May 14, 2007.
Just hanging out in Duncan, buying supplies and taking in the fresh Vancouver Island air. It smells even sweeter than I remember. Oh, and working in the garden. I want one wh
en I grow up.
Just hanging out in Duncan, buying supplies and taking in the fresh Vancouver Island air. It smells even sweeter than I remember. Oh, and working in the garden. I want one wh
en I grow up. Some people think of me as a trailblazer figuratively, but here I'm proving it literally as well.
May 13, 2007. Distance: 47.0 km, Odometer: 97.5 km
Goldstream Provincial Park - Duncan
The ride today was demanding. Since the airport, everyone who I spoke to warned me of the Malahat mountain along the way to Duncan. I wasn't sure what to expect. The uphill climb started early and was continuous. At one point the incline was so
steady that I couldn't tell it was a hill, and I thought there was something wrong with my bike because I was sweating my balls off over my granny gear. When I unknowingly reached the summit, I pulled over to fix a problem with my rim and met a nice couple from Sudbury. When the lady told me I was in fact at the summit and that it would be down hill to Duncan, I almost kissed her. I might have if I wasn't caked with sweat. The views were amazing and made the arduous, self-esteeming shattering climb tolerable. I sang all the way down the other side of the mountain and into Duncan to meet with the family I lived with for 3 months while doing a Canada World Youth exchange. It's fantastic it be here.
Goldstream Provincial Park - Duncan
The ride today was demanding. Since the airport, everyone who I spoke to warned me of the Malahat mountain along the way to Duncan. I wasn't sure what to expect. The uphill climb started early and was continuous. At one point the incline was so
steady that I couldn't tell it was a hill, and I thought there was something wrong with my bike because I was sweating my balls off over my granny gear. When I unknowingly reached the summit, I pulled over to fix a problem with my rim and met a nice couple from Sudbury. When the lady told me I was in fact at the summit and that it would be down hill to Duncan, I almost kissed her. I might have if I wasn't caked with sweat. The views were amazing and made the arduous, self-esteeming shattering climb tolerable. I sang all the way down the other side of the mountain and into Duncan to meet with the family I lived with for 3 months while doing a Canada World Youth exchange. It's fantastic it be here. May 12th, 2007. Distance: 50.5 km, Odometer: 50.5 km
Victoria Airport - Goldstream Provincial Park
My adventure started in the Timmins airport. My Dad and I arrived early, but not early enough as there was a line up. The bike was checked without a problem, but the ticket lady was obviously put out by the line up, and then with me having a bike box. She told us it would be $105 for the additional luggage. I thought bikes were $50 despite of my luggage, and told her so. I'm not sure what happened, but after my Dad offered to pay, she refused the money altogether! I couldn't understand it. Maybe she caught one of the news media I've been on recently and suddenly felt philanthropic.
Things brightened up when the guy at security was a buddy of mine from school and the gym, Brian. I had sent him, along with 130 of my closest friends, an 'event notice' on facebook.com letting him know I was raising money for the hospital. He and I started chatting and when I told him I was cycling across the country, he remembered the cause and gladly took out his wallet to fish for a donation. All of this while he was scanning my luggage for WMDs or whatever they look for. It makes me smile thinking about it and it made me glad to be from Timmins.
While in the air, it occurred to me, but very vaguely still, how huge Canada is. I mean, I was in an ultra fast plane and it took 4.5 hours to get to Vancouver. And that's just half way. I think cycling will provide the ultimate sense of Canada's magnitude. MAYBE, it's my complete vagueness of this sense that I've let myself do the trek! Thank God for my daftness, otherwise I may never leave the house.
Victoria Airport - Goldstream Provincial Park
My adventure started in the Timmins airport. My Dad and I arrived early, but not early enough as there was a line up. The bike was checked without a problem, but the ticket lady was obviously put out by the line up, and then with me having a bike box. She told us it would be $105 for the additional luggage. I thought bikes were $50 despite of my luggage, and told her so. I'm not sure what happened, but after my Dad offered to pay, she refused the money altogether! I couldn't understand it. Maybe she caught one of the news media I've been on recently and suddenly felt philanthropic.
Things brightened up when the guy at security was a buddy of mine from school and the gym, Brian. I had sent him, along with 130 of my closest friends, an 'event notice' on facebook.com letting him know I was raising money for the hospital. He and I started chatting and when I told him I was cycling across the country, he remembered the cause and gladly took out his wallet to fish for a donation. All of this while he was scanning my luggage for WMDs or whatever they look for. It makes me smile thinking about it and it made me glad to be from Timmins.
While in the air, it occurred to me, but very vaguely still, how huge Canada is. I mean, I was in an ultra fast plane and it took 4.5 hours to get to Vancouver. And that's just half way. I think cycling will provide the ultimate sense of Canada's magnitude. MAYBE, it's my complete vagueness of this sense that I've let myself do the trek! Thank God for my daftness, otherwise I may never leave the house.
The first day of riding was crazy. I cycled down to "Mile 0" of the Trans-Canada Highway where there was a busload of Asian tourists waiting. When the tour guide saw me, I 
guess he also saw an opportunity to show this clients something interesting, so he started asking me questions and translated what I said into Asian (Japanese maybe?). Well, the crowd just lost it. I'm not sure how many photo graphs were taken of me in front of that "Mile 0" sign, but it was lots. One of them asked if I was Terry Fox, and I said no. It was flattering, and I left the group waving and wishing me luck. Good times. I stayed in Goldstream Provincial Park, a park saturated with larger trees than I've ever seen, ever.
guess he also saw an opportunity to show this clients something interesting, so he started asking me questions and translated what I said into Asian (Japanese maybe?). Well, the crowd just lost it. I'm not sure how many photo graphs were taken of me in front of that "Mile 0" sign, but it was lots. One of them asked if I was Terry Fox, and I said no. It was flattering, and I left the group waving and wishing me luck. Good times. I stayed in Goldstream Provincial Park, a park saturated with larger trees than I've ever seen, ever. 
