Monday, June 8, 2015
Every day Michael falls from one adventure into another. His odometer is now at 3,000 km. It won't be long before the trio will have to prepare for the Rocky Mountains.
"Just after 7 o'clock I wake up. I go to the shower building. It looks quite clean except for when I open the shower curtain. There is poop on the shower curtain and now it's on my hands. Good morning!!
The rest of the shower is clean and wash my hands and have my shower. When I return, Dave and Sann are also awake. Then they have a shower and pack up. Eventhough it didn't rain last night, my tent is wet on the inside and I have to dry it out first. When everything is dry I pack it up.
I'm not feeling too well, and I'm not sure what is wrong. We get something to eat. I eat quite a bit because I wonder if that is the reason that I don’t feel well and I feel much better after. Together we get on our way and back onto Hwy 1. Today we're going in direction we're supposed to be going. It is warm and reasonably windy. Cycling here on the flat and wide open plains is not easy...
It is getting hotter. When we arrive in Saskatchewan we head to the information center. We change our clocks an hour back because Saskatchewan is the only province in Canada that does not have summer daylight saving hours. I hope I am able to send my blog here if the internet signal here is strong enough. But no, the signal is too weak. I need to connect through Dave's phone. With a lot of trouble we finally manage to send it.
A little later I meet a Dutch couple who are eating a sandwich here; they have been living in Canada for many years. I have a fun conversation with them and they give me a donation.
After a 45 minute break we continue. Not much later we hear a loud bang. The back tire of Sann's bike blew out. It looks like it was filled with too much air. We put in a new inner tube and continue our journey.
The wind is increasing and so does the temperature and despite the cooling wind is it is 32°C. I'm having a tough time and so do Dave and Sann. They suggest that we spend the night in Moosomin and I think that is a good idea.
First we go to a restaurant for dinner. Then we check into a scuzzy looking motel where we get a room for $42 a night.
I am the first one to bring my stuff inside and to check my blog, my mail and my Facebook page etc. Around 6:30 pm I see Dave walk; he's on his way back to the café to watch the hockey game. He asks if I want to join him but I have to do some groceries. He has already done his and wants to watch the hockey game.
Sann and I go to the store and on the way back he wants to get something to eat. He does not want to eat at the bar where we were this afternoon because it is too expensive. So we find a corner café and have a quick burger there.
After we eat we go back to the motel and a little later Dave returns as well. Later at night Dave and I have a good conversation in which I talk about my fear that my illness will return; and Dave opens up about what keeps his mind occupied.
Tomorrow we’ll see how we are going to get through the day. The wind is forecast to be even stronger and the heat is not going to let up. I have decided to put as little pressure on myself as possible. Sann, as well as Dave, are willing to adjust to that notion. Both men are supporting me really well right now and I am glad that we are travelling together. Most accidents that happen to cyclists here is when they either ride in large groups or on their own. We are traveling with three people, which may be the safest way..."
Han Schomakers, editor
Translation by Sytske van der Veen
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