Sunday, July 18, 2010

Baie des Chaleurs to Saint-Laurent

Last night after I posted I went back to my campsite and while sitting quietly reading my book I heard a little me-ew. I found a kitten, black and white, huddled in the bushes behind my tent. There had been a sudden down pour and afterward there was poor kitty, wet and seeminly lost. She meowed, telling me how she hated to be wet, I offered her tuna from a tin (which she might have taken if I hadn't moved) and then she was gone. Poor kitty.
I was up early this morning, despite the revelry in the campground last night. I'm getting quite efficient breaking camp, but the heavy dew meant packing a wet tent. I've made it to Rivier-du-Loup. It rained on and off today - not enough to get wet, really, just enough to make me stop in a panic to stash my camera in the 'otter box' several times. I've already lost one camera to the rain, don't want to loose another.
Bathurst NB - best McD's place for breakfast - they do real eggs, anyway you like them, with real toast (just like a real restaurant!).
I bought gas in Dalhousie before heading across to Quebec and the Saint Lawerence - as I recalled the gas stations were few and far between going that way. The highway is cut through bush in New Brunswick. I was glad I did, though the VStar has a large enough tank I would have made it. I enjoyed Campbellton the most - it was where the mountains reached down to touch the Baie - the best of both worlds (hills and sea). I took some pictures at Tides Head.
Apparently there are moose in Quebec as well as in New Brunswick. The Quebec road signs are much more graphic - giant signs showing cars and moose colliding. Can't imagine what a motorcyle and a moose collision would look like. Now I'm fairly certain these woods contain bear as well. On my last three road trips I've seen bear - I've never seen a moose - it appears that the odds of seeing bear are much greater than that of seeing moose, so why aren't there "Bear Warning" signs posted on the highways? (Caution, tourists being eaten!)
There was some road construction today. Grooved pavement. I still don't love driving over grooved pavement but it seems that a heavier bike with a larger back tire is easier to manage than what I've been used to.
Garmin Dans up to his old tricks. Short cuts, short cuts. Today's short cut cost me 17 extra kilometers. Had to double back - in Dan's defense, he had no idea that the mountain road would be under construction and turn to nasty old gravel. Luckily I heard him say I would be meeting up with the main highway again, so I just doubled back to where I had left it.
The smell of the day - French Fries. Don't know where it was coming from, but all of a sudden there it was (only in Quebec - it was probably Poutine).
Just as I was about to pull into a campground this afternoon the clouds opened up again. Big burly clouds overhead threatened thunder and lightenig so I decided to hotel it. I'm staying at a "St.Hubert" motel in Rivier-du-Loup. An interesting concept - pick up your chicken or check into the motel, whatever, all at the same desk.
Who knows where tomorrow will get me - no rush now.

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