Tereza and Maddy on Mt. Royal
Nicola
the ferry from Prince Edward County to the mainland
Alex Cuba in Toronto
Angela at the show
looking at a car / planter
we couldn't do much without verbs
my mannequin friend
Monday, September 29, 2008
Sunday, September 28, 2008
my jeans are falling apart...
and each time I patch them, I become infinitely more attached. My Captain Blackbeard t-shirt is beyond faded, from salt and the sun. I often have a "wash-off tan" (also known as road dirt). So it's no wonder I had a woman give me directions to Brampton's soup kitchen.
A bit of context, too - I'd taken the bus from Guelph and was hoping to get downtown on the bus, skip the city biking and all. But, the driver refused to let me on, so I ended up stuck in Brampton without a map, and with a bunch of Toronto to bike through. So I went to town hall in the hopes of finding a map, got sent to the Economic Development Office, and got some amazing help from the secretary there. She got me a Google map to Angela's place on Springmount Ave, made sure I knew where the soup kitchen was in case I was hungry (which I thought was a very considerate thing to do), and was just generally kind. Anyway, we weren't aware that Toronto has two Springmount Avenues! So I ended up going to the wrong part of town. But I met a friendly Swede named Ulf who set me straight (total fluke).
Toronto was amazing, especially Chinatown and Kensington Market. And also especially the art galleries on Queen. Cities are really quite cool. Montreal is also really amazing, and much kinder on bikers (although I did get a bent rim from one of the city's infamous potholes). McGill is really impressive, and hopefully tomorrow's chemistry lecture will be as impressive as the Chaucer class at Laurier.
It's really nice to be back in Canada, because now I'm seeing people I know from before. The basic getting-to-know-each-other is already done, so you don't have to start from scratch every time. It's also given me the chance to spend time with people I haven't seen for a while, and haven't spent enough time with. It was so, so nice to be with Scott & Jen and Nicola & Alex and catch up on who they are and how they are and what they're up to. Thanks guys!
Something snuck up on me on the way to Kory in Brockville - Lake Ontario (with islands a ways from shore) gradually turned into the St. Lawrence River. So gradually that by the time I noticed the change, it was all over, and felt quite abrupt.
I encountered two very odd smells that day, too. A couple of times, the air smelled hugely of cheesies. I think it was from the trucks whose sides proclaimed "COSCO - Quality Corn Products". "Natural cheddar flavour"? I also smelled rårörda lingon (basically cranberry sauce, but I like it better).
As usual, Kory and I had a huge amount of discussion to do, and spent lots of time talking politics. We entertained ourselves by considering the idea, among others, that "Aulac survives mainly through vampirism". I got to meet Kory's entire Peruvian-Canadian Canada World Youth group, and am super-happy to have spent some time with them. I also tagged along and helped out at the Prescott food bank, which is actually something I could imagine doing back home.
So, that's only really the beginning of what I'd like to say, but I think it's all my fingers can manage. Moving on to some pics. Wait, Tereza needs her computer, so another time.
Love to all
/Dan
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Michigan - thank goodness for forests and cool nights
Well, it's been a while. I'm in Munising, Michigan, on a computer at the high school library. The end-of-day announcements went off a few minutes ago, and the buses rolled by outside the window. I'm not allowed on Facebook. Whatevs... That'll speed me up.
I've spent two nights on Vermillac Lake, a bit west of here. Someone recommended it to me at a little cornerstore nearby. In the morning, it was covered in a thick fog, and looked wonderful for swimming. It was, warm and shallow. While I was frying up some pancakes, Wayne came by and said to come over for some leftover ribs if I wanted. He was camped out just a little ways down the shore, for the summer. One of his friends offered me his canoe, and I took it out for a couple hours. Really peaceful on the lake, very quiet except for the water sounds and far-off noises from the shore.
Lake Superior is the bomb, too. Much colder and wilder. I met a fellow (named Dan) outside the grocery in Marquette who took me for a boat ride, and they ended up feeding me and giving me a place to camp out. Wonderful company at the cottage, even though the four other people there were a generation older than me. I also spoke some Swedish to a woman whose mother came from close to Pajala. The smell of the red pines reminds me of Sweden, and I haven't smelled them since Itasca State Park, where I camped out with a wonderful couple from Grand Rapids (I think) - Jewell and Dave. We spent an afternoon biking down there together, and shared a multi-course meal. Pretty basic courses, but courses nonetheless. It was super to have company on the bike.
There are blueberries, Saskatoons and wild apples around here - delicious, and varies my diet a bit. Last night I camped out illegally at a scenic lookout, and had a numbingly cold swim in the sunrise. Figured no one would bother me there, with the thunderstorm and driving rain. I stayed dry, though, no Wakefield this time.
I've heard a deer sneeze - that was a strange thing to experience. And I forgot to mention to Matt/Alex especially - when I was in Minot, ND, I saw a Happy Panda Chinese restaurant! It made me chuckle, and if they'd had a buffet, I would surely have eaten there. I also have these urges every so often, courtesy of Dave and Matt, to shout "biking for a reason!" or "Swedes for life!". You'd be surprised how often this feels appropriate...
I'm looking forward to seeing everyone when I get back home - I suppose you're all in school by now. Anyway, some photos:
Jewell and Dave in Itasca
State Park roads sure are nice to bike on
trees - a common sight, to say the least
I suppose you'll recognize me
Vermillac Lake
sunrise this morning, pre-swim
I've spent two nights on Vermillac Lake, a bit west of here. Someone recommended it to me at a little cornerstore nearby. In the morning, it was covered in a thick fog, and looked wonderful for swimming. It was, warm and shallow. While I was frying up some pancakes, Wayne came by and said to come over for some leftover ribs if I wanted. He was camped out just a little ways down the shore, for the summer. One of his friends offered me his canoe, and I took it out for a couple hours. Really peaceful on the lake, very quiet except for the water sounds and far-off noises from the shore.
Lake Superior is the bomb, too. Much colder and wilder. I met a fellow (named Dan) outside the grocery in Marquette who took me for a boat ride, and they ended up feeding me and giving me a place to camp out. Wonderful company at the cottage, even though the four other people there were a generation older than me. I also spoke some Swedish to a woman whose mother came from close to Pajala. The smell of the red pines reminds me of Sweden, and I haven't smelled them since Itasca State Park, where I camped out with a wonderful couple from Grand Rapids (I think) - Jewell and Dave. We spent an afternoon biking down there together, and shared a multi-course meal. Pretty basic courses, but courses nonetheless. It was super to have company on the bike.
There are blueberries, Saskatoons and wild apples around here - delicious, and varies my diet a bit. Last night I camped out illegally at a scenic lookout, and had a numbingly cold swim in the sunrise. Figured no one would bother me there, with the thunderstorm and driving rain. I stayed dry, though, no Wakefield this time.
I've heard a deer sneeze - that was a strange thing to experience. And I forgot to mention to Matt/Alex especially - when I was in Minot, ND, I saw a Happy Panda Chinese restaurant! It made me chuckle, and if they'd had a buffet, I would surely have eaten there. I also have these urges every so often, courtesy of Dave and Matt, to shout "biking for a reason!" or "Swedes for life!". You'd be surprised how often this feels appropriate...
I'm looking forward to seeing everyone when I get back home - I suppose you're all in school by now. Anyway, some photos:
Jewell and Dave in Itasca
State Park roads sure are nice to bike on
trees - a common sight, to say the least
I suppose you'll recognize me
Vermillac Lake
sunrise this morning, pre-swim
Friday, August 22, 2008
the prairie post
Hi there! Right now I'm in Fosston, Minesota, and loving life on the road. It's kind of rainy, so I'm at the library for a while. I'm kind of at a loss for what to write - I've seen so much that it's hard to know what to pass on, especially since I haven't put anything up since Calgary.
So I'll start with the obvious: I've been in the States for a week. North Dakota was beautiful, and so is Minnesota. There are more trees here than in Saskatchewan, and now I'm coming in to forests and lakes. People are generally just as nice as north of the border. There are lots of people to spend time with, but less than in BC. In Estevan (Sask.), this guy named Carl took me in, fed me, gave me a place to wash my clothes, a bed to sleep in, and so on. He's a grandfather, and was really good company. I've also had great company in Brooks, where P.J. made me a fantastic meal, with corn and king crab. We played board games for a while.
Cycling on the prairies is kind of monotonous, to start out. After a while, it gets interesting again, when you start seeing the slight changes in the landscape, and when you start watching the sky. Clouds can be tremendous entertainment. Sunsets and moonrises are absolutely fantastic when they have so much sky to play out on. My second full moon has passed. The night of the full moon (I think), there was a coyote that watched me for a long time, followed me to my campsite for a long ways down a side road. The way they jump to see above the grain is really neat!
The border crossing took ages, since they ended up searching all my gear. The border guards really take their jobs seriously. And they took my oranges! That's what really hurt. I suppose I get my vitamin C from Gatorade powder, though. I've been eating pancakes, as per Alex's recommendation, but unfortunately, they turn into scrambled pancakes for lack of a spatula. Still quite tasty. Soups, cold oatmeal, and powdered potatoes are all very satisfying as staples.
Em and I at the cottage
and Ken & Pat
reminded me of Elysium, in the film "Gladiator"
power lines
the kind of place that gives the States its character
prom flowers!
beautiful ND
and a beautiful roadside to camp out on
beach on Devil's Lake, ND
self-portrait, from yesterday
So I'll start with the obvious: I've been in the States for a week. North Dakota was beautiful, and so is Minnesota. There are more trees here than in Saskatchewan, and now I'm coming in to forests and lakes. People are generally just as nice as north of the border. There are lots of people to spend time with, but less than in BC. In Estevan (Sask.), this guy named Carl took me in, fed me, gave me a place to wash my clothes, a bed to sleep in, and so on. He's a grandfather, and was really good company. I've also had great company in Brooks, where P.J. made me a fantastic meal, with corn and king crab. We played board games for a while.
Cycling on the prairies is kind of monotonous, to start out. After a while, it gets interesting again, when you start seeing the slight changes in the landscape, and when you start watching the sky. Clouds can be tremendous entertainment. Sunsets and moonrises are absolutely fantastic when they have so much sky to play out on. My second full moon has passed. The night of the full moon (I think), there was a coyote that watched me for a long time, followed me to my campsite for a long ways down a side road. The way they jump to see above the grain is really neat!
The border crossing took ages, since they ended up searching all my gear. The border guards really take their jobs seriously. And they took my oranges! That's what really hurt. I suppose I get my vitamin C from Gatorade powder, though. I've been eating pancakes, as per Alex's recommendation, but unfortunately, they turn into scrambled pancakes for lack of a spatula. Still quite tasty. Soups, cold oatmeal, and powdered potatoes are all very satisfying as staples.
Em and I at the cottage
and Ken & Pat
reminded me of Elysium, in the film "Gladiator"
power lines
the kind of place that gives the States its character
prom flowers!
beautiful ND
and a beautiful roadside to camp out on
beach on Devil's Lake, ND
self-portrait, from yesterday
Friday, August 1, 2008
the missing captions
I suppose I should mention why I've put these pictures up, and what they are:
The first two are in Vernon, with Heather and Allison, and more of the wonderful Harkers.
Next is the lake in Three Valley, toward evening. I guess this photo is pretty similar to the Kenomee pic
A shot of one of the perhaps half-dozen avalanche sheds I had to bike through after Glacier Nat. Park, I think. I hid from my first rainstorm in one of them. A bit nerve-wracking.
Next are Saskia and Marco fom Holland. I spent the better part of two days with these two, and Dean. We hid from the rain in the cooking shelter at the Takkakaw campground in Glacier and then ended up reconnecting in Lake Louise. Amazing folks.
A butterfly I saw in Yoho Nat. Park. The moneyshot out of maybe fifteen.
Remo Bruppacher. A super-cool Swiss boy that ended up hanging out at my campsite three days in a row. We spent a lot of time trying to communicate in German, Swedish and English. Lots of pointing at objects and naming them, motioning, and so on. His parents made me coffee two mornings.
Remo doesn't exactly have a steady hand, but this is the best picture I have of myself at the moment. The hat feels right for life on the road. I've appreciated it in the sun and the rain.
Heather flowers above the treeline in Glacier.
My lunch spot on the first epic hike, of two. Probably the coolest spot I've eaten lunch recently, on a ridge overlooking two different glaciers.
The first two are in Vernon, with Heather and Allison, and more of the wonderful Harkers.
Next is the lake in Three Valley, toward evening. I guess this photo is pretty similar to the Kenomee pic
A shot of one of the perhaps half-dozen avalanche sheds I had to bike through after Glacier Nat. Park, I think. I hid from my first rainstorm in one of them. A bit nerve-wracking.
Next are Saskia and Marco fom Holland. I spent the better part of two days with these two, and Dean. We hid from the rain in the cooking shelter at the Takkakaw campground in Glacier and then ended up reconnecting in Lake Louise. Amazing folks.
A butterfly I saw in Yoho Nat. Park. The moneyshot out of maybe fifteen.
Remo Bruppacher. A super-cool Swiss boy that ended up hanging out at my campsite three days in a row. We spent a lot of time trying to communicate in German, Swedish and English. Lots of pointing at objects and naming them, motioning, and so on. His parents made me coffee two mornings.
Remo doesn't exactly have a steady hand, but this is the best picture I have of myself at the moment. The hat feels right for life on the road. I've appreciated it in the sun and the rain.
Heather flowers above the treeline in Glacier.
My lunch spot on the first epic hike, of two. Probably the coolest spot I've eaten lunch recently, on a ridge overlooking two different glaciers.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Hey again! Right now I'm at the library in Golden, BC. I've fallen in love with the mountains. It's pretty near impossible to capture the feel, and the magnificence of the place with the camera. I spent most of yesterday hiking up to a glacier and hanging out up high. I was the only person on the trail for the six hours I spent up there. The Okanagan valley was beautiful, in a very different way. The sagebrush in the hills, and the orchards are very different from each other.
I've met so many nice people on the way. Everywhere I go, there are people to spend time with. Jean and Marie-Claire in Osoyoos, Louis who took me in and fed me supper in Revelstoke, Heather and family and friends in Vernon, the Swiss family that fed me breakfast at the campground this morning. (So many thanks to you all).
I've met so many nice people on the way. Everywhere I go, there are people to spend time with. Jean and Marie-Claire in Osoyoos, Louis who took me in and fed me supper in Revelstoke, Heather and family and friends in Vernon, the Swiss family that fed me breakfast at the campground this morning. (So many thanks to you all).
Camping has been really positive. I've slept lots of strange places, like peach orchards, beaches, and on the mowed patches behind cell-phone towers, and have been eating surprisingly well. No trouble finding places, and no run-ins with irate landowners. Lots of really neat animals - deer, a bear, cool squirrels, birds, marmots. Nothing dangerous.
Some photos:
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Hey Sackville! My week in Vancouver has been fantastic. With all its greenery, neat places to visit, and people who seem open and open-minded, it has to be the coolest city I've visited. The mountains make a crazy backdrop, and a super place to hike. Wandering through the Downtown Eastside was really strange, though, scary place to live. Anyway, here are a few photos:
waterfront
reflecting
some guy
landon waiting for his sushi
sushi!
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