DAY SIX-145k

Today was one of those really lousy days on the road where you are just trying get the job done without really noticing what the hell is going on around you.Idid manage to do what I had planned in that I did ride 145k and I did get myself into Quebec but my legs were really starting to hurt and it wasn't fun.The wind however did ease off toward the end of the day but I have to tell you some of the hills that I can across were just killers.

One hill in particular really tested me and that was the one leading up to the Irving truck-stop at Grand Falls.My god,why do they have to put every single truck stop at the top of a frickin' hill.That 3k(I measured it)climb involved two rest stops along the way.Man did I feel lame!!Once there though I will admit that the views were pretty nice.Views not only of nice scenery but of an ever increasing presence of hot looking girls.It became quite apparent to me that I must be nearing Quebec as the women started to look prettier, wore more make-up,were more well dressed and of course they all started to speak French.

I didn't realise that the people here in northern New Bunswick spoke so much French but I guess it's all part of that Acadian thing.What really surprised me was when I hit my last rest stop for the day at the town of Edmundston just south of the Quebec border.I was really hungry as I rode up to the town and spied a really,really big MacDonalds store on the side of the highway.I took the exit and rode in parking my bike near a big group of motorbike tourists.On entering Macca's I realised that everyone spoke French,it was wierd to suddenly be immersed into what is essentially a different culture so quickly.I was really tired and didn't feel like socialising so I just ordered my meal sat on the back patio and ate like it was the first meal I'd had in days.
It did the trick though as I quickly perked up and headed back out on the road toward Quebec.It didn't take long to approach the border and I soon spied the huge Quebec flag flapping in the breeze marking the end of New Brunswick and the beginning of the third province of my trip.The one other thing I spied was the storm that was about to hit as well.I made the sprint to the local gas station just in time as the heavens opened and dropped bucket-loads of the wet stuff all around me for the next 12 hours or so.

I spent the next four hours at the gas station waiting in vain for a break in the weather and my thoughts turned to the possibility of catching a lift with one of the many trucks that were at the huge truck-stop.I didn't get a ride in the end but I did spend some time with a few of the motorbike guys who were trying to keep out of the rain as well.We all sat together in the truck-stop diner drinking coffee dreading the thought of going out into the weather again.A couple of the guys had checked the weather networks and told me that there would be rain and cooler temps for the next few days-great!!
Two of the motorbike guys decided to book a room at the neighbouring motel but I was determined to try and get a little further up the highway and rode off into a light drizzle on the bike path next to the highway.I didn't last long as the heavens opened again and I thought I was going to get royally soaked for the night.Good fortune favoured me though as the bike path went through tunnel under the highway which provided me shelter.I figured that there was no point going on and decided to set up camp inside the tunnel.I thought that with this weather the chances of anyone being out and about to disturb me was minimal.Thankfully the wind had stopped so in the end it was a really great place to camp,mozzies and all.I had survived a pretty bad day,with really sore legs and lousy weather.I feared though, that tomorrow would just get worse and had an anxious and fitful nights sleep.