21st of September.
We have enough mental and physical strength left almost every day on this tour to race for the town signs. Only my knees are hurting every once in a while to remind me of my age and after a few hours my neck demands for me to understand that it exists between my shoulder blades and connects my head to the rest of my body. Otherwise I would just take it for granted. I am glad it's there and it doesn't bother me to the point that I actually need to do something about it. My hands also letting me know of their existence.
In the mean time, we have spent a wonderful time in Vancouver City, Vancouver island at Cowichan Lake with Marina and Ernesto from Guadalajara who finally caught up with us on their motorcycle. It happen to be James' b'day and we all had a good time visiting the Raptor Learning Center
near Duncan, followed by a splendid shrimp dinner at the campground near the lake, created by Marina, one of the best cooks I have ever met. After dinner and a couple of Margaritas from a soda can, we blasted some old music from iPods and iPhones and while competing who has the best speaker (Ernesto won), we danced, howling like wolves. The campground was well visited, but we felt entitled for some reason not only because we didn't pay the $35 per tent, but.....I don't know why....we got up early and left quickly the next morning and headed for the day use area and were greeted by a warm summer day. A magical sight of the lake with the morning fog ....I will never forget:
I did cry a little when Marina and Ernesto fired up their motorcycle to drive south and homeward, away from us.
They feel close to me and I felt the tugging of my heart strings...
Then we bummed around the island a bit, taking some detours to the west side to Port Renfrew. I have been feeling royal, just because I can make it work to start my day with clean underwear every morning, during which time I also discovered I don't need a chamois (padded cycling short) all the time. I've got enough padding in that area and the wind between my legs gives me a kind of a "feeling free" feeling which adds to the whole happy, daily cycling experience. The weather has been kind and the rain warm when it needs to rain. "What does the world cost" - is what we say in German when things work out. I guess in American you would say: I feel like a million ducks.
Easy riding. From Sidney we took the ferry again - this time to Anacortes, after visiting Victoria, where we couldn't stay too long, because we couldn't find a free place to stay and wound up in the cutest little Hostel called "The Turtle" for one night and had to shell out $55.
After that we stayed with James' landlord and friends and family of friends which was splendid, not only because it fit the budget, but because we get to know the best people in the world that way and widen our horizon with great conversations; visiting a school some people and I were trying to pull off in CA, but some other capable humans got it going north of Seattle - Called: The Clearwater School.
Near Seattle, in Bainbridge we wanted to stay forever with a family of my dear friends back in Marin. The beautiful energy and house surrounding these generous people I felt like the luckiest person in the world. Got to sleep in satin sheets (well, maybe they were silk....?) enjoyed the most interesting conversations, stories, games and food. I love other peoples lives!
I also love big cities and in Seattle we got to go to a concert of our favorite band "Carbon Leaf".
The ferry back to Bainbridge was still running at night -free one way and the other we slipped in as seniors. I am not too proud to pass by as a 65 year old, but, hell, we saved $8 each time we used the ferry back to the island. Only made me feel 10 years older for a short time. I don't do everything to save a buck, but some things are worth it and easy enough.
