Starting with a not-so-easy walk to the airport shuttle pick-up spot at the ungodly hour of 5:45 am, carrying both a boxed bike and a box of my sole belongings for the next couple of months, my trip began as a bit of a challenge. From catching the bus to checking in at the airport, struggling with my boxes left me wondering how on Earth I'd be be able to carry all of this stuff all of the time on two wheels.
Things didn't get any better when a) I was charged an extra $50 for a luggage surcharge (the bike is only small) and b) I discovered was assigned the dreaded middle seat on the plane.
Things began to get better after a quick seat swap while the hostess had her back to me, giving me a bit more room to spread out, enjoyed my home-made lunch and watched a movie (Sunshine Cleaning). The time in the air was uneventful.
But everything changed once I landed. That's when the adventure started.
At the airport, I had to first put my bike together. This not only took a long while, especially pumping the tyres up with the hand pump. Then I had to find a place to change while keeping an eye on the bike. In a stroke of ingenuity, I changed behind the large cardboard box the bike had been packed in - no doubt a special treat for any passengers just landing!
Soon after, I was making my way through Calgary but not before making a quick photo stop at a sign outside the airport that so perfectly summed up the aim for my trip: Non-stop to San Diego. Stop California Dreaming.
Making my way across Calgary involved an early visit to Canadian Tire for some last-minute alterations to the bike and to pump up those tyres properly...and then I was really off, cycling out on the Trans Canada towards Canmore wondering what the hell was I doing, what exactly was I in for and how my legs could be so sore so soon!
Continuing on across the plains of Alberta, I stopped at Chiniki for a quick microwaved chicken pie, which slightly exploded in the store owner's microwave (I made a quick sharp exit). A highlight in Chiniki was learning that I had wireless internet access; Chiniki is a small native reserve, so I figured if I could get wireless here, I should get it just about anywhere.
Once it started getting dark, I was fortunate enough to stumble across a campsite almost by accident. There, I set up my new tent for the first time (in the dark). Afterwards, I visited a nearby gas station and snuck into the toilet to wash as the campsite had no washing facilities. Oops! I got caught with my shirt off by the attendant who was coming in to clean, just as I was creating a nice little swimming pool on the floor. He seemed alright about it though. In fact, he gave me a pot noodle, not quite sure why, but never one to complain when it comes to free stuff, it was pot noodle for dinner! I also think he offered to give me the end-of-the-day sandwiches, but I wasn't really sure and opted not to take them just in case I had to fork over money for them in the end.
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