Lake Louise to Chase, Thursday, 19 July 2012, Day 45

Lake Louise

Hot hot hot it was up to 33 degrees centigrade and around the 30 degrees mark all day so a hot and sweaty day however the route I did was gorgeous but I did not stop very much for photographs as every time I did I started to bake so best plan of action was to keep on moving so that is what I did. First thing I did was head down to the Lake to do the mandatory photo of the lake, me and all of the rest of the tourists it was so bad that people where actually queuing up to get a shot.

Lake Louise

Yuk not my scene at all so headed up to another lake nearby and it was the same story there. Both of the lakes where absolutely gorgeous, but in my view there where far to many tourists for my taste.

Moraine Lake

I had plan on how to get Vancouver and I had made my decision on where the 1^st nearest Tim Horton’s was how sad is that I even went on the internet to locate this info (actually it was a lady in Parks Canada who said this route may be nicer more parks to go through not the lure of cinnamon rolls honest Indian) A long day in the saddle through some lovely scenery at one stage it was like driving along Lake Como in Italy only nicer National park after National park it was absolutely brilliant.

Not Staying Here!

Later scenery turned to rolling hill and farmland as I headed to Vernon where I heard there was a bike motorcycle rally on called Sturgis of the North. I seen pictures of the original Sturgis which is a small town with streets lined with motorcycle well this was not at all like this it was out of town and you had to buy tickets for it so I decided this is not my scene loads of fat old men with ill fitting leathers on Harleys (I have just described myself except for the Harley part!) I headed for a hostel I had read about the night before where you sleep in old worker railway carriages and an excellent decision that was as I am still here the following day. A real cool place next to a river were there are 4 old railway carriage that used to be used as sleeping quarters by the workers on the railroads and an old fashion general store a very eclectic place that I am staying another night after a great night sleep. Big boy toys playing at railways drivers Chu Chu I love it!

I am staying here my latest digs 🙂

Fun evening I met a mad (her words not mine) French girl called Matilda who wanted to do an interview of me why I have no idea but I spent a fun evening with me being filmed and interviewed I shall try and share this on the net if I can so that you can all have a laugh at my expense. And to top it all I spent all night outside and very few mosquitoes here and a gorgeous sunset what more can you ask for a very pleasant day.

Nice Sunset!

    

Elk City to Claremore, Wednesday, 15 August 2012, Day 72

Yet another Route 66 Petrol Station!

As you can probably tell I am not to impressed with this part of the journey but I had very little option but to grind it out in the hope that it will get more interesting soon. I had a pleasant day Route 66 was more present in the State of Oklahoma so this got me of the freeway, which was a nice change.

I must confess I am no longer a speed freak and on the Freeways you are allowed to go 75 mph but that is a tad fast for my liking the bike could do that all day long the rider however prefers the more leisurely pace of the back roads where he is not being humiliated and passed by 20 wheel trucks as he tootles along in the slow lane. It is official I most be getting old as I am no longer in hurry to be the fastest thing on the road and considering the miles I am putting in I would be even more tired than I am now. Again on me own in a tatty old motel room so I finally got all my routes downloaded from my Garmin GPS onto my computer as there is no Internet and the goggle box here is crap.

Bugger it was Closed!

So here are some Stats;

I have done about 23,690km in 72 days so that is about 330km a day. The most I travelled in one day is 764km from Thunder Bay to Winnipeg. I have spent about USD 1, 250 on fuel and about USD 2,200 on Accommodation and god knows how much on Cinnamon Rolls. I know but I am not telling. So a pleasant enough day at the office not mind-blowing or much to write about but pleasant. I have got some ideas on how to liven things up bit but a tad more research is needed so watch this space.

Arenal to Turrialba, Friday, 30 November 2012, Day 150

They seem to have some kind of symbiotic relationships see them together all the time

Its been pissing down all-night and still is when I get up so prepare for a wet day. Move Daisy out of the Restaurant she puts up a bit of a fight it looks like she is not looking forward to a wet day in the rain either. I have some help from the young lad from the hotel with packing my bike chatting away in Spanish to me but I still do have a clue what he is saying. I understand that he is impressed with my GPS shame I am not crock of shit device more fun and games with it today. First port of call was fuel for the Daisy and then fuel for Philly at a German Bakery the rain has turned into a drizzle it was a bit of a struggle parking Daisy as its wet and on a steep hill but eventually manage pull the sheepskin off to stop it getting wet and then I am greeted cheerfully with a handshake from the German owner of the Bakery who says he knows me from the internet so maybe I am famous out there in the Internet world or he says that to all Bikers that pull up to make us feel special well it did it for me. So a Cinnamon Roll and a Raison Roll and a Cappuccino for breakfast and I am ready for a damp day in the saddle. Pull on my waterproofs trying to remember the last time I had these on it has rained but never enough to need them for a while. The roads are damp and it’s drizzling with the occasional shower but nice road round the lake slippery in places and surface forever changing so need to keep me wits about me.

Nope I have no idea what it is either!

Got lost. How do you get lost when you have a GPS well I am buggered if I know the dam thing has not a clue where I am only has limited coverage of Costa Rica and forever telling me to head to a particular road number which is brilliant but it does not know where I am and in which direction said road is so in the end I am just using this as a tracking tool so where I have been which it can just about manage and I resort to the old paper map sun and compass and finally get back on track. Garmin this is one piece of shit you have sold me.

Great run in the morning through hills and countryside dull and overcast but it never really got that wet. I got out of my waterproofs at one point and for the middle part of the journey, which was not very nice. On a major road to Limon, which is, a harbour town so loads of trucks crawling up the hills so not many overtaking opportunities so in the end up crawling along at there speed which is frustrating. Eventually I turn of back into the mountains heading to a place called Turrialba. Beautiful run through twisty roads and gorgeous scenery so the day started great bit of a dip in the middle and a great grand finale. I cannot ask for much than that I rolled into town at about 4.30pm next try and find somewhere to sleep. I did a few rounds of the town which was busy and traffic and chaotic and could not see anything suitable or that I fancied staying when out of the corner of my eye I saw a sign saying hostel so cut across 3 lanes of traffic (I am driving like local these days) and I pulled up outside. It had parking behind a gate and without even looking at the room I had a dorm space. You get a feeling for these things so you know already that the rooms will be fine just from the look and feel and vibe from the front desk. And I was right fantastic clean modern Hostel with a homey feel Casa de Lis 6-bed dorm with on suite and a nice garden to chill out in. Sharing with an old codger (kettle calling the pot black) American who has been in Costa Rica for years he is in town to buy supplies as he lives in the middle of nowhere with no electricity and a few mod cons. He left the Army in 1974 after been in in Vietnam he is suffering from Diabetes linked to Agent Orange so is now getting a pension from the army he was pissed of with what he had been through in Nam so he went Costa Rica as it did not have an army at the time (I love that rational) and brought some land and has been living there on and off since then. Interesting chap but you could tell he been living a hermits existence or had not spoken to folk for a while as I get the same way when I go into my hermit mode so I recognised the characteristics. Andy Clark of Radio Netherlands please step forward and take a bow you have a fan this chap was an avid follower of your work on the radio and he misses you now that you are no longer broadcasting so he is asking the Dutch government to invest some money to get the full English Language Broadcast back on air.

I went for a wander round town and found a Chinese for my dinner Chicken Chou Min no noodles but some weird fried bready sticks. Different and I love that with Chinese in Latin America you always get a couple of slices of white bread with butter not very Chinese in my view but great for mopping up your plate 🙂

That name is going to start cropping up everywhere now 🙂

Moody night shot

Back to the Hostel sitting in the garden updating this and chatting to Dave (to be honest I have no idea what his name was as my memory has let me down yet again god I wish I could remember names!!!) the Vietnam vet.