Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Oh, Canada

As I rode my bike from Seattle, Washington into British Columbia Canada, I couldn't help but notice that they seem to understand what's supposed to fuel a car up here:

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High octane, and it's got no ethanol in it. Can't beat that.

I was visiting my friend Jaime from Japan out on Salt Spring Island, so I had to take a ferry to get there.

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Salt Spring Island is a beautiful little place. Right next to the Fulford Harbor ferry docks are two places to grab a bite to eat, cup of your favorite hot beverage, and maybe some baked goods to go. The Morningside Bakery, and the Rock Salt Cafe. Both are exceptional, and if you find yourself on Salt Spring Island looking for a bite to eat, live a little and splurge for a meal at either or both of these places. It'll run about $13 Canadian at the time of this post.

When I finally find the address I'm looking for, thanks to a friendly cop who escorted me right to it, my jaw hit the floor.

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Is this paradise? She must have like 5 roommates in this place. Turns out, no, it's just her and 1 roommate, who's work takes him all over the world so he's out a lot.

That porch is the perfect spot for breakfast.

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What a view!

SSI was a beautiful little island, but it seems more suited to retirees who are already established and settled.

On the ferry back to the mainland, I met a couple of really cool B.C. bikers who were also techies like myself. One of them handed me this card:

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For free?! Well, I guess everyone's got to have a hobby.

So then I spend a couple of nights in North Vancouver. Where it was also beautiful. When I got there, my host took me canoeing with a couple friends to go collect their crab traps from earlier that day. I didn't bring my camera because I was worried it might get wet but I should have taken the risk. The view from the canoe was amazing.

The next day I went out and explored Lynn Canyon Park. I went over to the suspension bridge, but my heart sank a little bit when I saw how crowded it was.

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But even this anti-social misanthrope couldn't help but smile on that thing because the view is amazing and it swings back and forth like crazy. Not the least scary time a person can have on a bridge for sure. If you're afraid of heights, this would probably be some great exposure therapy though...

Anyway, I was there during a peak hour and everyone seemed to be congregating at the bridge. They didn't seem to realize or care that "30-foot pool" was just a 10 minute walk down the trail on the other side.

I gotta say this is one of those times I wish I had a car to stash stuff in and just head out in a swim suit and flip flops:

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This would be the perfect place to come out and- oh. Never mind.

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Here's a Canadian energy drink:

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In Canada, Nestea "Brisk" is Nestea "Cool". I found that funny. It makes it seem as if Canada is like an Earth 2 where everything is similar but ever so slightly different. Wait! Oh my god!

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Is this toilet paper trying to advertise that it feels like wiping your butt with a cat?

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I hope so!

Anyway, after North Vancouver I gunned it over to Cheney, Washington. for a night.

Funny story:
When I was a freshman in highschool, and Napster was THE THING, I found myself in a Napster chatroom about anime (Japanese cartoons) one night. I remember talking to someone (Let's call him "Josh") about this tv show that was on Comedy Central called "Frank Leaves for the Orient". It was a funny show, but I mentioned it because in the show, Frank hears about this program where you can go and teach English in Asia and you don't even have to be a teacher. Well, Josh says "You know that exists right?" and he links me to the JET (Japan Exchange and Teaching) program.

We exchanged AIM screen names, and I would talk to Josh about once a year after that.

That first conversation influenced the next 7 years of my life (and pretty much the rest of it too), as I planned on participating in the JET Program, minored in Japanese Language and Culture in College, and lined everything up to join the JET program as soon as possible after I graduated.

During our last annual conversation I told him about this trip I was on. We exchanged facebook info, and he invited me to come stay with him.

That's who I stayed with in Cheney, Washington. My new, old friend Josh.

: End of funny story.

After Cheney, I ran it on over to Columbia Falls, Montana. Montana is gorgeous.

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Big Sky Country indeed!

I was pleased to see that the no ethanol in premium gas policy extended this close to home. Guess you don't have to go all the way to British Columbia before people know what to put in an engine.

The original plan was to spend 1 night in Columbia Falls, then camp for a night in Glacier National Park, then head on over to Bozeman, Montana after riding up "Going to the Sun Road" which is a legendary road. Well, it turns out most of "Going to the Sun Road" was closed (still too much snow on it). This was on Monday and I heard it was going to open up on Wednesday, but I can't dilly-dally around waiting for roads to open: there's home needs be gettin' to! So my host allows me to stay a second night and leave for Bozeman from Columbia Falls. I did go in to Glacier though and take what part of the road that I could. It's beautiful in there:

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Darn shame about that road not being opened. I guess the time to go to Glacier is in August.

Anyway, I arrived in Bozeman yesterday. I have so far eaten at I-Ho's Korean where the food is quite good. That's it. I roll out tomorrow to camp in Yellowstone National Park for a night, before taking another legendary road ("The Bear Tooth Highway") eastwards, back up into Montana, and ultimately down into Dayton, Wyoming. For a night. On my way back to NY. I should be back in NY mid August. Which would mean the second half of this trip only took 2.5 months as opposed to 6. Here's hoping everything goes according to plan...

What?

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