Day 6: Eight Hours On A Saddle And We Are Dead Tired

*Disclaimer: This post was written in the evening of August 6 and is meant to be read as such. Posting was delayed due to limited internet. Thanks to Subway for the decent seating and to all of you (our wonderful readers) for your patience.*

It never fails to amaze us how generous people can be. Sometimes all it takes is a simple conversation and strangers are pulling out their wallets to support MCC’s relief efforts in the Ukraine. It is humbling and truly inspiring. 

Lugging loaded bikes around is often the start of these conversations and is also a great way to meet people. Yesterday we met a gentleman that is travelling to Vancouver on a dirt bike using back roads. Steve started in Ottawa and is hoping to get to Vancouver by October. There are so many fascinating people in this world! 

It turns out that spending an extended period of time with the same person will not only teach you all the little things that drive them crazy, but will also give you multiple inside jokes and provide further ammunition to make them laugh and smile. 

During side by side riding (when safe to do so) and in-tent conversations, Gerald and Amelia have been sharing their knowledge with one another. For example, Gerald can now understand the difference between “your” and “you’re” and Amelia can point to the direction of the wind when given a report. Small things like these are making this trip memorable and (as a bonus) educational!

We left The Narrows around 11:30am and stopped in Ericksdale for a hot meal around 4:30pm. When we were refuelled, we embraced the calm of highway 68 on our way to Poplarfield. The cars were sparse which allowed us to ride side-by-side without worry. The wind whispered, birds sang and grass waved in the limitless space. Peace was upon us. We could have very well been the only people on the planet—all alone—yet we felt far from lonely. 

The total distance covered today was 108kms, bringing us to an even (as Gerald would say) 555kms overall. (Inside joke. Sorry!) 

We are now dead tired, so we are sleeping in a cemetery west of Poplarfield in order to make all of Gerald’s dreams come true. 

There was another lesson to be learned just before we went to sleep. After we were settled in our sleeping bags, we learned that the property our tent was set up on belongs to Amelia’s friend’s family! This news brought about a feeling of connection—to the land and to those around us—as we realized how small our very large world can be. 

With this new knowledge we were really able to Rest In Peace. 

Gerald and Amelia

P.S. Good news! We have started to frequent food establishments that have fly swatters already provided!