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| Amish Cart & Buggy |
Sitting down at Tim Hortons for dinner last night, Joseph came by to say hello. At first I was a bit surprised, Joseph is Amish and they have a reputation for being reclusive. He'd been in Blind River all day at the farmers market trying to sell his wares. Joseph makes wooden furniture and grows berries and vegetables on his 85 acre farm. Originally, he said a lot of Amish had settled on Manitoulin Island. Land is more expensive there, so 5 young families relocated to Iron Bridge. Life was difficult but they were going to give it a try. Waiting for the Grayhound to take him back, he asked if I saw any horse and buggies today. I mentioned the carriage I had seen at Iron Bridge near the store. He said that was probably his wife, she bakes and sells homemade bread. Joseph and I are about the same age and I was glad to get a better understanding of their culture. According to him, he wouldn't want to live any other way.
I think what Joseph believes is important. While some may consider him crazy he feels he lives in a historical period where there's enough technology to serve the needs of man. Perhaps for him it's the ideal balance between our wants and needs. He has time for his family and the kids. The clock he lives by is the sun in the sky. He's a happy fellow unburdened by the wants of consumerism. While I would never choose his lifestyle, I can understand the allure of simplicity. With dinner finished, he wished me the best of luck. He told me to look out for the horse and buggies going west in the morning. We shook hands and I took off. The sun was setting and camp was 5km out of town.
I think what Joseph believes is important. While some may consider him crazy he feels he lives in a historical period where there's enough technology to serve the needs of man. Perhaps for him it's the ideal balance between our wants and needs. He has time for his family and the kids. The clock he lives by is the sun in the sky. He's a happy fellow unburdened by the wants of consumerism. While I would never choose his lifestyle, I can understand the allure of simplicity. With dinner finished, he wished me the best of luck. He told me to look out for the horse and buggies going west in the morning. We shook hands and I took off. The sun was setting and camp was 5km out of town.
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| Serpentine River |
Today my goal was to reach Espanola. Espanola is a pulp and paper town that also serves as the junction for Highway 17 and Highway 6. I plan on going south on Highway 6 and taking the Manitoulin Island ferry to Tobermory. At just over 100km, the ride to Espanola should have been easy. It was another sunny day. The morning was hot but the winds were calm and I cruised smoothly through the rolling hills. I crossed a bridge over the waterfall on the Serpentine River. Things were going great. The heat was intense so I took lots of breaks. Cruising through a series of small towns, I made it to Spanish. Espanola was less than 30km away.
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| Highway 6 Breaking Off to the Right |
After taking a break, I battled a few more hills before arriving at the junction of Highway 17 and Highway 6. I can't say I'll miss Highway 17. It's a dangerous road to cycle on. Right until the end, the shoulder was narrow. When there was a shoulder, it was often chipped or the cracks would be filled with soft rubber that catches your wheels. Motorcyclists have the same problem. The rubber they use to fill the cracks wobbles their bikes. As I paused at the junction, a guy waved me in to Tim Hortons. He bought me an Ice Cap. I'm still amazed at all the acts of random kindness that I've experienced on this trip.
Entering Espanola, you see a massive paper mill. “More Than a Nice Paper Town,” is what the sign says. High and low I searched for somewhere to camp. The guy at Mcdonalds said there was nothing near the town. He suggested I make the trip to Manitoulin Island. It was 60km down the road and late in the day. Without much choice, I started the journey. The kid had said there might be a few small hills along the way.
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| Grinding up a Hill |
A few small hills turned out to be the LaCloche foothills. Sharp and steep, they reminded me of the shoreline of Northern Lake Superior. The heat radiated off the pavement like a blast oven. It was tough to climb in these conditions. After a 25km struggle, I made White Fish River. The sign said this was reservation land. Rolling past the community center, an Indian came out and asked me to stop. “I have a vision,” he said, “you come from a land many moons away.” I couldn't tell if he was joking, so I said, “The land you speak of is surrounded by mountains that descend to the sea. The white man calls it Vancouver and it's 35 moons away.” The Indian introduced himself as Rising Mojo. It's the most interesting name I've come across on this trip. He said he wanted to buy me a drink. I told him that “The 36th moon wasn't far away and that I still had a long way to go today.” He told me “No harm would come to me as I went through White Fish River lands.” Rising Mojo blessed my trip. He couldn't stop saying "For real bro," when I told him of all the things I'd seen. I think he thought I was Indian. It was such a funny chat but he was a nice guy.
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| Oh La La! La Cloche Hills |
The land flattened out and I hit Swift River. Stiff headwinds greeted me for the rest of the way. At Swift River, they said the next campground was at Sheguiandah. I kept pushing forward. Finally making the campground I greeted the girl, “Glad to see you Batman.” The name of the campground was Batman and it's a good one. A lot of regulars come here from as far away as Toronto. I'm getting very near. Tomorrow I take a 2 hour ferry to Tobermory.
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| Manitoulin Island Landscape |
Distance: 174km
Average Speed: 20.9km/h
Maximum Speed: 58.4km/h
Time: 8:19
Odometer: 4382km
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