Thursday, June 11, 2015
Yesterday, Dave left. Michael and Sann are continuing on together for a while:
"I wake up just after 5 AM when my son calls to let me know that he passed his exams. I quickly have a Skype call with him. I am so proud of him, and my youngest son as well. They are both awesome and I am a very proud father!
After all this good news we go to have breakfast which is included in the room price. Delicious warm waffles with fruit and whipped cream (which I will have to bike harder for to get rid off).
It's hard to believe but the old energy has returned. This becomes obvious when I have a conversation with the lady who is managing the breakfast this morning: she used to live next door to Terry Fox!
Her brother and Terry were good friends. She herself was friends with Doc, the guy who followed Terry in the camper. She is very impressed with my story and my drive. She tells me about Terry and his family and the influence that it has had on her, before he started his Marathon of Hope. I give her one of my cards and have my picture taken with this sweet woman. She now lives in the area of White City and hasn't been to Port Coquitlam, where Terry lived, for years.
I tell her that eventhough I am behind schedule with my tour, in the back of my mind I am playing with the thought to be at Terry's gravesite on the anniversary of his death on June 28. To get there on that day, however, I will be forced to skip a part of my route. She looks at me with tears in her eyes and says:”You know if you do that his father, his brother and his friends will really appreciate that. This is so wonderful! You could not honour them in a better way!” It is good to hear this, because I had some doubts around that. She tells me that Terry’s family will definitely be there and will very much appreciate it!
What a coincidence, that this lady, who was Terry's neighbour and whose brother was a good friend of Terry's and played basketball with him, is working here and that I happen to meet her. What are the odds of that happening!
After we check out Sann and I go to Tim Hortons for some coffee and cake to celebrate my son's graduation. We engage in a conversation with some people who again are very impressed with what I'm doing. They give me $40 that they insist I accept for a meal for Sann and myself. It seems like everything is different again or maybe back to normal...
Sann and I did some research on Dave this morning because in the end I did not trust him. He had made others believe that he is biking across Canada for cancer and sarcoidosis. I am angry with myself, because I kind of sensed this, but I didn't act on it. Dave has done things in a very subtle way. Sann is amazed and can hardly believe it.
We are now biking toward Regina and have decided to arrange some affairs here and not to continue on today. Sann and I are not yet say goodbye just yet, because it is fun and interesting to share these discoveries together.
When we arrive in Regina I see a large CTV building. We drop in to ask if they can be of any help to me. Sann looks at me in disbelief and says are you serious?
A few minutes later I sit in the green room for the first intake!
Not long after, I find myself looking into a camera while I’m being interviewed. The interview will be shown on TV in Saskatchewan tonight and later on the CTV website.
Sann is impressed and I am very happy with this media attention. We are even being filmed by the camera crew on the highway. I have to admit this is something very special....
After this adventure we find a Chinese, Vietnamese and Thai restaurant and have a lovely lunch.
Later we drop by the Dutch Cycling Store to check Sann’s rear tire. We are being helped really well and Sann gets a discount on a new tire and two inner tubes.
After all the help and greasing up our bike chains etc. we end up having a conversation with two ladies who are buying a mountain bike. They are also very impressed with my tour and want to share it with friends on Facebook and Instagram.
When we are at Tim Hortons, taking advantage of the free WiFi, I am sponsored by yet another lady. What a day! I really want to stay in a hotel tonight but Sann doesn't want to spend too much money. He suggests that we share a room. Camping here is not an option. We find a motel room with two large beds, including breakfast for $90, ($45 each), which is great because the average price for a room here is over $120. The room is clean and good. Together we have some dinner at a pizzeria and then return to the hotel. It has been a wonderful day with some good discoveries and learning opportunities.
Tomorrow we're heading to Moose Jaw and I'm looking forward to it!"
Han Schomakers, editor
Translation by Sytske van der Veen
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