Re: The Maritimes
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not all those who wander are lost | two earthlings ride around the world
- Thread starter Rockwell
- Start date
Newfoundland
July 6, 2013 - July 16, 2013
Over five hours on the ferry and I didn't get sea sick! Either the small patch behind my ear worked or the ocean was calm enough not to make me feel queasy. We finally arrived in Newfoundland and it didn't take long to notice people spoke very differently on the island known as The Rock. We also quickly learned to pronounce Newfoundland as the locals call it, New-Fun-Land. The ferry docked in Port Aux Basque, a tiny town that took us just minutes to ride around. We were in search of a bite to eat and our options were limited. We surprisingly ate a Subway sandwich. It has been well over a year since I've been able to stomache even the smell, but it actually tasted delicious. I'm not about to eat one (or two) every day like we had on our last trip, but I'll definitely enjoy one every now and then.
It was late in the day by the time we were ready to search for a place to set up the tent. Even though there was enough sunshine still out, we were warned by many to keep off the roads during dusk to avoid hitting moose. There is a large population of moose living in Newfoundland. We decided to stay near Port Aux Basque for the night and it didn't take long to find a great place to camp. Newfoundland once had a railroad that traveled across the entire province. Since it was no longer in service, a gravel path is left where its tracks once were. Locals find this useful to ride their off-road-vehicles on. It seemed like everyone owns an ATV or a skidoo.
We rode for a few minutes down the gravel road until we reached a wooden deck just big enough for our tent. It was perfect. We unpacked as quickly as possible so that we could admire the incredible panoramic view before it got dark. It didn't matter what direction we looked, the view around us was breathtaking. As the sun began to set and we both just stared in awe. It was one of the prettiest moments I had ever experienced. We were speechless. Early the next morning, we continued down the gravel road until it became sand and knocked us over. It was a gentle drop and we got up easily but the sand got deeper as we continued, and we eventually got stuck. Half of the rear tire was buried and moving the motorcycle felt impossible. Rocky and I removed our bags and the panniers as two kind strangers offered to help push the bike out. Riding through off-roads always seems to be a crazy adventure but it was well worth the view we witnessed. As we pulled onto the highway, we learned that we had just spent the night in JT Cheeseman Provincial Park.
After a beautiful but windy ride, we arrived in Corner Brook, a small city on the western side of Newfoundland. We sat in a parking lot next to a park waiting for the sun to set because we planned on setting up the tent somewhere nearby. As we waited, we were approached by a man named Delano. He was riding a Kawasaki KLR and asked a few questions about our KTM. We shared a few words, and shortly after he left he returned to tell us of a really great place to check out. We followed him up a hill to an area named Cooks Lookout. The site was used by Captain James Cook as he kept an eye out for smugglers and privateers from 1763-1767 when he charted the coast. It offered a fantastic view of the Gulf of the Saint Lawrence. After a short walk around, we came to a memorial monument boat, built of stone. It was the perfect size to fit our tent and motorcycle. It seemed like the perfect place to set up our tent.
The following morning, we decided to stay in Corner Brook. We stopped at the local YMCA for a shower and enjoyed the rest of the day laying under the sun at a local park. Since we really loved where we had camped the night before, we decided to spend another night in the boat. Even though it was a popular place to visit, the locals were very friendly about us being there. Some even complimented the idea of camping there. Early the next morning as we were packing up the tent, we were approached by a man on his morning walk. He spoke with us for a few minutes and invited us to his house for breakfast and a shower. There was no way that we could possibly say no. I love meeting kind strangers. We finished packing and met with Dennis at his house. While sitting on his back porch, we enjoyed a great view of the city. He made us coffee and brought out bowls of fruit, including a fruit we had never tasted. Cloud berries, also known as Bake Apples, are an orange looking blackberry with a tart taste to them. After freshening up, filling our bellies and sharing some stories, we exchanged hugs and he wished us well on our journey. What a great, friendly city.
We got back on the road and planned on going to Gros Mourne National Park where we would pay to camp in a campground. We usually don't pay for camping because we can't justify paying $30 to sleep on the earth and also because we can't afford to, but it was a special occasion. Rocky had never tried a hallucinogen and I found us some magic mushrooms before we left home. Unfortunately, they weren't as strong as they should've been but it was enough to heighten our senses. During an evening walk past another picture perfect scene, we ate the 'shrooms and eventually made our way back to our campsite. We gathered the wood to build a fire and lit up a joint. It was really dark and it took me a second to notice that there was a man standing beside us. Initially I was startled. He appeared out of the darkness and, once my eyes properly focused, I realized that he was the park ranger. I looked at Rocky to warn him but he was busy smoking the joint and that made me want to laugh. Suddenly, the park ranger began to speak and I could barely contain myself. Apparently, I can't understand anything Newfoundlanders say. It is English I assume, but I began to understand why they are called 'funny talkers'. To make matters funnier, the park ranger stood there talking to us long enough for us to wonder if we were supposed to offer him a few puffs. Rocky and I laughed for a while after he had gone.
The next day we prepared to go on a hike. I've been on many hikes before. I thought I knew what to expect but Rocky decided to create his own path that day. He wanted to climb to the top of a mountain but we had to walk through thick dry brush. I like to be adventurous but I was wearing knickers, I had just shaved my legs and moisturized. I ******* and complained the entire climb up that mountain. Once we reached the top, I realized it was worth every scratch. The view was incredibly beautiful and we even found a lake up there. We laid on on the grass for a while (wink wink) with not a person in sight in all directions. Rocky took the opportunity to say something romantic, along the lines of "See...I told you so. Isn't this awesome? You should just trust me from now on."
When we returned to the campsite, we were charging our electronics under a large overhang and met a couple from New Brunswick. Martin and Cynthia were riding throughout Eastern Canada on a BMW. We exchanged stories over a bottle of wine they were sharing and Cynthia made me laugh to tears. We found out, weeks later, that Martin and Cynthia were related to Adrienne (their niece), who we stayed with in Halifax, Nova Scotia. What a small world! We hung out with them for a while and then Rocky and I headed back to our site for a nice big campfire to toast some marshmallows. I wish we could have a campfire everywhere we camp.
The next morning, we packed up all of our belongings so that we could continue traveling north. I wasn't feeling well and I wondered if I was experiencing an allergic reaction to black fly bites. I had over ten bites just on my neck and scalp and all of them were extremely swollen. After searching on-line, I am convinced that I had black fly fever. I felt weak, nauseous and feverish. We left Grose Mourne and rode for a few hours until we reached Hawkes Bay. Rocky was annoyed with the way the motorcycle was riding and wondered if the problem was coming from the wheel or if it was electrical. He said the the motorcycle has been riding weird for a couple of weeks, just after we spliced the electrical wires together or since we replaced the tires. We pulled over to investigate and Rocky noticed that the ABS sensor was slightly rubbing against the ABS grill. That could've been the cause of the surging and wobbling he was feeling, but everything was assembled properly. He couldn't figure out why it was scraping. As the sun began to set we decided it would be best to spend the night next to an abandoned office across the street where we had a perfect view of the Bay. We weren't the only ones to think it was a good spot to stop. The coast guard helicopter parked there as well.
We enjoyed a lazy morning and continued riding north towards Saint Anthony. It was a beautiful ride with the ocean to our left showing many shades of blue. Saint Anthony is a small town on the northern reaches of the Great Northern Peninsula of Newfoundland. We rode through until we reached the furthest tip of the town and decided that camping beside the lighthouse was a great spot. We were on a cliff top, high above the ocean with the view of icebergs in the far distance. It was a great place visually, but it was also intensely windy. But, then again, most of Newfoundland has been windy. Early the next morning Rocky took the bike apart as I packed everything. I knew he was stressing about what the problem could potentially be because he woke me up numerous times throughout the night saying "I wonder if it's...". As I packed up our things, I took a moment to look out at the ocean as I folded the tent and noticed a bunch of dolphins swimming past. That was probably the coolest thing I have ever waken up to. I was mesmerized, staring out into the distance.
After waiting a while for Rocky to work on the motorcycle, I warned him that I really had to pee. Rocky told me he would be a couple of hours and that I would have to find somewhere outside. What? Not only am I in a very open touristy area with no bush to hide behind, the morning sun shining bright and the wind blowing hard, it is difficult to be unnoticed especially if I was squatting with my pants around my ankles. There was no bathroom for a couple of kilometers and I hadn't peed in more than nine hours. I was upset that he couldn't have waited to take the motorcycle apart at a more convenient time and location. I must've looked annoyed because a man approached us and asked if everything was ok. I asked him if he knew of a nearby bathroom and he offered to drive me to one.
Richard was a sweet man (much sweeter than Rocky, hah!). He drove me down the street to his house and let me use his restroom. Before driving me back up the cliff, he stopped at a Tim Hortons and insisted on buying Rocky and I a coffee. Once we reached Rocky, Richard told him to put the motorcycle back together, just enough to be rideable down the cliff. We were invited to use his garage, take a shower and wash our laundry. He even offered us some jarred moose meat and drinks prepared with iceberg ice. The thought of drinking something that had been frozen for thousands of years just blows my mind!
With the bike taken apart, Rocky re-spliced a few wires with hopes that it would stop the surging. He also changed the spark plugs just in case that may have had something to do with it. And, in the process of all that, he discovered and fixed an oil leak. Rocky had worked on bike for hours as we all hung out in the garage. Richards brother Todd was visiting and many of their friends would stop by to say hello but I think Richard became concerned with me being bored. He invited to take me to the top of a cliff that offered the best view of St. Anthony where he shared a lot of the local history with me.
Shortly after arriving back at the house, Richard prepared dinner and invited us to join him and his beautiful wife for a meal. His wife Gay had just finished her day of work at the hospital and she was just as friendly as Richard. During a hot cup of coffee with our bowl of dessert, she told us stories of Saint Anthony and how there was once a Polar bear in her back yard. Ummm.... Polar bear? I never imagined Polar bears in Newfoundland. Supposedly, the Polar bears that visit the area are from the Davis Strait population (a strait lying between Greenland and Nunavut, Canada) which is estimated to occupy 1400 bears. They accompany the heavy pack-ice that occasionally drifts further to the south than normal during the spring break-up. Whoa! I would be super scared if I ever had a Polar bear roaming my yard.
With the bike fixed and ready, Richard suggested the route that we should take to return towards the ferry. But first he suggested that we pitch our tent in his yard or garage instead of searching for a place. After hearing that there was a Polar bear in their yard, the garage sounded like a lovely spot to sleep. Richard, his wife, Gay, and his brother, Todd, were a fine example of the hospitality in Newfoundland.
We were on our way through L'Anse Aux Meadows, the only confirmed Norse/Viking site in North America outside of Greenland. On our way there, we stopped for lunch and enjoyed a meal I have been anxious to have for a very, very long time. Fresh crab is my absolute favourite and there was no way I was about to reject the cheap price. With our tummies full, I was ready for sleep but it was still early. After all the work that Rocky had done on the motorcycle, he was still experiencing what he described as a feeling of surging and a wobble in the front tire. Rocky became obsessed with fixing this problem. He took the wheel off in the parking lot of the restaurant and still found no problem. Once we arrived in L'Anse aux Meadows at the most northern tip of Newfoundland, Rocky took apart the tire once more. People always gathered around to offer their help. As everyone exchanged ideas on the potential problem, I could see the frustration in Rocky's eyes, and then a hint of hope. When Rocky replaced the front rim, after the accident, he used the old spacer. Maybe, just maybe, the spacer was slightly smaller than the new one. He reached in his tool bag for the spare spacer and compared it to the old one he had installed, it was slightly different. That would definitely cause the abs sensor to rub against the plate! But would it cause the surging and the wobble?
Richard had told us of a place he called, the Salmon Hole. We planned on camping there for the night. The Underground Salmon Pool is where we witnessed an Atlantic salmon river, surfacing from an underground cave. Thousands of years of physical weathering and erosion to the limestone has formed an underground river and the continuous water flow has widened the river channel which has become a resting stop for the Salmon. It is the only known place in the world where Atlantic Salmon swim through underground river caves to get to their spawning grounds. I was having vivid thoughts of diving in and catching one with my bare hands. I even went as far as to wonder where I could find some soy sauce, ginger and wasabe. It's a good thing I had eaten all that crab earlier, otherwise, I'm not sure that I would have been able to control my urge. That could've been the best sashimi in my lifetime.
Our ride back south was windy, extremely windy. There were many moments that I thought we were going to blow over. It was early afternoon and as we were riding past Grose Mourne National Park for the last time, we pulled over so that we could hike one of the trails. It took us approximately 3 km there and back to complete and the last 10 minutes threatened rain. Luckily, we only felt a light mist as we rode south, away from the storm. After an expensive meal the day before, Rocky punished me with Subway. As we were eating, we were approached by a guy that politely asked to talk about our motorcycle. Troy was a true motorcycle enthusiast. When he spoke of the hundreds of bikes he had owned, he reminded me of John, our motorcycle guru, we had previously met in Calgary, Alberta. Troy was a really nice guy who shared many stories and was very interested in hearing ours as well. Just before leaving, Troy told us of a cottage he was building for his family. He said it was under construction but it had the most incredible view of a lake. We were given the address and were told where he kept the key hidden. He wasn't kidding, it definitely had the most incredible view of the lake. It was a beautiful place to spend the night.
On our way back south, Rocky pulled over to take the tire off once again. The surging and wobble still existed. This time, we decided to remove the rim strip. When we put the new tire on in Halifax, Nova Scotia, we applied rim tape to the tire because the rubber rim strip kept sliding to the side. After applying the tape, we kept the rubber stip over top of it because we thought if anything it would be added protection. Maybe the surging was caused by having them both on? We removed the rubber, left the tape and crossed our fingers. Nope, but at least the wobble in the wheel was gone!
We were sad at the thought of leaving Newfoundland. We made one last stop in Corner Brook to shower at the YMCA before riding to Port Aux Basque to catch the late night ferry. Newfoundland is such an incredible place. It is breathtaking at every corner, an absolutely stunning place to visit. When Rocky and I imagined this trip, we always talked about the beautiful landscapes we would see. But, throughout our adventure we are also constantly amazed by the beautiful characters we meet. Newfoundland is one of the friendliest places we have visited. We were greeted by everyone, if not with words or acts of kindness, we were greeted with big smiles. Everyday we were greeted by strangers. I have never met kinder, more caring people who are genuinely interested in at least saying hello. It was a very sad moment as we left The Rock.
July 6, 2013 - July 16, 2013
It was late in the day by the time we were ready to search for a place to set up the tent. Even though there was enough sunshine still out, we were warned by many to keep off the roads during dusk to avoid hitting moose. There is a large population of moose living in Newfoundland. We decided to stay near Port Aux Basque for the night and it didn't take long to find a great place to camp. Newfoundland once had a railroad that traveled across the entire province. Since it was no longer in service, a gravel path is left where its tracks once were. Locals find this useful to ride their off-road-vehicles on. It seemed like everyone owns an ATV or a skidoo.
We rode for a few minutes down the gravel road until we reached a wooden deck just big enough for our tent. It was perfect. We unpacked as quickly as possible so that we could admire the incredible panoramic view before it got dark. It didn't matter what direction we looked, the view around us was breathtaking. As the sun began to set and we both just stared in awe. It was one of the prettiest moments I had ever experienced. We were speechless. Early the next morning, we continued down the gravel road until it became sand and knocked us over. It was a gentle drop and we got up easily but the sand got deeper as we continued, and we eventually got stuck. Half of the rear tire was buried and moving the motorcycle felt impossible. Rocky and I removed our bags and the panniers as two kind strangers offered to help push the bike out. Riding through off-roads always seems to be a crazy adventure but it was well worth the view we witnessed. As we pulled onto the highway, we learned that we had just spent the night in JT Cheeseman Provincial Park.
After a beautiful but windy ride, we arrived in Corner Brook, a small city on the western side of Newfoundland. We sat in a parking lot next to a park waiting for the sun to set because we planned on setting up the tent somewhere nearby. As we waited, we were approached by a man named Delano. He was riding a Kawasaki KLR and asked a few questions about our KTM. We shared a few words, and shortly after he left he returned to tell us of a really great place to check out. We followed him up a hill to an area named Cooks Lookout. The site was used by Captain James Cook as he kept an eye out for smugglers and privateers from 1763-1767 when he charted the coast. It offered a fantastic view of the Gulf of the Saint Lawrence. After a short walk around, we came to a memorial monument boat, built of stone. It was the perfect size to fit our tent and motorcycle. It seemed like the perfect place to set up our tent.
The following morning, we decided to stay in Corner Brook. We stopped at the local YMCA for a shower and enjoyed the rest of the day laying under the sun at a local park. Since we really loved where we had camped the night before, we decided to spend another night in the boat. Even though it was a popular place to visit, the locals were very friendly about us being there. Some even complimented the idea of camping there. Early the next morning as we were packing up the tent, we were approached by a man on his morning walk. He spoke with us for a few minutes and invited us to his house for breakfast and a shower. There was no way that we could possibly say no. I love meeting kind strangers. We finished packing and met with Dennis at his house. While sitting on his back porch, we enjoyed a great view of the city. He made us coffee and brought out bowls of fruit, including a fruit we had never tasted. Cloud berries, also known as Bake Apples, are an orange looking blackberry with a tart taste to them. After freshening up, filling our bellies and sharing some stories, we exchanged hugs and he wished us well on our journey. What a great, friendly city.
We got back on the road and planned on going to Gros Mourne National Park where we would pay to camp in a campground. We usually don't pay for camping because we can't justify paying $30 to sleep on the earth and also because we can't afford to, but it was a special occasion. Rocky had never tried a hallucinogen and I found us some magic mushrooms before we left home. Unfortunately, they weren't as strong as they should've been but it was enough to heighten our senses. During an evening walk past another picture perfect scene, we ate the 'shrooms and eventually made our way back to our campsite. We gathered the wood to build a fire and lit up a joint. It was really dark and it took me a second to notice that there was a man standing beside us. Initially I was startled. He appeared out of the darkness and, once my eyes properly focused, I realized that he was the park ranger. I looked at Rocky to warn him but he was busy smoking the joint and that made me want to laugh. Suddenly, the park ranger began to speak and I could barely contain myself. Apparently, I can't understand anything Newfoundlanders say. It is English I assume, but I began to understand why they are called 'funny talkers'. To make matters funnier, the park ranger stood there talking to us long enough for us to wonder if we were supposed to offer him a few puffs. Rocky and I laughed for a while after he had gone.
The next day we prepared to go on a hike. I've been on many hikes before. I thought I knew what to expect but Rocky decided to create his own path that day. He wanted to climb to the top of a mountain but we had to walk through thick dry brush. I like to be adventurous but I was wearing knickers, I had just shaved my legs and moisturized. I ******* and complained the entire climb up that mountain. Once we reached the top, I realized it was worth every scratch. The view was incredibly beautiful and we even found a lake up there. We laid on on the grass for a while (wink wink) with not a person in sight in all directions. Rocky took the opportunity to say something romantic, along the lines of "See...I told you so. Isn't this awesome? You should just trust me from now on."
When we returned to the campsite, we were charging our electronics under a large overhang and met a couple from New Brunswick. Martin and Cynthia were riding throughout Eastern Canada on a BMW. We exchanged stories over a bottle of wine they were sharing and Cynthia made me laugh to tears. We found out, weeks later, that Martin and Cynthia were related to Adrienne (their niece), who we stayed with in Halifax, Nova Scotia. What a small world! We hung out with them for a while and then Rocky and I headed back to our site for a nice big campfire to toast some marshmallows. I wish we could have a campfire everywhere we camp.
The next morning, we packed up all of our belongings so that we could continue traveling north. I wasn't feeling well and I wondered if I was experiencing an allergic reaction to black fly bites. I had over ten bites just on my neck and scalp and all of them were extremely swollen. After searching on-line, I am convinced that I had black fly fever. I felt weak, nauseous and feverish. We left Grose Mourne and rode for a few hours until we reached Hawkes Bay. Rocky was annoyed with the way the motorcycle was riding and wondered if the problem was coming from the wheel or if it was electrical. He said the the motorcycle has been riding weird for a couple of weeks, just after we spliced the electrical wires together or since we replaced the tires. We pulled over to investigate and Rocky noticed that the ABS sensor was slightly rubbing against the ABS grill. That could've been the cause of the surging and wobbling he was feeling, but everything was assembled properly. He couldn't figure out why it was scraping. As the sun began to set we decided it would be best to spend the night next to an abandoned office across the street where we had a perfect view of the Bay. We weren't the only ones to think it was a good spot to stop. The coast guard helicopter parked there as well.
We enjoyed a lazy morning and continued riding north towards Saint Anthony. It was a beautiful ride with the ocean to our left showing many shades of blue. Saint Anthony is a small town on the northern reaches of the Great Northern Peninsula of Newfoundland. We rode through until we reached the furthest tip of the town and decided that camping beside the lighthouse was a great spot. We were on a cliff top, high above the ocean with the view of icebergs in the far distance. It was a great place visually, but it was also intensely windy. But, then again, most of Newfoundland has been windy. Early the next morning Rocky took the bike apart as I packed everything. I knew he was stressing about what the problem could potentially be because he woke me up numerous times throughout the night saying "I wonder if it's...". As I packed up our things, I took a moment to look out at the ocean as I folded the tent and noticed a bunch of dolphins swimming past. That was probably the coolest thing I have ever waken up to. I was mesmerized, staring out into the distance.
After waiting a while for Rocky to work on the motorcycle, I warned him that I really had to pee. Rocky told me he would be a couple of hours and that I would have to find somewhere outside. What? Not only am I in a very open touristy area with no bush to hide behind, the morning sun shining bright and the wind blowing hard, it is difficult to be unnoticed especially if I was squatting with my pants around my ankles. There was no bathroom for a couple of kilometers and I hadn't peed in more than nine hours. I was upset that he couldn't have waited to take the motorcycle apart at a more convenient time and location. I must've looked annoyed because a man approached us and asked if everything was ok. I asked him if he knew of a nearby bathroom and he offered to drive me to one.
Richard was a sweet man (much sweeter than Rocky, hah!). He drove me down the street to his house and let me use his restroom. Before driving me back up the cliff, he stopped at a Tim Hortons and insisted on buying Rocky and I a coffee. Once we reached Rocky, Richard told him to put the motorcycle back together, just enough to be rideable down the cliff. We were invited to use his garage, take a shower and wash our laundry. He even offered us some jarred moose meat and drinks prepared with iceberg ice. The thought of drinking something that had been frozen for thousands of years just blows my mind!
With the bike taken apart, Rocky re-spliced a few wires with hopes that it would stop the surging. He also changed the spark plugs just in case that may have had something to do with it. And, in the process of all that, he discovered and fixed an oil leak. Rocky had worked on bike for hours as we all hung out in the garage. Richards brother Todd was visiting and many of their friends would stop by to say hello but I think Richard became concerned with me being bored. He invited to take me to the top of a cliff that offered the best view of St. Anthony where he shared a lot of the local history with me.
Shortly after arriving back at the house, Richard prepared dinner and invited us to join him and his beautiful wife for a meal. His wife Gay had just finished her day of work at the hospital and she was just as friendly as Richard. During a hot cup of coffee with our bowl of dessert, she told us stories of Saint Anthony and how there was once a Polar bear in her back yard. Ummm.... Polar bear? I never imagined Polar bears in Newfoundland. Supposedly, the Polar bears that visit the area are from the Davis Strait population (a strait lying between Greenland and Nunavut, Canada) which is estimated to occupy 1400 bears. They accompany the heavy pack-ice that occasionally drifts further to the south than normal during the spring break-up. Whoa! I would be super scared if I ever had a Polar bear roaming my yard.
With the bike fixed and ready, Richard suggested the route that we should take to return towards the ferry. But first he suggested that we pitch our tent in his yard or garage instead of searching for a place. After hearing that there was a Polar bear in their yard, the garage sounded like a lovely spot to sleep. Richard, his wife, Gay, and his brother, Todd, were a fine example of the hospitality in Newfoundland.
We were on our way through L'Anse Aux Meadows, the only confirmed Norse/Viking site in North America outside of Greenland. On our way there, we stopped for lunch and enjoyed a meal I have been anxious to have for a very, very long time. Fresh crab is my absolute favourite and there was no way I was about to reject the cheap price. With our tummies full, I was ready for sleep but it was still early. After all the work that Rocky had done on the motorcycle, he was still experiencing what he described as a feeling of surging and a wobble in the front tire. Rocky became obsessed with fixing this problem. He took the wheel off in the parking lot of the restaurant and still found no problem. Once we arrived in L'Anse aux Meadows at the most northern tip of Newfoundland, Rocky took apart the tire once more. People always gathered around to offer their help. As everyone exchanged ideas on the potential problem, I could see the frustration in Rocky's eyes, and then a hint of hope. When Rocky replaced the front rim, after the accident, he used the old spacer. Maybe, just maybe, the spacer was slightly smaller than the new one. He reached in his tool bag for the spare spacer and compared it to the old one he had installed, it was slightly different. That would definitely cause the abs sensor to rub against the plate! But would it cause the surging and the wobble?
Richard had told us of a place he called, the Salmon Hole. We planned on camping there for the night. The Underground Salmon Pool is where we witnessed an Atlantic salmon river, surfacing from an underground cave. Thousands of years of physical weathering and erosion to the limestone has formed an underground river and the continuous water flow has widened the river channel which has become a resting stop for the Salmon. It is the only known place in the world where Atlantic Salmon swim through underground river caves to get to their spawning grounds. I was having vivid thoughts of diving in and catching one with my bare hands. I even went as far as to wonder where I could find some soy sauce, ginger and wasabe. It's a good thing I had eaten all that crab earlier, otherwise, I'm not sure that I would have been able to control my urge. That could've been the best sashimi in my lifetime.
Our ride back south was windy, extremely windy. There were many moments that I thought we were going to blow over. It was early afternoon and as we were riding past Grose Mourne National Park for the last time, we pulled over so that we could hike one of the trails. It took us approximately 3 km there and back to complete and the last 10 minutes threatened rain. Luckily, we only felt a light mist as we rode south, away from the storm. After an expensive meal the day before, Rocky punished me with Subway. As we were eating, we were approached by a guy that politely asked to talk about our motorcycle. Troy was a true motorcycle enthusiast. When he spoke of the hundreds of bikes he had owned, he reminded me of John, our motorcycle guru, we had previously met in Calgary, Alberta. Troy was a really nice guy who shared many stories and was very interested in hearing ours as well. Just before leaving, Troy told us of a cottage he was building for his family. He said it was under construction but it had the most incredible view of a lake. We were given the address and were told where he kept the key hidden. He wasn't kidding, it definitely had the most incredible view of the lake. It was a beautiful place to spend the night.
On our way back south, Rocky pulled over to take the tire off once again. The surging and wobble still existed. This time, we decided to remove the rim strip. When we put the new tire on in Halifax, Nova Scotia, we applied rim tape to the tire because the rubber rim strip kept sliding to the side. After applying the tape, we kept the rubber stip over top of it because we thought if anything it would be added protection. Maybe the surging was caused by having them both on? We removed the rubber, left the tape and crossed our fingers. Nope, but at least the wobble in the wheel was gone!
We were sad at the thought of leaving Newfoundland. We made one last stop in Corner Brook to shower at the YMCA before riding to Port Aux Basque to catch the late night ferry. Newfoundland is such an incredible place. It is breathtaking at every corner, an absolutely stunning place to visit. When Rocky and I imagined this trip, we always talked about the beautiful landscapes we would see. But, throughout our adventure we are also constantly amazed by the beautiful characters we meet. Newfoundland is one of the friendliest places we have visited. We were greeted by everyone, if not with words or acts of kindness, we were greeted with big smiles. Everyday we were greeted by strangers. I have never met kinder, more caring people who are genuinely interested in at least saying hello. It was a very sad moment as we left The Rock.
Re: Newfoundland
There are two ferry routes from Nova Scotia to Newfoundland - a short crossing that arrives in Port aux Basques and a much longer route that ports in the western part of Newfoundland in Argentia. We boarded the ferry, operated by Marine Atlantic, from North Sydney, Nova Scotia to Port Aux Basque, Newfoundland on July 6th. The crossing took roughly 6 hours and, for a motorcycle and two passengers with reserved seating (recommended), the cost was CA$165.22.
After getting off the ferry in Newfoundland, I found a gravel road on my GPS just outside Port Aux Basque. I set it as our destination and this is where it lead us.
We watched the sunset in awe and snapped photos. We were definitely thankful that we made the choice to visit Newfoundland.
Our camping spot was a wooden deck just off the trail that was likely used by locals to gaze at the scenery as we did the night before.
We packed up in the morning and continued down the gravel trail that, according to the GPS, looped around back to the main highway. Being near the ocean, the gravel path suddenly turned to patches on sand, and the bike went down. Paula and I picked her back up and continued along to the next, much bigger patch of sand that we got stuck in. A couple of locals passing by helped us dig the bike out of the sand, and we were able to make our way back to the main highway.
Our next stop was the town of Corner Brook. After arriving, we met a local resident, named Delano, who rode a Kawasaki KLR and took us up to a hill that overlooked the entire town. With the skies darkening, we thought that the hill, called Captain Cook's Lookout, was a great spot to set up the tent and camp for the night, despite being a bit of a tourist attraction.
Down a small walking path, we found a seating area made from slabs of rock. It seemed like a perfect spot to set the tent up. We woke the next morning and descended the hill into the town of Corner Brook.
After our morning coffe at Tim Hortons, Paula and I visited the local YMCA and asked to use the shower since we were both in desperate need of one. After washing up and feeling refreshed, we spent the day at the park, relaxing in the warm sun.
The view from Captain Cook's Lookout
We liked our camping spot so much that we decided to spend another night there. The following morning, we met a local who passed by our tent on his morning walk. Dennis was his name, and, after a short conversation, he asked us if we wanted to go back to his place for breakfast and to get a shower. We were starting to get a good idea about the kindness and hospitality we were told to expect from the people of Newfoundland.
Paula, Bob, Jeanette and Peanut - We met this couple at a rest stop while traveling through Gros Morne National Park. They were from Québec, and were traveling in their caravan with their dog, Peanut.
While visiting Gros Morne National Park, we decided to stop at a paid camp site, which we rarely do. We just can't justify spending $25-$30 per night to sleep outside, especially since we usually find much more beautiful spots to camp out for free. Nevertheless, paying for a spot to camp allowed us to leave our gear and enjoy the surrounding areas. The day after arriving, Paula and I decided to go for a hike. I like to make my own path, so I took Paula on a hike up a mountain that most people don't climb. Paula rarely likes to get off the beaten path, so she followed me kicking and screaming the entire way up the hill. We reached the top of the mountain to discover a beautiful pond. Though she won't admit it, she then realized it was worth the climb.
While camping in trout river, we met Martin and Cynthia. As we waited for our electronics to charge, we shared a bottle of wine and were later invited back to their camp site for a smoke. They definitely were not the snobby-types that you'd expect BMW GS riders to be.
We left Trout River on July 11th, and headed north along the Viking Trail towards St. Anthony.
There are two ferry routes from Nova Scotia to Newfoundland - a short crossing that arrives in Port aux Basques and a much longer route that ports in the western part of Newfoundland in Argentia. We boarded the ferry, operated by Marine Atlantic, from North Sydney, Nova Scotia to Port Aux Basque, Newfoundland on July 6th. The crossing took roughly 6 hours and, for a motorcycle and two passengers with reserved seating (recommended), the cost was CA$165.22.
After getting off the ferry in Newfoundland, I found a gravel road on my GPS just outside Port Aux Basque. I set it as our destination and this is where it lead us.
We watched the sunset in awe and snapped photos. We were definitely thankful that we made the choice to visit Newfoundland.
Our camping spot was a wooden deck just off the trail that was likely used by locals to gaze at the scenery as we did the night before.
We packed up in the morning and continued down the gravel trail that, according to the GPS, looped around back to the main highway. Being near the ocean, the gravel path suddenly turned to patches on sand, and the bike went down. Paula and I picked her back up and continued along to the next, much bigger patch of sand that we got stuck in. A couple of locals passing by helped us dig the bike out of the sand, and we were able to make our way back to the main highway.
Our next stop was the town of Corner Brook. After arriving, we met a local resident, named Delano, who rode a Kawasaki KLR and took us up to a hill that overlooked the entire town. With the skies darkening, we thought that the hill, called Captain Cook's Lookout, was a great spot to set up the tent and camp for the night, despite being a bit of a tourist attraction.
Down a small walking path, we found a seating area made from slabs of rock. It seemed like a perfect spot to set the tent up. We woke the next morning and descended the hill into the town of Corner Brook.
After our morning coffe at Tim Hortons, Paula and I visited the local YMCA and asked to use the shower since we were both in desperate need of one. After washing up and feeling refreshed, we spent the day at the park, relaxing in the warm sun.
The view from Captain Cook's Lookout
We liked our camping spot so much that we decided to spend another night there. The following morning, we met a local who passed by our tent on his morning walk. Dennis was his name, and, after a short conversation, he asked us if we wanted to go back to his place for breakfast and to get a shower. We were starting to get a good idea about the kindness and hospitality we were told to expect from the people of Newfoundland.
Paula, Bob, Jeanette and Peanut - We met this couple at a rest stop while traveling through Gros Morne National Park. They were from Québec, and were traveling in their caravan with their dog, Peanut.
While visiting Gros Morne National Park, we decided to stop at a paid camp site, which we rarely do. We just can't justify spending $25-$30 per night to sleep outside, especially since we usually find much more beautiful spots to camp out for free. Nevertheless, paying for a spot to camp allowed us to leave our gear and enjoy the surrounding areas. The day after arriving, Paula and I decided to go for a hike. I like to make my own path, so I took Paula on a hike up a mountain that most people don't climb. Paula rarely likes to get off the beaten path, so she followed me kicking and screaming the entire way up the hill. We reached the top of the mountain to discover a beautiful pond. Though she won't admit it, she then realized it was worth the climb.
While camping in trout river, we met Martin and Cynthia. As we waited for our electronics to charge, we shared a bottle of wine and were later invited back to their camp site for a smoke. They definitely were not the snobby-types that you'd expect BMW GS riders to be.
We left Trout River on July 11th, and headed north along the Viking Trail towards St. Anthony.
Re: Newfoundland
Leaving Trout River, I stopped to snap a few photos of the awesome scenery. Paula wasn't feeling too well. She is very susceptible to bug bites, and she thought that she was suffering from a case of Black Fly Fever.
The next day, we arrived at Fishing Point in St. Anthony.
There is a traditional Viking Hut at Fishing Point in St. Anthony. It is a theme restaurant where viking reenactments are performed.
Without a place to stay, we thought that, though it was a bit of a tourist location, we would camp out at Fishing Point and stay hidden behind the lighthouse. In the morning, it seemed that it was a spot where the locals came to drink their coffee and watch the sunrise.
We had been experiencing problems with the motorcycle for a while. There was a jerkiness at certain range of RPMs, and I was experiencing head-shake (wobble in the handlebars). While starting to work on the bike ay Fishing Point in St. Anthony, a stranger, named Richard, offered us a place in his garage to work on the bike. Seeing that I was tired and hungry after many hours of work on the bike to fix an oil leak that we had discovered after tearing the bike down, Richard made us dinner and gave us a place to sleep for the night.
While I worked on the motorcycle, Richard took Paula up to a hill that overlooked the town of St. Anthony.
We camped out that evening in Richard's garage.
We left the next morning and said goodbye to Richard.
After saying goodbye to Richard, Paula and I left for L'Anse aux Meadows, on the northernmost tip of Newfoundland. "Discovered in 1960, it is the most famous site of a Norse or Viking settlement in North America outside of Greenland." -- Wikipedia
Paula at L'Anse aux Meadows
Burnt Cape Park Reserve
The winds along the coast of Newfoundland are very strong. Stiff crosswinds prevented us from riding upright and forced us to lean into the wind.
The Coast of Newfoundland
Since before arriving in Newfoundland and all through Newfoundland we were told to be careful of all the moose. This was the only moose I had seen the entire time in Newfoundland.
On our way back south, we decided to make the trek out to Western Brook.
We met Troy on our last night spent in Newfoundland. We were eating at a Subway sandwich shop and he asked us if we'd be upset if he asked us about our motorcycle. Troy was a motorcycle lover who had owned over 200 different motorcycles in his life (according to him), and crashed many of them. As we were leaving, Troy offered us a place to stay for the night in his cottage, which was only 30 minutes away. He gave us the address and told us that the key was hidden under the stairs if we were interested in spending the night there. We were, and we did. The view of the lake and the sunset from his cottage were spectacular.
Southern Newfoundland
Leaving Newfoundland
The ferry back to the mainland of Canada was booked, and we left Newfoundland on July 16th. Paula and I were both sad to be leaving this beautiful place.
This time, we took the overnight ferry, which had been recommended by several people. After crossing through the night, neither Paula nor I would recommend it. It is very difficult to sleep on the ferry and having to ride in the morning after only a few hours of sleep wasn't too pleasant.
Leaving Trout River, I stopped to snap a few photos of the awesome scenery. Paula wasn't feeling too well. She is very susceptible to bug bites, and she thought that she was suffering from a case of Black Fly Fever.
The next day, we arrived at Fishing Point in St. Anthony.
There is a traditional Viking Hut at Fishing Point in St. Anthony. It is a theme restaurant where viking reenactments are performed.
Without a place to stay, we thought that, though it was a bit of a tourist location, we would camp out at Fishing Point and stay hidden behind the lighthouse. In the morning, it seemed that it was a spot where the locals came to drink their coffee and watch the sunrise.
We had been experiencing problems with the motorcycle for a while. There was a jerkiness at certain range of RPMs, and I was experiencing head-shake (wobble in the handlebars). While starting to work on the bike ay Fishing Point in St. Anthony, a stranger, named Richard, offered us a place in his garage to work on the bike. Seeing that I was tired and hungry after many hours of work on the bike to fix an oil leak that we had discovered after tearing the bike down, Richard made us dinner and gave us a place to sleep for the night.
While I worked on the motorcycle, Richard took Paula up to a hill that overlooked the town of St. Anthony.
We camped out that evening in Richard's garage.
We left the next morning and said goodbye to Richard.
After saying goodbye to Richard, Paula and I left for L'Anse aux Meadows, on the northernmost tip of Newfoundland. "Discovered in 1960, it is the most famous site of a Norse or Viking settlement in North America outside of Greenland." -- Wikipedia
Paula at L'Anse aux Meadows
Burnt Cape Park Reserve
The winds along the coast of Newfoundland are very strong. Stiff crosswinds prevented us from riding upright and forced us to lean into the wind.
The Coast of Newfoundland
Since before arriving in Newfoundland and all through Newfoundland we were told to be careful of all the moose. This was the only moose I had seen the entire time in Newfoundland.
On our way back south, we decided to make the trek out to Western Brook.
We met Troy on our last night spent in Newfoundland. We were eating at a Subway sandwich shop and he asked us if we'd be upset if he asked us about our motorcycle. Troy was a motorcycle lover who had owned over 200 different motorcycles in his life (according to him), and crashed many of them. As we were leaving, Troy offered us a place to stay for the night in his cottage, which was only 30 minutes away. He gave us the address and told us that the key was hidden under the stairs if we were interested in spending the night there. We were, and we did. The view of the lake and the sunset from his cottage were spectacular.
Southern Newfoundland
Leaving Newfoundland
The ferry back to the mainland of Canada was booked, and we left Newfoundland on July 16th. Paula and I were both sad to be leaving this beautiful place.
This time, we took the overnight ferry, which had been recommended by several people. After crossing through the night, neither Paula nor I would recommend it. It is very difficult to sleep on the ferry and having to ride in the morning after only a few hours of sleep wasn't too pleasant.
Leaving Canada
July 16, 2013 - July 24, 2013
The freezing cold, uncomfortable ferry ride back to mainland Canada was very depressing. We were wrong to assume that the night ride would provide us with any rest. We got off the ferry exhausted and thought it was best to pitch our tent under a few trees to the side of the road. After a few good hours of sleep, we rode to New Glasgow, Nova Scotia and spent the night by the East River of Pictou. We got up early the next morning and took a free ferry across to Prince Edward Island. It was a small, pretty province where every lawn and garden was perfectly manicured. Mostly farmland, Prince Edward Island is known for growing high quality potatoes. Over 88,000 acres of potatoes are grown each year, making it the largest potato-producing province in Canada. We immediately noticed that finding a place to camp for the night would be difficult because all of the land seemed owned. It was getting late and the sun was quickly dropping below the horizon, I began to doubt that we would find a place to camp. Just as I was beginning to really miss Newfoundland, we came across a picnic area. Confederation Trail is Prince Edward Islands abandoned railway line, it has been developed into a tip-to-tip trail. It was a great place to set up the tent. When we packed up our bags the next morning, we exited the island on a long bridge spanning the Abegweit Passage of the Northumberland Strait, linking Prince Edward Island with mainland New Brunswick. The 12.9 kilometer (8 mile) long bridge takes about 15 minutes to cross and it cost us $17.75. It was kind of scary riding on a two lane highway surrounded by water. It was so windy that I feared we would hit oncoming traffic or end up drowning! Rocky said he was constantly fighting the wind as it kept pushing us towards the oncoming traffic. I was glad to make it back into New Brunswick safely.
The last time we were in Moncton, New Brunswick, we had ordered a few parts. They had arrived at the shop and were waiting for us to pick them up. Toys for Big Boys is a large nice shop every man would love to spend some time and money in. Since Rocky continued to feel that something was still wrong with how the motorcycle was riding, he decided to get the front tire balanced to see if that was causing the problem. The process of elimination was annoying but at least it was fixing a bunch of little problems. To save a few dollars, Rocky removed the tire himself. Craig, an employee of Toys for Big Boys, kindly refused to charge us any money for balancing the tire. When the KTM mechanic approached us to make sure we didn't need anything else before he headed out for the day, Rocky told him about the surging and the mechanic tugged on the chain. He told us that a new one was needed, and that reminded Rocky of the time the bike stalled when we were in Campbellton, New Brunswick. The chain was fairly new but the bike was fully loaded when it stalled going down a hill. That may have put a lot of tension on the links, causing them to stretch. At least we finally knew what the problem might be.
We packed up to leave but continued chatting with Craig. He was a mean looking guy that enjoyed riding a Harley Davidson. A customer and friend of his showed up and joined the conversation. Jason, along with his son Braydon, offered us a place to set up the tent on their property. Craig then suggested that we might as well stay at his camp, where we could spend the night on a bed in the spare room. We would have been happy at either place. We all met at Jason's, a beautiful house located in Hillsborough, New Brunswick, where we were introduced to his wife Lisa and his daughter Bridgette. We also met Craig's other half, Betty. Jason grilled some steak and poured us some beer as we all got to know each other. After eating, he offered to ride us around his property. Jason is the Quarry Operations Manager for the company, Brunswick Limestone. With the Limestone Quarry located on his property, he offered to give us a tour on a crazy looking Dune Buggy that had adrenalin written all over it. Rocky and I strapped in and held on to the 'holy **** bars' as we sped though the dirt and gravel paths. After racing around and doing a few 360's and 180's, I was chewing on dirt and picking mud out of my hair. It was the most fun that I have had in a long time.
As it became late in the day, Craig and Betty drove Rocky and I to the camp. Betty's camp was a log home situated deep in the back roads of Hillsborough. Resting on the top of a hill, it offered a fantastic view. Craig’s friend Aaron joined us there, and, after a few drinks, Rocky told them he was a bit disappointed to have not seen any moose in Newfoundland. Craig said he had been spotted one a few days back and suggested we go back to the same spot to see if it was still hanging around there. It was a great drunken idea but I highly doubted our mission to meet moose would pan out. We tip toed with excitement hoping to get a peek. Just as we reached the end of a driveway at a different camp, we immediately saw a mother moose with her baby at the salt licks. A salt lick is a deposit of mineral salts that animals use to supplement their nutrition, ensuring that they get enough minerals in their diets. Hunters sometimes use artificial salt licks, either blocked or bagged, to attract wildlife such as moose, to encourage potential prey to frequent an area. With Craig being a hunter, I think he got more excited than we did. It was pretty awesome.
We got back to camp and had a few more drinks before two more of Craig’s friends showed up. We were introduced to Animal and Jamie and quickly found out why his friend had been nicknamed Animal. He was absolutely hilarious. As I sat back to take a good look at these guys, I watched them exude toughness but I had to laugh when Craig said that he doesn't go to work to make friends. I had to remind him that his new friends he met at his work didn’t believe that for a second. Craig and his friends were sweethearts, whether they would admit it or not.
After a very late night, we woke up early to Betty cooking breakfast. Craig had to work early and I felt bad for his hangover. All of our belongings were at Jason's, so she dropped us off there before driving Craig to work. When we got to Jason's, I was still exhausted. Rocky borrowed Jason's dirt bike and followed Braydon to the back roads to learn how to dirt bike. Braydon is barely a teenager but his ability to ride was impressive. Even his little sister Bridgette had her own dirt bike and rode with the best of them. While they were having fun I was hoping that a shower would wake me up. But, three hours of sleep after a night of drinking wasn't enough. After Rocky had returned and showered, Jason offered us a bed to nap on and that did the trick.
Aaron, who we had met the night before, invited us out for a ride. He had a custom made Harley Davidson that made him look pretty badass, but I knew he was more of the polite, calm and collected type. We toured around the area and he took us to a few really pretty places. We then went back to his house to meet his beautiful girlfriend Tara, who invited us to a delicious dinner. Tara is a veterinarian with a big loving heart. Her and Aaron live together with their cat Alexis, a toy poodle named Bella, a boxer named T-bone and two Pitbulls named Gino and Compton. She explained how they just recently began experiencing some problems with the animals getting along. Gino, the Pitbull, was getting old and potentially getting dementia. He had been picking fights with Compton, the other Pitbull, for no apparent reason. It was difficult to understand what she was saying as Compton and Gino cuddled together on a mat, as best friends would. It wasn't until Tara showed us the fresh wound marks to Compton’s neck that we began to realize the severity.
Tara shared with us how 5 years earlier she met Gino, the beautiful Red Pitbull. She was in search of a dog and had located one on the Internet. When she had arrived at the house to meet him, the owner told her that the dog would cost $2000 because he was an all time winning fight dog. As a veterinarian and animal lover, Tara was devastated to hear that. She expressed her disinterest and proceeded to walk away. As the owner entered his house and was out of site, she saw Gino in a small caged area in the back yard. Without any other thoughts, Tara said that one of two things was about to happen, either Gino was going to eat her or he was going to run with her. When Tara opened the gate, her and Gino raced together into her vehicle. From that moment forth, Tara poured her heart and soul into her new buddy. Gino repaid her efforts by becoming a loving, loyal friend. Despite his traumatic and abused past, he became an incredibly wonderful family pet. It took many years, but as Gino aged, controlling his mind and abilities became much harder for him and his past began to slowly haunt him. It was very difficult to hear Tara express Gino's story. Gino seemed like such a sweet gentle soul and I could tell the amount of time, love and care that Tara had put into rehabilitating him.
After dinner, we all drove together back to the camp. Betty and Craig were already there ready to introduce us to Wyatt, Craig’s son. Wyatt is a smart, artistic, polite kid. It was really nice to meet him. After the craziness we had the night before, a relaxed night was a mutual decision. Once again, we woke up to the smell of bacon. Betty was great at spoiling us. When she joked about adopting us, we seriously considered. Spending time with them and at the camp had been so much fun. It felt great to be a Redneck, as they called it. We were sad to be leaving but happy to have met such great friends. As we all got into Betty's Jeep we took one last tour of the backwoods to glance at the lake and surrounding area once again.
We were dropped off at Aaron's to pick up our things and reacquaint ourselves with our motorcycle. We were never able to bring the bike to camp because the steep dirt roads were slippery mud after all the rain we've had this summer. When we got to Aaron's, Rocky realized that he had forgotten his keys back at camp. Aaron knew where the spare camp key was kept and offered to drive Rocky to get the key for the motorcycle. As they were pulling out of the driveway, I was grabbing some belongings from inside the house and began organizing a few things to bring them outside. Out of nowhere I heard a growl as the dogs rushed to the screen door. Suddenly, Gino grabbed a hold of Compton's cheek and locked his jaw on Compton's flesh. I stood there in shock. All I could do was scream for help.
Tara immediately tried stepping in between them but the moment I tried helping her, T-bone, the boxer was gently nipping me away. Tara asked that I try shutting the screen door on Gino's face but my attempts were pathetic. I rushed for a jug of water to try and drown him from biting but that didn't work either. It just diluted the blood into making the kitchen look like a murder scene. Aaron and Rocky must of heard me scream for help because they came rushing inside. Exhausting all efforts, everyone attempted to separate Gino's grip from Compton's face. I had to take T-bone, the boxer, into the bathroom with me and try to console him. He was confused by the commotion and also trying to get between his friends. After a moment, I heard silence. I rushed out the bathroom as soon as I felt it was safe. There was blood everywhere. With Gino outside in a cage, Tara ran to care for Compton who was hiding in the basement. She said that a little TLC and antibiotics would heal his wounds. All Rocky and I could do was try to clean away the thick smell of blood.
I'm not going to lie, it was a traumatic experience for me and it evoked many emotions. But, I have shared this story because it was a part of our experience and also because I want to take the chance to honor Gino's life. Sadly, Gino was put to rest that day. And although Tara and Aaron feel that their efforts had somehow failed Gino, I believe that isn't at all true. They had done their best to provide a gentle soul with the life he deserved and should have been given since birth. Gino was raised by an animal to become a monster. It wasn't Gino that should have been punished but the ******* who thought it was entertaining to train a dog to constantly fight for its life. Who encouraged it to be violent and raised it to believe that it was necessary and normal to distrust and kill. I seriously wish that it wasn't Compton who got attacked, or Gino who got euthanized, but that it had instead been the piece of **** who bragged that his dog was worth $2000 for never having lost a fight. May You Rest In Peace, Gino.
Our hearts felt heavy as we continued our journey. With a long day ahead of us, we rode to Hopewell Rocks and attempted to distract our minds. Hopewell Rocks are located on the shores of the Bay of Fundy. They are rock formations that stand between 40-70 feet tall caused by tidal erosion. Due to the extreme tidal range of the Bay of Fundy, advancing and retreating tides, along with waves, have eroded the base of the rocks at a faster rate than the tops, resulting in their unusual shapes. The tides vary from day to day but the high tide can be as high as 16 meters (52 ft.) giving The Hopewell Rocks one of the highest tides in the world. Twice a day the base of the formations are covered in water, we visited during low tide so that we were able to walk around.
I had contacted a guy from couchsurfing.org and we arranged to stay with him at his place in Saint John, New Brunswick. On our way to his house, we had stopped for dinner in a town called Alma. Known for its delicious seafood, I was excited for dinner. With only a limited time left in the East Coast, we were yet to have a lobster dinner. During lobster season in the East Coast, chicken is more expensive to purchase. We walked into a tiny restaurant that also served as a convenience store. In this very casual atmosphere, we were served an incredible lobster dinner.
When we arrived at Ross's house, it was almost dark. Ross met us outside and told us we were going to have a bonfire in the yard. Rocky loves to build fires and I love to sit by their warmth, it was a great plan. While Rocky started the fire, I ran inside to use the washroom and bring some things inside.
It sucks to say this, but it's what happened. As soon as I walked in, I was slapped in the face with the smell of cat litter. Ross asked me not to mind the mess but it was an uncomfortable dirty. When he showed me the bedroom, where Rocky and I would be spending the night, I didn't know how to react. I didn't want to make him uncomfortable but he put me in an uncomfortable situation. The floor was sticky and I was afraid to set my bags down. The pillows on the bed had no cases and were covered instead with a rainbow of stains. I would never dare to check between the sheets. I walked into the bathroom and immediately noticed that the floor was carpeted with a thick layer of dust and black curly hairs. There was no toilet paper, good thing I have an emergency stash.
It was such an awkward predicament to be in. I wasn't comfortable staying there. I was grateful for his kind intentions. He was a really sweet guy and it was fun to sit by the bonfire with him and his friends but I would never put a turd on a platter and invite you for dinner. Rocky and I slept on our own blanket and left early the next morning.
I wondered if we would see Marty again, the Australian we had met on the ferry to Manitoulin Island in Ontario. He had contacted us on Facebook and said he would be traveling near us. We were excited and agreed to meet. After grabbing a coffee and a few things at the grocery store, Martin, Rocky and I had a great place to camp. Tucker Park Beach was more than perfect. After our tents were pitched, Marty and I jumped in the water for a refreshing swim. It was nice to hang out with Martin and hear all of his experiences on the road. It was also exciting to share all of the memorable locations that he must not miss on his way through Newfoundland. He planned on traveling further east in the morning but Rocky and I decided to stay at Tucker Park Beach to do an oil change on the motorcycle. Half way through, it began to rain. The rain continued for the next 24 hours. We got out of the tent to finish the oil change every time we thought that the rain had stopped, but minutes later it would begin to pour down again.
The rain eventually stopped the next day and we were able to get back on the road. We planned on traveling to the Canadian/American border but weren't sure which side we would end up sleeping on. Once we arrived to St. Stephen, New Brunswick, we stopped at Tim Hortons for a cup of coffee and to dry out our camping gear. While we were there, we were approached by a local named Bernard, he was also on a motorcycle. With black clouds quickly covering the sky, he invited us to spend the night at his house, and just as we arrived there the rain began to pour down.
Bernard lived with his wife Diane in a pretty house by the train tracks. Diane and I immediately got along as we sat at the kitchen table exchanging tales. She gave me a little bit of history of St. Stephen, Canada's Chocolate Town. I didn't know why it was called that so she asked that Rocky and I take a trip over to the grocery store. We went with her and she insisted on buying us some Ganong chocolates! nom nom nom mmm chocolate.
Ganong Chocolate Company was established in 1873 making it Canada's oldest candy company and one of St. Stephen's main employers. After a quick drive past the factory and around the entire tiny town, we returned to her house for a few more laughs and a cozy bed to sleep on. It was one last reminder of the kindness we received from all the friendly strangers in the East Coast.
Visiting Eastern Canada was a humbling experience. The landscape was ridiculously pretty and it amazed me that such a large population of incredibly kind, generous, friendly people, all live there. Leaving Canada is always difficult because we leave our comfort zone, but this time it feels a bit tougher.
On July 18th, we took the ferry to Prince Edward Island that leaves from Pictou, Nova Scotia. The crossing was free and took roughly one hour.
We spent the day riding around P.E.I. Nearing sundown, Paula and I began to look for a place to camp. I found a park on my GPS and set it as our destination. We arrived at Green Park Provincial park just before sunset, only to find out that there was pay-camping nearby and sings were posted that prohibited camping in the park. With the sun down and the skies darkening, we eventually settled for a grassy patch next to the highway.
Green Park Provincial Park
The following day, we made out way back to the mainland, cross from P.E.I. along an almost 20km-long bridge. I battled strong cross winds until we finally reached land in New Brunswick. Stopping back in Moncton to pick up parts from the local KTM dealership, Toys For Big Boys, we met Craig, who works in the service department. He balanced my front tire for free, and offered us a place to stay for the weekend at his camp (cottage).
Craig's friend, Jason, who was at Toys for Big Boys picking up his dirt bikes with his son, Braydon, invited us all back to his place for beer and steaks. Afterwards, he took us for a spin in his dune buggy around his large property in Hillsborough, New Brunswick.
We spent that evening at Craig's camp. It was truly a red-neck haven, complete with shotgun-shell Christmas lights and an amazing view of the surrounding area.
There was another cabin at the camp that was no longer used. It had a lot of character.
We met Aaron while that evening at Craig's camp. Aaron rides a custom Harley and looks pretty bad-***, but he's a super nice guy. He took Paula and I on a ride around the coastal region of the Bay of Fundy and invited us to his place for dinner with his girlfriend, Tara.
July 16, 2013 - July 24, 2013
The last time we were in Moncton, New Brunswick, we had ordered a few parts. They had arrived at the shop and were waiting for us to pick them up. Toys for Big Boys is a large nice shop every man would love to spend some time and money in. Since Rocky continued to feel that something was still wrong with how the motorcycle was riding, he decided to get the front tire balanced to see if that was causing the problem. The process of elimination was annoying but at least it was fixing a bunch of little problems. To save a few dollars, Rocky removed the tire himself. Craig, an employee of Toys for Big Boys, kindly refused to charge us any money for balancing the tire. When the KTM mechanic approached us to make sure we didn't need anything else before he headed out for the day, Rocky told him about the surging and the mechanic tugged on the chain. He told us that a new one was needed, and that reminded Rocky of the time the bike stalled when we were in Campbellton, New Brunswick. The chain was fairly new but the bike was fully loaded when it stalled going down a hill. That may have put a lot of tension on the links, causing them to stretch. At least we finally knew what the problem might be.
We packed up to leave but continued chatting with Craig. He was a mean looking guy that enjoyed riding a Harley Davidson. A customer and friend of his showed up and joined the conversation. Jason, along with his son Braydon, offered us a place to set up the tent on their property. Craig then suggested that we might as well stay at his camp, where we could spend the night on a bed in the spare room. We would have been happy at either place. We all met at Jason's, a beautiful house located in Hillsborough, New Brunswick, where we were introduced to his wife Lisa and his daughter Bridgette. We also met Craig's other half, Betty. Jason grilled some steak and poured us some beer as we all got to know each other. After eating, he offered to ride us around his property. Jason is the Quarry Operations Manager for the company, Brunswick Limestone. With the Limestone Quarry located on his property, he offered to give us a tour on a crazy looking Dune Buggy that had adrenalin written all over it. Rocky and I strapped in and held on to the 'holy **** bars' as we sped though the dirt and gravel paths. After racing around and doing a few 360's and 180's, I was chewing on dirt and picking mud out of my hair. It was the most fun that I have had in a long time.
As it became late in the day, Craig and Betty drove Rocky and I to the camp. Betty's camp was a log home situated deep in the back roads of Hillsborough. Resting on the top of a hill, it offered a fantastic view. Craig’s friend Aaron joined us there, and, after a few drinks, Rocky told them he was a bit disappointed to have not seen any moose in Newfoundland. Craig said he had been spotted one a few days back and suggested we go back to the same spot to see if it was still hanging around there. It was a great drunken idea but I highly doubted our mission to meet moose would pan out. We tip toed with excitement hoping to get a peek. Just as we reached the end of a driveway at a different camp, we immediately saw a mother moose with her baby at the salt licks. A salt lick is a deposit of mineral salts that animals use to supplement their nutrition, ensuring that they get enough minerals in their diets. Hunters sometimes use artificial salt licks, either blocked or bagged, to attract wildlife such as moose, to encourage potential prey to frequent an area. With Craig being a hunter, I think he got more excited than we did. It was pretty awesome.
We got back to camp and had a few more drinks before two more of Craig’s friends showed up. We were introduced to Animal and Jamie and quickly found out why his friend had been nicknamed Animal. He was absolutely hilarious. As I sat back to take a good look at these guys, I watched them exude toughness but I had to laugh when Craig said that he doesn't go to work to make friends. I had to remind him that his new friends he met at his work didn’t believe that for a second. Craig and his friends were sweethearts, whether they would admit it or not.
After a very late night, we woke up early to Betty cooking breakfast. Craig had to work early and I felt bad for his hangover. All of our belongings were at Jason's, so she dropped us off there before driving Craig to work. When we got to Jason's, I was still exhausted. Rocky borrowed Jason's dirt bike and followed Braydon to the back roads to learn how to dirt bike. Braydon is barely a teenager but his ability to ride was impressive. Even his little sister Bridgette had her own dirt bike and rode with the best of them. While they were having fun I was hoping that a shower would wake me up. But, three hours of sleep after a night of drinking wasn't enough. After Rocky had returned and showered, Jason offered us a bed to nap on and that did the trick.
Aaron, who we had met the night before, invited us out for a ride. He had a custom made Harley Davidson that made him look pretty badass, but I knew he was more of the polite, calm and collected type. We toured around the area and he took us to a few really pretty places. We then went back to his house to meet his beautiful girlfriend Tara, who invited us to a delicious dinner. Tara is a veterinarian with a big loving heart. Her and Aaron live together with their cat Alexis, a toy poodle named Bella, a boxer named T-bone and two Pitbulls named Gino and Compton. She explained how they just recently began experiencing some problems with the animals getting along. Gino, the Pitbull, was getting old and potentially getting dementia. He had been picking fights with Compton, the other Pitbull, for no apparent reason. It was difficult to understand what she was saying as Compton and Gino cuddled together on a mat, as best friends would. It wasn't until Tara showed us the fresh wound marks to Compton’s neck that we began to realize the severity.
Tara shared with us how 5 years earlier she met Gino, the beautiful Red Pitbull. She was in search of a dog and had located one on the Internet. When she had arrived at the house to meet him, the owner told her that the dog would cost $2000 because he was an all time winning fight dog. As a veterinarian and animal lover, Tara was devastated to hear that. She expressed her disinterest and proceeded to walk away. As the owner entered his house and was out of site, she saw Gino in a small caged area in the back yard. Without any other thoughts, Tara said that one of two things was about to happen, either Gino was going to eat her or he was going to run with her. When Tara opened the gate, her and Gino raced together into her vehicle. From that moment forth, Tara poured her heart and soul into her new buddy. Gino repaid her efforts by becoming a loving, loyal friend. Despite his traumatic and abused past, he became an incredibly wonderful family pet. It took many years, but as Gino aged, controlling his mind and abilities became much harder for him and his past began to slowly haunt him. It was very difficult to hear Tara express Gino's story. Gino seemed like such a sweet gentle soul and I could tell the amount of time, love and care that Tara had put into rehabilitating him.
After dinner, we all drove together back to the camp. Betty and Craig were already there ready to introduce us to Wyatt, Craig’s son. Wyatt is a smart, artistic, polite kid. It was really nice to meet him. After the craziness we had the night before, a relaxed night was a mutual decision. Once again, we woke up to the smell of bacon. Betty was great at spoiling us. When she joked about adopting us, we seriously considered. Spending time with them and at the camp had been so much fun. It felt great to be a Redneck, as they called it. We were sad to be leaving but happy to have met such great friends. As we all got into Betty's Jeep we took one last tour of the backwoods to glance at the lake and surrounding area once again.
We were dropped off at Aaron's to pick up our things and reacquaint ourselves with our motorcycle. We were never able to bring the bike to camp because the steep dirt roads were slippery mud after all the rain we've had this summer. When we got to Aaron's, Rocky realized that he had forgotten his keys back at camp. Aaron knew where the spare camp key was kept and offered to drive Rocky to get the key for the motorcycle. As they were pulling out of the driveway, I was grabbing some belongings from inside the house and began organizing a few things to bring them outside. Out of nowhere I heard a growl as the dogs rushed to the screen door. Suddenly, Gino grabbed a hold of Compton's cheek and locked his jaw on Compton's flesh. I stood there in shock. All I could do was scream for help.
Tara immediately tried stepping in between them but the moment I tried helping her, T-bone, the boxer was gently nipping me away. Tara asked that I try shutting the screen door on Gino's face but my attempts were pathetic. I rushed for a jug of water to try and drown him from biting but that didn't work either. It just diluted the blood into making the kitchen look like a murder scene. Aaron and Rocky must of heard me scream for help because they came rushing inside. Exhausting all efforts, everyone attempted to separate Gino's grip from Compton's face. I had to take T-bone, the boxer, into the bathroom with me and try to console him. He was confused by the commotion and also trying to get between his friends. After a moment, I heard silence. I rushed out the bathroom as soon as I felt it was safe. There was blood everywhere. With Gino outside in a cage, Tara ran to care for Compton who was hiding in the basement. She said that a little TLC and antibiotics would heal his wounds. All Rocky and I could do was try to clean away the thick smell of blood.
I'm not going to lie, it was a traumatic experience for me and it evoked many emotions. But, I have shared this story because it was a part of our experience and also because I want to take the chance to honor Gino's life. Sadly, Gino was put to rest that day. And although Tara and Aaron feel that their efforts had somehow failed Gino, I believe that isn't at all true. They had done their best to provide a gentle soul with the life he deserved and should have been given since birth. Gino was raised by an animal to become a monster. It wasn't Gino that should have been punished but the ******* who thought it was entertaining to train a dog to constantly fight for its life. Who encouraged it to be violent and raised it to believe that it was necessary and normal to distrust and kill. I seriously wish that it wasn't Compton who got attacked, or Gino who got euthanized, but that it had instead been the piece of **** who bragged that his dog was worth $2000 for never having lost a fight. May You Rest In Peace, Gino.
Our hearts felt heavy as we continued our journey. With a long day ahead of us, we rode to Hopewell Rocks and attempted to distract our minds. Hopewell Rocks are located on the shores of the Bay of Fundy. They are rock formations that stand between 40-70 feet tall caused by tidal erosion. Due to the extreme tidal range of the Bay of Fundy, advancing and retreating tides, along with waves, have eroded the base of the rocks at a faster rate than the tops, resulting in their unusual shapes. The tides vary from day to day but the high tide can be as high as 16 meters (52 ft.) giving The Hopewell Rocks one of the highest tides in the world. Twice a day the base of the formations are covered in water, we visited during low tide so that we were able to walk around.
I had contacted a guy from couchsurfing.org and we arranged to stay with him at his place in Saint John, New Brunswick. On our way to his house, we had stopped for dinner in a town called Alma. Known for its delicious seafood, I was excited for dinner. With only a limited time left in the East Coast, we were yet to have a lobster dinner. During lobster season in the East Coast, chicken is more expensive to purchase. We walked into a tiny restaurant that also served as a convenience store. In this very casual atmosphere, we were served an incredible lobster dinner.
When we arrived at Ross's house, it was almost dark. Ross met us outside and told us we were going to have a bonfire in the yard. Rocky loves to build fires and I love to sit by their warmth, it was a great plan. While Rocky started the fire, I ran inside to use the washroom and bring some things inside.
It sucks to say this, but it's what happened. As soon as I walked in, I was slapped in the face with the smell of cat litter. Ross asked me not to mind the mess but it was an uncomfortable dirty. When he showed me the bedroom, where Rocky and I would be spending the night, I didn't know how to react. I didn't want to make him uncomfortable but he put me in an uncomfortable situation. The floor was sticky and I was afraid to set my bags down. The pillows on the bed had no cases and were covered instead with a rainbow of stains. I would never dare to check between the sheets. I walked into the bathroom and immediately noticed that the floor was carpeted with a thick layer of dust and black curly hairs. There was no toilet paper, good thing I have an emergency stash.
It was such an awkward predicament to be in. I wasn't comfortable staying there. I was grateful for his kind intentions. He was a really sweet guy and it was fun to sit by the bonfire with him and his friends but I would never put a turd on a platter and invite you for dinner. Rocky and I slept on our own blanket and left early the next morning.
I wondered if we would see Marty again, the Australian we had met on the ferry to Manitoulin Island in Ontario. He had contacted us on Facebook and said he would be traveling near us. We were excited and agreed to meet. After grabbing a coffee and a few things at the grocery store, Martin, Rocky and I had a great place to camp. Tucker Park Beach was more than perfect. After our tents were pitched, Marty and I jumped in the water for a refreshing swim. It was nice to hang out with Martin and hear all of his experiences on the road. It was also exciting to share all of the memorable locations that he must not miss on his way through Newfoundland. He planned on traveling further east in the morning but Rocky and I decided to stay at Tucker Park Beach to do an oil change on the motorcycle. Half way through, it began to rain. The rain continued for the next 24 hours. We got out of the tent to finish the oil change every time we thought that the rain had stopped, but minutes later it would begin to pour down again.
The rain eventually stopped the next day and we were able to get back on the road. We planned on traveling to the Canadian/American border but weren't sure which side we would end up sleeping on. Once we arrived to St. Stephen, New Brunswick, we stopped at Tim Hortons for a cup of coffee and to dry out our camping gear. While we were there, we were approached by a local named Bernard, he was also on a motorcycle. With black clouds quickly covering the sky, he invited us to spend the night at his house, and just as we arrived there the rain began to pour down.
Bernard lived with his wife Diane in a pretty house by the train tracks. Diane and I immediately got along as we sat at the kitchen table exchanging tales. She gave me a little bit of history of St. Stephen, Canada's Chocolate Town. I didn't know why it was called that so she asked that Rocky and I take a trip over to the grocery store. We went with her and she insisted on buying us some Ganong chocolates! nom nom nom mmm chocolate.
Ganong Chocolate Company was established in 1873 making it Canada's oldest candy company and one of St. Stephen's main employers. After a quick drive past the factory and around the entire tiny town, we returned to her house for a few more laughs and a cozy bed to sleep on. It was one last reminder of the kindness we received from all the friendly strangers in the East Coast.Visiting Eastern Canada was a humbling experience. The landscape was ridiculously pretty and it amazed me that such a large population of incredibly kind, generous, friendly people, all live there. Leaving Canada is always difficult because we leave our comfort zone, but this time it feels a bit tougher.
On July 18th, we took the ferry to Prince Edward Island that leaves from Pictou, Nova Scotia. The crossing was free and took roughly one hour.
We spent the day riding around P.E.I. Nearing sundown, Paula and I began to look for a place to camp. I found a park on my GPS and set it as our destination. We arrived at Green Park Provincial park just before sunset, only to find out that there was pay-camping nearby and sings were posted that prohibited camping in the park. With the sun down and the skies darkening, we eventually settled for a grassy patch next to the highway.
Green Park Provincial Park
The following day, we made out way back to the mainland, cross from P.E.I. along an almost 20km-long bridge. I battled strong cross winds until we finally reached land in New Brunswick. Stopping back in Moncton to pick up parts from the local KTM dealership, Toys For Big Boys, we met Craig, who works in the service department. He balanced my front tire for free, and offered us a place to stay for the weekend at his camp (cottage).
Craig's friend, Jason, who was at Toys for Big Boys picking up his dirt bikes with his son, Braydon, invited us all back to his place for beer and steaks. Afterwards, he took us for a spin in his dune buggy around his large property in Hillsborough, New Brunswick.
We spent that evening at Craig's camp. It was truly a red-neck haven, complete with shotgun-shell Christmas lights and an amazing view of the surrounding area.
There was another cabin at the camp that was no longer used. It had a lot of character.
We met Aaron while that evening at Craig's camp. Aaron rides a custom Harley and looks pretty bad-***, but he's a super nice guy. He took Paula and I on a ride around the coastal region of the Bay of Fundy and invited us to his place for dinner with his girlfriend, Tara.
Re: Leaving Canada
Aaron At The Camp
After two nights, it was time for Paula and I to head towards the U.S. border. We spent the morning with Craig, his girlfriend, Betty, and Craig's son, Wyatt.
Paula, Betty, Wyatt & Craig
Paula & Wyatt
Craig dropped us off at Aaron's house, where we had parked our motorcycle, and we said our good-byes to Craig, Wyatt and Betty. Aaron and Tara owned several pets, including two Pit Bulls and a Boxer. The elder Pit Bull, Gino, who was a fight dog that Tara had rescued five years earlier (read her story above), had recently been attacking the other Pit Bull, Compton. While we were there, Gino suddenly attacked Compton, latching onto his face with a vice-like grip. There was a struggle to pry Gino's jaws open that ended in a room covered in Compton's blood. Compton was OK and required only minor medical attention. The difficult decision was made that day to have Gino put to rest.
We didn't get to say a proper good-bye to Tara and Aaron. Shaken from what had transpired, Paula and I packed up the motorcycle and made our way down the coast of The Bay of Fundy to Hopewell Rocks.
The Hopewell Rocks, also called the Flowerpot Rocks or simply The Rocks, are rock formations caused by tidal erosion in The Hopewell Rocks Ocean Tidal Exploration Site in New Brunswick. They stand between 40-70 feet tall. — Wikipedia
They are located on the shores of the upper reaches of the Bay of Fundy at Hopewell Cape near Moncton, New Brunswick. Due to the extreme tidal range of the Bay of Fundy, the base of the formations are covered in water twice a day. -- Wikipedia
We arrived at low tide, which allowed us to walk along the floor.
The following day, we got a message from Marty, whom we had met on our second day of the trip on the ferry crossing to Manitoulin Islands. He was in the same area and we made plans to meet up in St. John, New Brunswick.
After having a bite to eat and catching up on our travel stories, we rode around and search for a place to camp. With the sun nearing the horizon, we came across a perfect spot along the bank of the St. John River at Tucker Beach Park.
Paula and Marty took a dip in the water, while I sat on the rocks and snapped photos.
Marty
That evening, we sat on the rocks, had dinner and talked into the night. The following morning, Marty packed up and we said so-long as he set out to catch the ferry to Nova Scotia.
After two more days at Tucker Beach Park trying to do an oil change in between rains, Paula and I set out towards the U.S. border. We stopped in the border town of Saint Stephen to have our last Tim Horton's coffee. While sitting there, a local, named Bernard, started up a conversation. We all noticed the ominous storm clouds arriving from the west, and Bernard offered us a place to stay at his house just down the street and around the corner. We followed Bernard back to his place and met his wife, Diane. Bernard worked the night shift, so we spent that evening with Diane, chatting and driving around town. Paula and I left the following morning and crossed into the United States.
Aaron At The Camp
After two nights, it was time for Paula and I to head towards the U.S. border. We spent the morning with Craig, his girlfriend, Betty, and Craig's son, Wyatt.
Paula, Betty, Wyatt & Craig
Paula & Wyatt
Craig dropped us off at Aaron's house, where we had parked our motorcycle, and we said our good-byes to Craig, Wyatt and Betty. Aaron and Tara owned several pets, including two Pit Bulls and a Boxer. The elder Pit Bull, Gino, who was a fight dog that Tara had rescued five years earlier (read her story above), had recently been attacking the other Pit Bull, Compton. While we were there, Gino suddenly attacked Compton, latching onto his face with a vice-like grip. There was a struggle to pry Gino's jaws open that ended in a room covered in Compton's blood. Compton was OK and required only minor medical attention. The difficult decision was made that day to have Gino put to rest.
We didn't get to say a proper good-bye to Tara and Aaron. Shaken from what had transpired, Paula and I packed up the motorcycle and made our way down the coast of The Bay of Fundy to Hopewell Rocks.
The Hopewell Rocks, also called the Flowerpot Rocks or simply The Rocks, are rock formations caused by tidal erosion in The Hopewell Rocks Ocean Tidal Exploration Site in New Brunswick. They stand between 40-70 feet tall. — Wikipedia
They are located on the shores of the upper reaches of the Bay of Fundy at Hopewell Cape near Moncton, New Brunswick. Due to the extreme tidal range of the Bay of Fundy, the base of the formations are covered in water twice a day. -- Wikipedia
We arrived at low tide, which allowed us to walk along the floor.
The following day, we got a message from Marty, whom we had met on our second day of the trip on the ferry crossing to Manitoulin Islands. He was in the same area and we made plans to meet up in St. John, New Brunswick.
After having a bite to eat and catching up on our travel stories, we rode around and search for a place to camp. With the sun nearing the horizon, we came across a perfect spot along the bank of the St. John River at Tucker Beach Park.
Paula and Marty took a dip in the water, while I sat on the rocks and snapped photos.
Marty
That evening, we sat on the rocks, had dinner and talked into the night. The following morning, Marty packed up and we said so-long as he set out to catch the ferry to Nova Scotia.
After two more days at Tucker Beach Park trying to do an oil change in between rains, Paula and I set out towards the U.S. border. We stopped in the border town of Saint Stephen to have our last Tim Horton's coffee. While sitting there, a local, named Bernard, started up a conversation. We all noticed the ominous storm clouds arriving from the west, and Bernard offered us a place to stay at his house just down the street and around the corner. We followed Bernard back to his place and met his wife, Diane. Bernard worked the night shift, so we spent that evening with Diane, chatting and driving around town. Paula and I left the following morning and crossed into the United States.
Tara's Story said:Anxiously, I dialed the seven digits found at the bottom of a local web add. I was finally going to add yet another beautiful addition to our quickly growing harmonious family unit. A voice at the other end of the phone answers and politely hands the call over to her husband who had placed the add. I explained to him how interested I was in providing a loving home for his gorgeous female red nose pit bull. With a touch of empathy in his harsh voice he informed me that unfortunately she was no longer available, that she had been picked up earlier that day by a young couple whom where an excellent fit.
“However”, the voice on the bellowed out, “ my step-father has the brother to my female. He ‘s been neglected and my step-father just wants to get rid of him before he becomes a liability”. I quickly wrote down the address and phone number. One more call.
Following the directions dictated, I arrived at my destination. Two and a half excited hours of driving brought me to a gated entrance; Big Cove First Nations. I pulled into the dooryard. On the property stood a new bungalow home, tons of quads, skidoos, and other assorted unkempt toys.
As I walked cautiously towards the back door, something caught the corner of my eye. It was a large fenced in pen containing chickens and geese and…. The door opened. I was greeted by a heavyset longhaired man. He led me into the kitchen where five of his buddies sat. He began to tell me about the dog that I had been so excited to receive.
Apparently “ Gose “ was a champion. Not just any champion, a rugged never-back-down champ who won ribbon upon ribbon and shamed any dog compared to his strength. My host informed me that the “champ” was going to run me around two thousand. Walking down to where the ”pit-ring” I tactfully told my host that I wasn’t really apart of that scene and that and uninterested in the dog.
Exiting out the same door I enter I was stopped dead in my tracts. A pair of amber eyes stared at me through a fluey of white and brown feathers. That was it. Running over without hesitation, I unlatched the chain-link gate, unclipped the lead and ran like hell back to the borrowed mini van. “If he follows me he’s mine, if not then I'm still getting the **** outta here” I said to myself.
Both of us leaping into the van, we pealed out of there. The entire drive home this dingy, repulsive dog laid his greasy head on my knee. I swear that dog never even blinked that trip back home.
We arrived home, where we were greeted by my other dog. She was a beautiful pit bull boxer mix with the nicest demeanor, Harley. Harly and the champ instantly hit it off. Now I could give this dog a good going over. His hair was a greasy tattered mess peppered with oozing scabs and crusted scars. His ears reeked with brown debris caked in so bad it’s a wonder he heard anything at all.
I washed him till the water ran clear off his back and the tips remerged from his ears white. He was stunning. A specimen of perfect pit-bull confirmation. That dog never left my side, and didn’t allow anyone to get too close to me either. I was his person and he was my dog. He was so protective of me a friend once unwittingly attempted to make a joke of throwing a water bottle at me. Lets just say it was intercepted before the bottle had a chance to leave his hands.
This dog was a bevy of social behavioural and territorial issues. We spent hours biking until he could hardly walk to calm him enough to appropriately introduce novel ideas, such as walking past a dog or person without trying to eat them. It was long, hard work but I knew with his trust and respect in me and my love and understand in him I could make him an excellent pet.
Day by day went by and he showed his undying gratitude to me every chance he got. We knew one could not live without the other. One could not be complete without the other. We were meant to be one another’s saviour, protector and soul mate.
In the days to follow the champ received his new title, Gino. His name was an ode to his attractive muscular physique and suave demeanour. Gino was a fast learner and quick to impress. We biked in through town together with him attentively by my side, no leash required. We hiked in the winters and ran in the summers. We were inseparable.
My long-term relationship with my high school sweetheart had taken a sudden turn for the worse and Gino insured so long as he was in the room I was not touched. But when Gino was outside he couldn’t protect me. After a few months of this cycle my relationship ended and he left taking Harley and leaving the house in shambles, everything I owned broken.
I fell to my knees in tears of relief and fear, my face burred in Gino`s strong chest. In the weeks to follow I never admitted how scarred I was to anyone, but Gino knew. He cuddled in bed with me and in the most reassuring way, he laid his strong head on hip.
We got each other through the toughest times. When I couldn’t afford to buy dog food and my own groceries I always opted to get a bag of Gino`s favourite over my own needs. He would politely pretend to be disinterested and not eat out of his consideration of my own self-neglect.
Incredibly, I was able to graduate college and afford the type of life Gino and I deserved. He had the best of the best and he knew it. Brand new leather studded collars, and fancy weight training bags all that was missing was a little friend for Gino to chum around with while I was at work.
Compton was an eight-week-old blue brindle bull-style pit bull. I purchased him from a reputable breeder stationed in Halifax. The boys met one another and it was magic. Gino had previously helped foster kittens from the SPCA and his patients as a parent where unmatched until now. Compton was full of piss and vinegar, pulling at Gino`s ears and lips trying to entice him to play. Gino never curled a lip of utter a growl. He put up with all the playful abuse and they were best buddies.
Months went by and the feisty puppy matured into a lovely adult. I had the two best-looking and behaved pits around- a proud mom I was indeed.
On a side note, I ended up meeting a man while spending some time at a local pub. We hit it off. Aaron and I moved in together in during the Christmas holiday in December of 2011. Aaron had a white stubborn old boxer, T-bone. T-bone was a touch hesitant to share his bed but eventually he came around to the idea of brothers.
Time pasted and the three became inseparable to much of Aaron and mine`s delight. Are family was complete and we were happy.
Bella was a wide-eyed nervous miniature poodle that had a few too many unfortunate encounters with her housemate. Her housemate was an aggressive pit bull whom had a particular taste for poodle. One day Bella’s housemate decided that she no longer wanted to share the house with the little poodle and tore her throat out. The owners abandon her and the animal hospital I worked at and never looked back.
Guess whom I called and bribed into letting me take her home. Upon arrival Bella charmed her sweet little way into Aaron’s heart and what was agreed to be a temporary stay turned into a permeate one. All four dogs slept together, ate together and occasionally ran off together. It was picture perfect.
Compton and Gino occasionally would get into a brotherly scrap over toys or treats- nothing serious. But a change in atmosphere was in the air. Once a happy pack was now an anxious one. Everyone seemed to be on edge and a once docile genital Gino was now becoming moody. The spats between the brothers became more frequent and increasingly more violent.
How does a mother choose between her children? How can you explain to your soul mate that their company, love and understanding are no longer required? And lastly, how do you play god and choose when the life of your fellow creature, rock, and best friend is to be terminated?
On one beautiful Sunday afternoon, I had to make the difficult decisions and answer these very questions. I detest the answer.
Gino in his senility attacked Compton in efforts to end his existence. I’ve never seen that look in my loving, sweet dog’s eyes before and it cut through me like a jagged shard of rusted metal.
Gino was euthanized that day with his loving family by his side. I buried my best friend with as much love and companion as I had bestowed upon he in his living form. A flower garden forms a warm embrace around him, where he lays atop a hill to keep his ever-watchful eyes on me.
Some people go their entire lives without ever meeting their soul mate or experiencing unconditional love. I am so damn lucky I was able to have five beautiful years of it.
Compton made a full recovery from his wounds. Bella and him are best friends and frequently frolic about with T-bone not far behind.
Vermont
July 25, 2013 - July 29, 2013
We crossed the border into the USA, entering the State of Maine. I've always heard good things of Maine, but I think it got my hopes up because I wasn't as impressed as I was told I would be. It depends how you like to travel though. It was packed with tourists, many people obviously like it there. Once we entered New Hampshire, I thought it was really beautiful. After a full day of riding, we decided that we would try to find a place to hide our tent. We were in a town called North Conway, New Hampshire, and decided to camp in a field behind a McDonald's. North Conway is a very pretty town, I was excited to see more of New Hampshire. We began our morning early with hopes of avoiding rain. Rain seems to be the theme for this wet summer. Before riding through the White Mountain National Forest, we stopped at Dunkin Donuts for breakfast and coffee. It was a ****** way to start our day, Dunkin Donuts has the most horrible watered down coffee we have ever tasted.
Just after approaching White Mountains, Rocky asked me if I felt something weird. We were stopped for road construction but as soon as we started riding again Rocky noticed we had a flat tire. We pulled over into a campsite parking lot and I'm surprised that Rocky didn't snap. He has had to take the tires off so many times in the past few weeks that I bet he would be able to do it with his eyes shut. Once we were finally able to locate the tiny hole in the tube, we tried to patch it. For whatever reason, the patch wasn't sticking. We decided to use the old spare tube we kept for emergencies only, but I'm going to bet that it will soon cause us to do another tire change. We put the bike back together and re-packed our belongings for another attempt at riding. We were frustrated but at least the rain only spat at us the entire time. I would have hated the day if the rain had poured on us. We got back on the bike and enjoyed the view as we exited New Hampshire and entered into Vermont.
We had gone to high school with Rocky's good friend Jaimie and we planned on visiting him deep in the wilderness. Jaimie decided to move to Vermont after he found 23 acres of forest land for sale. He had always imagined living away from society and he made his dreams come true. After he moved into the forest, he began constructing what he calls home. A four story high, geodesic dome that has a trampoline as one of the floors and a large slide that can be used if you don't want to use the stairs. It features an outdoor cooking area with a stove made out of a recycled Keg that uses wood to heat. A natural spring runs through the property, with cold, delicious water. A washing machine is available for doing laundry, but it’s cranked by hand. And, he has an alternator connected to his bicycle, to charge a bank of batteries for electricity.
Jaimie has also constructed a nearby workspace. Built from an old airplane hanger, he calls it the Banana building. For the past few years he has been building spider-like robots. After making a few small prototypes he began to create a giant size spider robot. He documented the entire process on YouTube and was eventually contacted by an interested toy company. Attacknids are now sold in stores and have won a few awards. They are a six-legged robot with armour, weapons and a "battle brain". They have a head that rotates 360 degrees to aim its gun. The interchangeable blasters can fire disks, darts, or balls. They wear armor on each leg that flies off when it’s hit. After three direct hits to a plastic switch on the face, the robot shuts down. It can even wade through water and mud up to 3 inches high. I wish toys like these were invented when I was a child. I owned a sticker book and a few fake Barbies.
When Rocky contacted Jaimie, he asked him if it was possible to bring the motorcycle all the way up to the dome. We should've known that Jaimie believes everything is possible. There are two ways in, he told us, and it is possible to bring in the motorcycle if we took the long route in. Jaimie met us at the entrance but I didn't see a road. It was more like a hiking trail. I immediately got off the motorcycle and unloaded our bags to let Rocky tackle the off road experience. Jaimie helped me carry all of our luggage, except for the panniers. They remained on the bike. And by helping me, I mean he carried most of it. He is a machine. We hiked under the hot sun for almost one kilometer and then hiked through the forest for another kilometer. Jamie and I were pouring sweat while Rocky was practicing his off-roading. As soon as we got to a spot that Rocky could no longer get through, we had to remove the panniers. I wanted to poke him in the eyes when he told me that off-roading was also really hard work. Yes, he definitely worked up a sweat as well but I saw him forcing to hide his smirk, he loved every second. Approximately 300 meters later, the bare bike wasn't even able to continue but we were only a couple hundred meters from Jaimie's dome. All I could think of was how the heck we were going to get back out of there.
As soon as we reached Jaimie's place, I was out of breath and ready to collapse. But, we weren't done yet. Since it would be getting dark soon, Jaimie showed us where there was a good flat place to pitch our tent. We followed him up a 30 meter cliff, I was glad that a rope was placed there to help me pull myself up. I am petrified of heights but with my body working so hard my brain couldn't even function to distract me with fear. After reaching the top of the hill, I was surprised to see people, especially an entire family. We met Martin, Brandy and their two kids. They also had just arrived. They were on their way to Maine for a vacation but wanted to stop in Vermont to meet Jaimie. Martin was a big fan viewing Jaimie on YouTube and he wanted to see the giant robot.
The following morning, I felt good after sleeping like a baby. Rocky and I took a moment to gather our thoughts to figure out the best plan to get the bike out along with all of our things. Since the bike could only use the same trail it entered, Rocky would have to ride it back out the same way. We also decided that the smartest thing to do was carry our luggage out the opposite, shorter trail. As soon as we established the plan, we decided that we would need to bring the panniers up near the dome so that it would be a shorter distance to eventually carry them out in the opposite trail we came in. Luckily, Martin offered to help us because it was much heavier than we thought and the trail was extremely steep at that point. Martin cut down two tree branches and a gurney was built. Him and Rocky carried them half of the way but Brandy and I helped once we saw that they were struggling. We were really grateful for their help. It wasn't a job that most would sign up for, especially on their vacation. Once we were done carrying them closer to Jaimie's house, Rocky rode out of the forest and I hiked out following him. It took us almost two kilometers to reach the road and from there it was a quick distance on the bike to the small town of South Royalton. Once we were done doing our laundry at the local laundromat, we prepared ourselves to do the hike back to Jaimie's. How the heck does he live like this? I was exhausted and I had only been there two days.
I was dreading the next morning. Even though the bike was moved to the closest exit and I had carried out a huge bag on my back the day before, we still had two trips to make out of there. The first trip was for Rocky and I to carry out the panniers, the same panniers that took four people to carry. At least Rocky was encouraging, "It's only a bit more than one kilometer through the forest and past the two ponds!" Each pannier weighs approximately 40 lbs. and I could've never imagined being able to manage. I still can’t believe that I was capable of doing that. It was probably the most physically challenging thing I have ever done. After taking a rest, we decided to go back for part two, we still had to carry out a 75 liter bag with all of our camping gear, a backpack, a tripod and a heavy tank bag filled with all of our electronics. We hiked back to Jaimie's and before taking our last hike out, we finally had the chance to visit with our hosts. Jaimie lives with his partner Deshaina and his adorable little girls Aurora and Bellatrix. We all sat in their outdoor kitchen to enjoy a tasty meal Deshaina had prepared. I just can't imagine how Deshaina is able to live in the middle of a forest with two little girls. I applaud her because I wouldn't have the strength or I'd suffer from cabin fever. The mental and physical strength it would take to live there, would tare me to bits. After saying our farewells and thanking them for the insane but incredible memories, we finally made it back to our motorcycle with all of our gear. I am really grateful for the experience. Seeing Jaimie again after so many years was awesome, and it was really nice to meet Deshaina and their two lovely girls. And of course, I was also excited at the thought of losing a few pounds.
After a long day of hiking, we decided to camp by the White River in the small town of South Royalton, on the outskirts of the wilderness. We didn’t go far at all, yet we seemed so far away from where we last camped, at Jaimie's. Our next journey would begin in the morning on our way to New York City. We rode through many States that day. We left Vermont and re-entered New Hampshire. We rode through Massachusetts and then into Connecticut. It was nice to finally sit down at McDonald's to use their WIFI. After a couple of hours, we were approached by a man. Ken asked us about our motorcycle and travels, he too owned a motorcycle. We spent a very long time talking up a storm until his wife Pam walked inside to introduce herself, and to probably see what was taking her husband so long. Moments later, she asked us to spend a night at there home.
Ken was a Preacher and he lived with his wife and father, Merle, in a large, beautiful home behind their church. Ken and Pam have been married for most of their lives and it was cute to see how deeply in love they still were. They had recently celebrated an anniversary in Alaska and were excited to show us photographs of their trip. Rocky and I were immediately inspired to someday visit Alaska as well. Ken and Pam described their trip by saying everything about it was perfect because they believed that they were in the FOG. Being in the FOG is an acronym for Favor Of God.
After a nice hot shower, the bed we had slept on felt especially comfortable. It had been a really long time since we had slept on something soft. We woke up refreshed are were ready for our next adventure towards the city that never sleeps, New York.
We visited my high school friend, Jaimie, who lived in Vermont. After university, Jaimie bought some land just next to the small town of South Royalton. His home was in the middle of the forest where there is no road access, and the kilometer (or so) hike through the trees took you to the dome he built from scrap parts. He had a fresh water spring, solar panels and a battery bank for power.
Jaimie, an inventor and a bit of a recluse, lived with his girlfriend, Dashaina, and his two children, Aurora and Bellatrix.
Aurora
Jaimie & Aurora, Dashaina & Bellatrix
Bellatrix & I
Paula & Bellatrix
Jaimie turned his hobby of building a giant mechanical robot into somewhat of a career, and has designed award-winning toys that are sold all over the world. Since visiting Jaimie in Vermont, he and his family have since sold "The Dome" and have taken up traveling in a converted cube van across North America. Jaimie and Dashaina mentioned the idea of buying an island somewhere in South America as a possible future plan.
After a few days visiting with Jaimie and his family, Paula spent out last night in the town of South Royalton, where we were able to do our laundry and prepare for the ride to New York City.
While stopped at a McDonald's near Southington, Connecticut, we met Ken and Pam. Ken noticed our motorcycle and struck up a conversation. Ken and Pam are two avid bikers whose ride of choice is a 2008 Honda Goldwing. After conversing for about an hour, Ken and Pam invited us back to their home since we hadn't yet found a place to sleep for the night. They offered a spare bedroom with a comfortable bed and a nice, hot shower. WE spent the night and, the following morning, made our way south towards New York City.
July 25, 2013 - July 29, 2013
Just after approaching White Mountains, Rocky asked me if I felt something weird. We were stopped for road construction but as soon as we started riding again Rocky noticed we had a flat tire. We pulled over into a campsite parking lot and I'm surprised that Rocky didn't snap. He has had to take the tires off so many times in the past few weeks that I bet he would be able to do it with his eyes shut. Once we were finally able to locate the tiny hole in the tube, we tried to patch it. For whatever reason, the patch wasn't sticking. We decided to use the old spare tube we kept for emergencies only, but I'm going to bet that it will soon cause us to do another tire change. We put the bike back together and re-packed our belongings for another attempt at riding. We were frustrated but at least the rain only spat at us the entire time. I would have hated the day if the rain had poured on us. We got back on the bike and enjoyed the view as we exited New Hampshire and entered into Vermont.
We had gone to high school with Rocky's good friend Jaimie and we planned on visiting him deep in the wilderness. Jaimie decided to move to Vermont after he found 23 acres of forest land for sale. He had always imagined living away from society and he made his dreams come true. After he moved into the forest, he began constructing what he calls home. A four story high, geodesic dome that has a trampoline as one of the floors and a large slide that can be used if you don't want to use the stairs. It features an outdoor cooking area with a stove made out of a recycled Keg that uses wood to heat. A natural spring runs through the property, with cold, delicious water. A washing machine is available for doing laundry, but it’s cranked by hand. And, he has an alternator connected to his bicycle, to charge a bank of batteries for electricity.
Jaimie has also constructed a nearby workspace. Built from an old airplane hanger, he calls it the Banana building. For the past few years he has been building spider-like robots. After making a few small prototypes he began to create a giant size spider robot. He documented the entire process on YouTube and was eventually contacted by an interested toy company. Attacknids are now sold in stores and have won a few awards. They are a six-legged robot with armour, weapons and a "battle brain". They have a head that rotates 360 degrees to aim its gun. The interchangeable blasters can fire disks, darts, or balls. They wear armor on each leg that flies off when it’s hit. After three direct hits to a plastic switch on the face, the robot shuts down. It can even wade through water and mud up to 3 inches high. I wish toys like these were invented when I was a child. I owned a sticker book and a few fake Barbies.
When Rocky contacted Jaimie, he asked him if it was possible to bring the motorcycle all the way up to the dome. We should've known that Jaimie believes everything is possible. There are two ways in, he told us, and it is possible to bring in the motorcycle if we took the long route in. Jaimie met us at the entrance but I didn't see a road. It was more like a hiking trail. I immediately got off the motorcycle and unloaded our bags to let Rocky tackle the off road experience. Jaimie helped me carry all of our luggage, except for the panniers. They remained on the bike. And by helping me, I mean he carried most of it. He is a machine. We hiked under the hot sun for almost one kilometer and then hiked through the forest for another kilometer. Jamie and I were pouring sweat while Rocky was practicing his off-roading. As soon as we got to a spot that Rocky could no longer get through, we had to remove the panniers. I wanted to poke him in the eyes when he told me that off-roading was also really hard work. Yes, he definitely worked up a sweat as well but I saw him forcing to hide his smirk, he loved every second. Approximately 300 meters later, the bare bike wasn't even able to continue but we were only a couple hundred meters from Jaimie's dome. All I could think of was how the heck we were going to get back out of there.
As soon as we reached Jaimie's place, I was out of breath and ready to collapse. But, we weren't done yet. Since it would be getting dark soon, Jaimie showed us where there was a good flat place to pitch our tent. We followed him up a 30 meter cliff, I was glad that a rope was placed there to help me pull myself up. I am petrified of heights but with my body working so hard my brain couldn't even function to distract me with fear. After reaching the top of the hill, I was surprised to see people, especially an entire family. We met Martin, Brandy and their two kids. They also had just arrived. They were on their way to Maine for a vacation but wanted to stop in Vermont to meet Jaimie. Martin was a big fan viewing Jaimie on YouTube and he wanted to see the giant robot.
The following morning, I felt good after sleeping like a baby. Rocky and I took a moment to gather our thoughts to figure out the best plan to get the bike out along with all of our things. Since the bike could only use the same trail it entered, Rocky would have to ride it back out the same way. We also decided that the smartest thing to do was carry our luggage out the opposite, shorter trail. As soon as we established the plan, we decided that we would need to bring the panniers up near the dome so that it would be a shorter distance to eventually carry them out in the opposite trail we came in. Luckily, Martin offered to help us because it was much heavier than we thought and the trail was extremely steep at that point. Martin cut down two tree branches and a gurney was built. Him and Rocky carried them half of the way but Brandy and I helped once we saw that they were struggling. We were really grateful for their help. It wasn't a job that most would sign up for, especially on their vacation. Once we were done carrying them closer to Jaimie's house, Rocky rode out of the forest and I hiked out following him. It took us almost two kilometers to reach the road and from there it was a quick distance on the bike to the small town of South Royalton. Once we were done doing our laundry at the local laundromat, we prepared ourselves to do the hike back to Jaimie's. How the heck does he live like this? I was exhausted and I had only been there two days.
I was dreading the next morning. Even though the bike was moved to the closest exit and I had carried out a huge bag on my back the day before, we still had two trips to make out of there. The first trip was for Rocky and I to carry out the panniers, the same panniers that took four people to carry. At least Rocky was encouraging, "It's only a bit more than one kilometer through the forest and past the two ponds!" Each pannier weighs approximately 40 lbs. and I could've never imagined being able to manage. I still can’t believe that I was capable of doing that. It was probably the most physically challenging thing I have ever done. After taking a rest, we decided to go back for part two, we still had to carry out a 75 liter bag with all of our camping gear, a backpack, a tripod and a heavy tank bag filled with all of our electronics. We hiked back to Jaimie's and before taking our last hike out, we finally had the chance to visit with our hosts. Jaimie lives with his partner Deshaina and his adorable little girls Aurora and Bellatrix. We all sat in their outdoor kitchen to enjoy a tasty meal Deshaina had prepared. I just can't imagine how Deshaina is able to live in the middle of a forest with two little girls. I applaud her because I wouldn't have the strength or I'd suffer from cabin fever. The mental and physical strength it would take to live there, would tare me to bits. After saying our farewells and thanking them for the insane but incredible memories, we finally made it back to our motorcycle with all of our gear. I am really grateful for the experience. Seeing Jaimie again after so many years was awesome, and it was really nice to meet Deshaina and their two lovely girls. And of course, I was also excited at the thought of losing a few pounds.
After a long day of hiking, we decided to camp by the White River in the small town of South Royalton, on the outskirts of the wilderness. We didn’t go far at all, yet we seemed so far away from where we last camped, at Jaimie's. Our next journey would begin in the morning on our way to New York City. We rode through many States that day. We left Vermont and re-entered New Hampshire. We rode through Massachusetts and then into Connecticut. It was nice to finally sit down at McDonald's to use their WIFI. After a couple of hours, we were approached by a man. Ken asked us about our motorcycle and travels, he too owned a motorcycle. We spent a very long time talking up a storm until his wife Pam walked inside to introduce herself, and to probably see what was taking her husband so long. Moments later, she asked us to spend a night at there home.
Ken was a Preacher and he lived with his wife and father, Merle, in a large, beautiful home behind their church. Ken and Pam have been married for most of their lives and it was cute to see how deeply in love they still were. They had recently celebrated an anniversary in Alaska and were excited to show us photographs of their trip. Rocky and I were immediately inspired to someday visit Alaska as well. Ken and Pam described their trip by saying everything about it was perfect because they believed that they were in the FOG. Being in the FOG is an acronym for Favor Of God.
After a nice hot shower, the bed we had slept on felt especially comfortable. It had been a really long time since we had slept on something soft. We woke up refreshed are were ready for our next adventure towards the city that never sleeps, New York.
We visited my high school friend, Jaimie, who lived in Vermont. After university, Jaimie bought some land just next to the small town of South Royalton. His home was in the middle of the forest where there is no road access, and the kilometer (or so) hike through the trees took you to the dome he built from scrap parts. He had a fresh water spring, solar panels and a battery bank for power.
Jaimie, an inventor and a bit of a recluse, lived with his girlfriend, Dashaina, and his two children, Aurora and Bellatrix.
Aurora
Jaimie & Aurora, Dashaina & Bellatrix
Bellatrix & I
Paula & Bellatrix
Jaimie turned his hobby of building a giant mechanical robot into somewhat of a career, and has designed award-winning toys that are sold all over the world. Since visiting Jaimie in Vermont, he and his family have since sold "The Dome" and have taken up traveling in a converted cube van across North America. Jaimie and Dashaina mentioned the idea of buying an island somewhere in South America as a possible future plan.
After a few days visiting with Jaimie and his family, Paula spent out last night in the town of South Royalton, where we were able to do our laundry and prepare for the ride to New York City.
While stopped at a McDonald's near Southington, Connecticut, we met Ken and Pam. Ken noticed our motorcycle and struck up a conversation. Ken and Pam are two avid bikers whose ride of choice is a 2008 Honda Goldwing. After conversing for about an hour, Ken and Pam invited us back to their home since we hadn't yet found a place to sleep for the night. They offered a spare bedroom with a comfortable bed and a nice, hot shower. WE spent the night and, the following morning, made our way south towards New York City.
New York City
July 30, 2013 - August 5, 2013
I was excited to go to New York City but we had many things to organize. We knew that parking the motorcycle in such a large city was going to be an annoying issue and we tried to solve that problem immediately. Since we were going to Iceland after NYC, we thought it would be easier if we shipped the bike sooner than later. The first thing we did once we entered the city was go directly to the airport. At Iceland Air Cargo, we were notified that we would have to provide our own crate. We were given phone numbers for a few companies that could build one for us, but they quoted the cost at almost $1000 USD. We thought that was absurd, especially since the cost to ship the bike was $1500 USD. There was no possible way we were affording that, we would simply have to build our own. Haldor, an employee of Iceland Air Cargo, said he would bring us a power drill in the morning and we could build the crate out front of the loading dock.
We rode to Home Depot and, after figuring out what materials we needed and how much it would cost us, we had to come up with a plan to figure out how to bring all the materials to Iceland Air Cargo. I'm surprised that Rocky didn't ask me to sit on the back of the motorcycle and carry all of the wood as he drove. I bet he considered the idea. Since it was too late to do anything else at the moment, we had no choice but to ride into Manhattan and figure things out in the morning. Just as we were about to finally leave Home Depot, the bike wouldn't start. Frustrated, we pushed the motorcycle to a nearby gas station in the case that Home Depot needed to lock its gated property. At the gas station, we unscrewed the skid plate and wiggled some wires. After a few minutes the bike finally started. At this point, we both just wanted the day to be over with. We rode towards Manhattan with low spirits but just as we were crossing the Manhattan Bridge, the sun was beginning to set below the horizon and the city glowed a beautiful bright orange into the purple sky. It was an incredible skyline that immediately demanded our attention.
My friend Theresa lives in Lower East Side Manhattan with her boyfriend Wayne and their little girl, Celia. They invited us to stay with them and reassured us that not only would it be safe to park on her street, but it was also free. We had no choice regardless, we were stuck with the bike until a crate was built. All we could do was hope the bike would be fine parked in the streets of NYC. When we arrived at Theresa's I was immediately greeted with a big hug. I consider Theresa my family. She has been a friend of mine since we were teenagers and has always gone out of her way for me. Once again, she was there with open arms, and a delicious dinner was waiting for us when we walked through the door. I immediately felt at home.
Rocky and I woke up early the next morning with intentions of building a crate. Our plans fell apart the moment Rocky realized that he didn't have his original registration papers for the motorcycle. Without that legal document, the motorcycle would not be shipped. We spent hours making phone calls trying to find out our options. We were told that Rocky would have to send a signed letter through FedEx to give his mom permission to pick up an original registration title to the motorcycle. Once receiving Rocky's letter, his mother would have to present it to the Ministry of Transportation in order to receive a new registration paper. She would then have to send it rush delivery to Iceland Air Cargo. We could only hope that everything would be done in good timing so that the paper work could be processed in time for the motorcycle to clear customs into Iceland. Iceland air Cargo only ships on Saturdays and we already faced the fear that it would arrive a week later than us. We could not afford to take the chance it would arrive even later. After spending most of the afternoon stressed out, Theresa thought it was best if we spent the remaining sunshine at the pool, she was right.
Once again, we woke up very early the next morning to try and build the crate. We would have had to wake up early regardless, parking on the street still came at a price that money couldn't pay. There were so many rules that we are surprised we didn't get towed for not properly following them. Parking was offered on either side of the road, but not at the same time. We would have to move the motorcycle from one side to the other because there was designated street sweeping hours. The hours were different for each side, we had to move the motorcycle every night after 12am/2am and every morning after 7am/8am to the opposite side. It was free to park on either side, except in the morning until evening, but we didn't find out the pay part until days later.
Rocky went inside of Home Depot to buy the materials and have an employee cut the wood into specific sizes. I waited outside with the motorcycle trying to find someone to drive the wood to the airport for us. There were many men standing outside, hoping to be picked up for labor work. Many illegal immigrants, unable to legally get a job in America, stood out front of Home Depot with hopes of making a few dollars for offering help with construction/labor jobs. I found a man with a van who accepted my offer of $30, to take the wood for the crate, to the airport. Everything was running much smoother than previous days but we had a lot of work still left to do. We spent all day building the crate and once we were finally done, we felt relieved to no longer have any responsibility to the motorcycle. After taking the Subway back to Theresa's, it felt great to arrive in time for a delicious meal.
The following day, were finally ready and able to tour the Big Apple! Rocky and I joined Theresa and her baby Celia into the city. For many years, Theresa was a model before becoming a mother. Her good friend and former photographer, Jo Lance, came out to meet with us for the day. He is extremely creative and talented. A character difficult to describe with any words other than absolutely fabulous. We walked around all day and evening absorbing the energy of the huge city and each other. After hours upon hours of many kilometers on our feet, we still weren't done walking but we had to stop for the night.
We woke up feeling a little bit lazy and Theresa recommended that Rocky and I take a walk to her favourite place, a Turkish Bathhouse. We had never been to one before but she convinced us that we'd love it. As soon as we entered the building, we went to a change room where we put on our swimsuits. Once we were back in the main hall, we grabbed a long cloth robe/cloak along with two towels each - one to sit on and the other to wrap around our head. Rocky and I followed Theresa down the steep stairs into a dark cellar. The entire place was crowded. I could barely see faces because I was distracted by so many speedos. All I kept thinking was where the hell am I? But Theresa is notorious for introducing me to interesting situations. We followed her into what I can only describe as a dungeon. It was pitch black and intensely hot.
We entered a small irregular room approximately 15 feet by 10 feet. Long cement blocks were constructed along the walls used for sitting, and a large cement well filled with freezing cold water sat in the center of the room. Just as I felt like I was going to suffocate, Theresa grabbed for a bucket, filled it with water and poured it over each of our heads. We were so hot that steam escaped our bodies. I suddenly understood why everybody was almost nude. I was completely soaked, dripping of sweat and water. The steam in that room was hot enough to slow cook a meal. After a while, we followed Theresa out of the door and she led us to an ice-cold pool. The heat from our bodies immediately escaped as we entered the water that was suitable for a polar bear. We then followed her inside a small room where she pulled a handle and jet streams of warm water shot out at us in every direction. "Ok, are you ready?" I never know what Theresa has in mind when she says things like that. Nonetheless, I trusted her (maybe and I was as ready as I could ever be. I followed her back into the dark steaming dungeon and she hands me over to a tall massive man and tells him "Give it to her really hard!" Being on the road is tough on the body and having a huge Russian man bend, stretch and beat me with a branch was exactly what I needed. It sounds sarcastic but I am being serious. I will gladly visit another bathhouse in my lifetime.
Feeling refreshed the next morning, we were ready once again for the streets of NYC. We walked across the Brooklyn Bridge and we took a ferry to Long Island so that we could peek at the Statue of Liberty. We also walked around the World Trade Center Memorial and continued walking until we were exhausted. As soon as we returned to Theresa's apartment, dinner was ready for us. Wayne had spent all day slaving over the oven to feed us a delicious meal. We felt spoiled.
An entire week with Theresa was well-needed, it had been a while since we had seen each other. I was happy to have met Wayne and to have had the opportunity to spend some time getting to know Celia. She is such an intelligent little girl. I think she is absolutely precious. It was a perfect way for me to part with Northern America. We packed our bags the next morning and said our goodbyes before getting into the taxi. We were prepared to take our flight to Iceland and extremely excited to finally get there. Iceland has been on the top of our list of destinations to visit. It was a dream about to come true for the both of us!
July 30, 2013 - August 5, 2013
We rode to Home Depot and, after figuring out what materials we needed and how much it would cost us, we had to come up with a plan to figure out how to bring all the materials to Iceland Air Cargo. I'm surprised that Rocky didn't ask me to sit on the back of the motorcycle and carry all of the wood as he drove. I bet he considered the idea. Since it was too late to do anything else at the moment, we had no choice but to ride into Manhattan and figure things out in the morning. Just as we were about to finally leave Home Depot, the bike wouldn't start. Frustrated, we pushed the motorcycle to a nearby gas station in the case that Home Depot needed to lock its gated property. At the gas station, we unscrewed the skid plate and wiggled some wires. After a few minutes the bike finally started. At this point, we both just wanted the day to be over with. We rode towards Manhattan with low spirits but just as we were crossing the Manhattan Bridge, the sun was beginning to set below the horizon and the city glowed a beautiful bright orange into the purple sky. It was an incredible skyline that immediately demanded our attention.
My friend Theresa lives in Lower East Side Manhattan with her boyfriend Wayne and their little girl, Celia. They invited us to stay with them and reassured us that not only would it be safe to park on her street, but it was also free. We had no choice regardless, we were stuck with the bike until a crate was built. All we could do was hope the bike would be fine parked in the streets of NYC. When we arrived at Theresa's I was immediately greeted with a big hug. I consider Theresa my family. She has been a friend of mine since we were teenagers and has always gone out of her way for me. Once again, she was there with open arms, and a delicious dinner was waiting for us when we walked through the door. I immediately felt at home.
Rocky and I woke up early the next morning with intentions of building a crate. Our plans fell apart the moment Rocky realized that he didn't have his original registration papers for the motorcycle. Without that legal document, the motorcycle would not be shipped. We spent hours making phone calls trying to find out our options. We were told that Rocky would have to send a signed letter through FedEx to give his mom permission to pick up an original registration title to the motorcycle. Once receiving Rocky's letter, his mother would have to present it to the Ministry of Transportation in order to receive a new registration paper. She would then have to send it rush delivery to Iceland Air Cargo. We could only hope that everything would be done in good timing so that the paper work could be processed in time for the motorcycle to clear customs into Iceland. Iceland air Cargo only ships on Saturdays and we already faced the fear that it would arrive a week later than us. We could not afford to take the chance it would arrive even later. After spending most of the afternoon stressed out, Theresa thought it was best if we spent the remaining sunshine at the pool, she was right.
Once again, we woke up very early the next morning to try and build the crate. We would have had to wake up early regardless, parking on the street still came at a price that money couldn't pay. There were so many rules that we are surprised we didn't get towed for not properly following them. Parking was offered on either side of the road, but not at the same time. We would have to move the motorcycle from one side to the other because there was designated street sweeping hours. The hours were different for each side, we had to move the motorcycle every night after 12am/2am and every morning after 7am/8am to the opposite side. It was free to park on either side, except in the morning until evening, but we didn't find out the pay part until days later.
Rocky went inside of Home Depot to buy the materials and have an employee cut the wood into specific sizes. I waited outside with the motorcycle trying to find someone to drive the wood to the airport for us. There were many men standing outside, hoping to be picked up for labor work. Many illegal immigrants, unable to legally get a job in America, stood out front of Home Depot with hopes of making a few dollars for offering help with construction/labor jobs. I found a man with a van who accepted my offer of $30, to take the wood for the crate, to the airport. Everything was running much smoother than previous days but we had a lot of work still left to do. We spent all day building the crate and once we were finally done, we felt relieved to no longer have any responsibility to the motorcycle. After taking the Subway back to Theresa's, it felt great to arrive in time for a delicious meal.
The following day, were finally ready and able to tour the Big Apple! Rocky and I joined Theresa and her baby Celia into the city. For many years, Theresa was a model before becoming a mother. Her good friend and former photographer, Jo Lance, came out to meet with us for the day. He is extremely creative and talented. A character difficult to describe with any words other than absolutely fabulous. We walked around all day and evening absorbing the energy of the huge city and each other. After hours upon hours of many kilometers on our feet, we still weren't done walking but we had to stop for the night.
We woke up feeling a little bit lazy and Theresa recommended that Rocky and I take a walk to her favourite place, a Turkish Bathhouse. We had never been to one before but she convinced us that we'd love it. As soon as we entered the building, we went to a change room where we put on our swimsuits. Once we were back in the main hall, we grabbed a long cloth robe/cloak along with two towels each - one to sit on and the other to wrap around our head. Rocky and I followed Theresa down the steep stairs into a dark cellar. The entire place was crowded. I could barely see faces because I was distracted by so many speedos. All I kept thinking was where the hell am I? But Theresa is notorious for introducing me to interesting situations. We followed her into what I can only describe as a dungeon. It was pitch black and intensely hot.
We entered a small irregular room approximately 15 feet by 10 feet. Long cement blocks were constructed along the walls used for sitting, and a large cement well filled with freezing cold water sat in the center of the room. Just as I felt like I was going to suffocate, Theresa grabbed for a bucket, filled it with water and poured it over each of our heads. We were so hot that steam escaped our bodies. I suddenly understood why everybody was almost nude. I was completely soaked, dripping of sweat and water. The steam in that room was hot enough to slow cook a meal. After a while, we followed Theresa out of the door and she led us to an ice-cold pool. The heat from our bodies immediately escaped as we entered the water that was suitable for a polar bear. We then followed her inside a small room where she pulled a handle and jet streams of warm water shot out at us in every direction. "Ok, are you ready?" I never know what Theresa has in mind when she says things like that. Nonetheless, I trusted her (maybe
and I was as ready as I could ever be. I followed her back into the dark steaming dungeon and she hands me over to a tall massive man and tells him "Give it to her really hard!" Being on the road is tough on the body and having a huge Russian man bend, stretch and beat me with a branch was exactly what I needed. It sounds sarcastic but I am being serious. I will gladly visit another bathhouse in my lifetime.
Feeling refreshed the next morning, we were ready once again for the streets of NYC. We walked across the Brooklyn Bridge and we took a ferry to Long Island so that we could peek at the Statue of Liberty. We also walked around the World Trade Center Memorial and continued walking until we were exhausted. As soon as we returned to Theresa's apartment, dinner was ready for us. Wayne had spent all day slaving over the oven to feed us a delicious meal. We felt spoiled.
An entire week with Theresa was well-needed, it had been a while since we had seen each other. I was happy to have met Wayne and to have had the opportunity to spend some time getting to know Celia. She is such an intelligent little girl. I think she is absolutely precious. It was a perfect way for me to part with Northern America. We packed our bags the next morning and said our goodbyes before getting into the taxi. We were prepared to take our flight to Iceland and extremely excited to finally get there. Iceland has been on the top of our list of destinations to visit. It was a dream about to come true for the both of us!
Re: New York City
Paula and I arrived in New York City on the hot and hazy afternoon of July 30th. We arrived at Iceland AirCargo to arrange the shipment of the motorcycle to Iceland only to find out that IcelandAir Cargo didn't provide the crate required for shipment. We called a few companies and were provided a quote of $680 plus a minimum of $180 for delivery ($860!). Not wanting to spend that much on money on a wooden box, we decided to visit a nearby Home Depot, purchase some lumber and build our own. We spent $120 for wood and Paula contracted an foreign man who was looking for work to deliver the wood to the cargo depot, 5km away, for $30. Halldór, the IcelandAir Cargo employee who was organizing the shipment of the motorcycle, brought his cordless drill in for us to use, and Paula and I spent a few days getting supplies and building our crate.
While organizing the shipment of the motorcycle, we stayed with Paula's friend, Theresa. Theresa moved from Hamilton, Ontario to New York over ten years ago for work as a model. She lives with her partner, Wayne, and their one year-old daughter, Celia, in the lower east side of Manhattan. After finally finishing up the details of the shipment, we were able to see a bit of The Big Apple.
Paula, Theresa and I spent the day seeing some of the sights New York City has to offer. We first visited the New York City Public Library.
Inside The New York City Public Library
The New York City Public Library
While visiting The New York City Public Library, we met up with one of Theresa's best friends, Jo Lance.
Theresa's one year-old daughter, Celia, had just become bipedal a few weeks prior to our arrival in New York. By the time we had arrived, she was already using her newfound mobility to tear up the streets of New York.
The five of us walked around the city and made our way to Grand Central Terminal.
Theresa and Paula have been friends since they were teenagers.
A Walk In The Park
Celia & Paula
Jo Lance is an eccentric, one-of-a-kind character who works in the art and photography industry, and has co-hosted the reality TV show, Mexico's Next Top Model.
The obligatory Time Square photo
Jumping Joe Lance
A Walk In New York
Manhattan at night
On our last full day in New York City, Paula and I toured lower Manhattan. At the time, there was a global terror alert and we, being the geniuses we are, stood around and watched as fire crews responded to a building fire just around the corner from the site of the World Trade Center.
Visiting the site of the former World Trade Center, we were reminded of the tragedy of that September day in 2001, and the innocent lives that were lost.
Paula and I arrived in New York City on the hot and hazy afternoon of July 30th. We arrived at Iceland AirCargo to arrange the shipment of the motorcycle to Iceland only to find out that IcelandAir Cargo didn't provide the crate required for shipment. We called a few companies and were provided a quote of $680 plus a minimum of $180 for delivery ($860!). Not wanting to spend that much on money on a wooden box, we decided to visit a nearby Home Depot, purchase some lumber and build our own. We spent $120 for wood and Paula contracted an foreign man who was looking for work to deliver the wood to the cargo depot, 5km away, for $30. Halldór, the IcelandAir Cargo employee who was organizing the shipment of the motorcycle, brought his cordless drill in for us to use, and Paula and I spent a few days getting supplies and building our crate.
While organizing the shipment of the motorcycle, we stayed with Paula's friend, Theresa. Theresa moved from Hamilton, Ontario to New York over ten years ago for work as a model. She lives with her partner, Wayne, and their one year-old daughter, Celia, in the lower east side of Manhattan. After finally finishing up the details of the shipment, we were able to see a bit of The Big Apple.
Paula, Theresa and I spent the day seeing some of the sights New York City has to offer. We first visited the New York City Public Library.
Inside The New York City Public Library
The New York City Public Library
While visiting The New York City Public Library, we met up with one of Theresa's best friends, Jo Lance.
Theresa's one year-old daughter, Celia, had just become bipedal a few weeks prior to our arrival in New York. By the time we had arrived, she was already using her newfound mobility to tear up the streets of New York.
The five of us walked around the city and made our way to Grand Central Terminal.
Theresa and Paula have been friends since they were teenagers.
A Walk In The Park
Celia & Paula
Jo Lance is an eccentric, one-of-a-kind character who works in the art and photography industry, and has co-hosted the reality TV show, Mexico's Next Top Model.
The obligatory Time Square photo
Jumping Joe Lance
A Walk In New York
Manhattan at night
On our last full day in New York City, Paula and I toured lower Manhattan. At the time, there was a global terror alert and we, being the geniuses we are, stood around and watched as fire crews responded to a building fire just around the corner from the site of the World Trade Center.
Visiting the site of the former World Trade Center, we were reminded of the tragedy of that September day in 2001, and the innocent lives that were lost.
Re: New York City
In order to prevent further such tragedies, I find it important to understand why such acts of terror occur. It is important to condemn all acts of terror, especially those perpetrated by our own governments in our names.
The tragedy of the 9/11 attacks were used to justify an illegal war that has resulted in an estimated 120,000 civilian deaths. These deaths are mostly absent from the public discourse. An American, Canadian or British life is no more valuable than an Iraqi, Pakistani or a Palestinian life.
The Buildings of New York City
After visiting the 9/11 Memorial, Paula and I decided to take the ferry to Staten Island.
Sailing From Manhattan
The Manhattan Skyline
Lady Liberty
On The Staten Island Ferry
Arriving In Staten Island
Postcards 9/11 Memorial
Lower Manhattan
We arrived back in lower Manhattan, after a long day of walking around the city, to a delicious meal. Wayne, who is originally from England, served us a traditional meal of Yorkshire Pudding, potatoes and vegetables. Even Theresa, who is the cook in the family, was impressed.
We spent our last night in New York City getting ready for our flight to Iceland that we were to take the following morning. We had a great time visiting Theresa and her family, and we can't thank them enough for sharing their cozy Manhattan apartment with us for the week.
In order to prevent further such tragedies, I find it important to understand why such acts of terror occur. It is important to condemn all acts of terror, especially those perpetrated by our own governments in our names.
The tragedy of the 9/11 attacks were used to justify an illegal war that has resulted in an estimated 120,000 civilian deaths. These deaths are mostly absent from the public discourse. An American, Canadian or British life is no more valuable than an Iraqi, Pakistani or a Palestinian life.
The Buildings of New York City
After visiting the 9/11 Memorial, Paula and I decided to take the ferry to Staten Island.
Sailing From Manhattan
The Manhattan Skyline
Lady Liberty
On The Staten Island Ferry
Arriving In Staten Island
Postcards 9/11 Memorial
Lower Manhattan
We arrived back in lower Manhattan, after a long day of walking around the city, to a delicious meal. Wayne, who is originally from England, served us a traditional meal of Yorkshire Pudding, potatoes and vegetables. Even Theresa, who is the cook in the family, was impressed.
We spent our last night in New York City getting ready for our flight to Iceland that we were to take the following morning. We had a great time visiting Theresa and her family, and we can't thank them enough for sharing their cozy Manhattan apartment with us for the week.
Arriving In Iceland
August 5, 2013 - August 19, 2013
We arrived at the airport just shortly after 12am. I was surprised by the amount of light still left in the northern sky. Without a motorcycle it felt strange, almost a little lonely. Rocky searched outside the airport for a place to pitch our tent but I had doubts that we'd be ok to camp on airport grounds. It seemed there was no place to hide, the land was flat and there were no trees in sight. Apparently, only 1.4% of Iceland has trees. Just outside of the parking lot exit was a small area of planted bushes. I'm not sure how Rocky managed to find the narrow path of patio stone that led him through the bushes and into an open area just large enough to fit our tent. It seemed kind of random, but I'm guessing that a patio was created with a bush garden around it and nobody ever trimmed the hedges. Regardless, it was a perfect hiding spot for our tent.
Early the next morning, we packed our bags and created a sign that read Keflavik. Rocky nominated me to hold the sign and stick out my thumb. Had I shaven, I may have stuck out my leg, but to my surprise, it only took 10 minutes before a man named Tomas picked us up. The town of Keflavik wasn't too far, it only took us a few minutes to get there. Tomas dropped us off on a main road in front of a Subway Sandwich Restaurant. Can anyone guess what we ate for lunch? At least we would begin searching for a cheaper way to eat, that sub cost almost twice the price we were accustomed to paying.
We knew we would be waiting at least five days for the bike and that kind of sucked. We chose the type of luggage we have because it is easy for the bike to carry, not us. It would be awkward and difficult to travel by foot and carry all of our belongings. Besides, I'm far too lazy for that. We decided to stay in Keflavik and work on trying to catch up on our website. Rocky found an open Internet connection at a library and we pitched our tent in the park across the street so that we would be able to keep an eye on our stuff as we sat inside. We just hoped that nobody would say anything about a tent being pitched in the center of town in a public park.
Our first night went well and we heard no complaints. We kept the tent pitched and walked across the road to the library in the morning. Still tired, I decided to take a walk to go search for coffee. I approached a man and asked him if he knew where I could find good cheap coffee. He laughed and replied, "Nothing is cheap in Iceland" and then continued walking. I approached the second man who walked past me, and again I asked if he knew where I could find good, cheap coffee. He laughed and replied, "My dear, nothing is cheap in Iceland". I became sad and slightly crazy with the thought that coffee in Iceland might be out of our budget. I continued walking up the road until I reached a restaurant. I asked the girl behind the counter how much for each cup of coffee and she replied, "They come free with a combo, just take some." Things might be expensive in Iceland but kindness makes up for it!
After another night in the park, I was shocked that nobody had asked us to leave. After all, we were visibly camping in the center of town. Once again we went to the library to work on our website. To my surprise, I could hear two ladies behind me speaking Portuguese. Maybe it was the familiarity that comforted me in this foreign land, but their words sounded like music to my ears. I immediately introduced myself to Angela and her mother Laura. They are originally from Angola in Africa and have been living in Iceland for many years. Angela was in the process of opening up a coffee shop in the area of the library we were sitting at. That excited me. I asked her if I could purchase two coffees and she made me two Cafe Lattes. When I asked her how much, she told me that she could not legally sell anything yet because she was supposed to receive her business license that day, but was having difficulties. She refused payment and seemed happy to give us complimentary coffee. But, we weren't the only ones to receive special treatment. As she cleaned and organized her shop, many customers asked to purchase coffee and she politely continued to serve it for free. Her kindness was not typical of a business owner but I believe that because of it she will be very successful.
After a few days, Angela hadn't got her license yet but continued to insist on giving us free coffee and food. She said it was because we were her first (none paying) customers and we were going through some troubles waiting for something important as well. She also told us, numerous times, that if we needed anything not to hesitate asking. I'm not sure she knew how kind she had already been. On the Friday of that week, she invited us to join her and her parents, Amandio and Laura, for dinner at her house. We left our belongings with the tent and went to her house. Dinner was delicious and the conversations were great. Amandio taught me a lot of history about the Portuguese people of Africa and the civil war that took place. It was history I was never aware of, interesting to know. I really enjoyed getting to know this family.
It was almost 10 pm when we had returned to our tent and our things had been left untouched. Never-mind, I take that back. As Rocky lay in the tent and gazed at the stars, he wondered why he was able to see the sky. There was a tare on the top of our tent. It was an odd location for the tent to be cut, unless it wasn't cut but torn instead. As I cleaned the area to attempt a patch job, I noticed a bit of dirt. I'm pretty sure that one of the many drunken kids roaming the street on that Friday night may have thrown a rock, which would cause the tent to rip. To make matters worse, we didn't have our patch kit with us, it was in the side bag of the motorcycle. I had no choice but to use what I had, to patch the tare. Electrical tape and bandages was going to have to do the trick. Luckily the rain wasn't much that night and we woke up dry.
The day before, we had been approached by a man who had introduced himself as Gylfi Jón. He is the director of education and works above the library, beside the Mayors office. Oh yeah, by the way, we were camped in front of the Mayors office all week. Hah! Anyway, Gylfi Jón invited us to have lunch with him and we were happy to join. We packed up all of our bags, because we no longer trusted leaving our belongings unattended, and we went to a place that Gylfi Jón called his Hut. Located on the southwestern coast of Iceland, the Hut is on farmland called Hafurbjarnarstadir. Good luck trying to pronounce that.
Gylfi Jón was a very polite character with a smile that suggested he was much funnier than he was reserved. He had a very gentle, calming effect, and he seemed really sincere. As he seasoned a plateful of lamb-chops and prepared some veggies, I got the impression that he was also a good cook. My thoughts were proven correct shortly after. I have never been a fan of lamb but it was absolutely delicious. Actually, those lamb-chops were the tastiest meat I have ever eaten.
After a full tummy, Gylfi Jón invited us to walk down to the shore and visit the lighthouse. The hut was surrounded by farmland occupied by gorgeous Icelandic horses. They appeared different from what I consider typical. Probably because the Icelandic horses remains a breed known for its purity of bloodline. It is the only horse breed present in Iceland because law prevents horses from being imported into the country, and exported animals are not allowed to return. Icelandic horses are short and stalky with beautiful wild manes. They display two gaits in addition to the typical walk, trot, and canter/gallop commonly displayed by other breeds. Tölt, the first additional gait is known for its explosive acceleration and speed. It is a comfortable, ground-covering ride. The breed also performs a pace called askeið, flugskeið or "flying pace". It is used in pacing races, and is fast and smooth, with some horses able to reach up to 30 miles per hour (48 km/h). It is not a gait used for long-distance travel. I kept imagining that one of them would let me jump on their back and they would Tölt me around the country.
The ocean was approximately 200 meters from the Hut. We followed the shore, decorated with arctic flowers, until we got to the lighthouse, more than one kilometer away. We immediately fell in love with this place. When we returned to the Hut, Gylfi Jón invited us to stay there until we received our motorcycle. Rocky and I were ecstatic. It was great to have this cute wooden home all to ourselves. It was well equipped with everything we needed to feel comfortable, but the best thing it featured was the shower. Located on the outside of the hut, was a showerhead poking out of the wall. Gylfi Jón warned us that the area was popular for bird watchers with their fancy binoculars. But, I imagine that bird watchers deserve some sort of excitement in their lives as well. Once the fireplace was lit, I was ready to run out in the cold to test the waters. It already felt great to feel hot water splash all over me as the cool wind blew past, but, to experience this as fields of horses grazed and the sun set below the oceans horizon, was extraordinary. I can't describe a more peaceful moment in my life.
Gylfi Jón showed up the following day and invited us to visit a geothermal area located nearby. He brought with him his friend Baldur, and a five-year-old girl named Anna, who is his girlfriend’s daughter. We visited an area that I could best describe as burnt earth. Steam rose up from the cracks and water bubbled with heat. In Iceland, history is told with magical stories. An extremely large percentage of Icelanders believe in trolls, ferries, ghosts and other things alike. Gylfi Jón wasn't one of them but he was a great storyteller as he expressed all of the tales. We walked along high cliffs that met the oceans shore and as we walked through a field, Anna grabbed for my hand and gestured for me to sit with her. She showed me a patch of Cow Berries and began picking them to eat. We sat there for a while staining our lips and fingers. After a great day of site seeing, I was thrilled that we had the opportunity to wander even though we had no motorcycle. It was also nice to make new friends. When we arrived at the Hut, Baldur asked us for our permission to be interviewed. He is a journalist for the newspaper DV and wanted to post an article about us, our travels and our time in Iceland. We awkwardly agreed with blushed cheeks. After interviewing us, he also offered us a vehicle for the following day. It was a very kind gesture and we were obviously excited to be able to explore some of Iceland. Iceland has been on top of our list of places to see in the world. Being there, but immobile, was such a tease.
The next morning, we hitchhiked to the bus station and took a bus into Reykjavik. The whole country of Iceland is only made up of 318,000 people and 200,000 of them live in the capital city of Reykjavik. We met up with Baldur at his job and picked up the car for a road trip. We had been experiencing a lot of rain but that day had been perfect for us. It felt strange to be touring around in a car but there were a few conveniences I really liked. It was much warmer and it was great to be able to sit back comfortably.
Baldur recommended that we visit a popular tourist route in South Iceland called the Golden Circle. The area covers approximately 300 km looping from Reykjavík into central Iceland and back. We first stopped at Þingvellir National Park. Iceland is situated on the Eurasian and North-American plate boundaries and the Þingvellir area is part of a fissure zone that runs through the country. Both continents are gradually moving apart from each other by an average of 3 mm each year and the cracks or faults, which traverse the region, can be clearly seen. From there we visited the geothermal active valley of Haukadalur. It is home to the geysers Strokkur and Geysir. Strokkur continues to erupt every 5-10 minutes and although Geysir has been inactive for a long time, its name has continued to be used to describe such a fairly rare phenomenon. Our last stop was to visit the waterfall, Gullfoss, meaning golden falls. It was large, powerful and absolutely gorgeous.
The day was almost over and we were about to drive to Baldur's house to drop off the car. But first, it would make perfect sense for us to offer a couple of hitchhikers a ride since we've hitched a few rides ourselves. Andreas and Melanie were heading in the same direction about half of an hour away. They were from Bavaria in Germany and were traveling through Iceland for a few weeks. Many people hitchhike in Iceland, it is very common. On route to driving them to there next location, we continued to enjoy the scenery of Iceland's fantastic landscapes.
When we arrived in Reykjavik, Baldur invited us into his home for dinner. He lived with his girlfriend Hulda and young son Emil and they spoiled us with a delicious, fresh Cod fish dinner. Yummy!!! Cod is my favorite cooked fish! After constantly meeting so many amazing strangers along our journey, people's kind and friendly nature continues across the world. Baldur and his family treated us as though we were lifelong friends and that is what we will continue to be. We were very fortunate to have met such caring people.
We spent another cozy night at the Hut, and the following day we finally received an email from Iceland Air Cargo. But, the news wasn't good. Our motorcycle was stuck in customs and would not be shipped until at least the following week. Kindly, Gylfi Jón welcomed us to stay at the Hut until the motorcycle arrived. For the next few days, Rocky and I would walk through the fields of horses to get to the lighthouse. Rain or shine, and it was mostly rain, we enjoyed the fresh air and the beauty that surrounded us. We really grew attached to theses beautiful creatures. A group of seven females lived directly beside the Hut. After spending many days with them it became natural to have names for each one. Eh was a black horse with a crimped mane, she got her name from the letters EH bleached onto her coat. I want to take her back to Canada, EH! Blackie, Brownie, Blondie where named after their colours. Blondie was Rocky's favourite, she was a great model for his photo sessions. I was happy that she stole the Paparazzi attention off of me. Little one was the smallest, I'm pretty sure that she was still a pony. Timid was the only one that didn't fully trust us. She could barely be bribed with food. Jerry was named Jerry because we didn't know what to name her. Everyday rewarded us with a sense of fulfillment as we were greeted by our new friends. This place was magical.
Throughout the week, Gylfi Jón would stop by to visit. Each time, he would surprise us with a delicious treat. First he brought us "hangikjöt" (smoked lamb cold-cut) on "flatbrauð" (thin rye flatbread) a traditional Icelandic treat. A couple of days later, he came by with Sole filets. A couple of days after that, he brought us Salmon. He even took us to meet his mom, Guðrún at her house to drop off our laundry. She was as kind and nurturing as he was. I was beginning to wish that Gylfi Jón would just adopt us and we could live at the Hut forever. He is one of the kindest men I have ever met.
By the end of the week, we finally received news that our motorcycle was ready to be picked up. Rocky and I hitched a ride to the airport and waited politely for our documents to be accepted. We walked over to the docking station and the cargo employees all circled around as the crate was delivered to us. It turns out that they had read the article about us in the DV newspaper, and were excited for us as well. After assembling the bike, we finally had the chance to introduce her to this beautiful land. For the first time after being in Iceland for two weeks, I realized how cold it was. My chin froze numb as we rode back to the hut for our last night there.
Usually, to be stranded somewhere would imply a negative experience. In our case, being stranded was awesome. A part of me was excited that the motorcycle finally arrived. But, I knew that I would deeply miss the little Hut by the sea.
August 5, 2013 - August 19, 2013
Early the next morning, we packed our bags and created a sign that read Keflavik. Rocky nominated me to hold the sign and stick out my thumb. Had I shaven, I may have stuck out my leg, but to my surprise, it only took 10 minutes before a man named Tomas picked us up. The town of Keflavik wasn't too far, it only took us a few minutes to get there. Tomas dropped us off on a main road in front of a Subway Sandwich Restaurant. Can anyone guess what we ate for lunch? At least we would begin searching for a cheaper way to eat, that sub cost almost twice the price we were accustomed to paying.
We knew we would be waiting at least five days for the bike and that kind of sucked. We chose the type of luggage we have because it is easy for the bike to carry, not us. It would be awkward and difficult to travel by foot and carry all of our belongings. Besides, I'm far too lazy for that. We decided to stay in Keflavik and work on trying to catch up on our website. Rocky found an open Internet connection at a library and we pitched our tent in the park across the street so that we would be able to keep an eye on our stuff as we sat inside. We just hoped that nobody would say anything about a tent being pitched in the center of town in a public park.
Our first night went well and we heard no complaints. We kept the tent pitched and walked across the road to the library in the morning. Still tired, I decided to take a walk to go search for coffee. I approached a man and asked him if he knew where I could find good cheap coffee. He laughed and replied, "Nothing is cheap in Iceland" and then continued walking. I approached the second man who walked past me, and again I asked if he knew where I could find good, cheap coffee. He laughed and replied, "My dear, nothing is cheap in Iceland". I became sad and slightly crazy with the thought that coffee in Iceland might be out of our budget. I continued walking up the road until I reached a restaurant. I asked the girl behind the counter how much for each cup of coffee and she replied, "They come free with a combo, just take some." Things might be expensive in Iceland but kindness makes up for it!
After another night in the park, I was shocked that nobody had asked us to leave. After all, we were visibly camping in the center of town. Once again we went to the library to work on our website. To my surprise, I could hear two ladies behind me speaking Portuguese. Maybe it was the familiarity that comforted me in this foreign land, but their words sounded like music to my ears. I immediately introduced myself to Angela and her mother Laura. They are originally from Angola in Africa and have been living in Iceland for many years. Angela was in the process of opening up a coffee shop in the area of the library we were sitting at. That excited me. I asked her if I could purchase two coffees and she made me two Cafe Lattes. When I asked her how much, she told me that she could not legally sell anything yet because she was supposed to receive her business license that day, but was having difficulties. She refused payment and seemed happy to give us complimentary coffee. But, we weren't the only ones to receive special treatment. As she cleaned and organized her shop, many customers asked to purchase coffee and she politely continued to serve it for free. Her kindness was not typical of a business owner but I believe that because of it she will be very successful.
After a few days, Angela hadn't got her license yet but continued to insist on giving us free coffee and food. She said it was because we were her first (none paying) customers and we were going through some troubles waiting for something important as well. She also told us, numerous times, that if we needed anything not to hesitate asking. I'm not sure she knew how kind she had already been. On the Friday of that week, she invited us to join her and her parents, Amandio and Laura, for dinner at her house. We left our belongings with the tent and went to her house. Dinner was delicious and the conversations were great. Amandio taught me a lot of history about the Portuguese people of Africa and the civil war that took place. It was history I was never aware of, interesting to know. I really enjoyed getting to know this family.
It was almost 10 pm when we had returned to our tent and our things had been left untouched. Never-mind, I take that back. As Rocky lay in the tent and gazed at the stars, he wondered why he was able to see the sky. There was a tare on the top of our tent. It was an odd location for the tent to be cut, unless it wasn't cut but torn instead. As I cleaned the area to attempt a patch job, I noticed a bit of dirt. I'm pretty sure that one of the many drunken kids roaming the street on that Friday night may have thrown a rock, which would cause the tent to rip. To make matters worse, we didn't have our patch kit with us, it was in the side bag of the motorcycle. I had no choice but to use what I had, to patch the tare. Electrical tape and bandages was going to have to do the trick. Luckily the rain wasn't much that night and we woke up dry.
The day before, we had been approached by a man who had introduced himself as Gylfi Jón. He is the director of education and works above the library, beside the Mayors office. Oh yeah, by the way, we were camped in front of the Mayors office all week. Hah! Anyway, Gylfi Jón invited us to have lunch with him and we were happy to join. We packed up all of our bags, because we no longer trusted leaving our belongings unattended, and we went to a place that Gylfi Jón called his Hut. Located on the southwestern coast of Iceland, the Hut is on farmland called Hafurbjarnarstadir. Good luck trying to pronounce that.
Gylfi Jón was a very polite character with a smile that suggested he was much funnier than he was reserved. He had a very gentle, calming effect, and he seemed really sincere. As he seasoned a plateful of lamb-chops and prepared some veggies, I got the impression that he was also a good cook. My thoughts were proven correct shortly after. I have never been a fan of lamb but it was absolutely delicious. Actually, those lamb-chops were the tastiest meat I have ever eaten.
After a full tummy, Gylfi Jón invited us to walk down to the shore and visit the lighthouse. The hut was surrounded by farmland occupied by gorgeous Icelandic horses. They appeared different from what I consider typical. Probably because the Icelandic horses remains a breed known for its purity of bloodline. It is the only horse breed present in Iceland because law prevents horses from being imported into the country, and exported animals are not allowed to return. Icelandic horses are short and stalky with beautiful wild manes. They display two gaits in addition to the typical walk, trot, and canter/gallop commonly displayed by other breeds. Tölt, the first additional gait is known for its explosive acceleration and speed. It is a comfortable, ground-covering ride. The breed also performs a pace called askeið, flugskeið or "flying pace". It is used in pacing races, and is fast and smooth, with some horses able to reach up to 30 miles per hour (48 km/h). It is not a gait used for long-distance travel. I kept imagining that one of them would let me jump on their back and they would Tölt me around the country.
The ocean was approximately 200 meters from the Hut. We followed the shore, decorated with arctic flowers, until we got to the lighthouse, more than one kilometer away. We immediately fell in love with this place. When we returned to the Hut, Gylfi Jón invited us to stay there until we received our motorcycle. Rocky and I were ecstatic. It was great to have this cute wooden home all to ourselves. It was well equipped with everything we needed to feel comfortable, but the best thing it featured was the shower. Located on the outside of the hut, was a showerhead poking out of the wall. Gylfi Jón warned us that the area was popular for bird watchers with their fancy binoculars. But, I imagine that bird watchers deserve some sort of excitement in their lives as well. Once the fireplace was lit, I was ready to run out in the cold to test the waters. It already felt great to feel hot water splash all over me as the cool wind blew past, but, to experience this as fields of horses grazed and the sun set below the oceans horizon, was extraordinary. I can't describe a more peaceful moment in my life.
Gylfi Jón showed up the following day and invited us to visit a geothermal area located nearby. He brought with him his friend Baldur, and a five-year-old girl named Anna, who is his girlfriend’s daughter. We visited an area that I could best describe as burnt earth. Steam rose up from the cracks and water bubbled with heat. In Iceland, history is told with magical stories. An extremely large percentage of Icelanders believe in trolls, ferries, ghosts and other things alike. Gylfi Jón wasn't one of them but he was a great storyteller as he expressed all of the tales. We walked along high cliffs that met the oceans shore and as we walked through a field, Anna grabbed for my hand and gestured for me to sit with her. She showed me a patch of Cow Berries and began picking them to eat. We sat there for a while staining our lips and fingers. After a great day of site seeing, I was thrilled that we had the opportunity to wander even though we had no motorcycle. It was also nice to make new friends. When we arrived at the Hut, Baldur asked us for our permission to be interviewed. He is a journalist for the newspaper DV and wanted to post an article about us, our travels and our time in Iceland. We awkwardly agreed with blushed cheeks. After interviewing us, he also offered us a vehicle for the following day. It was a very kind gesture and we were obviously excited to be able to explore some of Iceland. Iceland has been on top of our list of places to see in the world. Being there, but immobile, was such a tease.
The next morning, we hitchhiked to the bus station and took a bus into Reykjavik. The whole country of Iceland is only made up of 318,000 people and 200,000 of them live in the capital city of Reykjavik. We met up with Baldur at his job and picked up the car for a road trip. We had been experiencing a lot of rain but that day had been perfect for us. It felt strange to be touring around in a car but there were a few conveniences I really liked. It was much warmer and it was great to be able to sit back comfortably.
Baldur recommended that we visit a popular tourist route in South Iceland called the Golden Circle. The area covers approximately 300 km looping from Reykjavík into central Iceland and back. We first stopped at Þingvellir National Park. Iceland is situated on the Eurasian and North-American plate boundaries and the Þingvellir area is part of a fissure zone that runs through the country. Both continents are gradually moving apart from each other by an average of 3 mm each year and the cracks or faults, which traverse the region, can be clearly seen. From there we visited the geothermal active valley of Haukadalur. It is home to the geysers Strokkur and Geysir. Strokkur continues to erupt every 5-10 minutes and although Geysir has been inactive for a long time, its name has continued to be used to describe such a fairly rare phenomenon. Our last stop was to visit the waterfall, Gullfoss, meaning golden falls. It was large, powerful and absolutely gorgeous.
The day was almost over and we were about to drive to Baldur's house to drop off the car. But first, it would make perfect sense for us to offer a couple of hitchhikers a ride since we've hitched a few rides ourselves. Andreas and Melanie were heading in the same direction about half of an hour away. They were from Bavaria in Germany and were traveling through Iceland for a few weeks. Many people hitchhike in Iceland, it is very common. On route to driving them to there next location, we continued to enjoy the scenery of Iceland's fantastic landscapes.
When we arrived in Reykjavik, Baldur invited us into his home for dinner. He lived with his girlfriend Hulda and young son Emil and they spoiled us with a delicious, fresh Cod fish dinner. Yummy!!! Cod is my favorite cooked fish! After constantly meeting so many amazing strangers along our journey, people's kind and friendly nature continues across the world. Baldur and his family treated us as though we were lifelong friends and that is what we will continue to be. We were very fortunate to have met such caring people.
We spent another cozy night at the Hut, and the following day we finally received an email from Iceland Air Cargo. But, the news wasn't good. Our motorcycle was stuck in customs and would not be shipped until at least the following week. Kindly, Gylfi Jón welcomed us to stay at the Hut until the motorcycle arrived. For the next few days, Rocky and I would walk through the fields of horses to get to the lighthouse. Rain or shine, and it was mostly rain, we enjoyed the fresh air and the beauty that surrounded us. We really grew attached to theses beautiful creatures. A group of seven females lived directly beside the Hut. After spending many days with them it became natural to have names for each one. Eh was a black horse with a crimped mane, she got her name from the letters EH bleached onto her coat. I want to take her back to Canada, EH! Blackie, Brownie, Blondie where named after their colours. Blondie was Rocky's favourite, she was a great model for his photo sessions. I was happy that she stole the Paparazzi attention off of me. Little one was the smallest, I'm pretty sure that she was still a pony. Timid was the only one that didn't fully trust us. She could barely be bribed with food. Jerry was named Jerry because we didn't know what to name her. Everyday rewarded us with a sense of fulfillment as we were greeted by our new friends. This place was magical.
Throughout the week, Gylfi Jón would stop by to visit. Each time, he would surprise us with a delicious treat. First he brought us "hangikjöt" (smoked lamb cold-cut) on "flatbrauð" (thin rye flatbread) a traditional Icelandic treat. A couple of days later, he came by with Sole filets. A couple of days after that, he brought us Salmon. He even took us to meet his mom, Guðrún at her house to drop off our laundry. She was as kind and nurturing as he was. I was beginning to wish that Gylfi Jón would just adopt us and we could live at the Hut forever. He is one of the kindest men I have ever met.
By the end of the week, we finally received news that our motorcycle was ready to be picked up. Rocky and I hitched a ride to the airport and waited politely for our documents to be accepted. We walked over to the docking station and the cargo employees all circled around as the crate was delivered to us. It turns out that they had read the article about us in the DV newspaper, and were excited for us as well. After assembling the bike, we finally had the chance to introduce her to this beautiful land. For the first time after being in Iceland for two weeks, I realized how cold it was. My chin froze numb as we rode back to the hut for our last night there.
Usually, to be stranded somewhere would imply a negative experience. In our case, being stranded was awesome. A part of me was excited that the motorcycle finally arrived. But, I knew that I would deeply miss the little Hut by the sea.
Re: Arriving In Iceland
On our flight to Iceland on Monday, we flew over Greenland and got a great view of massive glaciers and icebergs.
Our flight to Iceland arrived just before midnight on Monday. We camped out at the airport that night and the next day we decided to head to the nearby town of Keflaviík. There was no local bus service and we didn't want to spend $20 on a 4km cab ride, so we (I) decided to have Paula hitchhike. I knew that having her (instead of myself) standing there with her thumb out would drastically increase our odds of getting a ride. It took less than 10 minutes for someone to stop.
We had been camping in the town of Keflavík, in the park across the street from the public library, waiting for the motorcycle to arrive from New York. To get out of the rain, we spent the days sitting in the library, using the internet and working on the blog. On our second day there, Paula heard the familiar sound of someone speaking Portuguese, and introduced herself to the woman who was opening a coffee shop in the library. Angela was her name, and she had lived in Iceland for almost 20 years. She was setting up her new business of selling coffee and treats. Like us, Angela was also having trouble with getting her paperwork processed, so she was unable to legally sell anything. For the remainder of the week, she offered us and everyone who came into the library free food and coffee.
On the Friday, four days after arriving in Icleand, Angela invited Pala and I back to her home for a wonderful dinner and a nice, hot shower. There, we met her mother, Laura, and her, father, Amandio.
While hanging out in Keflavík Library that first week, we also met a man named Gylfi Jón. Gylfi Jón was the director of education in the area of Reykjanesbær. Gylfi Jón approached us at the end of the week while we were sitting in the library, and invited us out to his "hut" the following day for lunch. Gylfi Jón picked us up in front of the library the next day and cooked us a delicious dinner of lamb chops and potatoes. He also offered us a place to stay at his hut, which is a small cottage next to the ocean, complete with electricity, a fridge, a stove, a bbq, hot water, a wood fireplace and the best outdoor shower we have ever seen.
Gylfi Jón & Paula
The Hut By The Sea
Rock carvings done by a local artist
The area in which Gylfi Jón's hut is located, called Hafurbjarnarstadir, is home to many Icelandic horses roaming and grazing in the fields.
Feeding The Horses
Paula At The Beach
The following day Gylfi Jón, his firend, Baldur and his girlfriend's daughter, Anna ,arrived at the hut to take Paula and I to do some sightseeing in an area along the southwestern shore of Iceland.
Gylfi Jón & Paula in Southwestern Iceland
The Geothermal Area In Reykjanesbær
Shifting Plates
Anna & Paula picked wild berries growing in the area.
While visiting the area, Baldur asked many questions about our travels. Baldur was a journalist for a popular newspaper in Iceland, The DV. After returning to the hut, Baldur conducted a formal, recorded interview, which was rather awkward for Paula and I. Baldur planned to submit a story about us for the following week's paper.
The shower at Gylfi Jón's hut was on the outside of the building. The combination of the hot water, cool breeze and the view of the sunset over the ocean and the Icelandic horses in the fields is why Paula and I have deemed it the greatest shower on Earth.
On our flight to Iceland on Monday, we flew over Greenland and got a great view of massive glaciers and icebergs.
Our flight to Iceland arrived just before midnight on Monday. We camped out at the airport that night and the next day we decided to head to the nearby town of Keflaviík. There was no local bus service and we didn't want to spend $20 on a 4km cab ride, so we (I) decided to have Paula hitchhike. I knew that having her (instead of myself) standing there with her thumb out would drastically increase our odds of getting a ride. It took less than 10 minutes for someone to stop.
We had been camping in the town of Keflavík, in the park across the street from the public library, waiting for the motorcycle to arrive from New York. To get out of the rain, we spent the days sitting in the library, using the internet and working on the blog. On our second day there, Paula heard the familiar sound of someone speaking Portuguese, and introduced herself to the woman who was opening a coffee shop in the library. Angela was her name, and she had lived in Iceland for almost 20 years. She was setting up her new business of selling coffee and treats. Like us, Angela was also having trouble with getting her paperwork processed, so she was unable to legally sell anything. For the remainder of the week, she offered us and everyone who came into the library free food and coffee.
On the Friday, four days after arriving in Icleand, Angela invited Pala and I back to her home for a wonderful dinner and a nice, hot shower. There, we met her mother, Laura, and her, father, Amandio.
While hanging out in Keflavík Library that first week, we also met a man named Gylfi Jón. Gylfi Jón was the director of education in the area of Reykjanesbær. Gylfi Jón approached us at the end of the week while we were sitting in the library, and invited us out to his "hut" the following day for lunch. Gylfi Jón picked us up in front of the library the next day and cooked us a delicious dinner of lamb chops and potatoes. He also offered us a place to stay at his hut, which is a small cottage next to the ocean, complete with electricity, a fridge, a stove, a bbq, hot water, a wood fireplace and the best outdoor shower we have ever seen.
Gylfi Jón & Paula
The Hut By The Sea
Rock carvings done by a local artist
The area in which Gylfi Jón's hut is located, called Hafurbjarnarstadir, is home to many Icelandic horses roaming and grazing in the fields.
Feeding The Horses
Paula At The Beach
The following day Gylfi Jón, his firend, Baldur and his girlfriend's daughter, Anna ,arrived at the hut to take Paula and I to do some sightseeing in an area along the southwestern shore of Iceland.
Gylfi Jón & Paula in Southwestern Iceland
The Geothermal Area In Reykjanesbær
Shifting Plates
Anna & Paula picked wild berries growing in the area.
While visiting the area, Baldur asked many questions about our travels. Baldur was a journalist for a popular newspaper in Iceland, The DV. After returning to the hut, Baldur conducted a formal, recorded interview, which was rather awkward for Paula and I. Baldur planned to submit a story about us for the following week's paper.
The shower at Gylfi Jón's hut was on the outside of the building. The combination of the hot water, cool breeze and the view of the sunset over the ocean and the Icelandic horses in the fields is why Paula and I have deemed it the greatest shower on Earth.
Grazing Horses
After conducting the interview, Baldur offered Paula and I the use of one of his vehicles. Since we were stranded waiting for the motorcycle, Baldur suggested that we take his car for the day and drive around The Golden Circle to see some of the beautiful nature that Iceland has to offer.
Paula In Iceland
We visited Þingvellir National Park, which is just outside of the capital city of Reykjavík.
Paula At Þingvellir National Park
The Mountains of Iceland
We also visited Geysir, an active geothermal area in central Iceland.
Paula At Geysir
The Beauty of Iceland
Paula & I At Gullfoss
After spending a full day of sightseeing, dropped off the car off at Baldur's house. When we arrived, Baldur and his wife, Hulda, cooked us a delicious supper of cod fish with mashed potatoes, traditional Icelandic rye bread, cucumber salad and beer. Baldur and Hulda lived with their 3-year old son, Emil, in a suburb of Reykjavík.
Paula and I met Gylfi Jón's mother, Guðrún, who offered to wash and dry our dirty laundry. We were very grateful to her since we had run out of clean clothes and Iceland doesn't seem to have any laundromats.
With the hopes of receiving the motorcycle this weekend in Iceland, we said goodbye to Gylf Jón, who will be gone on a fishing trip for the next four days. After he left, Paula and I enjoyed the delicious salmon he brought us. We had it raw, with some soy sause, wasabi and pickled ginger.
Along with the horses, there was also a little bunny that called this beautiful place home.
The Horses of Iceland
On our second Saturday in Iceland, Paula and I walked to the grocery store and picked up the paper to find a two-page article about us.
The Article In The DV
After two weeks of waiting, the motorcycle had finally arrived in Iceland. Paula and I hitchhiked to the airport where we finally received and reassembled the bike.
After conducting the interview, Baldur offered Paula and I the use of one of his vehicles. Since we were stranded waiting for the motorcycle, Baldur suggested that we take his car for the day and drive around The Golden Circle to see some of the beautiful nature that Iceland has to offer.
Paula In Iceland
We visited Þingvellir National Park, which is just outside of the capital city of Reykjavík.
Paula At Þingvellir National Park
The Mountains of Iceland
We also visited Geysir, an active geothermal area in central Iceland.
Paula At Geysir
The Beauty of Iceland
Paula & I At Gullfoss
After spending a full day of sightseeing, dropped off the car off at Baldur's house. When we arrived, Baldur and his wife, Hulda, cooked us a delicious supper of cod fish with mashed potatoes, traditional Icelandic rye bread, cucumber salad and beer. Baldur and Hulda lived with their 3-year old son, Emil, in a suburb of Reykjavík.
Paula and I met Gylfi Jón's mother, Guðrún, who offered to wash and dry our dirty laundry. We were very grateful to her since we had run out of clean clothes and Iceland doesn't seem to have any laundromats.
With the hopes of receiving the motorcycle this weekend in Iceland, we said goodbye to Gylf Jón, who will be gone on a fishing trip for the next four days. After he left, Paula and I enjoyed the delicious salmon he brought us. We had it raw, with some soy sause, wasabi and pickled ginger.
Along with the horses, there was also a little bunny that called this beautiful place home.
The Horses of Iceland
On our second Saturday in Iceland, Paula and I walked to the grocery store and picked up the paper to find a two-page article about us.
The Article In The DV
After two weeks of waiting, the motorcycle had finally arrived in Iceland. Paula and I hitchhiked to the airport where we finally received and reassembled the bike.
The Greatest Shower On Earth
Though happy to finally have our motorcycle back, we were saddened to have to leave this magical place that we called home for our first two weeks in Iceland.
We spent our last night in the hut and, the following day, packed up out belongings onto the motorcycle and were on our way.
Though happy to finally have our motorcycle back, we were saddened to have to leave this magical place that we called home for our first two weeks in Iceland.
We spent our last night in the hut and, the following day, packed up out belongings onto the motorcycle and were on our way.
Iceland
August 20, 2013 - September 3, 2013
We got up early in the morning and packed our belongings. With tears in my eyes I said goodbye to all the horses. Everything was ready to go. Rocky sat on the bike, turned the key...and nothing. The motorcycle wouldn't start. We spent a few hours trying to wiggle wires and charge the battery, but still, nothing. I eventually ran over to the neighbour's home, a few hundred meters away. He had a lot of old vehicles and machinery collected on his yard. I thought that there would be a good chance he would have cables and or even an old battery we could briefly borrow. I didn't want to bother him, but I did. He opened the door, and then slammed it shut. That didn't work out so well. Maybe if he kept his door open more often, the view wouldn't allow him to be so miserable.
I ran to the next closest place, which was a golf course, a few more hundred meters away. The lands keeper was quickly willing to help. We drove out to the hut and attached the cables to the batteries. The motorcycle quickly came to life with a roar. We hopped on her and rode towards the horses on our way out, but that didn't intimidate our long mane friends. They curiously peeked at the odd creature we rode away on, as we waved goodbye, one last time.
It was a beautiful day but we had our winter and rain liners attached to our riding gear. I was also wearing my balaclava to protect my neck and chin from the crisp air. We rode to the library where Rocky and I had spent our first week in Iceland. Angela was behind the counter at the Radhause Kaffi shop, open for business. I was extremely happy to see her glowing with pride.
We were supposed to meet Gylfi Jon there and take him out for lunch. When I asked Angela if she had seen him, she said that she had last seen him in the kitchen eating. I felt horrible for being too late. When Gylfi Jon found us, he joined us at our table. I felt emotional as I tried to come up with the right words. Nothing I could have said would have expressed how much I enjoyed meeting him and staying at the Little Hut by the Sea.
We were officially back on the road and on our own. We planned on spending the day at Iceland's most unique and popular attraction, The Blue Lagoon. In 1976, a geothermal power plant was new to the area. Superheated water was vented from 2000 meters in the ground near a lava flow. It was used to run turbines that generate electricity. After going through the turbines, the steam and hot water would pass through a heat exchanger to provide heat for a municipal water heating system. All of the wastewater outputted from the geothermal power plant formed a pool. In the years that followed, people start bathing in it.
It wasn't long before the natural geothermal seawater became known for its healing power from its active ingredients, minerals, silica and algae. The Blue Lagoon Spa was created soon after. Absolutely breathtaking, the Blue Lagoon is one of the most intensely beautiful places I have ever experienced. It was so perfect, that until I walked around the inside of the lagoon, I had no idea that man had anything to do with its intense natural beauty. It is the most compatible relationship between nature and technology I have ever seen.
Just as we were about to leave, the bike refused to start again. Luckily, we were in a very busy parking lot and finding help came easy. We left Keflavik and rode to Reykjavik. Just as we approached the city, the sun was beginning to drop towards the oceans horizon. The sky was a mixture of light pink and baby blue with wisps of translucent clouds. It was such a pretty sunset that I had to force myself to look away to check out the landscape around me. I turned my head to the right but the sky stole my attention once again. It was a pretty purple and the mountains in the distance were navy blue. But, prettier than colors, was the largest white moon I have ever seen. It dominated the sky like something I have only witness on an Anime cartoon. It is during moments like those, when I wished Rocky and I had communication devices.
Once we were in the city, it began to get late and we decided to camp out in a huge field near the University. The wind blew hard that night and we woke up to a lot of rain the following morning. Packing in the rain is definitely on the list of things I almost hate. We found a nearby Subway restaurant, and we decided to go there for a few hours. Once we were dry, our tummies were full and we googled a few addresses, we stopped at a camping store for some water proofing spray. I had already sprayed the tent while in NYC. I had also glued all the seams and patched all the tears while we were staying at The Little Hut. But, there was still a little bit of water finding its way in through the material we lay on.
We also stopped at a KTM shop for some advice. Rocky wasn't exactly sure why the motorcycle was experiencing troubles, but he suspected that we may need a regulator. Unfortunately, none were in stock and we were told that it could possibly be at least a week for one to be delivered. We didn't want to wait that long. Especially since we weren't positive that it was the regulator causing us bike problems. Instead, we left with some chain lube and cleaner.
We had spent all day in Reykjavik, and then we searched for a place to camp along the coast. The sky threatened more rain, so we hoped to find a place that would provide us with some shelter. Right along the beach was a tiny facility with an overhang that could keep us dry for the night. There was a set of stairs to its side that led to the top of the overhang, giving us a beautiful view of the arctic waves. Sounds perfect? It could have been, if it wasn't a sewage plant. Even the shittiest place in Iceland was awesome. What made me laugh more, were the two employees that showed up for their shift in the morning. They asked us for pictures because they recognized us from the newspaper!
We began our way out of the city and my hopes of the weather getting better were quickly diminishing. It was cold, really cold. Rain was pouring down on us, but worst, was the wind. When we stopped for gas, the attendant warned us that the road ahead was known for very strong winds. I was told that it would get better once we reached the top of the hill but I couldn't help having doubt. The wind was pulling and pushing us all over the road. After driving for about 20 km, we reached the top and I was shocked to see some blue sky and sunshine in the distance. We stopped for a photo and noticed another rider was doing the same. Tam was from Whales he was exploring solo on a KLR. I really enjoyed seeing other riders. Most adventurers we saw were in huge Unimog campers. These things were massive. The wheels were more than half my size, and seeing them made me feel brave.
We continued towards visiting a waterfall and we must have rode past at least half a dozen of them on our way. We spent the rest of the day riding in and out of rain, and fighting the wind. The weather was very temperamental and seemed to change frequently. I felt a strong sense of relief once we entered the Hvalfjörður tunnel. I was so cold that I honestly wouldn't have minded staying in that warm pocket of exhaust fumes. Even though the tunnel is among the longest underwater road tunnels in the world (5,770 m or 18,930 ft. long), we were back into the cold much too soon. All I could do was close my eyes and imagine the heat of the fireplace in the cozy, Little Hut by the Sea. We continued driving for a bit but we finally found a park that we thought would be a good place to camp. We set up the tent under a tree, and finally warmed our hands and feet.
With everything ready and packed to leave in the morning, the motorcycle refused to start, once again. We were becoming very frustrated. I walked up and down streets asking everyone for help but nobody had cables or understood what I was saying. We were in a small town and English wasn't as popular. I found it very difficult to communicate and resorted to inventing my own sign language. I was relieved when it worked and I finally found help.
For the rest of the day, we rode around gawking at the scenery. Iceland is a very mountainous island with a strange landscape. It was so ridiculously beautiful that we were constantly stopping every few minutes to take another picture. I thoroughly enjoyed every stop. Because Iceland is a volcanic island, there are many beautiful lava fields covered in moss and lichen. To my surprise, they were also covered with wild blueberries. Every time Rocky was taking pictures, I was filling us up bags (and my mouth) full of deliciousness.
We eventually arrived in a town called Grundarfjörður and stopped at a gas station for a cup of coffee. We discovered that N1 Gas Stations have free WiFi and good, cheap coffee. We were especially happy when we also found out about unlimited refills. After warming up and relaxing for a while, we tried to come up with a plan for the night. We were continuing to have problems with the motorcycle starting and we were afraid to camp too far from public in case we needed a boost.
Adjacent from the gas station was a small Viking hut. It looked as though it was placed there as a type of attraction or selling booth. I had asked one of the guys working in the store what it was used for and he said it had been recently built for the community and occasionally used by the locals to perform skits and plays. I encouraged Rocky for us to stay there for the night. I thought that, not only would it be a perfect place to keep us dry and warm, but it was also a super awesome Viking hut!!
As I set up the tent, Rocky searched outside of The N1 Gas Station for an electrical plug. He hoped that if he plugged in the battery and let it charge for the night that maybe, just maybe, the bike would start in the morning. As he was looking, he met a lady named Silla. She worked at the grocery store that's attached to the N1. Silla offered to take home the battery and return it charged the next morning. The first thing we did when we woke up was check the electric and cable connections. With the fully charged battery installed, the motorcycle still refused to start. Unsure of what the problem was, we decided that we wouldn't pack up our belongings because we would be staying in Grundarfjörður for one more night. We spent the entire day sitting in the N1 Gas Station as Rocky searched the Internet for any help he could find.
Later that day, Rocky was approached by a guy demanding rent money. His name was Hjortur and he was kidding of course. Along with some help, Hjortur had built the Viking Hut. We apologized for staying there, we didn't realize it was private property. We told him that we were experiencing some bike troubles and we planned on returning to Reykjavik in the morning. Hjortur was very understanding and gave us permission to enjoy another night there. When we asked him for a picture, he said yes but asked as if we minded waiting a few minutes. He returned momentarily, fully dressed in his Viking costume. That made my day. I absolutely adored him for it!
We asked someone for a boost in the morning and rode back towards Reykjavik. It is the only large city in Iceland and we were afraid to continue north and around the rest of the island without figuring out what was wrong with the motorcycle. When Gylfi Jon heard that we were coming back in his direction, he invited us to join him at his home for dinner. I'm not one to turn down a meal, but I was especially excited to see him and Anna again. I was also happy that we were going to have the chance to meet his son Sveinn, and his girlfriend as well. The moment I met Ingibjorg, I immediately noticed the strong resemblance between her and Anna. She is extremely pretty, intelligent and funny. Her and Gylfi Jon make a lovely couple. They also make a fantastic meal, but I wasn't surprised. I already knew that Gylfi Jon was passionate about cooking. It was nice to spend time together with everyone.
After a few hours, it was getting late and we exchanged hugs for one last time. Baldur didn't live far and had mentioned that we could camp out at his place while him and Hulda were visiting the West Fjords. It made it much easier for us to take apart the bike to try and figure out what exactly might be wrong with it. The following day, we purchased some contact cleaner and soldered the electrical connections we had previously repaired. That seemed to have helped because the motorcycle was starting at every attempt. Baldur and Hulda came home that night and brought with them the most blueberries I have ever seen in my life. They said that the West Fjords is the best place to pick them because they are everywhere. We all sat at the table sharing stories and eating many bowls filled with blueberries and cream. No matter what troubles we had faced in Iceland, Gylfi Jon and Baldur were always there for us, bringing smiles to our faces.
The motorcycle started in the morning and we took that as a good sign. Once again, we headed north. Everyone in Iceland says that the weather is very unpredictable because it can change drastically, very quickly. I began to believe that the weather was very predictable - high winds, rain and a chance of sunshine. Repeat. But it really didn't matter, it made the world around us look like as if it was sparkling. All of the colours surrounding us were intensified as the hydrated earth was kissed by the sun. We were even rewarded with a full rainbow as we rode past fields of wild horses. I was mesmerized, absolutely captivated by every kilometer we passed.
It was late and the sun had already gone down by the time we stopped in a town named Dalvik. The groceries stores had all closed and the only place open was a gas station. Luckily we had arrived just before they closed because we were really hungry. The ladies working behind the counter must have assumed that because they were kind enough to keep the kitchen open to serve us. We ordered a large plate of french fries to split between us, but we received a heaping platter. It was literally a platter. Rocky and I couldn't stop giggling. There were enough french fries to feed a party. We tried our best to eat as much as possible but we had to give up at approximately 2000 calories each. With a very full tummy, we slept well that night.
We rode to Akureyri in the morning and stopped to check out Godifoss, another very beautiful waterfall. We then headed to Lake Mývatn where the surrounding landscape was dominated by volcanic landforms. For the first time since arriving in Iceland, there were, what I would consider, many mosquitos. I just found out that they were actually midges. Tiny little fly like bugs that were creepily trying to get at my eyeballs. It was the first time I had noticed insects. I hadn't even seen a single ant during our entire time on the island.
Our plan was to visit another waterfall by the end of the day. Dettifoss is said to be the largest, most powerful waterfall in Europe. We rode down a gravel rode for what seemed like forever and finally arrived at what I considered a eerie-looking place. The area was very grey with many rocks and the water was dark with sediment. It was so powerful that I felt as though the earth was vibrating my entire body. We considered spending the night near by but we decided to camp closer to the main road. It was another long ride on a gravel road. Even once we reached the tarac we rarely saw anyone drive past. We continued riding through the barren land until we had just enough sunlight to set up camp for the night. I truly felt as though we were in the middle of nowhere, but we weren't alone. Sound asleep during the middle of the night, I woke up counting sheep. Bhaa, bhaaa, bhaa. It was the cutest sound I have ever awoken to.
During our ride through the northern regions, we had seen sheep everywhere. They roam around freely in the fields, infusing themselves by eating wild thyme and blueberries all day long. It is no wonder why they are so irresistibly delicious. But how could I ever think of sheep like that ever again? I grew a deep affection for them after realizing how extremely adorable they were. They often wandered their way along the roads but they would quickly panic and flee the moment they heard the motorcycle approach them. It was really funny to see them transform from calm, cool and collected grazers, to frantic, little maniacs, running on their skinny little legs as their chubby butts waddled. I just love them!
We had made our way past northern Iceland and headed towards the town of Egilsstaðir, on the Eastern side of the island. For the next few days, we would stay relevantly close to the area because our ferry was waiting near by. We ventured on a thin gravel road that led us up a mountain of rock and silver moss. The wind frightened me as I starred down the steep edges. We continued riding and eventually found a soccer field to pitch our tent. We set up the tent on a wooden deck that was attached to a sports shed, and I was glad we did. It rained heavily all night and into the morning. Even though I had sprayed some protection on the tent while staying at the Viking hut, I didn't trust how well it would work to keep us dry.
It was my birthday and we planned on visiting one of the coolest places I have ever seen. Located on the edge of Vatnajökull National Park, situated at the head of the Breiðamerkurjökull glacier, is a large glacial lake filled with luminous blue chunks of ice that were beautifully streaked with black sediment. 10% of Iceland is covered in glaciers and the are quickly melting. We spent hours starring at the floating, icebergs. A few of them had drifting onto the shore. I didn't care how cold I was, I felt that I had to sit on one. Not many people can say that they've sat on an iceberg for their birthday.
A music video was being filmed a few feet away from us and I felt bad for the artist who was under-dressed and shivering cold. The sky was covered in clouds and I could see snow in the distance atop the glacier. Rocky and I decided it was getting late and much too cold to be hanging out much longer. A few of the locals also approached us as we were preparing to leave and warned us to get out of the weather. Rocky got on the motorcycle and I shouldn't have been so surprised when it wouldn't start. The crew that was filming the video came over to offer their help and they brought us hot cups of coffee from the large trailer they were traveling in. Alfred, Raggi, Villi and Simmi were extremely kind. While Villi showed Rocky how to bypass the start relay with a screwdriver, Alfred, Simmi and Raggi brought me birthday cake and everyone began singing to me. It was very unexpected! It completely warmed my heart and made me feel all fuzzy.
It was already dark and we were trying to ride as far away from the glacier as possible. It was too late to bother finding a room for the night, so we rode east to the town that we stopped in earlier that day, and found a small field to camp in. The next morning was sunny, and we rode back to the town of Egilsstaðir. We decided to have a relaxing day to work on the blog and we camped out in a nearby field, that night. When we woke up in the morning, we planned to visit a Dam, located in the highlands. It was freezing cold and extremely windy. The area was beautiful and desolate but the wind was so ridiculously strong that we were riding on a forty-degree angle. When we finally reached the dam I was worried that Rocky was going to cross it. Imagine dark grey water, thrashing violently. Waves were splashing on the narrow road that separated the raging water from the ridiculous 193 m (633 ft.) drop. I was super scared but Rocky was apparently feeling very adventurous. I was clenching my mouth shut even more than I had that entire ride. It felt as though my teeth were all about to crack. Once we actually made it to the other side, I was relieved to be alive. We stopped for a minute so that I could prevent from peeing in my pants, and then Rocky decided to turned back around. I felt like I was going to have a heart attack. The only comfort I had was in knowing that we were turning around and exiting the highlands.
Half way back to Egilsstaðir, we turned down a gravel rode that led us to a guesthouse. We decided to stop there for a warm drink, and also to relax our cold bones. We met a few other travelers doing the same. They were shocked that we arrived by motorcycle as they complained of the drive they experienced on their trailer homes. My jaw hurt from all the pressure but my tongue was feeling strange. I ran to the bathroom to look in the mirror and I was shocked to see that my tongue was swollen and purple from sucking on it so hard. I was really glad when we finally left the highlands and returned back to the same spot that we had camped the night before.
We had two days left before our ferry was scheduled to leave. We decided to relax all day and work on the blog. We were hanging out at an N1 when we were surprised to see Tam, our friend from Whales. Even though it had only been less than two weeks since we had met him, it felt as though it was so long ago. It was great to hear about Tams journey. He had ridden through Iceland’s interior, where the roads are all gravel and the terrain is difficult to traverse. Sometimes I feel guilty for having joined Rocky on this trip. I know that if he was alone he would love a challenge like that. I don't crave that same excitement while riding passenger.
It was our last night in Iceland and we were camped at the same spot as the past couple of nights. We were sad to be leaving this magical place but Iceland wasn't letting us leave without one last surprise. As I stepped outside of our tent that night, I was awarded with something I had always wished to see, northern lights. The sky was glowing green as it danced above me, and I immediately screamed for Rocky to come outside. It was the first time that either one of us had witnessed such a an astronomical phenomena, it was a real treat. I stared at the sky and took a moment to reminisce all the beauty Iceland possessed. What a fantastic country! It is definitely a place that we will have to visit again in the future.
August 20, 2013 - September 3, 2013
I ran to the next closest place, which was a golf course, a few more hundred meters away. The lands keeper was quickly willing to help. We drove out to the hut and attached the cables to the batteries. The motorcycle quickly came to life with a roar. We hopped on her and rode towards the horses on our way out, but that didn't intimidate our long mane friends. They curiously peeked at the odd creature we rode away on, as we waved goodbye, one last time.
It was a beautiful day but we had our winter and rain liners attached to our riding gear. I was also wearing my balaclava to protect my neck and chin from the crisp air. We rode to the library where Rocky and I had spent our first week in Iceland. Angela was behind the counter at the Radhause Kaffi shop, open for business. I was extremely happy to see her glowing with pride.
We were supposed to meet Gylfi Jon there and take him out for lunch. When I asked Angela if she had seen him, she said that she had last seen him in the kitchen eating. I felt horrible for being too late. When Gylfi Jon found us, he joined us at our table. I felt emotional as I tried to come up with the right words. Nothing I could have said would have expressed how much I enjoyed meeting him and staying at the Little Hut by the Sea.
We were officially back on the road and on our own. We planned on spending the day at Iceland's most unique and popular attraction, The Blue Lagoon. In 1976, a geothermal power plant was new to the area. Superheated water was vented from 2000 meters in the ground near a lava flow. It was used to run turbines that generate electricity. After going through the turbines, the steam and hot water would pass through a heat exchanger to provide heat for a municipal water heating system. All of the wastewater outputted from the geothermal power plant formed a pool. In the years that followed, people start bathing in it.
It wasn't long before the natural geothermal seawater became known for its healing power from its active ingredients, minerals, silica and algae. The Blue Lagoon Spa was created soon after. Absolutely breathtaking, the Blue Lagoon is one of the most intensely beautiful places I have ever experienced. It was so perfect, that until I walked around the inside of the lagoon, I had no idea that man had anything to do with its intense natural beauty. It is the most compatible relationship between nature and technology I have ever seen.
Just as we were about to leave, the bike refused to start again. Luckily, we were in a very busy parking lot and finding help came easy. We left Keflavik and rode to Reykjavik. Just as we approached the city, the sun was beginning to drop towards the oceans horizon. The sky was a mixture of light pink and baby blue with wisps of translucent clouds. It was such a pretty sunset that I had to force myself to look away to check out the landscape around me. I turned my head to the right but the sky stole my attention once again. It was a pretty purple and the mountains in the distance were navy blue. But, prettier than colors, was the largest white moon I have ever seen. It dominated the sky like something I have only witness on an Anime cartoon. It is during moments like those, when I wished Rocky and I had communication devices.
Once we were in the city, it began to get late and we decided to camp out in a huge field near the University. The wind blew hard that night and we woke up to a lot of rain the following morning. Packing in the rain is definitely on the list of things I almost hate. We found a nearby Subway restaurant, and we decided to go there for a few hours. Once we were dry, our tummies were full and we googled a few addresses, we stopped at a camping store for some water proofing spray. I had already sprayed the tent while in NYC. I had also glued all the seams and patched all the tears while we were staying at The Little Hut. But, there was still a little bit of water finding its way in through the material we lay on.
We also stopped at a KTM shop for some advice. Rocky wasn't exactly sure why the motorcycle was experiencing troubles, but he suspected that we may need a regulator. Unfortunately, none were in stock and we were told that it could possibly be at least a week for one to be delivered. We didn't want to wait that long. Especially since we weren't positive that it was the regulator causing us bike problems. Instead, we left with some chain lube and cleaner.
We had spent all day in Reykjavik, and then we searched for a place to camp along the coast. The sky threatened more rain, so we hoped to find a place that would provide us with some shelter. Right along the beach was a tiny facility with an overhang that could keep us dry for the night. There was a set of stairs to its side that led to the top of the overhang, giving us a beautiful view of the arctic waves. Sounds perfect? It could have been, if it wasn't a sewage plant. Even the shittiest place in Iceland was awesome. What made me laugh more, were the two employees that showed up for their shift in the morning. They asked us for pictures because they recognized us from the newspaper!
We began our way out of the city and my hopes of the weather getting better were quickly diminishing. It was cold, really cold. Rain was pouring down on us, but worst, was the wind. When we stopped for gas, the attendant warned us that the road ahead was known for very strong winds. I was told that it would get better once we reached the top of the hill but I couldn't help having doubt. The wind was pulling and pushing us all over the road. After driving for about 20 km, we reached the top and I was shocked to see some blue sky and sunshine in the distance. We stopped for a photo and noticed another rider was doing the same. Tam was from Whales he was exploring solo on a KLR. I really enjoyed seeing other riders. Most adventurers we saw were in huge Unimog campers. These things were massive. The wheels were more than half my size, and seeing them made me feel brave.
We continued towards visiting a waterfall and we must have rode past at least half a dozen of them on our way. We spent the rest of the day riding in and out of rain, and fighting the wind. The weather was very temperamental and seemed to change frequently. I felt a strong sense of relief once we entered the Hvalfjörður tunnel. I was so cold that I honestly wouldn't have minded staying in that warm pocket of exhaust fumes. Even though the tunnel is among the longest underwater road tunnels in the world (5,770 m or 18,930 ft. long), we were back into the cold much too soon. All I could do was close my eyes and imagine the heat of the fireplace in the cozy, Little Hut by the Sea. We continued driving for a bit but we finally found a park that we thought would be a good place to camp. We set up the tent under a tree, and finally warmed our hands and feet.
With everything ready and packed to leave in the morning, the motorcycle refused to start, once again. We were becoming very frustrated. I walked up and down streets asking everyone for help but nobody had cables or understood what I was saying. We were in a small town and English wasn't as popular. I found it very difficult to communicate and resorted to inventing my own sign language. I was relieved when it worked and I finally found help.
For the rest of the day, we rode around gawking at the scenery. Iceland is a very mountainous island with a strange landscape. It was so ridiculously beautiful that we were constantly stopping every few minutes to take another picture. I thoroughly enjoyed every stop. Because Iceland is a volcanic island, there are many beautiful lava fields covered in moss and lichen. To my surprise, they were also covered with wild blueberries. Every time Rocky was taking pictures, I was filling us up bags (and my mouth) full of deliciousness.
We eventually arrived in a town called Grundarfjörður and stopped at a gas station for a cup of coffee. We discovered that N1 Gas Stations have free WiFi and good, cheap coffee. We were especially happy when we also found out about unlimited refills. After warming up and relaxing for a while, we tried to come up with a plan for the night. We were continuing to have problems with the motorcycle starting and we were afraid to camp too far from public in case we needed a boost.
Adjacent from the gas station was a small Viking hut. It looked as though it was placed there as a type of attraction or selling booth. I had asked one of the guys working in the store what it was used for and he said it had been recently built for the community and occasionally used by the locals to perform skits and plays. I encouraged Rocky for us to stay there for the night. I thought that, not only would it be a perfect place to keep us dry and warm, but it was also a super awesome Viking hut!!
As I set up the tent, Rocky searched outside of The N1 Gas Station for an electrical plug. He hoped that if he plugged in the battery and let it charge for the night that maybe, just maybe, the bike would start in the morning. As he was looking, he met a lady named Silla. She worked at the grocery store that's attached to the N1. Silla offered to take home the battery and return it charged the next morning. The first thing we did when we woke up was check the electric and cable connections. With the fully charged battery installed, the motorcycle still refused to start. Unsure of what the problem was, we decided that we wouldn't pack up our belongings because we would be staying in Grundarfjörður for one more night. We spent the entire day sitting in the N1 Gas Station as Rocky searched the Internet for any help he could find.
Later that day, Rocky was approached by a guy demanding rent money. His name was Hjortur and he was kidding of course. Along with some help, Hjortur had built the Viking Hut. We apologized for staying there, we didn't realize it was private property. We told him that we were experiencing some bike troubles and we planned on returning to Reykjavik in the morning. Hjortur was very understanding and gave us permission to enjoy another night there. When we asked him for a picture, he said yes but asked as if we minded waiting a few minutes. He returned momentarily, fully dressed in his Viking costume. That made my day. I absolutely adored him for it!
We asked someone for a boost in the morning and rode back towards Reykjavik. It is the only large city in Iceland and we were afraid to continue north and around the rest of the island without figuring out what was wrong with the motorcycle. When Gylfi Jon heard that we were coming back in his direction, he invited us to join him at his home for dinner. I'm not one to turn down a meal, but I was especially excited to see him and Anna again. I was also happy that we were going to have the chance to meet his son Sveinn, and his girlfriend as well. The moment I met Ingibjorg, I immediately noticed the strong resemblance between her and Anna. She is extremely pretty, intelligent and funny. Her and Gylfi Jon make a lovely couple. They also make a fantastic meal, but I wasn't surprised. I already knew that Gylfi Jon was passionate about cooking. It was nice to spend time together with everyone.
After a few hours, it was getting late and we exchanged hugs for one last time. Baldur didn't live far and had mentioned that we could camp out at his place while him and Hulda were visiting the West Fjords. It made it much easier for us to take apart the bike to try and figure out what exactly might be wrong with it. The following day, we purchased some contact cleaner and soldered the electrical connections we had previously repaired. That seemed to have helped because the motorcycle was starting at every attempt. Baldur and Hulda came home that night and brought with them the most blueberries I have ever seen in my life. They said that the West Fjords is the best place to pick them because they are everywhere. We all sat at the table sharing stories and eating many bowls filled with blueberries and cream. No matter what troubles we had faced in Iceland, Gylfi Jon and Baldur were always there for us, bringing smiles to our faces.
The motorcycle started in the morning and we took that as a good sign. Once again, we headed north. Everyone in Iceland says that the weather is very unpredictable because it can change drastically, very quickly. I began to believe that the weather was very predictable - high winds, rain and a chance of sunshine. Repeat. But it really didn't matter, it made the world around us look like as if it was sparkling. All of the colours surrounding us were intensified as the hydrated earth was kissed by the sun. We were even rewarded with a full rainbow as we rode past fields of wild horses. I was mesmerized, absolutely captivated by every kilometer we passed.
It was late and the sun had already gone down by the time we stopped in a town named Dalvik. The groceries stores had all closed and the only place open was a gas station. Luckily we had arrived just before they closed because we were really hungry. The ladies working behind the counter must have assumed that because they were kind enough to keep the kitchen open to serve us. We ordered a large plate of french fries to split between us, but we received a heaping platter. It was literally a platter. Rocky and I couldn't stop giggling. There were enough french fries to feed a party. We tried our best to eat as much as possible but we had to give up at approximately 2000 calories each. With a very full tummy, we slept well that night.
We rode to Akureyri in the morning and stopped to check out Godifoss, another very beautiful waterfall. We then headed to Lake Mývatn where the surrounding landscape was dominated by volcanic landforms. For the first time since arriving in Iceland, there were, what I would consider, many mosquitos. I just found out that they were actually midges. Tiny little fly like bugs that were creepily trying to get at my eyeballs. It was the first time I had noticed insects. I hadn't even seen a single ant during our entire time on the island.
Our plan was to visit another waterfall by the end of the day. Dettifoss is said to be the largest, most powerful waterfall in Europe. We rode down a gravel rode for what seemed like forever and finally arrived at what I considered a eerie-looking place. The area was very grey with many rocks and the water was dark with sediment. It was so powerful that I felt as though the earth was vibrating my entire body. We considered spending the night near by but we decided to camp closer to the main road. It was another long ride on a gravel road. Even once we reached the tarac we rarely saw anyone drive past. We continued riding through the barren land until we had just enough sunlight to set up camp for the night. I truly felt as though we were in the middle of nowhere, but we weren't alone. Sound asleep during the middle of the night, I woke up counting sheep. Bhaa, bhaaa, bhaa. It was the cutest sound I have ever awoken to.
During our ride through the northern regions, we had seen sheep everywhere. They roam around freely in the fields, infusing themselves by eating wild thyme and blueberries all day long. It is no wonder why they are so irresistibly delicious. But how could I ever think of sheep like that ever again? I grew a deep affection for them after realizing how extremely adorable they were. They often wandered their way along the roads but they would quickly panic and flee the moment they heard the motorcycle approach them. It was really funny to see them transform from calm, cool and collected grazers, to frantic, little maniacs, running on their skinny little legs as their chubby butts waddled. I just love them!
We had made our way past northern Iceland and headed towards the town of Egilsstaðir, on the Eastern side of the island. For the next few days, we would stay relevantly close to the area because our ferry was waiting near by. We ventured on a thin gravel road that led us up a mountain of rock and silver moss. The wind frightened me as I starred down the steep edges. We continued riding and eventually found a soccer field to pitch our tent. We set up the tent on a wooden deck that was attached to a sports shed, and I was glad we did. It rained heavily all night and into the morning. Even though I had sprayed some protection on the tent while staying at the Viking hut, I didn't trust how well it would work to keep us dry.
It was my birthday and we planned on visiting one of the coolest places I have ever seen. Located on the edge of Vatnajökull National Park, situated at the head of the Breiðamerkurjökull glacier, is a large glacial lake filled with luminous blue chunks of ice that were beautifully streaked with black sediment. 10% of Iceland is covered in glaciers and the are quickly melting. We spent hours starring at the floating, icebergs. A few of them had drifting onto the shore. I didn't care how cold I was, I felt that I had to sit on one. Not many people can say that they've sat on an iceberg for their birthday.
A music video was being filmed a few feet away from us and I felt bad for the artist who was under-dressed and shivering cold. The sky was covered in clouds and I could see snow in the distance atop the glacier. Rocky and I decided it was getting late and much too cold to be hanging out much longer. A few of the locals also approached us as we were preparing to leave and warned us to get out of the weather. Rocky got on the motorcycle and I shouldn't have been so surprised when it wouldn't start. The crew that was filming the video came over to offer their help and they brought us hot cups of coffee from the large trailer they were traveling in. Alfred, Raggi, Villi and Simmi were extremely kind. While Villi showed Rocky how to bypass the start relay with a screwdriver, Alfred, Simmi and Raggi brought me birthday cake and everyone began singing to me. It was very unexpected! It completely warmed my heart and made me feel all fuzzy.
It was already dark and we were trying to ride as far away from the glacier as possible. It was too late to bother finding a room for the night, so we rode east to the town that we stopped in earlier that day, and found a small field to camp in. The next morning was sunny, and we rode back to the town of Egilsstaðir. We decided to have a relaxing day to work on the blog and we camped out in a nearby field, that night. When we woke up in the morning, we planned to visit a Dam, located in the highlands. It was freezing cold and extremely windy. The area was beautiful and desolate but the wind was so ridiculously strong that we were riding on a forty-degree angle. When we finally reached the dam I was worried that Rocky was going to cross it. Imagine dark grey water, thrashing violently. Waves were splashing on the narrow road that separated the raging water from the ridiculous 193 m (633 ft.) drop. I was super scared but Rocky was apparently feeling very adventurous. I was clenching my mouth shut even more than I had that entire ride. It felt as though my teeth were all about to crack. Once we actually made it to the other side, I was relieved to be alive. We stopped for a minute so that I could prevent from peeing in my pants, and then Rocky decided to turned back around. I felt like I was going to have a heart attack. The only comfort I had was in knowing that we were turning around and exiting the highlands.
Half way back to Egilsstaðir, we turned down a gravel rode that led us to a guesthouse. We decided to stop there for a warm drink, and also to relax our cold bones. We met a few other travelers doing the same. They were shocked that we arrived by motorcycle as they complained of the drive they experienced on their trailer homes. My jaw hurt from all the pressure but my tongue was feeling strange. I ran to the bathroom to look in the mirror and I was shocked to see that my tongue was swollen and purple from sucking on it so hard. I was really glad when we finally left the highlands and returned back to the same spot that we had camped the night before.
We had two days left before our ferry was scheduled to leave. We decided to relax all day and work on the blog. We were hanging out at an N1 when we were surprised to see Tam, our friend from Whales. Even though it had only been less than two weeks since we had met him, it felt as though it was so long ago. It was great to hear about Tams journey. He had ridden through Iceland’s interior, where the roads are all gravel and the terrain is difficult to traverse. Sometimes I feel guilty for having joined Rocky on this trip. I know that if he was alone he would love a challenge like that. I don't crave that same excitement while riding passenger.
It was our last night in Iceland and we were camped at the same spot as the past couple of nights. We were sad to be leaving this magical place but Iceland wasn't letting us leave without one last surprise. As I stepped outside of our tent that night, I was awarded with something I had always wished to see, northern lights. The sky was glowing green as it danced above me, and I immediately screamed for Rocky to come outside. It was the first time that either one of us had witnessed such a an astronomical phenomena, it was a real treat. I stared at the sky and took a moment to reminisce all the beauty Iceland possessed. What a fantastic country! It is definitely a place that we will have to visit again in the future.
Re: Iceland
Having problems starting the motorcycle, we flagged down a local and got a boost and were finally back on the road. It was August 20th, the already cool and wet summer was drawing to a close, and we still had much of Iceland so see.
After saying goodbye to our friends in Keflavík, our first stop was the blue Lagoon. "The Blue Lagoon geothermal spa is one of the most visited attractions in Iceland. The spa is located in a lava field in Grindavík on the Reykjanes Peninsula, southwestern Iceland." At roughly CA$110 for two people for the basic package, it was an expensive attraction to see, but it turned out to be well worth the cost.
After spending a few nights camped out in Reykjavík, we decided to visit a popular waterfall in the southwestern part of the country, called Seljalandsfoss. Just outside of the capital city, were ran into an intense rain and wind storm. The winds were so strong that I pulled over at a gas station to decide whether or not to push through it. Not wanting to miss this waterfalls, I opted to continue, and, 20km up the road, the wind eased and the rain stopped. We parked the motorcycle at a rest area with a panoramic view, and met Tam, a fellow motorcycle rider who was from Whales.
The skies cleared up and we rode for two hours into a strong headwind before reaching Seljalandsfoss.
Seljalandsfoss
After visiting Seljalandsfoss, we turned around and rode back towards Reykjavík with the wind at our backs.
There are beautiful waterfalls everywhere you go in Iceland, so many that, eventually, you get use to seeing them and almost tend to take them for granted.
In the morning, we encountered more electrical problems with a bike that refused to start. Paula flagged down some locals for a boost, and we eventually headed north, along the western coast of the country. The day was filled with scattered showers and fog. In the afternoon, Paula and I stopped along the road near a lava field to find wild blueberries growing everywhere. While stuffing our faces, we filled up a few plastic baggies so we would also have something to snack on later.
We stopped several times that day, but, since the morning, the bike didn't have any problems starting.
Later that day, we stopped at gas station in the town of Grundarfjörður for coffee and to warm up. After a few hours, we decided to head out. Once again, the bike refused to start. Since it was late in the afternoon, we decided to find a place to camp so that I could have some time to try to figure things out. Conveniently, right across the street from the gas station, we found this Viking hut to camp in. It was right in the center of town, but it seemed a perfect place to spend the night and keep dry from the rains.
That evening, a gas station employee, named Silla, saw that I had hooked up my battery charger to the exterior gas station electrical outlet that supplied power to the air compressor. Silla, whose husband is a motorcyclist, offered to take our battery home and charge it through the night. Silla brouhgt a fully-charged batter back the next day, but, the bike still refused to start. We spend that day in Grundarfjörður working on the motorcycle and trying to figure out what the problem was.
Later that day, a man arrived at our hut demanding rent money. He was kidding, of course. Hjotur was his name, and the hut we were staying in was his. He was a member of a group that perform Viking re-enactments. I asked him if I could take his picture. He told me to wait a few minutes, then rushed off in his car, only to return ten minutes later wearing full Viking garb, wielding and axe and holding a shield.
Paula and I spent another night at the Viking hut, and, unable to find the source of the starting issue, we decided to get a boost and return to Reykjavik to look for a new motorcycle battery. Upon hearing of our return to the area, Gylfi Jon invited Paula and I over for dinner. Gylfi lives just outside of Reykjavik with his girlfriend, Ingibjörg and her daughter, Anna.
Paula and I spent the following day in Reykjavik, working on the motorcycle. Looking over the wiring diagram for the bike, I found that the wires that melted against the hot exhaust when we were in Canada were involved in the battery-charging circuit. We carefully re-spliced these wires, this time adding solder to the connections. This seemed to do the trick. We were camped in the yard at Baldur's house. Baldur was the journalist who we met through Gylfi Jon when we fist arrived in Iceland. After two nights and a day of working on the bike, Paula and I headed back on our trip around Iceland.
The Sun Setting On Northern Iceland
Full Rainbow
Sunset Over Skagafjörður
Skagafjörður Panorama
Paula Near Skagafjörður
Having problems starting the motorcycle, we flagged down a local and got a boost and were finally back on the road. It was August 20th, the already cool and wet summer was drawing to a close, and we still had much of Iceland so see.
After saying goodbye to our friends in Keflavík, our first stop was the blue Lagoon. "The Blue Lagoon geothermal spa is one of the most visited attractions in Iceland. The spa is located in a lava field in Grindavík on the Reykjanes Peninsula, southwestern Iceland." At roughly CA$110 for two people for the basic package, it was an expensive attraction to see, but it turned out to be well worth the cost.
After spending a few nights camped out in Reykjavík, we decided to visit a popular waterfall in the southwestern part of the country, called Seljalandsfoss. Just outside of the capital city, were ran into an intense rain and wind storm. The winds were so strong that I pulled over at a gas station to decide whether or not to push through it. Not wanting to miss this waterfalls, I opted to continue, and, 20km up the road, the wind eased and the rain stopped. We parked the motorcycle at a rest area with a panoramic view, and met Tam, a fellow motorcycle rider who was from Whales.
The skies cleared up and we rode for two hours into a strong headwind before reaching Seljalandsfoss.
Seljalandsfoss
After visiting Seljalandsfoss, we turned around and rode back towards Reykjavík with the wind at our backs.
There are beautiful waterfalls everywhere you go in Iceland, so many that, eventually, you get use to seeing them and almost tend to take them for granted.
In the morning, we encountered more electrical problems with a bike that refused to start. Paula flagged down some locals for a boost, and we eventually headed north, along the western coast of the country. The day was filled with scattered showers and fog. In the afternoon, Paula and I stopped along the road near a lava field to find wild blueberries growing everywhere. While stuffing our faces, we filled up a few plastic baggies so we would also have something to snack on later.
We stopped several times that day, but, since the morning, the bike didn't have any problems starting.
Later that day, we stopped at gas station in the town of Grundarfjörður for coffee and to warm up. After a few hours, we decided to head out. Once again, the bike refused to start. Since it was late in the afternoon, we decided to find a place to camp so that I could have some time to try to figure things out. Conveniently, right across the street from the gas station, we found this Viking hut to camp in. It was right in the center of town, but it seemed a perfect place to spend the night and keep dry from the rains.
That evening, a gas station employee, named Silla, saw that I had hooked up my battery charger to the exterior gas station electrical outlet that supplied power to the air compressor. Silla, whose husband is a motorcyclist, offered to take our battery home and charge it through the night. Silla brouhgt a fully-charged batter back the next day, but, the bike still refused to start. We spend that day in Grundarfjörður working on the motorcycle and trying to figure out what the problem was.
Later that day, a man arrived at our hut demanding rent money. He was kidding, of course. Hjotur was his name, and the hut we were staying in was his. He was a member of a group that perform Viking re-enactments. I asked him if I could take his picture. He told me to wait a few minutes, then rushed off in his car, only to return ten minutes later wearing full Viking garb, wielding and axe and holding a shield.
Paula and I spent another night at the Viking hut, and, unable to find the source of the starting issue, we decided to get a boost and return to Reykjavik to look for a new motorcycle battery. Upon hearing of our return to the area, Gylfi Jon invited Paula and I over for dinner. Gylfi lives just outside of Reykjavik with his girlfriend, Ingibjörg and her daughter, Anna.
Paula and I spent the following day in Reykjavik, working on the motorcycle. Looking over the wiring diagram for the bike, I found that the wires that melted against the hot exhaust when we were in Canada were involved in the battery-charging circuit. We carefully re-spliced these wires, this time adding solder to the connections. This seemed to do the trick. We were camped in the yard at Baldur's house. Baldur was the journalist who we met through Gylfi Jon when we fist arrived in Iceland. After two nights and a day of working on the bike, Paula and I headed back on our trip around Iceland.
The Sun Setting On Northern Iceland
Full Rainbow
Sunset Over Skagafjörður
Skagafjörður Panorama
Paula Near Skagafjörður
Re: Iceland
That night, we camped in the town of Dalvik in northern Iceland, and the following day we visited Goðafoss.
After leaving Goðafoss, we rode east to Lake Mývatn, and then north.
Near Lake Mývatn
Asbyrgi Canyon
Late in the day, we rode for almost an hour down a gravel road to the eastern shore of Dettifoss.
Dettifoss is the waterfalls featured in the opening scene of the movie, Prometheus.
Dettifoss
Paula At Dettifoss
After leaving Dettifoss, we traveled another hour down the gravel road to the main road. Witht he sun setting and nowhere near a town, we decided to stop at the side of the road and camp for the night. During the night, Paula heard sheep roaming and grazing just outside of our tent.
In the middle of nowhere
We packed up our camp and rode to the eastern part of the country.
Paula In Eastern Iceland
Later that day, we took the mountain pass from Egilsstadir that leads to the southern part of Iceland. We stopped along the way to pick more wild blueberries, and discovered a beautiful waterfall.
Riding Over The Mountain Pass
The winds in Iceland were some of the strongest winds we had ever ridden in.
Befufjörður Mountain Pass
The following day, we rode along the southern coast of Iceland, battling extreme winds. We were in the area near Iceland's largest glacier.
Riding Towards The Glacier Lagoon
Near the end of a long day, we arrived at The Glacier Lagoon.
It was Paula's birthday, and we thought that being in this place wasn't a bad way to spend a birthday. Leaving The Glacier Lagoon, the bike, again, refused to start. This time, it was different. When I pushed the start button, the engine didn't turn over at all. I suspected a problem with the start relay. The was a film crew nearby shooting a Japanese music video. Seeing that I was working on the motorcycle, a few crew members came over to help. After hearing that it was Paula's birthday, we were invited into their trailer. Paula was given a cup-cake with a candle, and everyone sang her happy birthday.
That night, we camped in the town of Dalvik in northern Iceland, and the following day we visited Goðafoss.
After leaving Goðafoss, we rode east to Lake Mývatn, and then north.
Near Lake Mývatn
Asbyrgi Canyon
Late in the day, we rode for almost an hour down a gravel road to the eastern shore of Dettifoss.
Dettifoss is the waterfalls featured in the opening scene of the movie, Prometheus.
Dettifoss
Paula At Dettifoss
After leaving Dettifoss, we traveled another hour down the gravel road to the main road. Witht he sun setting and nowhere near a town, we decided to stop at the side of the road and camp for the night. During the night, Paula heard sheep roaming and grazing just outside of our tent.
In the middle of nowhere
We packed up our camp and rode to the eastern part of the country.
Paula In Eastern Iceland
Later that day, we took the mountain pass from Egilsstadir that leads to the southern part of Iceland. We stopped along the way to pick more wild blueberries, and discovered a beautiful waterfall.
Riding Over The Mountain Pass
The winds in Iceland were some of the strongest winds we had ever ridden in.
Befufjörður Mountain Pass
The following day, we rode along the southern coast of Iceland, battling extreme winds. We were in the area near Iceland's largest glacier.
Riding Towards The Glacier Lagoon
Near the end of a long day, we arrived at The Glacier Lagoon.
It was Paula's birthday, and we thought that being in this place wasn't a bad way to spend a birthday. Leaving The Glacier Lagoon, the bike, again, refused to start. This time, it was different. When I pushed the start button, the engine didn't turn over at all. I suspected a problem with the start relay. The was a film crew nearby shooting a Japanese music video. Seeing that I was working on the motorcycle, a few crew members came over to help. After hearing that it was Paula's birthday, we were invited into their trailer. Paula was given a cup-cake with a candle, and everyone sang her happy birthday.
Re: Iceland
In the end, we found that the motorcycle's start relay was dead. We had to start the bike using a screwdriver to jump the start relay and apply battery voltage directly to the starter motor.
Since we no longer had a motorcycle that could be properly started, Paula and I decided to head back to the eastern part of Iceland. We were scheduled to sail from Seyðisfjörður in four days, and we thought that it would be a good idea to rest for a few days, and do as little riding as possible until we could replace the start relay, which we would have to do when we arrived in Germany.
Riding Back Over The Pass
Paula and I spent the days before sailing from Iceland camped outside of a gas station, behind some bushes in Egilsstaðir. While there, we were surprised by Tam, whom we had met ten days earlier. Tam had recognized out motorcycle parked outside of the gas station and stopped to say hello.
On our last night in Iceland, we were surprised and amazed by the show the northern lights put on for us. The following day, we packed up our belongings and rode to Seyðisfjörður, where we would board the ferry to Denmark.
Since we no longer had a motorcycle that could be properly started, Paula and I decided to head back to the eastern part of Iceland. We were scheduled to sail from Seyðisfjörður in four days, and we thought that it would be a good idea to rest for a few days, and do as little riding as possible until we could replace the start relay, which we would have to do when we arrived in Germany.
Riding Back Over The Pass
Paula and I spent the days before sailing from Iceland camped outside of a gas station, behind some bushes in Egilsstaðir. While there, we were surprised by Tam, whom we had met ten days earlier. Tam had recognized out motorcycle parked outside of the gas station and stopped to say hello.
On our last night in Iceland, we were surprised and amazed by the show the northern lights put on for us. The following day, we packed up our belongings and rode to Seyðisfjörður, where we would board the ferry to Denmark.
Denmark & Germeny
September 4, 2013 - September 14, 2013
It was a short, beautiful ride, to the small town of Seyðisfjörður, in Eastern Iceland. We had booked a one-way trip on Norröna, a Smyril Line Ferry traveling to Hirtshals, in Denmark. I wasn't looking forward to the voyage. The only thing that excited me was that we would be making a stop at the Faroe Islands.
It takes three nights and four days to reach Denmark from Iceland. Since I am very susceptible to motion sickness, I was terrified. The thought of being trapped on a boat, while traveling through the vast Arctic Ocean, feeling dizzy and nauseous for that long gave me anxiety. I usually make an effort to avoid taking medications, but there was no way that I was about to even consider that option. I took a pill as soon as I was supposed to, and continued doing so every 12 hours. For the next few days I would feel heavily medicated. My ears would feel slightly plugged and I would be very sleepy.
All sorts of vehicles were waiting to get on board. After parking the motorcycle, and securely strapping her in, we grabbed our bags and began to squeeze our way out of the parking area. After going down a few floors, the air felt damp and limited. It also reeked of chlorine. When we found our room, I was glad that we were the first to arrive. Six beds were cramped together in 10ft. x 10ft. area. After some thought, we took dibs on two of the top bunks. They didn't feel as enclosed. I was a bit more relieved once I found out that we were sharing the room with only three others. We would have a bit more air to breathe.
After a short tour around the ferry, I felt exhausted, and my brain welcomed the shut down. Our beds were nothing but a thin plastic mat on a steel shelf. Luckily, we had a blanket with us, as well as our sleeping bag. Otherwise we would have had to share a bed to keep warm. It wasn't what most people would consider comfortable, but I fell into a deep sleep, quickly. A few hours later I awoke to a loud, deep snore. I tossed, turned and struggling to stay asleep. The repetitive snorts and groans tortured me until I envisioned slightly extending my foot to kick the stranger into silence. Instead, I used my energy to find a pair of earplugs, buried deep inside my purse. The ocean must've been rough because I felt us sway back and forth. Luckily, the medication worked its magic and I was rocked back to a deep sleep.
The following day took some effort to adjust. We were given a free meal at lunchtime but I found it difficult to eat as the ferry tilted from side to side. I was surprised that I managed to keep all of my food down. We spent the day wandering around the ferry and watching stuff on the computer. Even though I slept at least 12 hours the night before, I could've slept all day. A coffee would have helped to wake me up a little but a tiny cup was being sold for 16 Danish Krone, which converts to approximately $3.25 Canadian dollars. I shouldn't have been surprised. Everything was expensive on the ferry.
We had another early night, and once again I woke up to loud snoring. I should've known to put my earplugs in earlier, but I'm not accustomed to dealing with that sort of situation. Thank goodness Rocky isn't a snorer! I don't like any noises disrupting my sleep, but snoring doesn't just wake me up, it awakens an insanity inside of me.
The ocean was much calmer that night and continued to be so in the morning. Breakfast was much easier to swallow. It was early afternoon when the ferry came to a stop at the Faroe Islands. We docked in the Capital, Tórshavn, on one of the larger Islands, named Streymoy. Since the ferry wouldn't be departing for five hours, Rocky and I went exploring. We were immediately greeted with a colourful display of architecture. Many of the houses were painted in red, black, blue, yellow, and some of them had turf roofs. The Faroe Islands are known to be one of the cloudiest places on earth, but the sun decided to shine bright that day. We walked the streets past many boutiques and overpriced shops in searched of a coffee shop. It was very disappointing to find out that the coffee was much cheaper on the ferry.
When we got back on the ferry, we found a few friends outside on the deck. We joined them under the overhang, and enjoyed the fresh air. I didn't drink because I was heavily medicated and to scared to puke. But, everyone else passed around a couple of bottles. After a late night, we woke up early in the morning, excited to arrive in mainland Europe. Getting off the Ferry was a nightmare. All of the vehicles were packed together like sardines in a can. It was nearly impossible to squeeze through with our bags. There were times when I had to lift my bags over my head or kick them under hitches. I did the limbo under mirrors and maneuvered around as if I were in a maze. If that wasn't tough enough, a bunch of morons who had already found their vehicles, were waiting inside of them with their motors running. It shocked me that so many people could possibly think it's ok to have their exhaust poisoning the air inside of a tightly confined ferry. By the time we had finally found the motorcycle we were sweaty, tired and lightheaded. We still had to load everything on and change into our gear.
Getting off of that ferry was a complete relief. I was worried that we would still have to cross some sort of customs, but borders are invisible between European countries. I had arranged for us to stay with a guy named Bo, from Couchsurfing. He lived with a woman named Tove, her husband Jens, their niece Rebecca, and Bessie, a sweet black Labrador. Unfortunately, we didn't get to meet Jens, he was traveling for work at the moment.
When we arrived at the beautiful countryside home, in the town of Selling, near Århus, Tove welcomed us inside. We weren't the only foreigners visiting. Mayuko was a girl who had traveled in from Japan. She was hilariously adorable. We arrived in perfect timing. Bo had hot tea and baked treats prepared, the moment we arrived. Everybody was really nice and very welcoming. After we were given a tour of the property, we rode down the street to pick up some vegetables from the local farm. Bo and Tove prepared a huge delicious meal and we were introduced to Rebecca and her friend Frederikke. A Danish dish named Frikadeller, accompanied by a few different vegetables, was made for us. It was fried ground meat in the shape of a thick hamburger patty, but it tastes a bit different. Dinner was delicious.
After eating, Rebecca and Frederikke invited us to a street party, in the city of Århus. We gladly accepted the invitation. Tove dropped us off in the city and our first mission was finding a convenience store. Rebecca and Frederikke wanted to pick up a bottle of rum and pop. They said that we could drink as we wander. Really?! In Canada, it is only legal to purchase liquor or beer in stores that only sell liquor or beer. And, drinking it outside in public without the confines of some sort of barrier isn't legal either. I was really enjoying the freedom of walking through the crowd, enjoying a stiff drink, and checking out the sites.
Århus is a very pretty city, built around a wide river that was once a port. We found ourselves a place to sit, along cemented steps that faced the water. The area was lined with bars and cafés. There were people everywhere, either sitting in a patio, or by the river. They even had big, clear, plastic bubbles that float in the water. People would pay to go inside the bubbles to roll, jump around in, or try to crash into each other with. It looked like a lot of fun. The entire area was a fun place to be, and I imagine it would be a great place to spend an evening even if there was no street festival.
The following day was nice and sunny. Rocky and I walked with Bessie around the property. The country home was located on a great piece of land, beside a stream. We followed the water until we reached an open field with horses. These three gorgeous creatures were massive. I don't believe I have ever seen horses that tall in my life. Bessie got frightened and ran back home while Rocky and I attempted to feed them some grass. I have to admit, I was a bit intimidated. I felt like I was a small insect as they surrounded me.
Before evening, Rocky and I picked up some groceries and prepared a meal to share with our Danish friends. We spent our last evening in Denmark, indoors, sharing stories, photos, and chunks of chocolate. Staying with Bo, Tove and Rebecca was a perfect introduction to the hospitality in mainland Europe. We all exchanged our goodbyes that night, because we wouldn't get the chance to see anybody in the morning. After a comfortable night sleep, Rocky and I packed up motorcycle and rode out in the rain.
Our next destination was in northwestern Germany! We were on our way to a town called Hude, in the state of Lower Saxony. Since it was a far ride, it was a perfect excuse to use the A1 Autobahn.
Germany's Autobahns are more than 12,000 km's of road that are famously known in the world for having no speed limits. Cars were flying past us at speeds exceeding 180 kmh. At one point during our ride, a car drove past us so fast that the wind pressure it created against my body gave me a good shake and quickly woke me up. Yup, I must've fallen asleep on the back of the bike. I don't understand how it is possible, but it wasn't the first time that I caught myself sleeping while riding. What the heck?! That's so dangerous.
We finally showed up in Hude, a peaceful town of gorgeous farmland. I had arranged for us to stay with a man named Paul and he greeted us at his door with the best introduction ever! Paul wasn't sure at an exact time we'd be arriving. He had just applied a thick mask of clay on his face just before we rang his doorbell. I was confused at first glance and wasn't sure what I was seeing. I didn't want to rudely stare at what I thought might have been a skin condition. My curiosity was finally satisfied when he giggled with embarrassment and told me he had just applied the mud to his face.
Paul was a very interesting character. His home was filled with fragrant scents and much laughter. He was silly, kind and very laid back. We spent the following morning with him, picking up some groceries. The cost of food is incredibly cheap in Germany. Later that afternoon, Rocky and I drove out to a KTM dealership, located in Bremen city. Paul offered us his car so that we didn't have to ride in the rain. Rocky had ordered a couple of parts for the bike, to try and fix the problem we had been facing throughout Iceland. We needed a start relay and we were also picking up a clamp for the right side mirror. We had gone without a mirror since it broke off when we were in Canada.
When we arrived back at Paul's house, he prepared us an authentic German dish. I have always thought Schnitzel was delicious, but it seemed to taste better in Germany. A piece of boneless meat is thinned with a meat tenderizer, coated with flour, salt, pepper, beaten eggs and bread crumbs, it is then fried. If you've never tried it, I suggest you do. It is a quick, simple but tasty way to prepare a meat dish.
We had planned on leaving the next morning but the weather was cloudy and rainy. Paul invited us to stay another night. Rocky and I fixed the motorcycle and once we were done, Paul drove us to the grocery store for another good meal at a great price. Staying with Paul was great. We spent our last night hanging out in his living room, listening to music and taking turns playing different instruments.
Early the next morning, the weather was perfect, and we prepared to leave Hude. We rode through the flat German land, past many dairy farms and fields of sunflowers. We eventually stopped at the edge of a huge parking lot and decided it was a good spot to sleep for the night. We rode past many small towns the next morning, and we took a ferry to cross the Elbe River. The Rathen Ferry is a small passenger/vehicle cable ferry. It was a very short ride but we both found it interesting to ride on a ferry that is propelled by the current of the water. The ferry is attached to a floating cable, which is anchored firmly in the riverbed upstream. The ferry is then positioned into the current, causing the force of the current to swing the ferry across the river on the cable.
It was a very pretty drive towards Dresden, Germany. When we arrived in the city, we searched for free WiFi but failed miserably. We spent the entire day riding through heavy traffic, unable to park near any place that may offer an Internet connection. We eventually discovered that because of certain laws in Germany, it is nearly impossible to find an open connection. German law holds the operator of a public hotspot liable for everything its users do online. Even once we found a McDonalds, free internet is given only if you have a serviced telephone. You must provide your phone number in order to receive a text message that contains a code. My service was disconnected after leaving Canada. We rely heavily on the Internet, as most travelers do. It is used to keep us in contact with friends/family, we use it to post/write the blog, and we send out Couchsurfing requests and or respond to messages. It was a huge inconvenience that made Germany an annoying country to travel through.
Too late to do any site seeing, we rode out of the city of Dresden. We bought dinner at a grocery store and noticed that the outskirts of the parking lot offered a beautiful view. We decide to camp at the far corner of the lot, where we could stare past a cornfield and see the city in the distance. Later in the night, we discovered it was a popular place to hang out, as many locals parked nearby.
We were about to cross into Czech Republic and I felt like we were rushing. Had the Internet been accessible, I think we would have stayed in Germany much longer. There were many things I liked about the country. It seemed to be very well structured, organized, engineered and controlled. I couldn't help but notice a resemblance between Germany and Rocky. I think that Germans might even love adventure as much as him. People (men) were very enthusiastic about our travels. We were constantly given the thumbs up by other motorists. Every time we stopped at a grocery store, Rocky would go inside and I would keep an eye on the motorcycle. The attention that it received was constant. Most men would start examining the bike from afar. They'd check out its heavy load, and then peek at the license plate. By the time they got around to noticing me standing near by, every one of them looked intensely confused. Most used different sounds or gestures to question my ability to handle such a large bike and heavy load. I tried my best to let them know I wasn't alone. It always made me chuckle.
In the morning we packed up and parked out front of the grocery store. A few patio tables were set up beside a BBQ truck and we decided to grab a bite before getting on the road. I approached the man behind the counter and after discovering he didn't speak English, I used gestures to ask for permission to see what was under the container lids. Since I didn't know what the German names signified, I figured it was easier to visually see what was being offered, and point to my choice of options. That didn't work out to well. He responded by rudely raising his voice while reading the menu list at me. The German language already sounds harsh, but to be yelled at in German, is super scary. Instead, we opted to eat grocery food that morning. Although I really liked Germany, I was glad to be leaving the country that day.
September 4, 2013 - September 14, 2013
It takes three nights and four days to reach Denmark from Iceland. Since I am very susceptible to motion sickness, I was terrified. The thought of being trapped on a boat, while traveling through the vast Arctic Ocean, feeling dizzy and nauseous for that long gave me anxiety. I usually make an effort to avoid taking medications, but there was no way that I was about to even consider that option. I took a pill as soon as I was supposed to, and continued doing so every 12 hours. For the next few days I would feel heavily medicated. My ears would feel slightly plugged and I would be very sleepy.
All sorts of vehicles were waiting to get on board. After parking the motorcycle, and securely strapping her in, we grabbed our bags and began to squeeze our way out of the parking area. After going down a few floors, the air felt damp and limited. It also reeked of chlorine. When we found our room, I was glad that we were the first to arrive. Six beds were cramped together in 10ft. x 10ft. area. After some thought, we took dibs on two of the top bunks. They didn't feel as enclosed. I was a bit more relieved once I found out that we were sharing the room with only three others. We would have a bit more air to breathe.
After a short tour around the ferry, I felt exhausted, and my brain welcomed the shut down. Our beds were nothing but a thin plastic mat on a steel shelf. Luckily, we had a blanket with us, as well as our sleeping bag. Otherwise we would have had to share a bed to keep warm. It wasn't what most people would consider comfortable, but I fell into a deep sleep, quickly. A few hours later I awoke to a loud, deep snore. I tossed, turned and struggling to stay asleep. The repetitive snorts and groans tortured me until I envisioned slightly extending my foot to kick the stranger into silence. Instead, I used my energy to find a pair of earplugs, buried deep inside my purse. The ocean must've been rough because I felt us sway back and forth. Luckily, the medication worked its magic and I was rocked back to a deep sleep.
The following day took some effort to adjust. We were given a free meal at lunchtime but I found it difficult to eat as the ferry tilted from side to side. I was surprised that I managed to keep all of my food down. We spent the day wandering around the ferry and watching stuff on the computer. Even though I slept at least 12 hours the night before, I could've slept all day. A coffee would have helped to wake me up a little but a tiny cup was being sold for 16 Danish Krone, which converts to approximately $3.25 Canadian dollars. I shouldn't have been surprised. Everything was expensive on the ferry.
We had another early night, and once again I woke up to loud snoring. I should've known to put my earplugs in earlier, but I'm not accustomed to dealing with that sort of situation. Thank goodness Rocky isn't a snorer! I don't like any noises disrupting my sleep, but snoring doesn't just wake me up, it awakens an insanity inside of me.
The ocean was much calmer that night and continued to be so in the morning. Breakfast was much easier to swallow. It was early afternoon when the ferry came to a stop at the Faroe Islands. We docked in the Capital, Tórshavn, on one of the larger Islands, named Streymoy. Since the ferry wouldn't be departing for five hours, Rocky and I went exploring. We were immediately greeted with a colourful display of architecture. Many of the houses were painted in red, black, blue, yellow, and some of them had turf roofs. The Faroe Islands are known to be one of the cloudiest places on earth, but the sun decided to shine bright that day. We walked the streets past many boutiques and overpriced shops in searched of a coffee shop. It was very disappointing to find out that the coffee was much cheaper on the ferry.
When we got back on the ferry, we found a few friends outside on the deck. We joined them under the overhang, and enjoyed the fresh air. I didn't drink because I was heavily medicated and to scared to puke. But, everyone else passed around a couple of bottles. After a late night, we woke up early in the morning, excited to arrive in mainland Europe. Getting off the Ferry was a nightmare. All of the vehicles were packed together like sardines in a can. It was nearly impossible to squeeze through with our bags. There were times when I had to lift my bags over my head or kick them under hitches. I did the limbo under mirrors and maneuvered around as if I were in a maze. If that wasn't tough enough, a bunch of morons who had already found their vehicles, were waiting inside of them with their motors running. It shocked me that so many people could possibly think it's ok to have their exhaust poisoning the air inside of a tightly confined ferry. By the time we had finally found the motorcycle we were sweaty, tired and lightheaded. We still had to load everything on and change into our gear.
Getting off of that ferry was a complete relief. I was worried that we would still have to cross some sort of customs, but borders are invisible between European countries. I had arranged for us to stay with a guy named Bo, from Couchsurfing. He lived with a woman named Tove, her husband Jens, their niece Rebecca, and Bessie, a sweet black Labrador. Unfortunately, we didn't get to meet Jens, he was traveling for work at the moment.
When we arrived at the beautiful countryside home, in the town of Selling, near Århus, Tove welcomed us inside. We weren't the only foreigners visiting. Mayuko was a girl who had traveled in from Japan. She was hilariously adorable. We arrived in perfect timing. Bo had hot tea and baked treats prepared, the moment we arrived. Everybody was really nice and very welcoming. After we were given a tour of the property, we rode down the street to pick up some vegetables from the local farm. Bo and Tove prepared a huge delicious meal and we were introduced to Rebecca and her friend Frederikke. A Danish dish named Frikadeller, accompanied by a few different vegetables, was made for us. It was fried ground meat in the shape of a thick hamburger patty, but it tastes a bit different. Dinner was delicious.
After eating, Rebecca and Frederikke invited us to a street party, in the city of Århus. We gladly accepted the invitation. Tove dropped us off in the city and our first mission was finding a convenience store. Rebecca and Frederikke wanted to pick up a bottle of rum and pop. They said that we could drink as we wander. Really?! In Canada, it is only legal to purchase liquor or beer in stores that only sell liquor or beer. And, drinking it outside in public without the confines of some sort of barrier isn't legal either. I was really enjoying the freedom of walking through the crowd, enjoying a stiff drink, and checking out the sites.
Århus is a very pretty city, built around a wide river that was once a port. We found ourselves a place to sit, along cemented steps that faced the water. The area was lined with bars and cafés. There were people everywhere, either sitting in a patio, or by the river. They even had big, clear, plastic bubbles that float in the water. People would pay to go inside the bubbles to roll, jump around in, or try to crash into each other with. It looked like a lot of fun. The entire area was a fun place to be, and I imagine it would be a great place to spend an evening even if there was no street festival.
The following day was nice and sunny. Rocky and I walked with Bessie around the property. The country home was located on a great piece of land, beside a stream. We followed the water until we reached an open field with horses. These three gorgeous creatures were massive. I don't believe I have ever seen horses that tall in my life. Bessie got frightened and ran back home while Rocky and I attempted to feed them some grass. I have to admit, I was a bit intimidated. I felt like I was a small insect as they surrounded me.
Before evening, Rocky and I picked up some groceries and prepared a meal to share with our Danish friends. We spent our last evening in Denmark, indoors, sharing stories, photos, and chunks of chocolate. Staying with Bo, Tove and Rebecca was a perfect introduction to the hospitality in mainland Europe. We all exchanged our goodbyes that night, because we wouldn't get the chance to see anybody in the morning. After a comfortable night sleep, Rocky and I packed up motorcycle and rode out in the rain.
Our next destination was in northwestern Germany! We were on our way to a town called Hude, in the state of Lower Saxony. Since it was a far ride, it was a perfect excuse to use the A1 Autobahn.
Germany's Autobahns are more than 12,000 km's of road that are famously known in the world for having no speed limits. Cars were flying past us at speeds exceeding 180 kmh. At one point during our ride, a car drove past us so fast that the wind pressure it created against my body gave me a good shake and quickly woke me up. Yup, I must've fallen asleep on the back of the bike. I don't understand how it is possible, but it wasn't the first time that I caught myself sleeping while riding. What the heck?! That's so dangerous.
We finally showed up in Hude, a peaceful town of gorgeous farmland. I had arranged for us to stay with a man named Paul and he greeted us at his door with the best introduction ever! Paul wasn't sure at an exact time we'd be arriving. He had just applied a thick mask of clay on his face just before we rang his doorbell. I was confused at first glance and wasn't sure what I was seeing. I didn't want to rudely stare at what I thought might have been a skin condition. My curiosity was finally satisfied when he giggled with embarrassment and told me he had just applied the mud to his face.
Paul was a very interesting character. His home was filled with fragrant scents and much laughter. He was silly, kind and very laid back. We spent the following morning with him, picking up some groceries. The cost of food is incredibly cheap in Germany. Later that afternoon, Rocky and I drove out to a KTM dealership, located in Bremen city. Paul offered us his car so that we didn't have to ride in the rain. Rocky had ordered a couple of parts for the bike, to try and fix the problem we had been facing throughout Iceland. We needed a start relay and we were also picking up a clamp for the right side mirror. We had gone without a mirror since it broke off when we were in Canada.
When we arrived back at Paul's house, he prepared us an authentic German dish. I have always thought Schnitzel was delicious, but it seemed to taste better in Germany. A piece of boneless meat is thinned with a meat tenderizer, coated with flour, salt, pepper, beaten eggs and bread crumbs, it is then fried. If you've never tried it, I suggest you do. It is a quick, simple but tasty way to prepare a meat dish.
We had planned on leaving the next morning but the weather was cloudy and rainy. Paul invited us to stay another night. Rocky and I fixed the motorcycle and once we were done, Paul drove us to the grocery store for another good meal at a great price. Staying with Paul was great. We spent our last night hanging out in his living room, listening to music and taking turns playing different instruments.
Early the next morning, the weather was perfect, and we prepared to leave Hude. We rode through the flat German land, past many dairy farms and fields of sunflowers. We eventually stopped at the edge of a huge parking lot and decided it was a good spot to sleep for the night. We rode past many small towns the next morning, and we took a ferry to cross the Elbe River. The Rathen Ferry is a small passenger/vehicle cable ferry. It was a very short ride but we both found it interesting to ride on a ferry that is propelled by the current of the water. The ferry is attached to a floating cable, which is anchored firmly in the riverbed upstream. The ferry is then positioned into the current, causing the force of the current to swing the ferry across the river on the cable.
It was a very pretty drive towards Dresden, Germany. When we arrived in the city, we searched for free WiFi but failed miserably. We spent the entire day riding through heavy traffic, unable to park near any place that may offer an Internet connection. We eventually discovered that because of certain laws in Germany, it is nearly impossible to find an open connection. German law holds the operator of a public hotspot liable for everything its users do online. Even once we found a McDonalds, free internet is given only if you have a serviced telephone. You must provide your phone number in order to receive a text message that contains a code. My service was disconnected after leaving Canada. We rely heavily on the Internet, as most travelers do. It is used to keep us in contact with friends/family, we use it to post/write the blog, and we send out Couchsurfing requests and or respond to messages. It was a huge inconvenience that made Germany an annoying country to travel through.
Too late to do any site seeing, we rode out of the city of Dresden. We bought dinner at a grocery store and noticed that the outskirts of the parking lot offered a beautiful view. We decide to camp at the far corner of the lot, where we could stare past a cornfield and see the city in the distance. Later in the night, we discovered it was a popular place to hang out, as many locals parked nearby.
We were about to cross into Czech Republic and I felt like we were rushing. Had the Internet been accessible, I think we would have stayed in Germany much longer. There were many things I liked about the country. It seemed to be very well structured, organized, engineered and controlled. I couldn't help but notice a resemblance between Germany and Rocky. I think that Germans might even love adventure as much as him. People (men) were very enthusiastic about our travels. We were constantly given the thumbs up by other motorists. Every time we stopped at a grocery store, Rocky would go inside and I would keep an eye on the motorcycle. The attention that it received was constant. Most men would start examining the bike from afar. They'd check out its heavy load, and then peek at the license plate. By the time they got around to noticing me standing near by, every one of them looked intensely confused. Most used different sounds or gestures to question my ability to handle such a large bike and heavy load. I tried my best to let them know I wasn't alone. It always made me chuckle.
In the morning we packed up and parked out front of the grocery store. A few patio tables were set up beside a BBQ truck and we decided to grab a bite before getting on the road. I approached the man behind the counter and after discovering he didn't speak English, I used gestures to ask for permission to see what was under the container lids. Since I didn't know what the German names signified, I figured it was easier to visually see what was being offered, and point to my choice of options. That didn't work out to well. He responded by rudely raising his voice while reading the menu list at me. The German language already sounds harsh, but to be yelled at in German, is super scary. Instead, we opted to eat grocery food that morning. Although I really liked Germany, I was glad to be leaving the country that day.
Re: Denmark & Germeny
Leaving Iceland
Docked At The Faroe Islands
Arriving In The Faroe Islands
Tórshavn
The Faroe Islands
Lighthouse
Paula In The Faroe Islands
Dinner With Friends
Street Party In Denmark
Danish Horse
Rebecca, Tove, Paula & Bo
Grocery Shopping With Paul
Paula & Paul In Hude
Camped In Dresden
Leaving Iceland
Docked At The Faroe Islands
Arriving In The Faroe Islands
Tórshavn
The Faroe Islands
Lighthouse
Paula In The Faroe Islands
Dinner With Friends
Street Party In Denmark
Danish Horse
Rebecca, Tove, Paula & Bo
Grocery Shopping With Paul
Paula & Paul In Hude
Camped In Dresden
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