Change of plans

August 13: Moncton to Springhill, NS (87.56km)
It was difficult leaving Moncton today because it had been fun to see everyone. Also, I had taken a full 4 days off - more than I have taken since Saskatchewan and I had gotten out of the habit of riding. But alas, I had to leave at some point.

I got a slow start and only left at around 10:00. The weather had been gloomy the whole time I was in Moncton and this morning was no different. Aside from a few drops, I didn't get rained on however and the clouds started to disperse in the afternoon.

Unfortunately, I had to leave New Brunswick where the roads had been so good to enter Nova Scotia where there are very little shoulders. I had been warned of this by some cyclists whom I've met along the way and by my brother Rodrigue who was driving in these parts last week. So at my first opportunity I got off the main roads in favour of country roads. There is no shoulder but the traffic is a bit lighter and they drive a bit slower.

My enjoyment of the trip thus far has always been directly related to the quality of the shoulders. So I'm not anticipating great things from Nova Scotia. However, since I only have to be in Halifax next Monday, I will be doing shorter days and doing more of the tourist thing then I have been doing for most of the trip. So hopefully that will compensate for the bad roads.

August 14: Springhill to Five Islands (67.27km)
I must say that the people of Nova Scotia rival New Brunswickers on the friendliness meter. Almost everyone I crossed paths with in Springhill were quick to chat and to offer help. The sons owner gave me a number of tips on where to go and what to see. Unfortunately, I forgot most of it as he gave me so much advice, I couldn't keep it all straight.

My biggest challenge during today's ride were dogs. I'm now riding on country roads and thankfully, the traffic is quite light, but there are dogs all along the road that don't seem to like the sight of me. None chased me too far, so I suppose I shouldn't complain, but a few of them gave me a good fright.

I was thinking of going to Masstown today which is 50km further than Five Islands, but when I got to Five Islands, the sky had become overcast and gloomy and I figured in the spirit of my approach to the final days of my trip (i.e. shorter days and more “stopping to smell the roses”) I decided to stay there the night as it was a pretty town. I checked into a B&B and was hosted by Gerry and Judy – super friendly people and I recommend their hospitality if ever you should be in that neck of the woods. Judy even gave me a tour of the town by car (because it had started raining pretty hard).

August 15: Five Islands to Brookfield (88.13km)
The conditions for the early part of my ride were ideal. The rain had stopped and I had a fairly healthy tail wind. I was planning to stay in Truro for the evening, but I got there so fast, that it seemed a waste to stop. So after stopping in the information booth and planning my destinations for my final few days, I made another short ride to the next town where I'm staying. Since I essentially turned a corner at Truro, the conditions were no longer as favourable. Nonetheless, the ride was enjoyable. There were especially some pretty sights on the first half of my day when the road was along the bay of Fundy.

I've been thinking in my past few days about my trip. If ever I were to do this again, there are several things that I would do differently. That being said, I did the trip that I wanted. I wanted a trip that got me out of my comfort zone and that would challenge me and that is what I got and for that among a whole lot of other reasons, I'm happy I am doing this trip.

August 16: Brookfield to Elmsdale (42.24km)
Last night I woke up around 4AM thinking that I might regret not finishing my trip in Newfoundland. Even though I had always been vague as to my destination goal, in my minds eye I always saw myself standing atop Cape Spear and seeing nothing but ocean. And in a strange way, I felt that I would be robbing myself of the cathartic experience of having truly completed my journey if I didn't finish at Cape Spear. There would always be a seed of regret that I would think I left the trip unfinished.

Along the ride, I debated myself about whether or not I should change my travel plans. Let's be honest, I'm tired of the trip and looking forward to the end. This statement contradicts what I said in yesterday's posting, but both assertions are true. I'm glad I'm doing the trip, but I'll be really glad when it's over.

The conclusion of my internal debate was that I would look at the possibilities of doing the trip when I arrived at my destination and I would act accordingly. As it turns out, rescheduling the trip was feasible and in fact my options were better then when I had checked initially. When I had done my initial research, I thought I saw that all ferries arrived in NFLD at around 2AM. This was a problem, because it would mean that I would have to find my way to the hotel - which was 7km away - at night. Either the information had been wrong or the times have changed, because now, the ferry would go overnight and I would arrive around 9AM. This was perfect because I could then get a full days ride in before having to find accommodations. So I changed my plans.

Now, I'm in a position where I have to backtrack about half a days ride so that I can get to Sydney on time. Oh well, all part of the adventure:)

A few more pictures.