America 2013

Author: admin

  • Austin, new shoes for my lady

    Austin, new shoes for my lady

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    15. – 18.08.

    A few friends asked me if my motorcycle has a name and if it is female or male. NO. I have no real emotional attachment to the motorbike. IT just should not make many quirks.

    After arriving in Austin and checking in at the hostel, I immediately went to the BMW dealer. Before going to Mexico and Central America, I want you to have a quick check done, put on new tires and buy a few spare parts. Today I want at least get in contact with the dealer and make an appointment.

    I’m lucky. The service employee says, they do it immediately. The result of the check is that everything is ok, I get all the spare parts and leave the property after about 2 1/2 hours with new tires.

    As I was driving the last five days in a row, Friday is just for doing nothing. I have no big plans. I get a haircut and went to a bookstore to look for a travelbook for Mexico. I decided to stay with the electronic book, but I buy a Spanish book with key phrases and words.

    In the evening, I go with two people .. they go, lazy like I am, although I could use a little exercise, I ride the motorcycle, to the Congress Avenue Bridge about 3 km from the hostel.
    Under the bridge, there lives the largest bat colony in North America, with about 750,000 to 1.5 million animals. Every evening at sunset they start to fly in search of food. For several minutes it’s like an endless belt of animals that leave from under the bridge. They gather in a cloud in the sky before they spread in all directions.

    On Saturday sight-seeing is on my agenda. I go to the “Circuit of the Americas”, the Formula 1 circuit, which is about 20km from the city. The trip was for nothing. You can .. you could do a “tower tour” overlooking the racetrack. Unfortunately, a race or a training is going on and the tour is closed. I continue to Mt Bonnell, from where you have a good view of a part of Austin.

    In the early afternoon it is too hot to walk around in the city. “Hamilton Pool” , a natural spring in the city, offers a way to cool down. The water is pretty cold, but I remain in there for an hour continuously.

    Austin seems to be a popular town at the moment, especially for young people and students. In the hostel are a few students, who stay there for a few days or even weeks, until they have found an apartment.

    In the hostel I also met Tino, a German who makes a trip around the world for a year, and also started about 5 weeks ago. Since we are from the same cultural area, we talk a little about the impressions we have gained. One thing, we both had to get used to, is this “small talk culture”. Here you start chatting with anyone, anywhere, about anything. When you wait at a traffic light, at the gas station,  if you wait for the rain to get over, at breakfast … you talk only a few words or for a few minutes.

    We both agreed, if someone is doing that at home, your first thought is: What does he/she want from me?

    I spend Sundy on the Laptop, studying the Mexican map, writing, doing laundry …. I have to confess, I feel a little bit uneasy. It’s amazing how much more secure you feel, when you speak the local language. I already experienced the language difficulties I could expect. In the evenings here in Austin, I had one or two beers in a close pub. Outside the pub there is a small food truck. There are many of them around Austin. Sometimes there are three or four of them standing together, offering different kinds of food, drinks or ice cream.

    The Food Truck outside the pub is being runned by Mexicans – I assume. The clientele is primarily Spanish speaking. The first day a girl is there. She takes my order in English and passes it on in Spanish, probably to their parents. I eat a small taco. It has about palm size, with chicken, onions, parsley and a lime. I take a bite .. it tastes so good. Taste buds explode in my mouth and light a firework.
    I’m getting off track. Since the taco tasted excellent, I went to the food truck again the next day. Today, it’s only the parents who work. They speak almost no English, I do not know Spanish. I think to myself: “Ok, so it probably will be this way for the next couple of weeks.” And then I hopefully can say a few words.

    In front of  the food truck is a white plastic table with four plastic chairs. Two Mexicans, maybe they are from another country, with Texas hats are sitting at the table eating. I sit down as well. After the first Taco I order a second one and sit down again at the table. One of the guys passed me the bottle with the salsa. I already know where I’m going to eat tonight.

    19.08., 20.08,

    I want to enter Mexico on 21.08. in McAllen / Reynosa. On my way there, I drove through an oil-producing area. In one of the  towns a lot of small conveyor pumps are transporting the black gold to the surface, in the center of the city, in the gardens and in public areas. A slight smell of oil is in the air. When there are no oil rigs covering the land, there are huge fields extending to the horizon. The harvest time seems to be over. The fields are just big brown dusty areas.

    Hasta luego en Mexico.

    Thanks for reading, Jürgen.

  • Nashville and falling for the first time

    Nashville and falling for the first time

    After nearly a week the next update. Regarding (free) internet access, the USA is way more advanced than many other countries. But not always. 

    08.-10.08.

    I spent another night in Chattanooga. It is a nice place. I drive a little bit around the area and visited the “Ruby Falls”. Ruby Falls is a 45 meter high waterfall in a cave about 350 meters underground. Worth seeing? Yes … but also a pretty expensive rip-off for what is offered.

    The landscape changes, the mountains disappear, the land widens. On the way to Nashville there are several  heavy rain showers. Even from a distance you can see how the water masses pour from the high dark clouds. The showers are usually very strong, accompanied by violent thunderstorms and lightning.

    Just a few miles before Nashville I stopped at Johnny Cash and June Carter’s grave. Johnny Cash .. the only and only “Man in Black”.

    Nashville, the city of music. What should I say? In the tourist center, one bar and pub is next to the other. In between cowboy boots shops and all sorts of other shops. In every bar / pub a band or single musician is playing. The pubs open before noon. A band plays two to three hours before the next one starts. Based on the number of pubs, there must be over hundred bands each day. Sometimes, it’s really good music .. Rock, country, folk. I can’t remember how many pubs I visited. The people here are friendly and open, it’s easy to get into contact with somebody.

    Saturday I wanted to spend time sightseeing. Since days it is extremely warm and humid in the area. The humidity is between 80 and 90%. It is not necessary to do much activity to start sweating.

    Saturday night Ryan, another guest in the hostel, asked me if he could join me. We visited the touristic center for a few beers, before we moved on to the entertainment area, where the local people go out. It was late again, when I got home.

    Ryan has an interesting life. He works independently in the IT security field and has no fixed place where he stays. Some of his stuff is stowed in a storage room, the rest is in his car. He rents an apartment, where he gets work. If he feels like moving on, he does so.

     

    11.-14.08.

    Not much is going on these days … just, on the road. My next destination is Austin, Texas, about 1,500 km from Nashville. I drive through Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana, moving on highways and parkways. I sleep in motels on the outskirts of cities. At least once a day there are heavy thunderstorms crossing by. I’ve watched that on the weather channel. For a couple of days, and for a few more days, a vast amount of moisture is brought up from Central America and the Gulf of Mexico. In the northwest they fight against fires and here the land is drowning. But in Austin, I should be out of this constant rain and storms.

    These days I perceive the landscape and people only passing by.

    I’m close to Alexandria, Louisiana, where I will stay for a night. It’s early afternoon and I decide to take a trip through a national park. It is a gravel road. Some parts are sandy and soaked from the rain. The front wheel slipped away on a sandy area and I’m on the ground. My left foot is trapped under the bike. Damn, what now? The ground is soft, I just have to put some sand aside. Pulling up the fully loaded bike is not that easy.

    Even if it was just a slight fall, it left bruises on the material. The screw that holds the left mirror broke. And the left pannier was a bit dented. Nothing bad. I should get a new screw in Austin.

    It was just yesterday when I thought: Why did I actually buy aluminum panniers? My plastic boxes would have done it. Today I received the lesson. When plastic breaks, it’s broken. Aluminum does not break that easy and can mostly be brought back to its original shape again.

    I wish I could tell you more funny and exciting stories. But at the moment .. No .. but I can invent some, if you want. 🙂

    Today I was really frightened to get struck by lightning, when I walked back from the supermarket to the motel. This is not invented.

     Thank you for reading, Jürgen.

  • The first theft, Mini Las Vegas and the further plan

    The first theft, Mini Las Vegas and the further plan

    05.08.

    The first (small) theft. I spent two nights in Asheville. In some way I did not like the city when I drove into it. You know, sometimes you have those feelings. The hostel was fine, new, modern, clean, located in the lively center, perhaps too lively.

    On the second day I was out around midnight, just to check if everything is alright with the bike. I was a bit worried. There were many pubs and bars in the area. You know, drunk people sometimes have stupid ideas. On the morning of departure, I went to the bike and my motorcycle cover was gone. Who does that? Maybe a contract job. 

    Everything else was still there. I had my gloves, a sweater, a USB cable and lashings in the top bag. Luckily everything was still there. With horror, I saw that the pannier in which I keep my tools, sleeping bag, shoes and a lot of other thing, was not locked properly. Nothing was gone. Maybe I’ve been lucky.

    There is no emotional value to a cover, so it’s not a big deal, it’s just the money.Nevertheless, I curse the thief. In New Orleans, you can have done that officially, right? But to do that you need an item from the person you want to be cursed. So I can only do it here. Cursed is the thief. May the thing you use the cover for, make you big troubles!

    Why so much fuss about the cover? It serves two purposes. Firstly, of course, as protection. At the moment it pours again, so I’m happy if my bike is covered. Secondly, I would like to draw attention from my motorcycle at night. Because I get a lot attention, almost daily and more than once. When shopping, while refueling, at the motel … . People lean out of the car window on the highway and give me a thumbs up sign. Days ago someone took a picture of me passing by. 

    The questions are almost the same. “Where are you from? .. Where are you going? .. How long? .. All the best! Good luck!” The other day I was ordering a beer in a pub. The person standing next to me recognised I am a foreigner. I told him what I do. He said only “Holy shit, what?” He paid my beer, talking only for two minutes. I meet people like him quite often.

    Also just the bike is drawing attention. “Cool bike” is what people often say passing by. In general, you see cruisers and choppers here, big fat Harleys or the large Japanese ones, like Honda Goldwing. There are a lot of three wheelers on the road too. Then there are some Japanese road bikes such as Suzuki and Yamaha. The BMW bikes I’ve seen so far, I can count on one hand.

    Out of the city and into nature. I visit the “Chimney Rock” park. The elevator does not work. Too many stairs up there. Then I drive the Blue Ridge Parkway to its end. The Parkway runs through the Great Smokey Mountain National Park. My tour ends in Pigeon Forge. What I see there blows my mind. The “village” is a combination of Mini Las Vegas and an amusement park. Over miles and miles motels, roller coasters, mini golf courses, theme restaurants and other amusement facilities.

    06., 07.08.

    I’m on the road now for exactly four weeks. Could not say I get bored or that I don’t enjoy the time. I have reached my cruising speed and did almost 5,000 km. Driving three or four days and then staying for one or two days.
    I stop for two nights in Chattanooga, because I wanted to think where I would go next.

    My first plan was to go to Florida and have my motorcycle transported to Colombia. But I decided to move straight on south-west to Central America. From here to Panama City it is about 8,000 km. This can be done in 6 to 7 weeks. I want to start in South America in October.

    In the new stylish pub, next to the stylish hostel, I was talking very long with Greg. I hope the name was Greg. Contact me, if not. I had way too many beers this evening. Greg is an industrial diver. His workplace is under water, for example at dams or nuclear power plants. We discussed many things, including which job is more boring. Mine, sitting almost the whole day in front of a computer or his, putting concrete against a wall for hours under water with a big hose.

    Tennesse seems very religious. A lot of people have the 10 commandments on a board hanging on their fences. And you can see a lot of churches, Prespyterians, Lutherians, Baptists, … with their many many groups. “The Curch of Jesus Christ”, a few hundred meters on, “The Church of Christ Jesus”. Immediately Monthy Phytons “The Live of Brian” comes into my mind. If you are looking for salvation. I’m sure, they can help you here.

    Thank you for reading, Jürgen.

     

  • Baltimore and moving South-West

    Baltimore and moving South-West

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    30., 31.07.

    From Philadelphia it is only a short distance to Baltimore. A friend advised me by e-mail to do a detour through the nearby “Amish Country” Lancaster. Large farms are located along the route. Mainly corn is grown here. Street signs indicate to take care on horse-drawn carriages. Driving by, you can easily see which houses are owned by Amish people. Instead of gasoline-powered vehicles there are horse-drawn carriages in the garage.

    1 1/2 days in Baltimore. Soon after my arrival I visit Edgar Allan Poe’s statue, home and grave. I walked. The house, where he lived is in an area with mostly town houses, rather lower social class. Poe’s house was saved from demolition from a club and does not fit within the environment. In one of the streets a juvenile is doing tricks on the rear wheel of his noisy motocross. A police officer sitting in his car at a corner does only give little attention.

    One evening sitting in a pub I get in contact with a young PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers) employee. He mainly is auditing companies. Two different characters meet. He tells me about his 60-70 hour week and his big salary. His first car was an Audi A4, a gift from his grandfather. Now he drives an A6. He only buys European cars, American cars are crap, as he says. He needs a couple beers to come down from work. Now and then he goes outside to smoking. I tell them that I quit my job and sold my car and other things and ride across America on a motorbike. We have a few beers and a chat.

    01.-04.08.

    From Philadelphia it is only a short distance to Baltimore. A friend told me by e-mail to do a detour through the nearby “Amish Country” Lancaster. Large farms are located along the route. Mainly corn is grown here. Street signs indicate to take care on horse-drawn carriages. 

    Driving by, you can easily see which houses are owned by Amish people. Instead of gasoline-powered vehicles there are horse-drawn carriages in the garage.

    1 1/2 days in Baltimore. Soon after my arrival I visit Edgar Allan Poe’s statue, home and grave. I walked. The house, where he lived is in an area with mostly town houses, rather lower social class. Poe’s house was saved from demolition from a club and does not fit within the environment. 

    In one of the streets a juvenile is doing tricks on the rear wheel of his noisy motocross. A police officer sitting in his car at a corner does only give little attention.

    One evening sitting in a pub, I get in contact with a young PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers) employee. He mainly is auditing companies. Two different characters meet. He tells me about his 60-70 hour week and his big salary. His first car was an Audi A4, a gift from his grandfather. Now he drives an A6. He only buys European cars, American cars are crap, as he says. He needs a couple beers to come down from work. Now and then he goes outside to smoking. 

    I tell them that I quit my job and sold my car and other things and ride across America on a motorbike. We have a few beers and chat.

    Thank you for reading, Jürgen.

  • Manhattan and Philly

    Manhattan and Philly

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    26.07.

    I did the 230 km from Albany to Manhattan in almost exactly three hours on a smaller highway through a nice scenery with less traffic. For the next 170km I needed 6 hours. 

    I wanted to drive through Manhattan and entered the island on Broadway, which reaches to the north, far beyond the island. It soon turned out as a fatal mistake. Even the first two or three kilometers should have been a warning. 

    Pure chaos on the roads. Cars parked in the first lane and stopping in the second of three lanes to enter or exit or load and unload cargo. I drive through Washington Heights, Upper Manhattan, Harlem. What am I saying? In stop-and-go traffic I move from traffic light to traffic light. I don’t drive a kilometer without having to stop. 

    I pass known places that I visited in 2009. Finally I arrive at the Columbus Circle, which is located at the southwest corner of Central Park, and dive into the skyscrapers. Slowly go, with the masses of cars, to Times Square. There I turn slightly right, leaving the Broadway and driving down 7th Avenue. 

    Although traffic is moving very slow, it is very impressive to look down a seemingly endless street canyon. Sunday morning, when there is no traffic, would have been a much better time to drive through Manhattan. I move on to the southern part of the island. I have to go through the Holland Tunnel to Jersey. 

    More standing than driving, it goes forward, meter for meter. To cross the Island I almost needed around 2 1/2 hours.

    It did not get better in Jersey. Has this city no end? With each stop, due to traffic or at a traffic light, the estimated arrival time to my destination gets later and later. Like the distance would increase, not decrease. Down to Philadelphia repeatedly jams and construction sites. My navigation device shows for hours, that is only 1 hour to my destination.

    The hostel is surrounded by a park. Apart from the highway that passes, it is a relaxing place. I’m very exhausted and glad that I finally arrived.

    27 to 29.07

    Philadelphia or Philly, as it is also called. 

    The next three days are used for recreation and sightseeing. In Philadelphia, you have to see at least two things, the Liberty Bell and ..? Right. Rocky Balboa 🙂 Some of my friends asked if I was running up the stairs to the museum too. Of course I was running .. on train tracks, through the districts. People were going behind me, and I was running away. Because it was not fans following me, it was gangsters wanting my money. 

    No, just joking. I did not run up the stairs. It was more like lifting myself up there. But you can watch hundreds of people running up.

    Liberty and Independence (Freedom and Independence) can almost be breathed here. Excuse me if I don’t write about historical or geographical details in my articles. I don’t want to reproduce what can be read in many other places. If you are interested, search yourself.

    One of the cats here at the hostel slept under my motorcycle cover on my tank bag. I saw it by the tracks and the hairs. I think it was the white one.

    Many of the historic facilities are free to visit. For museum visitors, the Philadelphia Museum of Art is highly recommended. I enjoyed it. A friend gave me the tip to visit the Penitentiary, a former prison. It was very interesting too. I also was at the Franklin Institute. You can meet Benjamin Franklin everywhere here. A true jack of all trades. The Institute is more for kids. You can discover a lot there.

    On one of the days, it was Sunday, I walked about an hour to the Museum of Arts along N33 Street. On the right side the houses, on the left side Fairmount Park. People had picnics and barbecues, played music, where playing games or practiced tee at a driving range. Some houses are in poor condition and windows were covered with plywood. On the way back I got to a gas station because it was hot and humid, and I needed something to drink. “Food Mart” is printed in yellow letters on a blue panel. I entered the store. It was about the size of a gas station in Austria. You can get something to drink, to eat and some other supplies. Just, that store was a little different. You entered and found yourself in a space with a few square meters. The saleroom was equipped with thick glass, I assume it was security glass and separated the public area from the staff/shopping area. Between sales staff and customers, direct physical contact was almost impossible. Like if in a ticket booth, there was a small opening to talk to the personnel and an opening for money. You had to point at the things you wanted and the goods were given to you through an opening around a corner. Maybe during night this neighbourhood looks quite different.

    Tomorrow I will move on to Baltimore. There I would like to follow a little bit Edgar Allan Poe’s footsteps. One of my favorite authors.

    Thanks for reading, Jürgen

  • Adirondacks (en)

    Adirondacks (en)

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    22.07.
    Leaving Montreal. I’m going south. I cross the border to the United States at Rouses Point. The border guard asked me where I’m from, why I have no Canadian license plate and how that works importing your own vehicle. “I even don’t have an idea, how to put that in my computer.” I told him that it is a temporary import and I therefore keep my license plate. 

    He made some phone calls. After a few minutes, everything worked out perfectly. I had to go into the building to fill out the green visa card, the fingerprints and a picture was taken, I had to pay a $6 service fee and everything was done. The border employee wished me all the best for my journey and I was gone.

    Many thanks to my brother and his girlfriend, who gave me small amounts in different currencies of some countries I will visit. I already needed a few of the USD to pay the service fee.

    It is very difficult to find cheap accommodation here. Vermont is a beautiful but damn expensive area. Hostels are pretty rare and I dare not go camping, because the weather is quite changeable. I stopped in a village, because I found it quite nice and asked at the tourist office. “Where is your limit?”, they asked. 

    I said: Around $ 50-60 (though that is far beyond my real average budget of $ 30-40 per night, but I knew I would not get anything here for that price). The staff told me, prices are around $120-$150 per night in this area, excluding taxes. $150 (including tax) is my entire budget for two days. I ended in Rutland, much further south than planned, where I found a motel for $60 the night.

    23.07.
    It’s pouring rain. The weather reports and satellite images show rain throughout the area. I waited a while and decided to stay another night. It rained far beyond 12pm. So I was watching TV and planned the onward journey. In the afternoon, the sun came out. I did some errands and cleaned my motorcycle from the dust and dirt of the past days.

    24.07.
    In the morning, it was raining again. I found a weather page on the internet that updates almost in real time. There I saw that it was just a smaller cloud passing by.
    I go back north a little bit, because I want to cross the Adirondacks. Today’s destination is Lake Placid. 1980 the Olympic Winter Games were held there.
    It’s cold. I wear my jacket + inner lining, a sweater and a T-shirt. It’s cool, but driving is tolerable. The ride is short, and I arrive at the hostel early after lunch time. I see that it has about 12 degrees C. With another T-shirt and thick socks, it would be able to drive at 10 degrees C. At least I now know where the limit is.
    David and his wife, Terri, are operating the hostel. It is located a bit outside of Lake Placid and it’s very nice. David is a relaxed and friendly guy. 2009, he hiked the Appalachian Trail in about 5 1/2 months … 3.580km.

    As far as I’ve traveled around in Vermont and New York State, I can say: It is just like in Austria. A mix of deciduous and coniferous forests. I could be driving around in the mountainous area of Austria.

    I spend the afternoon walking around and having a coffee in Lake Placid. Preparations for the Ironman are going on, which takes place on the coming weekend. David told, that Ironman has been held each year since 1996 and is THE major annual event in Lake Placid. He also told, according to a survey in one of the past years, the amateur riders,  with the profession, gain in average $150,000 per year, while the professionals, who depend on sponsors, only gain around $30,000.Located in the village I drop in at a “junk dealer”. The guy sells an old pan for $ 55 which is a bit rusty too, $ 525 for the other thing in the photo, about $ 300 for a rusty deck, from which one the frame and the springs are left, and a lot of other stuff.
    Hello, Mum! We should not sell our old stuff so cheap at the flea market or over the internet. We should offer them as antiques.

    25.07.
    Finally the sun is shining. Before leaving, David recommended to either visit the ski jump or drive a few miles up a mountain. I decided for the ski jump, because it is on the road. From the top you have a great view around the area.

    I continued through the Adirondacks. It’s a really beautiful area. From time to time I pass smaller towns on smaller or larger lakes.
    The joy disappeared when I approached Albany. Maybe the old city is nice. But the suburb in which I stay is a total contrast to my trip during the day.

    And I will tell you the next few days about my 9 hour horror trip from Albany through Manhattan to Philadelphia.

    Thanks for reading, Jürgen.

  • a weekend in Montreal

    a weekend in Montreal

    Album

    19. – 21.07.

    A big Thank You to Esra and Paul for their hospitality and a for a really great weekend in Montreal. You know how to know your good friends. It does not matter how long you don’t see. When you do, it’s just like it was last week.

    Paul and Esra did a firework for me. Esras sister, Zeynep and and her niece, Melis were also in Montreal. It was a great welcome.

    There were a lot of festivals going on around the town, like a Comedy Festival, a Music Festival, a Kids Festival and maybe some more. While Melis, Zeynep and Esra had “Kids Fun”, Paul and I had “real” fun. 😉
    Paul invited me to the La Ronde Amusement Park and we did some roller coaster. I can’t remember when I did that last time. Man, those things were going off.

    But later afternoon, when the sun went towards the horizon, something seemed wrong. Children got unsettled. Something Evil was coming up. Kids transformed to some kind of human-animal thing. They attacked other people. It did not take long and there was an army of zombies all over the streets.

    Police and other authorities tried to control the situation. But they were without a chance. They got overrun. People tried to flee from the city in all different kinds of vehicles.

    Somehow we managed to get back to Esras and Pauls Apartment. It was just time to gather the most necessary things. I jumped on my bike and just drove away, not looking behind me. Esra, Paul, Zeynep and Melis caught the last train out of the city. I hope they got out well.

     

    Ok, Ok, maybe not everything happened as described. 🙂

    Thank you for reading, Jürgen.

  • enjoying the ride

    enjoying the ride

    15.07

    I leave Halifax and am officially on the way. My next goals are Moncton, Fredericton, Riviere-du-Loup, Quebec City and Montreal. Again, it’s burning hot. I start sweating while I pack the motorcycle. I’m glad that the wind is blowing cool through my clothes while driving. On my navigation device I made a setting that motorways are avoided and unpaved roads are included. 

    I move on federal and state roads. Outside villages and towns there is not much traffic. I’m cruising relaxed through the countryside. Even at long distances between villages and towns, you find a house within every two kilometers, sometimes it is a cluster of several houses. I guess going to the supermarket because you forgot milk is not that easy far away from towns. Towards the end of today’s tour the navigation device is leading me on gravel roads. 

    Looks like those are official roads too, because there are signs too in the middle of the forest. For a few kilometers I’m off-road then on-road again. Today’s tour was a lot of fun.

    The hostel in Moncton is cozy. It is a larger house that has been converted. There are not many people. Mike is greeting me. He is also a guest. He is a nice guy. Mike works on an oil field many flight hours from here. Two weeks work, one week off. He has already had a few beers. For the next two weeks there will be no alcohol. The oil field is a “dry zone”. 

    After the long drive I could have a beer too. Mike and I are walkin to the liquor store. I took two bottles of beer and said to Mike … No, I will not drink that much … and went to the liquor store again later …. As Mike departed, he still had some food left and invited me for dinner. The night ended with a few people from the hostel in a pub. They have got a beer here called “La Fin Du Monde”. In a 0.75l bottle, 9% alc, very tasty. Two bottles and there you have “la fin du monde”.

    16.07

    Today it is fortunately just a short tour. The night was a bit too long. I can’t tell very much about Fredericton. I stay again in a university dorm. Everything is quiet. Perhaps it is because the university is a bit further away from the center. Good for me. So I’m not tempted to land in any pub. I also have to do a few things anyway. After arriving I slept for about two hours, because of yesterday’s hangover. I bet there are not more than three guests here. There was a long dark corridor inside the building. Left and right are the doors to the rooms. I felt a bit like I’m in “The Shining”. Don’t forget to lock the door, Jürgen. But how does that help against an axe?

    17.07

    Today I planned to drive around 460km. After around 150km the weather is getting bad. Soon after, it starts to rain. First, quite easily. That’s ok. The clothes will stay dry. I put on the  rain cover for the shoes to stay dry. But I am too lazy to stop and unpack the rain gear. Soon, it started raining very hard. I’m soaked pretty quickly. It does not help to protect your shoes, when the water is running down your legs inside. Still about 250km from the destination? I’m freezing. This is hell, but I move on. I take the highway. This shortens the route by about 60km. Luckily the weather gets better again and the sun is coming out. When I arrive in Riviere-du-Loup, I’m mostly dry again.

    In Riviere-du-Loup I can have a short walk before it starts to pour again. Time to write on my blog. Hopefully it will be better tomorrow. By the way, I’m already in Quebec. French is the primary language spoken here. Communication got a bit more difficult.

    Thank you for reading, Jürgen

  • Halifax and sourroundings

    Halifax and sourroundings

    Album

    13.07 + 14.07.

    Sightseeing in Halifax.

    I walk. I walk through the streets. I walk up to the citadel, from where you have a good overview of the city. And then to the port. The weather is excellent. A lot of people are on the promenade. Children are playing and street musicians try to earn some money. In Point of Pleasant Park, at the southern tip, a few places invite for swimming in the bay.

    Unfortunately, I do not have my bathing clothes with me. In the sweltering heat I can hardly resist to jump into the cool water with all my clothes. Saturday I spend a few hours at the jazz festival. Admission was free.

    On Sunday I took the first big ride. I planned around 250km, 4 1/2 to 5 hours. I started in the morning driving along the coast. I passed coves where sailboats are gently rocking in the waves. Although it is 10 o’clock in the morning and it’s already bright sunshine, it is very cold along the sea and I put on a sweater.

    The planned route pulls me to the inner land. Meanwhile, the temperature has risen sharply, somewhere I see 36 degrees on a display panel. Driving is very exhausting in this heat. Sometimes I pass small lakes. I’m driving around a few of them looking for public access, but everything is private property. 

    It is a true torture. The cooling water is so close and yet out of reach. Sundays in the evening I went to the Lebanese Festival. It felt like beeing in a different country immediately. The audience consisted largely (I’m assuming) of people of Lebanese descent. Few tourists or locals can be seen. In a ballroom, dances were performed by various groups. I eat a large plate of Lebanese specialties.

    I’m very exhausted from todays activities. There is still so much to see. But I have to go. In five days, I want to be with my friends in Montreal.

    Thanks for reading, Jürgen.