HALIFAX:Part two: Dustins birthday party

One of the things I like the most about travelling the way I do is meeting so many really cool people along the way.This backpacker hostel thing is great and seven years at boarding school has made "institution life" quite tolerable.Actually when you have been out riding your bike and camping for a week or so the hostel is like a bloody palace with all that hot water and clean beds and stuff.This hostel is no different and there have een some real characters hanging around here for the last few days.I mentioned the Semester at Sea folk before and they were awesome.So too are those fellow inmates that stayed here after the college kids left.

I would go into detail of all the individuals but no doubt you would find that a bit boring,instead I'll show you some pics and videos of our little hostel group.To that end I'll invite you all to meet Dustin as it was his 21st birthday on Wednesday and there is no better excuse for a party than someones birthday. He is studying architecture at school in the U.S and is one of those bright young guys that actually gives you a sense of belief that that next genaration isn't going to be all screwed up.I like smart,interesting people and he is one of those.His love for architecture is part of his character and it is "who he is".In todays weird,conformist society it is refreshing to meet people who strike out on their own and stick to their guns.I really admired how he spent most of his time checking out the university and trying to make contact with a professor of two and a well knnow architect who had a office near the hostel.He is a cool young guy and I'm glad I met him.

On the opposite end of the scale is Sven,a real free spirit from Australia.He too is a real intellectual but in a different way.He plays god knows how many musical instruments,is an avid(and very good)photographer,is a conservationist who has worked with the National Parks and Wildlife Service and also is an adventre guide.Here is a guy who carries with him while backpacking, a laptop,camera gear,a flute,a volin and all kinds of other assorted surprises including wet-stone for sharpening knives(I know cause he sharpened all the knives in the hostel kitchen for fun-the pshyco!) .During Dustins party we had some complaints about the volume of his violin and recorder playing but it was early and we didn't pay much attention as the music he was playing is the sort of stuff you would pay good money for to any busker on the street.One cool thing was that during the night Svens fiance called the hostel and I happened to pick up the phone.The funny thing is that I knew who she was straight away as Sven had told me all about her.It seems she was also riding across Canada but going the other way and had just made it to Rogers Pass in B.C.(the highest piont of her trip).She was so surprised that I knew all about her trip and I said that I guessed she wanted to talk to Sven.She said of course but I told her that he was busy putting on a show for us.Bless her heart, she asked if she should call back later and I just laughed and told her not to be so silly.I went and got Sven.What a cool chick she must be.

We have Louise, the English girl who on route to Nth America had a layover in Iceland and liked it so much she stayed.Now those of you who have read my Epic Ride blog will know how worried I would be about meeting another Icelandic backpacker.Thankfully Louise didn't follow in the footsteps of the Icelandic Viking Princess and I was left in one piece.She does not have a drivers licence,does not believe in gathering material wealth "just for the sake of it" and lets the hand of fate decide where she travels.I think that is really cool.She told me that when she lived in the UK she would often go to the train station and catch a train to random towns just to check out what they were like.If only everyone had such interest in living life.

The list of my new friends could go on and on but travelling would not be called that if one stayed in the same place and so my time in Halifax must come to an end.I could stay longer but I am on a bit of a schedule so it's off toward Quebec for me.Time to get used to life on the road once again.

Below is a little video of Aussie Sven entertaining us all with a sample of his musical talents.Above is Dustin at the Propeller Brewery stocking up on beer.That's big bottle in is hand is called a "growler" and at $8.50 for 1.85lt I tell you the stuff is awesome.

This bottle is the root of all evil.It is commonly called a"growler" which is a term used for submerged ice in the oceans of both poles.A Growler can sink a ship in minutes just as this bottle can sink even the strongest of men.At $8:50 for 1.85Lt who cares!!

HALIFAX:Part one.

That first night in the Halifax backpackers brought me back to a lifestyle that I love so much.Having the chance to meet a whole bunch of really interesting people from so many places is something that doesn't happen to the average guy who is living the "accepted"way of life.Working 50-60hrs a week surrounded by people who for the most part have lost the spark of life is not a place where I want to spend my time.Sadly,so many of us do.

What was great was the chance to spend some time with a group of Americans some of whom were participating in the Semester at Sea program and some of whom were here for their own reasons.It was an absolute pleasure to see that my favourable opinion of Americans was strengthened by this group of young, intelligent and welcoming embassadors of the Stars and Stripes.In many ways the Yanks get a pretty rough deal when it comes to world opinion but these guys and gals were great.They made me drink too much beer but I have wide shoulders and can bear such burdens when called upon.Who am I kidding?College girls and beer-what more motivation does a guy need to wander the streets of Halifax until 3am?Exellent!!!

The big night out for me had the added bonus of making sure that I had no problem sleeping and the short,alcohol induced coma was just the thing I needed after such a long trip.I was here though and ready to check out just what Nova Scotia's capital had to offer.With that in mind I took the 20 minute stroll to the downtwn core and immersed myself in the Maritime culture.

I like cities that make no pretence about the fact that they are a tourist town and Halifax is no doubt close to the top of the heap in that regard.From the scores of people ascending the slopes of the Citadel like an invading army to the unending line of tacky tourist shops fronting the waterfront this place is tourist central.The history of this city is palpable and the huge number of museums and exhibition buildings holding pride of place in the downtown core is evidence of local pride in Nova Scotias' heritage.

The city itself is small and very quiet but it cetainly has its charm.Being the weekend,my first foray into the Halifax way of life was to do combat with the crowds of tourists ambling around the waterfront.There were hundreds of them-hundreds!It was all good though and I decided that would spend a day or so just wandering around being a tourist and soaking in the atmosphere.I had five months to be an athlete so I left my bike in it's box under the bed and for a couple of days and was a backpacer, at least it would give me time to get used to the temperatures here on the east coast as, for me at least,they felt decidedly wintery.

As for the charity aspect of my ride I decided that it was time to shift focus from me having a great cycling "holiday" to doing all I could to raise the profile of the Athletes in Kind cause.That meant adjusting my expectations relating to where I would ride and what I would be able to see.I could just ride around the coast and do the Cabot Trail,Prince Edward Island and all that but while it would be a great experience for me, the chances of raising any money that way was pretty much nil.No,I would have to spend more time out meeting people and pushing "the cause" to everyone who would listen.It is pretty tough though to impress upon media outlets what you are trying to achieve when they are used to see so many people cycling across Canada every year in the name of some charty or other.

My decision to stay in Halifx was really taken out of my hands when on my second day of two-wheeled exploration my front brake failed.It was lucky for me that I was standing still when it happened as(for anyone who hasn't been to Halifax)the hills are pretty steep here and if I had lost my brakes at speed it would have been ugly.Not to worry though,I had checked out a couple of bike stores the day before and so headed,very,slowly to the more upmarket of the two bike shops that I'd seen.The first was a big,clean,modern affair with cool clothes,expensive equipment and the cleanest work station I'd ever seen in a bike store.I walked my little mtb into the store and asked if someone could have a look at my front brake while I checked out the selection of tyres the store had on offer.The guy asked what was wrong and I told him that the brake doesn't work and he then informed me that as the brakes were hydraulic he would need some time to figure out what was wrong.I told him that I though the brakes just needed bleeding but he told me that he would have to take it apart to be sure.I asked how long that would take.He didn't know but he did know that he couldn't book me in for two days.Two days for and appointment!!!Jesus,what was this place,a doctors office?I just wanted my brakes fixed not a plastic surgery consult.I took my bike off the workstand and said my goobyes.I wouldn't be bying anything from that store.

I rode into the city centre to the other bike store which couldn't be more different.This place is small,dirty and has no yuppy, overpriced bike parts hanging on shiny display cases.There were a few bikes hanging up on old racks and not that much in the way of stuff to buy.What they did have was a group of guys busy at doing what a real bikers bike shop does,fix bikes!One scruffy guy came up to me and asked what he could do for me.I told him my tale of woe and he said "no probem,leave it with us and you can pick it up later tonight".Awesome!!He gave me a price and asked if there was anything else I needed.I ordered two tyres and told them that I'd see them the next afternoon as I wanted to do some touristing in town before I rode to Quebec.Now that is my kind of bike shop!


That day and the next were museum days.The weather had changed for the worst and along with the low tempeatures there was a thick fog enveloping the city.I was doing exactly what I had intended by coming here three weeks before the Double Iron and that was getting used to the cold weather that had struck me down during all of my previous attempts in Levis.I may not be fit but at least I will not suffer because of the cold this year,it will be my sheer lazyness over the last six months that will come to haunt me come race day.Speaking of being lazy,in an atempt to at least pretend that I am an athlete I did begin doing some runs around the city.Thankfully the weather kept the streets pretty quiet and I'll tell you it was pretty surreal runing through the fog on a cold "summers" day.The Titanic graveyard was particularly scary to stumble upon on one foggy morning.Scary in a good way though as it is an amazing place.The Citadel grounds and the waterfront boardwalk all made for great running destinations and I felt like I was on an historical running tour of Nova Scoatia's maritime heritage.It is a really cool city full of sights and smells that just overwealm your senses and I wondered why I had never visited before.My delay here in Halifax, as with so many other unplanned hiccups in my travels over the years, proved that there is much to be gained from just accepting your fate and opening your eyes to the world around you.Let's see what the next couple of days in Haifax brings.

The long flight to Canada

Okay,so I've done a bit of flying around the planet in my time and normally I don't have too much in the way of bad luck with schedules but this trip was different,very different.I left home in Cairns at the ungodly hour of 4am in order to get to the Qantas check-in desk before the staff get really cranky and start charging extra for everyones baggage.I had only two pieces of baggage to check in with the biggest being my bike, all my camping gear,panniers,wetsuit(who brings a wetsuit on a cross-continental ride??!!!),running gear,swim gear and god knows what else in my cardboard box.The other piece was my trailer which folds up and fits neatly into the bag which clips on to the trailer itself when on the road.Inside the bag along with my trailer was even more stuff like my computer stuff,bike lock,tools and more bike-clothes. I had no idea how much all this stuff weighed and was,as always,worried about how much I was going to be charged for all my excess baggage.

I decided to wear my airport work uniform in the hope that the Qantas rep would be nice to me and as luck would have it who would I find at the check-in desk none other than one of the ground services managers who I deal with every day on the tarmac.She made some smart comments to me about losing my bike and then without a worry she checked my 29 kilo bike box and 11 kilo trailer bag on the flight for free.I was 20 kilos overweight and for that flight and she checked my bags all the way to Vancouver a nice favour that ended up saving me a lot of money.

The first of my five flights was pretty uneventfull but after landing in Brisbane the fun started.I headed straight to the China Airlines check-in desk where I waited for two hours to be checked in.Bloody hell,I didn't even have any bags to give her!As our departure time closed in we were informed that our plane had been diverted to Sydney and we would have a delay of about three hours.That was good news as all the passengers weren't checked in by the scheduled departure time anyway.The bad news for everyone else though was that as the plane was full they were charging $75AUS per kilo for excess baggage-WTF!!!!!Thank god for my friend in Cairns is all I can say.After what seemed an eternity of sitting around in the hell-hole that is Brisbanes' excuse for an International airport I found myself sitting in my comfy aircraft seat with my personal little tv in front of me, ready for some serious marathon movie watching.

The next two legs of the fight went pretty well and after the longest Friday 13th I have ever experienced I found myself in Vancouver airport waiting for my flight to Halifax.The only problem with that fight was that it was the red-eye and by the time we got on our plane Vancouver airport seemed a very lonely place to be,not lonely enough that I really wanted to sit next to a woman with her newborn for the whole trip across the country AAAAAAAH!Onward and upward though and we taxied out on to the runway where our pilot told us there was a problem and we would be returning to the gate.No worries,only a thirty minute delay,even I could forgive that.Unfortunately one of the hosties(sorry,flight attendants) had other plans.Apparently she did some creative accounting in relation to her work schedule and figured out that she had now been on shift too long to make the flight to Toronto.The captain informed us that there would be a two hour delay as the airline tried to find an entire cabin crew to replace the one that had,by now,all exceeded their legal daily workload.Jesus frickin Christ!!!

Once that was sorted and the new crew arrived(two hours later) we were away again(this time without the mom and baby),off to Halifax via Toronto.I already knew that I would miss my connection but did not know how long I would be delayed in Toronto.That was until I got off the plane and was given the news that I would have to wait three hours for another flight.Now that sucked the big one but what really pissed me off was once I had settled in at Starbucks and was preparing for yet another wait I heard the final boarding call for a bloody flight to Halifax,again WTF!!!I was there,my bags were somewhere but the bloody plane that could be taking us together to Halifax left without us.Too close a connection for me to get on board apparently.GRRRR!! Another few hours later and another few dollars poorer,courtesy of the curse of airport food prices,I was on my way to Halifax,finally.

Halifax airport was a great site to behold as we flew in and I was beginning to get really excited now that I was so close to my final destination.I was happy as well to see that my bike and trailer had arrived as well and in one piece it seemed,now all I had to do was figure out how to get to my hostel in town some thirty kilometers away.A taxi was out of the question as the $53CDN fare was just extortion so that left me the airport shuttle at $18 and of course the $6 fee for my bike.How much money could I spend in one day trying to get to this part of the world?

Ticket bought and first in line for the bus half an hour later.The huge crowd of college kids waiting around the airport had other ideas though and as the bus departure time approached there were about twenty of us at the bus stop.The bus driver obviously had plans as to which hotels he goes to first and loads the bags accordingly,my bike however,didn't fit into his plans.By the time his efficient system had worked it's magic I was left at the bus stop with a young girl wondering if I was ever going to get to Halifax.We would have to wait for an hour for the next bus.By this stage I just didn't care.

The up side of that wait was that I got to meet Chelsea,a really nice college girl from Illinois.She was part of a huge group of 600 college students coming to Halifax to join a national program called Semester at Sea where and old cruise ship is used as a floating University for ten weeks of cruising and learning about other cultures.This lot were going to Europe and they were all very excited to be going part of a great adventure on the college version of the Love Boat.

Chelsea asked what I was up to and when I told her of my ride and the charity I was raising money for she told me that she thought it was awesome and that her father had died of cancer only three weeks prior.It was a sobering moment for me and I thought of how she must be feeling leaving her family for such a long time so soon after a tragedy like that.She is a class act and I'm glad I met her.We spent most of the next hour discussing the upcoming US elections and before we knew it we were back at the bus stop for our second try.No worries this time and we were on the bus with the promise of delivery to the door of the hostel some five blocks from the center of town.

We unloaded our stuff at the front door and checked in to a really cool little hostel which looked from the lobby more like a coffee shop/second hand bookstore than a backpackers.It is such a cool place and the vibe was very friendly especially when,after putting all my stuff away,I stumble upon the kitchen to find a bunch of half drunk college kids playing some ridiculous board game the rules of which seemed totally up to drunken interpretation.I set a new personal record for a hostel in that I was drinking my first beer within ten minutes of arriving,a beautiful dark beer brewed right in Halifax by a local micro-brewery.It just seemed the right thing to do.

We joined the group in the kitchen and hostel life took over my psyche once again.What a great place and what a great bunch of young nutters to share it with.After 47 hours of traveling I deserved to seriously unwind and soak in the local atmosphere and soak it in we did-until three in the morning.That however, is another story.