I see you already think, "Winnipeg, Winnipeg, but ... This not the United States, that! " And you're right ... We are still in Canada!
Everything had started as planned ... Passage through Chateaugay 5 July evening at Heritage St Bernard - 1h from Montreal. We meet my friend Pascale She made us see "his" park, beautiful, wild, amazing. A gem of nature a few km from the city. The next morning after a night to fight against vampires (read the hundreds of mosquitoes that we endured great hardship because we slept near a funny guy) and some blood stains on a screen installed in haste during the night, we get a great breakfast, a stroll among the herons and frogs, and even a course on instectes by "Mr. Bugs" (ok, he did not want to be called like that ...); Did you know that insects breathe through your stomach? (By the stigmata on his stomach in fact.
short, a good start. So a light heart that we continue our road to Sherbrooke. Obviously, we arrive with half a day late and Isabel began to seriously worry. But never mind, when we are finally on site and after some hesitation, we all decide together that this would be nice if we stayed a few days ... Even without knowing when this will take us! First days DIY: Sebastian's brother Isa, help us to repair small problems on the van, we are ready tools, tells us how to go to Canadian Tire. Repair tail light, bike rack installation, setting up nets (not so effective against mosquitoes here, we regret to discover a few days later, covered with dozens and dozens of bite ....). Then Manu, sister of Isa, help us to make curtains ... Needed to sleep in our van without being seen from the outside without being bothered by light, and to change when you have nowhere else to do! With the leftover fabric cushions that I had done in 2007 (!) We are therefore well equipped!
Between work, is the good life. Trying stove provided by J. JS and works great (thank you), you can swim and it "makes waves" in the huge inflatable pool, we talk with Isabel's mother who welcomed us so well, and especially, especially ... We play Ride! Real vacation, so we almost did not want to leave ... "Stay until Friday, I'll get my boyfriend Florian United States, we will drive together," says Isabel. Or, do, it gives us time to make pancakes! And marry "Betty", our van, with Victor's car Isabel.
July 9, finally, here we are back on the road, or at least that's what you said! Isabel from early morning to Stanstead, the small border town where she works in the museum Corby Curtis. By early afternoon, we joined her. Sandwitch in the park, visit the museum by our "personal guide" (thank you), visit the library ... This border town leaves a strange taste, a vestige of a time when borders with the USA were much more porous. The library, founded in 1911 by a local family, straddles (voluntarily) on the two countries. We cross the border on foot, without border, without a passport and customs to get to the front door ... Legally. As long as we retrace our steps when we leave the library under the watchful gaze of cameras monitoring, no problem!
We are ready. At 17:15, Isabel joined us after work and we eat all the leftover food we have in our van before crossing the border. Unnecessary precaution, since ultimately the customs do not bother to open the door of the van. We are in a small village, everything is much less strict ... Except ... And yes, there is a "save as". By looking at our passports, the customs discovers a green paper (visa waiver) published in April when we crossed the border and makes editing our current work permit. Little explanation of American law: our visa exemption has been published for 3 months. It is valid until July 17. Now we are on July 9. So we have the right to enter the U.S. border but only if we come out of the country before July 17. No, it is not possible to issue a new visa waiver before the expiration of the old. And if we stay in the U.S. while we should not, we will never have the right in our lives to cross the border without a visa .... We will apply systematic authorities for any trip. Not a good idea. By cons, it is possible that we left the territory before the end of the current visa waiver and re-were returning to the country after that date. Practice what. Little recap of the situation: we must be in California for the wedding of my brother Tom and his wife Rachel in early August. Unable to cross the border on 17 July l8, or if we go through the United States. Tour possibilities: 1. Leave the country in Mexico. Short of time and risky: the border is difficult to pass between Mexico and the USA and if we're stuck over there we will fine tune, as they say. 2. Go to New York and then turning west to cross the frontier. In this case, we're not going to North Carolina or Toronto. Remains the third possibility to try to see everything we had planned to see retrace path and make the trip in reverse.
After a moment of reflection, our decision is taken. We'll get in New Hampshire with Florian Isabel then go home that night with her, then to go to the West ... Besides a stop in Sherbrooke (St Elie d'Orford, actually!) Again, to the GN for Nico (with Sebastian the great master!), Pool for me, then the acrobranch Sunday, because as well as be there one more day, as well enjoy it and finally discover this activity that I always dreamed of doing, through the branches and rocks of the eastern townships ... And that's how
we finally left "for real" Sunday, July 10 at night and how we are currently in Winnipeg, the "heart of the continent." Nights in the van, days on the road, swim in the thousands of lakes, bars in the Tim Horton's, meals on our stove ... The adventure is amazing and beautiful at once. The roads of Ontario, along the lakes and up and down the steep, windy cliffs gave way yesterday to Highway 1, line at infinity in the midst of plains covered with cultivated fields. Less chance here, as was the case on the road for the last 4 days, crossing moose, deer or bear. Of these we have not seen that finally, a few weeks or months, died hit by a car on the road from White River to Kenora. Tailed deer are a little more and we also had the chance to meet a beaver during a morning shower lake and ferrets yesterday (Well, we had thought of you!).
adventure as we learn time management, fatigue, food (no fridge and the heat!) And water. Did you know you can take a shower with a 4 liter? Our bathrooms range in front of majestic waterfalls, lake or in the toilets of Tim Horton ... Less glamorous but in town it is hard to beat! Our dining rooms are not bad either: a lake in front of most of the time where we can dip our vessels in the water after a meal (without product, great bio!). The good dishes succeed despite the lack of means. With a round (one plate), a stove, two pans, two bowls and two topperwares, we are able to make us plastered pasta sauce mushroom-tomato, rice, sandwitch - not worse!
10:15 already, the road ahead. Still up to 4000km Vancouver, cross undoubtedly still many cyclists who make the road so much courageous than us. Suffice to say that their equipment is more limited than ours ... But no doubt they are also less self before stopping in cafes and hotels. As for us, we will continue our nomadic life, and we ask again, probably tomorrow morning, wake up ... "Criss ch'ui but where?".
More news soon ... If our internet access allows us .... This is the first time in a week that we find what we connect! (It was easier in India, lol ...).
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