Cormack, Newfoundland/Labrador, July 12th
Cormack, Newfoundland and my first night of camping, but I almost didn’t even get this far. Sitting in the campground lounge talking with Trevor and the owner’s mother who is playing mom. She is here with her husband helping her son and daughter-in-law run the place during the summer and guess where they are, Vegas. Well, like mom because she is getting fed up with the kids not closing the door behind them and making sure they are of age before drinking, which is only 19 here. More to come.
Well, I did have my alarm set right after all. Since I haven’t figured out how to get the damn thing to show me the time zone I’m in, I’ve had to set the alarm according to central time, so if I calculated right, 3:30am should get me up by 6:00 Newfoundland time. And it’s a good thing my phone has a battery of it’s own for the alarm because when I got up the power in the entire town of St Barbe was out. So much for those people who paid good money to stay in the hotel and probably had the same kind of problem I did trying to take a shower, no water pressure. At least I did have hot water so it wasn’t a cold shower, but just a trickle enough to get me wet and rinse me off.
That meant with the power off they weren’t taking credit cards to pay for the ferry, but I was in luck cuz it only cost $11.50 and I have enough Canadian cash that I can cover that. Which reminds me, the lady the other day that charged me more for using US dollars than Canadian, the bartender last night treated me with par…remember dollar for dollar. Oh well, I’m able to get on and bikes are last on, and once again asked if that meant we were first off, but no was the answer I am so getting use to. The one thing they have right on the West coast ferries is they have the bikes get on first since they have to strap down the bikes and that’s one thing they could learn here from them, just as the west could learn from the east that one strap over the seat’ll do it. Ok, there was just the Bar Harbor ferry that did that for as fast as it goes, but here it’s strapping down the handle bars or in my case the crash bars, which I hope not to have to use someday.
The boat ride was ok, but I really wish someone would’ve warned me about the food because I decided to have eggs and sausage like everyone else, but it was terrible. One thing I have noticed is Newfoundland/Labrador isn’t known for its food cuz even the chicken lunch I had wasn’t anything to write home about. Mom still being mom getting on one of the kids for driving cuz he’s had few. Now I even know better than to drink and drive, so only a few more and I can get this bike back to the campsite…right, bike’s parked and I’m walking.
Where was I, right the boat ride wasn’t bad at all and when I first met Trevor he and I were the only bikers on the boat. He was going to just take the bike off the ferry and get right back on to say he’s done Labrador which is exactly what I thought about doing until I started smarting off to the lady running the gift shop. Ok, I was asking her if I’d be partying with her tonight if I took my time driving as far as they have a paved road or not, but according to her, the north shore is definitely worth the ride, that after thinking about it, it’s not every day that I’ll make a trip to Labrador, that I probably should ride until I can’t ride anymore and for those that know me, sure I’d do gravel.
Now to my surprise, the Blanc Sablon port we were coming into isn’t in Labrador, but Quebec. That means, according to my calculations and since Nunuvut doesn’t have any roads that PEI is the only other province for me to claim the entire North continent, and if there is anyone who’s going to question it, please let me know so I can plan my next trip before moving on to another continent. Anyway, I came into Quebec, but just up the hill hit Labrador. No, not just Labrador sign, but Newfoundland/Labrador even though most Canadians consider the island Newfoundland and the mainland Labrador that I’ve done it the way the Canadian’s would have. And I did ride as far as the pavement took me, Red Bay which was about an hour away, an hour and ½ according to kph, but remember my calculations might be off slightly that an hour is all it really takes and if you look closely you’ll see where the pavement ends and the gravel starts.
It was more great country to see and for awhile I actually sat back not worrying about taking any more pictures and just enjoying the scenery myself, because like all other places you have to see it to appreciate it and I have to start appreciating it more myself since I’m here. I can share the stories or how it makes me feel, but it’s a different experience to each person that sees it. Oh and it’s cold up here, you might even see some snow still in the mountains.
Since the trip is only an hour drive and I have another 3 ½ hours before catching the ferry back I took my time and even had something to eat Right, that chicken lunch that was nothing to write home about and that was about the time the lady showed me their live lobster tank and all of the frozen fish that they could have cooked up for me. Ok, I had to get in line and get a ticket to get back on the ferry and that’s where the problems of the day start.
No, no problem getting a ticket, but as soon as I tried starting the bike to pull it in line, no power. Something was acting up that I have no idea what could have gone wrong that all I thought about is the battery has finally gone on me cuz even the alarm wouldn’t cause it to go completely dead. Well, once I got it pushed into line, I called the HOG hotline to get them to help me out and I am really gonna have to send them something when I get back because not only weren’t they of much help on my previous trip when I ran outta gas in the middle of nowhere, they’re even tougher to deal with when out of the country. Sure, the phone prompt says if calling from Canada select 2 which is what I did, but as soon as I started giving them my member number, no I have to call the states and they’ll contact them to help. When talking to the lady from the US group and telling her where I needed the tow to pick me up, St Barbe Newfoundland, she couldn’t even find it on their map. No kidding, out in the middle of nowhere and I don’t have phone service, which is another whole story I’ll have to bring up with AT&T which was suppose to be the best international coverage…all I can say it’s all B.S.
Where was I, right not much help from HOG and no phone service that Trevor, remember the other biker as well as some of the ship crew were going to help me figure out the problem that I unpacked part of the bike to get at the fuses and all looked good that the crew would jump me once I got back to St Barbe, cuz there’s no place in Labrador that could help. Ok, now it’ll just be pushing the bike off the ferry once we land and unpacking it even more to figure out the problem and fortunately when we got to the battery, something was loose that with a little tightening, I’m back in service. Ok, so while I’m thinking about all of the problems that it could be while sitting on the ferry for the ride, I was going to send a letter or Harley that I need a bike to do the world that won’t keep breaking down on me, one to HOG to be better at their roadside assistance and I’d still like to figure out how everyone else gets phone service but me who switches to AT&T for their international coverage and can’t even get anything in Newfoundland or Labrador. And don’t think I won’t because those letters will be sent.
Not to go on and on, but since Trevor helped me out and we were heading same way, we made the trip along the coast the opposite way that we go there, heading south instead of north so I got some more great pictures of the ride. Once again, you should really make the trip yourself because even when thinking about all my travels and trying to explain what I see or experience you really have to experience yourself. Now after a chilly ride and having to fully leather up, we made it to Cormack, just outside of Deer Lake, Newfoundland, that if the bike starts for me without any problems tomorrow, I should be able to make St Johns’.
Oh, and the people from Newfoundland/Labrador are so friendly. Anyone I’d see out in any of the small towns I rode through would wave and I can’t begin to tell you how many have just come up to talk to me when making a gas stop. And the best while setting up my tent the group next to me gave me a beer and helped me pitch the tent. We need more people like these in the world, even if you can’t understand a word they’re saying.
More great pixs of Newfoundland coast
Well, I did have my alarm set right after all. Since I haven’t figured out how to get the damn thing to show me the time zone I’m in, I’ve had to set the alarm according to central time, so if I calculated right, 3:30am should get me up by 6:00 Newfoundland time. And it’s a good thing my phone has a battery of it’s own for the alarm because when I got up the power in the entire town of St Barbe was out. So much for those people who paid good money to stay in the hotel and probably had the same kind of problem I did trying to take a shower, no water pressure. At least I did have hot water so it wasn’t a cold shower, but just a trickle enough to get me wet and rinse me off.
That meant with the power off they weren’t taking credit cards to pay for the ferry, but I was in luck cuz it only cost $11.50 and I have enough Canadian cash that I can cover that. Which reminds me, the lady the other day that charged me more for using US dollars than Canadian, the bartender last night treated me with par…remember dollar for dollar. Oh well, I’m able to get on and bikes are last on, and once again asked if that meant we were first off, but no was the answer I am so getting use to. The one thing they have right on the West coast ferries is they have the bikes get on first since they have to strap down the bikes and that’s one thing they could learn here from them, just as the west could learn from the east that one strap over the seat’ll do it. Ok, there was just the Bar Harbor ferry that did that for as fast as it goes, but here it’s strapping down the handle bars or in my case the crash bars, which I hope not to have to use someday.
The boat ride was ok, but I really wish someone would’ve warned me about the food because I decided to have eggs and sausage like everyone else, but it was terrible. One thing I have noticed is Newfoundland/Labrador isn’t known for its food cuz even the chicken lunch I had wasn’t anything to write home about. Mom still being mom getting on one of the kids for driving cuz he’s had few. Now I even know better than to drink and drive, so only a few more and I can get this bike back to the campsite…right, bike’s parked and I’m walking.
Where was I, right the boat ride wasn’t bad at all and when I first met Trevor he and I were the only bikers on the boat. He was going to just take the bike off the ferry and get right back on to say he’s done Labrador which is exactly what I thought about doing until I started smarting off to the lady running the gift shop. Ok, I was asking her if I’d be partying with her tonight if I took my time driving as far as they have a paved road or not, but according to her, the north shore is definitely worth the ride, that after thinking about it, it’s not every day that I’ll make a trip to Labrador, that I probably should ride until I can’t ride anymore and for those that know me, sure I’d do gravel.
Now to my surprise, the Blanc Sablon port we were coming into isn’t in Labrador, but Quebec. That means, according to my calculations and since Nunuvut doesn’t have any roads that PEI is the only other province for me to claim the entire North continent, and if there is anyone who’s going to question it, please let me know so I can plan my next trip before moving on to another continent. Anyway, I came into Quebec, but just up the hill hit Labrador. No, not just Labrador sign, but Newfoundland/Labrador even though most Canadians consider the island Newfoundland and the mainland Labrador that I’ve done it the way the Canadian’s would have. And I did ride as far as the pavement took me, Red Bay which was about an hour away, an hour and ½ according to kph, but remember my calculations might be off slightly that an hour is all it really takes and if you look closely you’ll see where the pavement ends and the gravel starts.
It was more great country to see and for awhile I actually sat back not worrying about taking any more pictures and just enjoying the scenery myself, because like all other places you have to see it to appreciate it and I have to start appreciating it more myself since I’m here. I can share the stories or how it makes me feel, but it’s a different experience to each person that sees it. Oh and it’s cold up here, you might even see some snow still in the mountains.
Since the trip is only an hour drive and I have another 3 ½ hours before catching the ferry back I took my time and even had something to eat Right, that chicken lunch that was nothing to write home about and that was about the time the lady showed me their live lobster tank and all of the frozen fish that they could have cooked up for me. Ok, I had to get in line and get a ticket to get back on the ferry and that’s where the problems of the day start.
No, no problem getting a ticket, but as soon as I tried starting the bike to pull it in line, no power. Something was acting up that I have no idea what could have gone wrong that all I thought about is the battery has finally gone on me cuz even the alarm wouldn’t cause it to go completely dead. Well, once I got it pushed into line, I called the HOG hotline to get them to help me out and I am really gonna have to send them something when I get back because not only weren’t they of much help on my previous trip when I ran outta gas in the middle of nowhere, they’re even tougher to deal with when out of the country. Sure, the phone prompt says if calling from Canada select 2 which is what I did, but as soon as I started giving them my member number, no I have to call the states and they’ll contact them to help. When talking to the lady from the US group and telling her where I needed the tow to pick me up, St Barbe Newfoundland, she couldn’t even find it on their map. No kidding, out in the middle of nowhere and I don’t have phone service, which is another whole story I’ll have to bring up with AT&T which was suppose to be the best international coverage…all I can say it’s all B.S.
Where was I, right not much help from HOG and no phone service that Trevor, remember the other biker as well as some of the ship crew were going to help me figure out the problem that I unpacked part of the bike to get at the fuses and all looked good that the crew would jump me once I got back to St Barbe, cuz there’s no place in Labrador that could help. Ok, now it’ll just be pushing the bike off the ferry once we land and unpacking it even more to figure out the problem and fortunately when we got to the battery, something was loose that with a little tightening, I’m back in service. Ok, so while I’m thinking about all of the problems that it could be while sitting on the ferry for the ride, I was going to send a letter or Harley that I need a bike to do the world that won’t keep breaking down on me, one to HOG to be better at their roadside assistance and I’d still like to figure out how everyone else gets phone service but me who switches to AT&T for their international coverage and can’t even get anything in Newfoundland or Labrador. And don’t think I won’t because those letters will be sent.
Not to go on and on, but since Trevor helped me out and we were heading same way, we made the trip along the coast the opposite way that we go there, heading south instead of north so I got some more great pictures of the ride. Once again, you should really make the trip yourself because even when thinking about all my travels and trying to explain what I see or experience you really have to experience yourself. Now after a chilly ride and having to fully leather up, we made it to Cormack, just outside of Deer Lake, Newfoundland, that if the bike starts for me without any problems tomorrow, I should be able to make St Johns’.
Oh, and the people from Newfoundland/Labrador are so friendly. Anyone I’d see out in any of the small towns I rode through would wave and I can’t begin to tell you how many have just come up to talk to me when making a gas stop. And the best while setting up my tent the group next to me gave me a beer and helped me pitch the tent. We need more people like these in the world, even if you can’t understand a word they’re saying.
More great pixs of Newfoundland coast
posted by Dalej Webb at 10:33 PM
1 Comments:
Dale - just spent a couple hours catching up on your trip. Your pic links quit working a couple days back, or I'm as bad with this blog stuff as you are with adjusting time zones -- Jokes
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