like today I dont mind the rain but as soon as it gets too cold, touring cycling is not enjoyable.
Still, I got fed up with the rain today and found a provincial park to set my tent up in and as no one was there I wasnt going to pay for it :)
I camped right by a lake so I thought it was about time to use the fishing rod that was giving to me a few weeks ago. Things didnt go too well as the first line in snagged on someone else's broken line, other attempts got stuck on to the logs under the water and I gave up when part of the reel broke off... I will however get this replaced and will attempt another time in the future.

Morning… Midday… Fishing at night

29/09/2011 Day 36 Cycling Across Canada

Distance Traveled: Reaboro to Norwood 84km
Money Spent: $30 for bike stuff $10 for some cigarettes and a few dollars for coffee.
Time cycling: 4 hours 04 minutes
Moving Average: 20.5km/h
Total Distance Traveled: 2441 km

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I woke to the smell of cooking bacon in the morning... yum yum!
I without hesitation ran downstairs at Marnie and Steve's place and sat down for a hearty breakfast, I tried to help but they had everything prepared.
They havent had many people look them up on the warm-showers list and I think I was their 5 visitor over some time, but this couple are a prime example on how friendly Canadians are, their hospitality was like no other and I cant thank them enough. Marnie, by the way, those freshly baked Muffins you made this morning were incredible! I will be asking you for the recipe as a favor for teaching you that magic card trick ;).
Marnie, showed me some of their farm and took me to the Trans- Canadian trail that ran alongside their farm that had been maintained much better than what I cycled on yesterday morning.
Im hesitant to cycle on it because I dont want to risk another flat tire and although the terrain was much better I took the risk and used the trail to get to Peterborough.
In Peterborough I went to a bike shop to pick up a new pump and despite the forecast prediction mostly sunny periods for the day it it started pissing it down. I browsed the store chatting with the staff there and thought it was about time to fix some fenders onto my bike, just to kill some time waiting for the rain to pass.
Ben and Terry, the two guys I dealt with at the store were even kind enough to give the fenders to me at a great discount... im going to call this discount “The Cycling Across Canada Discount”. They even gave me some good advice on what route I should take to get further east. Thanks fellas!
On route I was passed (on two occasions) by a Google maps car, the second time I took note of the coordinates of the location so hopefully ill be seen on Google maps street view at: N 44 15.134 W078 08.588
As suggested by the bike shop guys I took highway 2 as the main highway (HWY 7) is busy with absolutely no shoulder to Hastings. I munched down some of my food at a park and set off again... this is where things got a little weird... whether it was something I ate or drank, I all of a sudden became exhausted and dizzy... Several times I even almost vomited. Whatever it was it didnt feel good at all, I only made it 10 km down the road where I had to pull in behind what I think is the fire station of the town of Norwood and pitched my tent. I got as far as putting my mat on my un-erected tent and crashed holding my stomach trying not to throw up.
Later I managed to pitch my tent and set it up for a rainy night but fuck, I didnt even eat dinner my stomach hurt that much. Not good.

Marnie and some mushrooms…

Cycling the Trans-Canadian Trail

At the Bike shop where it pissed it down and me attaching the fenders onto my bike.

More Locks… apparantly the oldest one remaining in Canada… one of the sights of Peterborough

Where i started feeling sick in Hastings.

28/09/2011 Day 35 Cycling Across Canada

Distance Traveled: N 44 15.355 W079 02.178 to Reaboro 49km

Money Spent: $15 for new tire Time cycling: 2 hours 47 minutes
Moving Average: 17.4km/h
Total Distance Traveled: 2357 km

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It rained a fair bit last night but thankfully I set up my tent and tarp properly anticipating rain for the night, my belongings and i stayed dry.
When I packed my things I munched down an apple and some granola bars for brekky.
Just down the road from where I camped I finally joined the Trans-Canadian Trail that went from this point all the way into Peterborough... no traffic, a tranquil trail with me and my bike. Sound good dosent it? Well, it wasnt the first 5km of this trail because it was partially flooded with puddles and where there was no water it was either coarse rock or sand neither of which are too good for cycling. Because of all the rock after the painful first 5 km I managed to puncture my front tire; luckily where this happened was right beside a side road with a little bit of traffic going by. Because I didnt know where I was (even my GPS didnt list any of the towns about) I ripped off the wheel and started to repair the issue but found out I had a problem, or as it so happens i couldnt find my pump, I must have lost somewhere over the last week... fuck! It seemed the only option I had was to hitchhike – now, trying to hitchhike with a broken bike on the side of the road I thought would be easy you know because people would feel sorry that your means of transportation is ruined; well, its not easy to hitch this way, all I wanted to do was ask directions to the nearest town and weasel my way into convincing them to give me a ride. This took a good 45 minutes to find out there was a town less than a kilometre up the road – unfortunately I wasnt able to get a ride but seeing as it was only 1 km away I decided to walk with all my stuff loaded on my bike with my front rim scraping on the gravel.
When I made it to a residential area I asked for advice on where to get a pump, someone was kind enough to offer me theirs at around the corner at their place.
This is where I had another issue, the pump would not fit the valve...arrgg!
I ran about the neighbourhood and asked a bunch of people – seemed like no body worked in this town – and finally found a pump that would fit. After several attempts of fixing the puncture I finally got it sorted where Frank and Dorothy kindly gave me a pack lunch to take with me. :)
I got back on my bicycle and found a road headed towards Peterbourgh running parallel to the trail. I passed through a town called Lindsay where I went to Canadian Tire to pick up a new tube. Looking at my wheel in the store I realized too that pushing my bike up a hill, fully loaded with a flat front wasnt such a wise idea – I ruined the tire...
I had to replace that too. The workers at the store where truly ecstatic to meet me and didnt charge me for the repair nor the tube. What I paid for was a new tire setting me back $15. Craig, Angus and Staff at Canadian Tire, thanks so much! I hope that picture you took of me gets into the local newspaper.;)
Having such a 'fun-filled' day I wanted to call it quits and as the forecast was predicting rain I looked at the warm-showers list and found a couple 15 km down the road who were willing to host me.
Again I stayed away from the Trans-Canadian Trail and made my way to Steve and Marnies farm in a quant little hamlet where I was invited into their home with a nice cold beer. Relief at last!
Steve and Marnie fed me a lovely dinner and I continued to chat away joking, telling them my stories and my adventures around the world. Before we knew it, it was getting late and was time for bed.

Repairing my tire on Frank and Dorothy’s driveway

Craig, Angus and I at Canadian Tire in Lindsay, ON

27/09/2011 Day 34 Cycling Across Canada

Distance Traveled: Downtown Toronto to Old Service road **N 44 15.355 W079 02.178** 105km
Money Spent: $14 for groceries
Time cycling: 5 hours 41 minutes
Moving Average: 18km/h
Total Distance Traveled: 2308 km

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After a week off from cycling I didnt have the issues I had before arriving in toronto, my legs were not aching and the tendon above my right heel didnt hurt anymore.
Seeing my Mum and Dad was fantastic and I had a lot of fun with Gary and Gail, along with seeing Willow but to get back on the road today once more gave me a exhilarating rush.
But to get out of the City was a pain, partly because I used the directions that Google Maps gave me to get to Peterborough. The route to get to Peterborough from downtown Toronto had over 100 turns but I didnt have a bike map of the city and this was the only thing I could gather up before departing Willows place.
Using these directions certainly was interesting because it took me down some random unpaved side roads which although bumpy got me off the very small shoulder highways and the traffic.
Now that I have seen Mum and Dad I no longer have a deadline for this trip, meaning I can take my time and enjoy as much as I can, perhaps even use that fishing rod that Halee's Dad gave me. Actually I cant say I dont have a deadline because winter is coming and its going to get cold... speaking about the change in seasons, the leaves are certainly changing colour into beautiful shades of red and orange – so as long as things dont turn white, im all good.
Where I camped for the evening down a old unused service road I heard some unusual noises from nearby animals, lets hope they dont bother me during the night.

Picking apples… throwing up worm infested apples to knock down tasty ones.

The season is changing – these pics dont do the colours justice

Dinner for the night! dosent look too bad does it?

Niagara Falls

 

What a Panoramic!!!!

Time in Toronto 21/09/2011 – 26/09/2011

Distance Traveled: 20km along Lakeshore to downtown Toronto (Bathurst St)
Total Distance Traveled: 2203km

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For those who care about the route and terrain profile 20km west of Downtown Toronto

The five days I spent with Mum, Dad, Gary and Gail was fantastic fun, we managed to squeeze in quite a lot of activities and sight-seeing, one obviously being Niagara Falls. IM not going to say much about the falls because below are some of the panoramics I put together that came out great.
One of the main things ive missed after being away from home for so long is Mum's cooking, finally after over 5 years my taste-buds got their fix, I learnt some new dishes that I can cook as the experience of working with mum in a kitchen cant be beaten. Everyone says their mum's cooking is the best...I can honestly say MY mum's cooking is better than the best.

I have missed my folks over the past couple of years and it was awesome to see them again but to answer the question I am always asked: Dont you miss home? Not really, I enjoy travelling and seeing the world, and as most people say: Do it whilst your young.

Saying goodbye to Mum and Dad at the airport wasnt emotional but Im thinking when will be the next time ill be seeing them... another 6 years? We will have to wait and see... just dont let me keep you in suspense.
After saying goodbye to my folks Gary was kind enough to drive me south closer to the downtown area where I was meeting Willow – an old friend who I met in Barcelona 4 years before, I caught up with her 2 years ago last time I was in Toronto but this time I was staying with her for a day, or as it turns out 2 nights. Gary dropped me at the lake beach where i followed the bike paths to the center of Toronto, it was a beautiful day out and the cycling around the area was like no other dedicated bike paths and beautiful views of the city, breathtaking.
Catching up with Willow was fun as she worked at a hostel down the road from where she lived, Ive mentioned before I love the social scene of hostels, but rarely stay in them in North America because of the price but just going there for drinks was great as I met a bunch of travelers and shared some of my stories.
Later this same evening we went to another bar but seemed full of pretentious assholes – I wont go into it but I preferred the hostel scene.
The next day was a hangover day were Willow and I watched several films.
I tried to catch up with Ben who I worked with treeplanting this year but I missed a message from him and our plans fell though – sorry buddy.
It was a good week of relaxing, seeing my folks,lots of drinking and a whole heap of fun. But time to move on... Ottawa is next and I should be there in a couple of days.

In and around Niagara Falls with Mum, Dad, Gary and Gail.

Gary and Gails Family.

More Family pics

Random Pics around Toronto

Cycling towards the downtown area of Toronto