INTO THE STATES

So where have I hung out last week? From Carol on Gabriola Island and the Coombs fair on Vancouver Island I continued my way to Tofino while camping at some pretty spots. The road was challenging though with some slopes up to 18% and narrow winding roads with big lodging trucks passing. Luckily for me, my knee seems to be getting stronger. Tofino is beautifully located on the western shore of the island and attracts many visitors in summer. Apart from its location, there was another reason I wanted to go there. Eight years ago, when I visited this part of Canada, I met some lovely people from Tofino and I wanted to say hello to them again. Only problem was that I only had a photo of their house to go by, thinking that would be easy enough. Well..I assumed wrong! After many hours of riding on my bike and asking around I had to give up, surprisingly ending up at a family's bbq. Since I was not able to find the people back I was looking for and given the fact that prices are pretty steep in summer, I decided to leave the next morning. I still had time to go on a whale watching tour in the afternoon before taking the bus back to Nanaimo (with the bike in the storage compartment). From their I headed south.

The hospitality I encountered before on Gabriola Island turned out to be no exception. Cycling with a fully loaded bike opens up a whole new world. People come up to you and ask you where you are going. They give tips about the route and many times offer you a place to stay. Quite extraordinary when you are not used to that. But I thankfully accept. So last Friday evening, before leaving Canada the next day, I was looking for a place to pitch my tent since it was getting late. So I asked a man on his driveway if he knew a spot in around. He told me he did not live there but would get the owner for me. This man, being somewhat older, was seizing me up, top to bottom. Finally, he asked me where I was headed. I did not know then he had been serving as a police officer in Victoria for over 30 years. He must have relied on his experience when he decided I was not a villain, just a harmless, sweaty guy in need for a place to sleep. To cut a long story short, he invited me to camp in their garden. Within moments they pulled out a table and chair to accompany my tent, I could take a shower, was treated with ice-cream and blackberries and bacon and eggs on toast and a muffin in the morning. Pete (which was his name) and his friend Duncan had just come back from 5 days of fishing salmon. They had been friends since childhood, lived far apart for many years due to different work assignments, but were reunited after retirement, which in the case of Pete came early due to the nature of his work (at the age of 51, after 31 years of service). That meant he could do what he liked best: go fishing with his friend. Now that did not always go well with Bea, his wife, who took on her the job of maintaining the garden (and a big garden they have!). As she jokingly put it: 'We are signing the 'divorcing papers' in summer'. As there is a part of truth in every joke, she would have liked some more together time with Pete. Yep, even after so many years marriage, a relationship still needs work! Having said that, I admire them for their sense of humor and having been together for so long!

In the morning Pete drove me with the bike in the back of his big Dodge (they are all big here) to the ferry where I ate the smoked salmon he had given to me the day before. Actually, his basement looks a bit like a salmon processing unit, where he cleans, filets, smokes and vacuum cleans the salmon they catch. I have had a lovely stay and luckily, the remaining salmon was not confiscated at the US immigrations office. Thanks Pete, Duncan and Bea (plus their two ‘pointer’ dogs)!

If you think, that is easy going, being invited all the time to lush places with bathroom facilities and free food, think again! You will have to conquer steep slopes, hot weather, itchy sensations at different parts of your body, noisy traffic and (involuntarily) inhale vast amounts of exhaust fumes. But I can truly say, so far I am loving it. I love being out there by myself, being self equipped and self-reliant, enjoying the beauty of nature and meeting new people. Every day brings something new and unexpected again, being it the changing weather or the occasional bear on the road.

I am in Seattle for the day, returning this afternoon to yet another lovely family, who I met on the ferry to Port Townsend (which means I am now in the United States!) and invited me over to their house on Marrowstone island. I will not go into detail again. But I will say they have the most beautiful view over the sea inlet going to Seattle. Plus they have a hot tub…Being outdoor people themselves, they seem to have found a good mix between work (being both doctors) and leisure. Getting to that point meant sacrifice as becoming a doctor here means many years of studying, working up to 80 hours a week and investing a minimum of $150.000 for college. In other words: commitment required. For their work, Chris and Gemma have been stationed in Alaska and the Dominican Republic. Now, they do not travel half as much as they used to do before getting their two children (who are named Finnula and Cian after their mother’s Irish heritage), but with a place and a view like this, do you really need to?? Having been invited numerous times themselves to people's houses when they lived and traveled abroad, they - as they put it - were happy they could do something back. They are a loving family and I am grateful I could spend a couple of days at their home.

Seattle is a big city, and the presence and number of homeless people made me realize that Holland is a good place to live. Apart from that I am getting restless: the big city is not my thing. So tomorrow, I will leave for the road again, after having the spokes of my rear wheel checked at a local bicycle shop: I have been a bit too fanatic trying to get a hardly visible buckle out of my wheel. As a result, I have a (slightly) buckled wheel now and some damaged spoke nipples for using an incorrect spoke tool. Mm..not very clever, yet another vital lesson learned! After that I will head south for the road following the Hood Canal and then turn east towards Mount Rainier and Mount Saint Helens in the Cascade Ranges. I will be in for some tough riding and beautiful scenery. To be continued…

Lots of love, Haakon