I woke up this morning to find a beautiful sunny morning. The winds were low and it was actually warm for once, things were looking good! I packed my gear up, and hit the road, looking forward to a nice day into Winnipeg.
I cruised down the highway in the wonderful sunshine, making excellent time. For once the winds were so low I barely noticed them, and I happily floated down the highway. I reached Winnipeg in about 3 hours, and it was time to run some errands.
First, I made my way to MEC to get my bike looked at. The mechanic tuned it up, replaced the chain, and preformed various other maintenance tasks while we swapped stories about our touring experiences. MEC never fails to disappoint me with their friendly service. I picked up a few odds and ends such as stove fuel, and I was on my way to my next stop.
Next I dropped into the University of Winnipeg campus, a scant 1.5 KM away. I was originally supposed to stay with Brad's friend Laura, but I was two days behind schedule because of the weather and such, and she had to fly elsewhere for work. I had sent her a box of rations, which she was kind enough to leave at her workplace for me to pick up, which was located on campus. I apologize that I must have been a bit of a pain in the neck, with my constantly changing plans. It turns out that some friends Alyssa and I knew from Oromocto live in Winnipeg now, so I now planned on staying with them. I dismantled my ration packs outside the building, and packed them in my bags before heading off to Chapters to pick up the second Game of Thrones book.
Just when I was about to head to Kevin and Jeanin's house, I spied a Bulk Barn! Victoria doesnt have them, and I havnt seen one yet on my trip, so I couldnt resist. I intended to get mostly trail mix, but naturally I ended up leaving with a giant bag of candy and no trail mix. I have no regrets.
That craving satisfied, it was time to finally head to their house. My GPS took me on a 30KM route, but apparently there was a much easier route, oh well. I arrived around 530, and ventured inside for a pasta supper. It was great seeing them again after several years, and they have a cool German Shepard named Kramer. After supper I just lazed around.
A lot of people complain about Winnipeg, and like to insult it, but Ive gotten a pretty favorable impression overall. The layout isnt bad, there are lots of trees in town, the people were quite nice to me, and not one car honked at me or tried to drive me off the road. Thats pretty good in my books. Way better than Calgary. The surrounding area was just more open plains, but I am told I will reach the tree line by the end of tomorrow.
Winnipeg marks another one of those big mental landmarks for me. I have all but completed the prairies, and will soon enter the lonesome woods of Northern Ontario. It has been a tough couple of weeks fighting the weather in the open plains, and I cant wait to reach the forests, lakes, and hills to come. Most of all I cant wait to be rid of the wind. It is hard to believe that I have already been on the road for a month, and have travelled a couple thousand kilometers already; its pretty surreal.
I dont really have any pictures today because my battery was low and I was saving my phone for navigation.
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