Quebec to Campbellton

Distance traveled over last 6 days: 544 km
Total distance: 6595 km

I had spent a couple rest days, but finally, I was ready - except for one thing: in the morning, before departing from Quebec for the south shore of the St. Laurent, I stopped at Option Velo to true up my rear bicycle wheel. I also got a general inspection & maintenance done on my bike. Max, my host in Quebec, accompanied me and directed me to the ferry which crosses the river over to Lèvis.

The ferry ride is spectacular. From the water, you get what is possibly the best view of Chateau Frontenac. From here, I finally started to grasp how large the castle is. Then, looking down the river to the citadel, I realized what a formidable fortification this must have been when General Wolfe was trying to capture Quebec. The sheer cliffs and ominous walls safely guard the fortress from a direct attack. Turning around and looking to the south shore, you can see the remnants of the British fort located in Lèvis.

The Chateau as seen from the St. Laurent

The Citadel behind the cliffs, and the Chateau

 Riding the south bank of the St. Laurent is just as pleasant as the north bank. Like the north, it is populated almost everywhere, with lots of small towns along the way. Despite strong headwinds of 30-45 km/h for a couple of days, the cycling was beautiful and enjoyable. The wind that came from the north-east was cold, which helped offset my body heat and solar radiation during the noontime, but in the evenings, it got chilly if I wasn't in my tent!

Pretty sights all along the way

I spent a couple of nights stealth-camping in small towns along the way: Cap-Saint-Ignace and Sainte-Andrè. The latter bordered on untamed territory popular with mountain hikers; I was only awoken by the howls of pack-wolves three times that night!

The wild is not far away!

Onwards I traveled to Rimouski, and as I made my way, I started to observe the widening of the St. Laurent. In Rimouski, I stayed at a mediocre hostel to recharge my electronics, shower, and get a comfy rest. In the morning, I had to stop at a bike shop as I had picked up a broken spoke 10 km earlier. As I made my way out of town, I cycled past a show & shine, and then along the seawall. Finally, the smell of the ocean was in the air. Unfortunately, I would be leaving it in preference of the shorter inland route through Gaspesie via highway 134.

Cycling along the Rimouski seawall

This quiet highway, which traversed through sections of hilly terrain, offered some lovely panoramic views full of depth and perspective. The route apexed near the end of the day at Matapédia Lake. Day one of the two-day jaunt through Gaspesie was sunny until my destination in Amqui. I took some time to view the pretty gardens and pond, but soon the weather changed. I ran out of time while choosing a place to stealth camp, and had to take shelter under the library for about a half hour while a thunderstorm ran its course through the area. A brief respite in the rain gave me enough time to set my tent at the back of library, in a dark and wooded area beside a stream. I cozied up for the night at the back of the library, thinking I would be alone...

Beside the pond in Amqui

A couple hours later, I was awoken to some rowdies in their truck. It was a Saturday night - not necessarily the best day to stealth camp. Obviously bored and intoxicated, they drove their truck onto the grass and buzzed by me a couple of times. Needless to say, that got me pretty worried. They were still loitering around nearby, and from what was teaching my ears in my tent, probably still drinking or smoking. I didn't know how far they might want to take things. Also, they were Francophones: I wasn't prepared to understand their banter or even communicate with them, so I decided to call the police.

Thankfully they left on their own accord soon afterwards, before the cops showed up. The police were very understanding, and reassured me that they would patrol the area periodically throughout the night. I was able to settle down and get a good rest after that.

The second day through Gaspesie was rainy the whole way. I had my sights set on the town of Matapédia, where I thought I might find a restaurant or coffee shop, but to my dismay there was nothing of the sort. Thankfully, the trip to the next town was short: less than 20 km into Campbellton, NS. Lucky for me, there was a McDonalds where I could dry off, and, for the first time in my trip, I succumbed to the lure of a Big Mac! It was roughly 4 pm, and I hadn't eaten all day: wanting to leave Amqui in the morning before the rain hit, and not wanting to stop on the road and get chilled by the rain and wind meant the only thing in my stomach to this point was a Cliff Bar.

It was still early in the day, leaving me with several hours to spend in Campbellton. The local hostel was full, so I stayed at the McDonalds until it was late enough to look for a stealth site. This time, I spent the night in peace. Due to an inclement weather forecast, I figured I should rest up for a day in the town before heading for Bathurst, Hopewell Rocks, and eventually, PEI.

Getting to work in the café

More hard work, but somebody's gotta do it

It's Restigouche Sam, Campbellton's biggest fish!

J.C. Van Horne Bridge at sunset, which spans the Restigouche River and connects QC to NB

Ottawa to Quebec

Distance traveled over last 8 days: 659 km
Total distance: 6051 km

Before leaving Ottawa, I took a second rest day to run errands and ultimately connect with the parents of university colleague Phil: Phil (Sr.) and Joan. It meant backtracking a bit to Kanata, but after a couple of days of being in the city, I had already learned the dedicated bike paths in Ottawa that connect the municipalities and get you off the road, so getting to Kanata was pretty easy. The time I spent with Phil and Joan was full of story-telling and good food. Sometimes it's hard to get to bed at a proper hour when the company is so good!

After a restful night, I set my course for the Francophone province of Quebec. Now, the last time I spoke a word of French was at least six years ago, in high school. Some of those lessons must have stuck, because I was able to construct vital sentences like "Puis-je utiliser la toilette, SVP?" and "Pouvez-vous donner moi de l'eau?". On the other hand, Quebecers don't speak like the exaggerated audio tapes we had in French class. When that mush of sound ("real French") hit my ears for the first time, I was dumbfounded by trying to figure out how many words were hidden in it! Even after a week or more in Quebec, I often have to resort an embarrassing smile and nod after requesting a couple of repetitions!

Quebec has a fantastic provincial cycling route known as "La Route Vert", which consists mainly of secondary highways with wide shoulders and great pavement. Cycling around here has been fun and scenic. Even flat tires don't break your attitude here. There are many opportunities to view the banks of the Saint Laurent river, and you can cross over to the other shore at various "traversieres" - or ferry crossings - along the way.

These roads take you through many little towns and lots of farm land. Every town has a big, fancy Catholic church - a remnant from the history of the settlers. Much of the farm land is dedicated to corn; the husks stand very tall in the fields now.

Fields beside the St. Laurent

La Route Vert is popular with many cyclists - not just the touring variety. For the first time in my trip, I've had cyclists on training rides slow down to my leisurly pace just to have a conversation about my trip - once in French, and another time in English.

I've met many friendly and outgoing people around Quebec, and I think that's the norm - as long as you're not jaded, senile, and ultra-Anglo like another cycle-tourist I met. I think he got the cold shoulder a lot just because he couldn't approach people in French.

I've had a couple major stops along this segment of the trip, the first being Montreal. Here, I met up with Brothers Dennis and Lewis, and enjoyed an official smoked meat sandwich from Schwartz's while enjoying the view atop Mount Royal. I also ascended up the Olympic Stadium elevator, and visited the amazing botanical gardens. The gardens have several themes, including Chinese, Japanese and Arctic gardens, and a collection of "economically useful" varieties on display, such as wheat, berries, and spices.

Olympic Stadium and the integrated observatory

Chinese garden display

Flowers!

The next major stop was the city of Quebec, but to get there, I first needed to split the distance in Trois-Rivieres with Richard and his family. We enjoyed a tasty kebab dinner together on the patio, and afterwards, made our way into the city center to see some of the historic landmarks and the busy night life. Thanks to Richard, I got a strong start the next day with a guided exit out of the city, a "bon voyage" sack of nourishment for the road, and some suggested stops along the way. It was along this route that I had my first French-Canadian poutine. But to my error, I got the large "galvaude", which turned out to be too much to handle with the added chicken and peas. I ate it all, but had to take about an hour and a half to digest before I could get back on the bicycle! Even then it was tough to keep going!

Along the banks of the St. Laurent

You mean I have to eat this and then keep on cycling?!

Finally, I was in the city of Quebec, or just "Quebec", as they say around here. I stayed with the really cool, really outgoing couple, Max and Emilie (www.mangerlaroute.blogspot.com). There are so many sights in this city, and a lot of history to accompany it. Max gave me a bicycle tour of the old city and the chateau. Later, I was able to walk around the walls of the citadel (where there exists an active military base), tour the parliament building, and walk through some of the streets of both the upper and lower parts of the old city.

Standing outside the Chateau

An artists' market in the old city

Quebec Parliament

A street in the old city

I had planned to leave Quebec after just one rest day, but as I departed, a rainstorm caught me, and I headed for shelter in the marketplace. To my dismay, my camera was destroyed by the rain. I was coerced into buying a new, weatherproof model to chronicle my travels before leaving the city. Since I knew I would no longer be leaving Quebec today, it also gave me an opportunity to cycle north and view the falls at Montmorency. Back when this territory was occupied by the French, General Wolfe tried unsuccessfully to attack Quebec from this point. The English sustained heavy losses in their assault. Later, Wolfe would launch a surprise attack on the Plains of Abraham, where they were finally took control of Quebec.

Montmorency Falls

After the turn of events with my camera, Max and Emilie were kind enough to let me stay another night in advance of catching the ferry to Levis. That is where the blog will pick up from next time!

Sault Ste. Marie to Ottawa

Distance travelled over last 7 days: 846 km
Total distance: 5392 km

Since Sault Ste. Marie, the topography has changed noticeably. To this point, the rolling hills of Ontario made for a dependable pattern: as I scaled each small hill, I knew I would be going down it in two or three hundred meters. But now, the land is flatter, and farming is more prevalent.

I traveresed Sault Ste. Marie to Blind River with relative ease. With the shores of Lake Superior behind me, I was now travelling along Lake Huron. Locals tell you to expect a change in the weather, but for me, it continued to be hot and humid. This made for some fascinating morning fog on the morning I left Blind River.


Morning fog in Blind River

From Blind River, I put in a long day of cycling to cover nearly 170 km into Sudbury. Peter, who I contacted over couchsurfing, was kind enough to host me for the night and give me a walking tour around the city, which included Science North - a kind of Telus World of Science located in Sudbury. Sudbury also has Canada's second tallest free-standing structure: the 380 m tall stacks from the nickel smelting facilities. The immense height of the stacks is intended to disperse the pollutants into the atmosphere as much as possible.

Science North is shaped like a snowflake from above

The next morning, I finally got my bicycle chain and cassette replaced before I left Sudbury. It was paricularly hot, so I drenched my towel in water and draped it over my head. It wasn't long before I had people approaching me speaking Spanish!

Senor Michael

On a day where the weather was so extreme, I found a lot of people were compassionate to me, the lowly cyclist. At a rest stop en route to North Bay, some RVers connected with me, and stocked me up with ice and chilled water. I stopped in at a number of gas stations just to wet my towel and quench my desire for a cold drink. Beating the heat also meant taking a fully-clothed dip in a lake along the way. According to the forecast, it reached 36 C / 97 F, but according to the waitress at Tek's seafood restaurant in North Bay, it hit 45 C. The restaurant was great: I had all-you-can-eat fish and chips, and placed a few phone calls back home to connect with family and friends. I really enjoyed my stay in North Bay, and found the downtown area to be much like Gastown in its architecture and brickwork.

Monument at North Bay

From North Bay, it was three days of cycling to get to Ottawa. The first day was flat until I left Mattawa at lunch time. After Mattawa, it was a struggle to get to camp. The terrain turned hilly all of a sudden, and everything seemed uphill. Each hillcrest revealed another hill behind it, and the pattern continued for more than 4 hours. I got to camp exhausted; unfortunately it was a provincial park, and like all provincial parks, it was notoriously expensive. It was also full of noisy neighbours and children on bicycles. Until the parks have walk-in or cyclist rates, that will be the last provincial park I stay at if I have any say in the matter!

First look at Ottawa River from the Provincial Park

The second day to Ottawa took me past Deep River (a Manhattan Project community), Petawawa (a Canadian Forces Base) and Pembroke. I had a late lunch and several calorie-rich drinks at Pembroke before heading to Cobden for the night. I was on pace to have some relaxation time at camp, but I caught a flat just 3 km from the first campground. I didn't know precisely how close I was at the time, so I fixed the flat on the spot. It turns out a staple pierced the side-wall of my rear tire. I reached Bona Vista campground at about 8 pm - enough time to tent out and freshen up before sundown. I found it to be a well-serviced campground and a pleasure to stay at.

Finally, I was within a day to Ottawa. It was Sunday morning, and for some reason the Trans-Canada was packed with traffic in both directions. At times along my trip, the noise of the traffic has been overwhelming, and I desire for it to go away so that I could cycle in silence. I think it's busy here for good reason, however. The highway turns into the 417 near Ottawa - a big 6-lane (or more?) highway that cyclists cannot ride on. Instead, I detoured into the city of Arnprior, where I grabbed lunch and zig-zagged my way down quieter secondary roads and cyclepaths into Ottawa, where I met with several brothers and sisters for dinner.

A view of Arnprior, where I got some lunch before reaching Ottawa

Today, I spent a rest day under the kind hospitality of Brother Yinsuo. It was overcast, and cooler than days prior, but made for an enjoyable tour of Parliament Hill (free!), Byward Market, and after crossing the interprovincial bridge into Quebec, the Civilization Museum.

The Parliament Building and Peace Tower, with 53 bells

Arches in the Parliament building

The Rideau Canal

Tomorrow I am taking one more rest day in Ottawa to run errands before I head off towards Montreal.

Thunder Bay to Sault Ste. Marie

Distance travelled over last 8 days: 802.7 km
Total distance: 4546 km

After day upon day of rolling Ontario hills, and the need to run errands around town, I took a half-day off in Thunder Bay. It was here that I got the aforementioned (previous blog entry) camera battery replaced; then I started looking for a barber shop. I went from shop to shop, but for some reason they were all closed on this Monday afternoon. Then, as luck would have it, at one closed shop, the barber arrived coincidentally. He explained that I would not be able to get my haircut, as the barbershop association had legislated closure on Sunday and Monday! Go figure... I left town with a mop still sitting on my head.

A few kilometers out of town is a monument to Terry Fox. It is in Thunder Bay that Terry prematurely ended his Marathon of Hope due to resurgent cancer. This local stretch of Highway 17 is named the Courage Highway in memorial of Terry.

Terry Fox monument outside Thunder Bay

From this same vantage point, one can look across Lake Superior and view the Sleeping Giant jutting out into the water. With a bit of imagination, you can see the giant's head at the left, his arms folded across his chest, and his feet at the right.

The sleeping giant

I didn't plan to travel very far over the course of my half-day out of Thunder Bay. My destination was less than 30 km out of the city, at Thunder Bay International Hostel. I was anticipating an opportunity to meet a very interesting character - more about that in a moment. I thoroughly enjoyed my stay at this hostel. For a very affordable rate, I found the place to be peacefully quiet, secluded and full of charm and character! The elderly owners are very friendly and hospitable.

Which way to Vanoucver, again? (Taken outside the hostel)

Shortly after nine in the evening, the guest of the evening arrived. Meet Jean Beliveau, world traveller and true gentleman. Jean set off to walk around the world eleven years ago from his hometown of Montreal, Quebec. Since then, he has walked through the US & Mexico, South America, Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia & New Zealand, and he is now less than 100 days away from finishing right back where he started! Along with all the supplies he pushes along in a stroller, Jean carries a binder, which includes a map of his travels, and pictures from meetings with figures such as Nelson Mandella and various world presidents and leaders.

A quick footnote in Jean's 11 year journey!

The next day was a quiet ride through Nipigon, to a stealth campsite that offered a great view of Lake Superior. Although the weather was overcast all day, I managed to stay dry the whole time, which on the whole made for pleasant riding conditions.

The next morning, I awoke to a beautiful pastel-red, orange and blue sunrise over Lake Superior. The sound of the bird-calls echoing through the woods was quite spectacular, and continued into my ride. In Ontario, the bird-calls sound like the native Indian songs they surely inspired; much better than the squawking red-winged blackbirds of the prairies.

Morning light shines across the sky above Lake Superior

The terrain through this part of Ontario has reminded me of British Columbia, but miniaturized. On this particular day, instead of spending a whole day tackling a BC mountain pass, I attacked four steep hills, each gaining and then relinquishing roughly 200 m of elevation. The first valley landed me in the Indian Reserve of Pays Plat, which I sped through; the second valley brought me to Rossport, where I took in the beautiful lake and boat launch.

A view of the beautiful lake and dockside at Rossport.

After leaving Rossport, it wasn't far to Rainbow Falls Provincial Park, and I decided I had to stop and take a look - I'm glad I did! A beautiful, pristine lake fed the successive falls, which flowed over pink granite rock.

The peaceful lake that feeds Rainbow Falls

The third valley of the day was in Schreiber, where I visited Aguasabon falls. These falls were easily more spectacular than those at Rainbow Falls, just due to the sheer elevation drop and power of the water. Even from my vantage point way up above the water, I could feel the mist landing on my face and arms.

Overall, it was a very enjoyable day of cycling, with lots of towns and exciting stops along the way. The descents were some of the quickest of my entire journey, reaching speeds of 68 km/h. In the evening I camped at Neys, where I used the wifi to catch up on emails - cellular service in Northern Ontario is atrocious!

Aguasabon Falls roaring in the background

Day 42 of my trip took me from Neys to White River. This town's claim to fame is that it is the birthplace of Winnie the Pooh et al. The visitor center at White River allows free tenting on their lawn, which was conveniently close to a gas station and an A&W.

White River - where it all began!

I was expecting an easy ride out of White River to Wawa, but I was wrong! Strong headwinds made progress slow and frustrating. After a brief snack, I crossed paths with another adventurer, who was riding a 4-wheel bicycle to Vancouver. Well, he had been riding: moments before, one of his axles snapped, forcing him to push his vehicle along the roadside, hoping to meet someone with a welding kit. Unfortunately, I couldn't be of much help to him... I hope he managed ok!

On this day, I passed the marker designating 1000 km of Trans-Canada highway riding since the Manitoba border. A little further, and I reached Wawa, where I was finally able to get the haircut I had so long desired! Wawa gets its name from the native word "wewe" for bird - or geese - or something like that. At any rate, there are several large geese sculptures around town, and many smaller geese statues and ornaments.

Big Geese at Wawa

On the barber's advice, I headed a little south to Michipicoten. I trekked 5 km of tricky terrain to get to Sandy Beach, which was on the shore of Lake Superior, and very secluded. I pitched my tent on the beachfront with the sun still high in the sky, and as I headed for bed, I was serenaded to sleep by the lapping of the waves.

Picture-perfect at Sandy Beach in Michipicoten

I left Sandy Beach the next morning, and entered Lake Superior Provincial Park - the Ontario analogue of Kootenay National Park in the Rocky Mountains. There are numerous beautiful bay views here: Old Woman Bay with 300 ft cliffs and Katherine Cove were a couple of highlights. I made it out of the park in time to reach the more affordable Twilight Campground, saving me from having to shell out for one of the expensive provincial camps. I was treated to a scenic sunset over the lake shortly after 9 pm.

Sunset at Twilight Campground

The weather from Wawa to Sault Ste. Marie was very challenging. Southerly winds brought elevated temperatures and high humidity into the area, which sapped the strength and energy from my legs. The humidity felt jungle-like, and stopping for rests made cycling further feel like a daunting task. I found, however, that the best strategy was to keep on going, as once I was pedalling, the airflow helped to regulate my body temperature and keep a fresh supply of air into my lungs.

As I entered into Sault Ste. Marie, I passed a marker that supposedly commemorates the Trans-Canada Highway at the midway point. The plaque, however, appeared to be missing! (Vandalism?! Maintenance?) After the brief respite and self-congratulation, I hurdled one more big hill into the Soo, where I reached the home of Brian and Margaret. The evening brought heavy thunderstorms and a brief power outage. Needless to say, I was very glad I had a roof over my head and a comfortable bed to sleep in.

The marker with the missing plaque!

Today, I took a rest day in the Soo, where I visited the boardwalk and canal. I had planned to replace the chain and cassette on my bicycle due to all the wear and stretch that has accumulated along the journey, but the local bicycle technicians were occupied for the day, and advised that I could delay the maintenance for a little while longer.

When I depart from the Soo tomorrow, I will be hoping for more tolerable temperatures and humidity!

Winnipeg to Thunder Bay

Distance travelled over last 6 days: 767 km
Total distance: 3743 km

The thought of going into Ontario was foreboding. I knew out would be vast, desolate, and to some degree, treacherous!

I left Winnipeg without much of a plan, letting the wind, the road and the kilometers take me where it wanted. I passed a significant marker that day: the longitudinal midpoint of Canada. At the end of the day, I wound up at Falcon Lake, which has a grocery that yielded the supplies for my 6-egg pepperoni omelette and chili. Falcon Lake is really quite stunning in the evening, and was a great place to camp for the night.

The Longitudinal Center of Canada

The next day, I crossed into Ontario, and I knew it immediately - the cultivated land of Alberta, Saskatchewan and eastern Manitoba had already changed into birch forest, and now it was changing into pine forest. The other marker was the terrain, which suddenly changed to rolling hills. I was changing gears with increased frequency, as it was the slopes - not the wind - that dictated my pace.
One of my favorite rides thus far has been Manning Park to Princeton, but riding into Kenora is near the top of the list, too. Dozens of pristine mountain lakes dotted the roadway as I made my way to the lively city.

One of the many lakes near Kenora

At camp, I met fellow-tourist Robert, who hails from near Montreal, and is on his way home after doing the Atlantic provinces and flying to Vancouver.

Breaking for dinner at a local Chinese buffet, a kind couple surprised me by picking up my tab!

The next day of cycling took me to Dryden, with more of the same beautiful scenery, as if to greet me with a friendly "Welcome to Ontario." Dryden is the home of hockey star Chris Pronger.

Dams at Dryden

Since Dryden, however, the roads have been lonely, sparsely populated, and narrow. The meager/nonexistent shoulders have made riding a white-knuckled experience!

One of many Inukshuk to guide the way

It's kind of unbelievable, but there are now seven of us cyclists doing the same route, stopping at the same cities, on the same days! We have camped and dinnered together a couple of times. It's nice to have the company at the end of the day. Unfortunately, they all speak French! One gal, from France, decided to tow her mutt with her for security. I think she regrets that idea, now! The number of cyclists I meet along the way is giving me the impression that  cycle touring is becoming very popular!

One day of foul weather ruined my camera battery due to humidity and condensation in the battery compartment. Fortunately I got a replacement for it in Thunder Bay.

Before Thunder Bay, I visited Kakabeka Falls, the first waterfalls of my trip. I've heard they are about 40 m in height. Although the water levels seemed low and slow, the falls still made a tremendous roar. I spent the night at the home of warmshowers host Frank, who was more than hospitable and entertaining.

The next major stop is probably Sault Ste. Marie, 700 km from here.

Kakabeka Falls

Griswold to Winnipeg

Distance travelled over last 3 days: 250 km
Total distance: 2986 km

Hick-town Griswold gave me ticks! After setting up tent, and before going to bed, I did a thorough check, and found one latched onto my hamstring. I really detest the little biters! With the landowners' help, I was able to get it pulled out, and I healed up just fine. No lyme disease, yay!

I didn't get far that morning. Less than a kilometer in, my ride started to feel bumpy; I had a rear flat tire. I'm running on Schwalbe Marathon Plus puncture-resist tires, so to get a flat was a bit of a surprise. When I got my hands on the tube, however, I could see it had been punctured. But exactly what had caused the puncture was not evident. No glass, no thorns, no staples - a mystery flat!

Because of their heavy-duty construction, the Marathon Plus tires take a fair amount of effort to get on and off, and as I finished up my repair, I decided to use a tire lever to help me get the tire back on the rim. Well, the plastic tire lever broke. I was able to finish the job, but I was down to one tire lever - not enough to a flat if I got another.

So I got on my way and just hoped for the repair to hold.

And, of course, it didn't. (see Murphy's Law)

Ten kilometers in, I was flat out of options. I knew that I wouldn't be able to fix this flat without a second tire lever. As I munched on a pepperoni stick by the side of the road, I contemplated getting a lift into Brandon, where I could get resupplied at the local bike shop. That turned out to be unnecessary.

A moment later, I'm halfway through my pepperoni stick, and I am surprised by a fellow cycle-tourist who pulls up from behind. The rare encounter was exactly what I needed. Armed with his own tire levers, I used his extra tools to get my tire off, and this time I located some rough spots in the tire bead which I covered up with duct tape.

Just like that, I was on the road again, and I made it to Brandon where I got my bike cleaned up, and purchased a backup tire - I was beginning to get suspicious about the rear Schwalbe.

By evening, I arrived in Bagot, just west of Portage la Prairie. I met Ellis and Deb, who gave me a piece of their land to camp on for the night. We had a little fun that evening talking about my travels and their experiences. They own some beautiful horses, which they keep on their property, too.

The horse strikes a pose!

When I got into my tent, it was dark outside. Armed with my flashlight, I spent twenty or so paranoid minutes searching every square inch of my body, clothing, tent and sleeping bag for ticks. As I lay in the darkness, every little tickle jolted me to action. After eliminating a couple of the brutish beasts, I was satisfied enough to go to sleep.

Day number 31 of my trip took me from Bagot to Winnipeg. I should be counting myself lucky. Between Bagot and Portage la Prairie, there is no shoulder to cycle on; Instead, I was taking up part of the slow lane. Usually I have no problems with this - I've commuted for many months on shoulderless roads, but on this particular day, I got clipped.

The offending car's bumper hit my left pannier. How it managed to avoid my leg and handlebar, I don't know. How I managed to maintain my balance and steering, instead of falling over into traffic is another mystery. I can only claim it as another one of many miracles along my trip. As a testament to the close encounter, my pannier still bears the scuff marks from the collision, but yet it works as good as new. Although I had been delaying on getting a rear view mirror for my bicycle, I put it at the top of my list for things to get from the bicycle boutique in Winnipeg.

After my close call, I lunched at the town of Elie, which happened to be good timing: a rainstorm passed through as I chowed through two plates of bacon and cheese omeletes complete with hash browns.

Late in the afternoon, I got a third flat tire just a few kilometers from my destination. This time, brother Randy drove by to pick me up in the interest of time. It was the rear tire that had flated out again, so I knew the Schwalbe tire had to be tossed.

I spent the night and a rest day at Isaak's place in Winnipeg. Brother Frank gave me a tour of the city, and helped me do my errands, which included getting a replacement tire for the rear Schwalbe, and a rear view mirror for my helmet. The Forks is a great tourist spot, very much like Granville Island in Vancouver. It's full of culture, boutique shopping and produce, and scenic walking. Unfortunately, the swollen Assiniboine river had flooded the adjacent pathway.

The MTS Centre - Home of the new Winnipeg Jets NHL team

VIA Rail Station in Winnipeg city center

Tomorrow morning I leave Winnipeg and set myself up for another border crossing. Once I'm in Ontario, cellular service will be spotty at best, and rest stops will be few and far between.