Hi to all,

After riding via smaller villages for a few hundred km’s, I got onto real highways once closer to Toronto. I had a contact through a motorbike website where I could stay. But as I made a mistake at a turn off I had to go through main traffic. Oh boy, no matter which direction I tried, everything was jammed and at a temperature of 28C it wasn’t anything to feel comfortable with. Finally made it after a few hours to Ross and Maria. Fantastic people. They had been traveling as well on their bikes in Europe and Ross even went to Africa (which is still on my list btw).I enjoyed a good bed and all the comfort while staying there. Had some things to be done , helped Ross out with some welding and got new tires on the bike as the gravel roads seem to eat them rather easily!Went also on a day trip to visit the Niagara falls! Beautiful!

As after almost a week I moved to relatives of a friend who wanted to meet as well.After thinking about it for several weeks and throwing pro’s and con’s in the scale I decided to buy an emergency beacon while still in the city.When I ride all alone on these off-road tracks you never know what can happen and as there’s no cellphone coverage, it’s like a back up. Hope I never got to use it though.Time to move on, so continued back on the road. First some major highways to get back out of the city and then smaller ones to take the ferry to Manitoulin Island. The coast lines look great but inland wasn’t much to see as it was dry and flat. Which doesn’t mean it wasn’t interesting, but just less attracting in my opinion.At a campsite I ask for a price and it’s 34$ plus tax. Jesus, that’s too expensive for me!On the parking there’s a couple and they ride as well and she asks or I stay. I explain it’s too much for me. No problem I tell them you can stay on our lot she says. When she comes back it’s not necessary as they suddenly have a spot for 10$. Weird,but fine! So just cause she talked to the managing woman they suddenly have a cheap place.I had a ride around the island before I left. At a coffee stop I met a 58 year old woman who travelled across Canada on her bike and back. So nice talking to her and we exchange details before I take off. I ride over Sudbury to catch up again with the TCAT. Once on the gravel road I look for a spot and find one on a lake.

I put up camp and even put all my food up in the tree before going to bed. You never know! When I make pancakes in the morning for breakfast, there’re some cars passing. Strange as this is a small track, but they try everything with their pick ups. I continue the off road and it gets a bit more technical what I like. But it seems a short part though. In the afternoon I stop at a unofficial camp spot where I have a chat with a couple who camps there. Before I go he gives me some fresh fish wrapped in ice. Fantastic! So fish tonight for dinner! Before I can enter the city of Timmins I got to stay behind a truck as he makes so much dust it’s impossible to see upcoming cars. I swallow the dust with a coffee away and fuel up before I continue again. I serviced the bike in Ottawa, but you can’t see it anymore!Later I try to find a camping spot and end up with some other Canadians on what they call:’Crown Land’. Which is kind of public land where you’re allowed to camp on. I got invited for a beer and music. One of the guys shows me how to prepare this fish I had! Wow, tasted very nice!! Later other people make a campfire where I join before calling it a day. I can’t seem to sleep well through the night lately, so I’m a bit tiered when I leave. On my first stop I met a Dutch guy who lives in Canada. We chat for a while before I hit  the gravel again. Just 5km further down I stop as I see something black on the road. Oh yeah! I encounter my first black bear. By the time I realize it and wanna grab my camera, he disappeared in the bush. Damn!

Dust dust and more dust!

I got a close call as these logging trucks don’t seem to keep on their side of the track. One cuts off his corner and leaves me with just about 2m space. Damn you! I’m sure if I was in a car I would have collide. I gotta be careful as I almost fall asleep when I ride on the asphalt again which is just a straight stretch. In Wawa I end up riding too much around as they give me wrong info on camp site prices. I’m happy to take a shower and clean up after a hard day.

An American woman had responded to my ad for riding company which I put on a website. So I stay the day to do some different stuff and wait for her. She arrives in the evening and we chat as I cook a mail.It rains at night but just a little clouds in the morning. We pack and hit the road together. She rides faster than I’m used too, but it works. I like to take my time and enjoy the environment. It starts raining and we stop to get a coffee. When we take off I’m not sure or I can make it on my fuel to the next stop. She says, we’ll see and I agree as we go. She’s a bit in front when the time comes that I actually stop without fuel. Shit! I wait but she ain’t coming back. I shouldn’t have listened to her and get fuel! Woman! Oh Boy! I use about 400ml left of fuel from my fuel bottle of the cooking stove. I roll first down to save whatever I can. Finally can start again and ride 30km/hr on the shoulder of the road. I just make it to a garage! Yes, problem solved. No way, they don’t have fuel in the workshop? Gotta push the bike over the hill to get to the fuel station. Anyway, I sweat like hell. But didn’t see the American woman anymore. I was a little pissed as she didn’t even turned around to check on me!

Live goes on and an old man shows me the marinas of a small city. I meet up with 2 guys who camp there as well. Some company for the evening. I visit a small canyon on the way and go over Thunderbay at the American border. A quick stop at the info center provides me an address in Vancouver as a guy writes it down on a paper to come and see him when there. Incredible! I try to find a camp spot at one of the lakes, but it seems difficult. As I drive in a side track I end up again on a lake. On private property. The man comes out and I ask him for a place, he shows me his whole yard! Great! I pitch my tent and can even take a shower after we chatted a little. Sometimes people are very nice! The next day at Fort Francis, again a guy is interested what bike I ride. Never seen anything like that he says! Of course not! It’s home build!!  It’s a pitty as it rains, stops, start again, … Can’t take a lot of pictures although I pass nice lakes. This time, it takes 3 hours before I manage to get a place in the garden of a nice older couple. Meanwhile it’s 21pm, so I quickly eat a sandwich and go to sleep! I ride 5km when i see a big camper with a Belgian  number plate! Now, you hope op the best, but they were from Antwerp! Out of whole Belgium, they have to come from Antwerp! Haha. Crossing into another province sets me back in time as I cross a time zone. Back to Standard time. It’s Sunday, so quiet when I arrive with Ryan in Winnipeg! A Canadian motorbike traveler who just came back from a 4 year round the world trip. Great people to stay with!

Thanks for reading my reports! Have fun!