Wednesday, June 24, 2015
"I've already spent a few hours on Wednesday, but I've only slept for one of those. Miraculously I don't feel really tired. I pack up my things and get ready just in time. The bus goes at 7 o'clock. The goodbyes are quick now. I notice as I leave on the bus that I have a lump in my throat. Sann is going to continue on his own and I will miss him and also Clinton, Kaytlyn and their family!
The bus makes good speed and soon we pass Suffield which was the last place I stopped with Sann. The time goes fast and we stop twice on the way. I can't sleep anymore and I am awake all the way to Calgary.
At Calgary airport I take my things and go to Hertz car rental. The car that I booked is too small to take my bike. I will need a pick up truck but, of course that is more expensive...
Everything turns out fine and I feel comfortable to get back on the road. I decide that I am going to enjoy every moment of this trip. Calgary is a big city with a lot of low rise buildings. Outside of Calgary you can soon spot the contours of the Rocky Mountains.
I make a stop on my way for a lunch and a nice cup of coffee. When I get to Canmore and enter Banff National Park, they waive the Park Fee as long as I don’t stop in either Banff or Lake Louise, which is not my plan. Once I have passed these towns, something tells me that I need to make a stop. I turn off the road and drive into a parking lot. There is nothing special to see just two large pickups with trailers.
When I decide to take some pictures of the river, I see a bicycle behind one of the trailers. It belongs to Ole from Germany who is cycling from Toronto to Vancouver. When he hears that I am driving this last part in the truck he kindly asks if I can give him a lift. I am okay with that and a little later we are chatting away in the car. When we get to Revelstoke, Ole treats me to a cup of coffee. He would like to come with me for another 80 km.
I drop him off at a campground where we see another cyclist who is from Australia. Ole decides to join him for the night because both of them will be camping in the wild. This is not allowed here and it could cost them a $500 fine, so a good reason to make sure they stay out of sight!
I drive on to Salmon Arm where I visit Lena Johnson who I met in the church in Virden. I am made to feel very welcome here and invited to stay over for the night. Her husband and I take the truck for a test drive because he would like to buy a truck like this. He thinks it is a beautiful car and it is. It is an eight speed automatic with overdrive and it doesn't use a lot of gas.
After our test drive I write my blog and then it is time for bed. Tomorrow I will be driving to Vancouver..."
Han Schomakers, editor
Translation by Sytske van der Veen
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