Day 2 - beware of ominous signs....

Day 2 - July 15h.

I awoke feeling very refreshed. The three of us walked over to Pete's Place for breakfast. As usual, Jill was being, as she put it "nosy", asking many questions about my life. I told her that was ok, that I was used to her nosiness. Shawn smiled at me as I said that. Although we have only known each other a few years and seldom see one another, I felt comfortable around them. They were old friends to me.

Well after more chatter, it was time for me to be off. It had started to rain, so I donned all of my riding gear. Jill and Shawn offered to ride their minivan, with me in tow, down a shorter route out of town that the GPS typically offered.

Shawn and Jill took me to the start of the Trans Canada. Shawn pulled over and as I passed them, said goodbye by holding his hand high in the air. I smiled and returned the gesture. I was back on the road.

The road into Ontario was beautiful. The number one was a smooth, gentle road to ride on. Very few bumps. There were more trees than in Manitoba. I was not used to seeing so much green on the highway.

After a few hours I arrived at Kanora, Ontario, the gateway to the Lake of the Woods. As I entered town, I rode over a bridge which took me high over the water. On either side of me was the lake. She ran to the horizon in every direction, and in her waters were a series of tree filled islands the size of city neighbourhoods.

I stopped at Shopper's to buy batteries for my camera, then rode to a hill to take photos of the Lake. It was still raining, it had been since I left Winnipeg. It was Sunday and the town was very quiet. I spent a few moments gazing upon the wide berth of the Lake of the Woods. Being from the prairies, the sight of endless miles of open water fascinated me. It was quite serene.

I left Kanora, and later that evening I arrived at Upsula, Ontario. I hoped to make Thunder Bay that night, but it was dark and I decided to call it a night. A campground greeted my arrival in town, which I happily took advantage of.

As I pulled into the grounds, a statue greeted me. It was purched on top of a huge steel pole. It was a bit dark, so I couldn't quite make it out. I could see a male manikin hanging from something. Was that something a mosquito? No, it couldn't be....

I eased the bike into a camp stall, and dismounted. As I did so, my neighbours came to greet me. They introduced themselves as Tom and David from Montreal.

They told me they were rock climbers and were hitching their way to Squamish, BC. There they would rock climb and also practice their slack lining. They would spend five weeks there.

They told me they got a ride into Upsula from a farm girl, who, in exchange for the ride, asked them to help her with some farm chores. David told me they absolutely loved the experience, and that travelling was a way for them to meet lots of cool and interesting people. These two were twenty somethings had heaps of enthusiasm. You could tell they were living in the moment. Ah, the enthusiasm of youth!

Our conversation didn't last long, however, as we were being attacked by a swarm of mosquitoes. And were they ever voracious. David kindly offered me some Off. I immediately applied it to my face and hands, but to no effect. The bugs were so bad, I hastily set up tent and hurled myself into it, not bothering with the air mattress. After several minutes of smacking mosquitos, I fell asleep.

Camping in Upsula, Ontario. Bon appetite!

Below - the road to Kenora, Ontario.