Day 20 - 22

Day 20.



View spot where I found my wallet missing

The day very nearly started with disaster, I left around 10 cycled 2 km's all uphill got to a viewpoint stopped took a couple of pics. Then decided to put on suntan lotion, put everything back in my top box and noticed my wallet wasn't there. I almost had a bowel collapse, I quickly cycled back to the Inn. I asked if I could get a card for my room saying that I may have left my wallet in the room. The receptionist asked me my last name I told her, and she promptly pulled my wallet out from under the desk someone had found it lying on the ground and handed it in. Thank you honest America!!!! I had been nervous of loosing my wallet, and already had put a couple of credit cards separately in the pocket of my toiletries, I decided that I would add some emergency cash to that.

After wasting an hour I got back on the road, this was definitely the most scenic day I had done by far, lots of hills to start with getting closer to the mountains. I reached a tunnel and was a bit apprehensive about the idea of riding through a narrow uphill tunnel with cars passing me at 50 miles an hour. I was impressed the tunnel had a button for cyclists to press, warning lights then flashed and changed the speed limit to 30 miles per hour and warning of cyclists in the tunnel. It reminded me of a tunnel in Italy. I have a bit of a misty recollection of a one way tunnel, we had to wait for the cars to go then ride like hell, pull off half way and wait for the next set of cars going our direction then ride like hell again.

 After the tunnel was a huge uphill climb, down and then back up again the 2nd big uphill had lots of view points

With lots of view points and stops I was putting on very little mileage. At about 3, I was getting very hungry had only had a couple of protein bars all day I came to Kelly's Marina, I decided to stop for a bite. Most American restaurants are quite stereotyped, but this definitely broke the mould, they had a total of 3 things on the menu: Crab, Oyster and Clams, these were served on their own with no supplements such as chips etc. They had Oyster (small/medium, large, extra large and Jumbo), I decided I would order 2 jumbo's and said I would have them raw, she kind of made me nervous with her response that 'people don't normally have the Jumbos raw', so I changed my order to 2 and a crab. Bit gross the crabs are live and you see them putting them into these huge pots. The Jumbo oysters are not like anything I have ever seen before about 800 grams in the shell I estimate there was about 100 grams of meat in each oyster, the first oyster I tried to do like any other oyster just slug it down, didn't work so well,  the second oyster I used a knife and fork and cut it into pieces. It was a great experience but smaller oysters are definitely tastier. The owner obviously has them raw himself but made a big deal of someone eating them raw and took photos but I had a great time and left about 2 hours later with a very full stomach.

Rockaway Beach

Now a very full stomach I cycled another about 8 km's, and stopped for the night at Rockaway Beach. The motel had a gas braai so I went and bought a rib eye steak which I had for dinner.

It was all in all a great day, will be one of the most memorable days of the trip.

 

Day 21

I packed up checked out then went across the road for a quick breakfast, they were very full and service was incredibly slow, took a not very quick 90 minutes. I was now late and planning to do 60 km's so it was going to be a long day. 2 km's up the road I had a puncture on my back tyre, I found a small piece of steel in the tyre. Changed the tube started riding and the bike felt weird rode about 60 metres and stopped. The tyre had a bulge on the one side, finally decided to redo the process, which I did and everything seamed a bit better, but now I was very late. I had noticed my back tyre was smooth way back in Canada already but then I had done only a few hundred km's on the tyre, but they had very little thread to start with, kind of slick tyres I thought.

The start their were quite a few view points slowing progress. We went inland a bit it was flat with a tail wind which made for a bit of catch up, 2 km's before the end I got another puncture on the back, that's when I noticed the tyre was absolutely thread bare, I urgently needed a new tyre, or I would be getting a lot more punctures.

Leaving all thought of my tyre behind me, I found a stunning inn, with views over the ocean, bit more expensive than normal, but worth it. The lady at reception saw I was from South Africa, she was traveling to Tanzania for holiday the end of the year, and had an extra week and was asking if I had some suggestions, I spent about 20 minutes talking to her, spoke about the Gorillas, she had done that in Rwanda just after the genocide, she had been there on relief work, I discussed Vic Falls, Zanzibar, Cape Town, Okavango delta (Bit early end December as there not likely tab be enough water and Namibia. 

I then went to the pub across the road had a couple of beers and dinner, met an Aussie who stayed just North of Sydney had a really good evening left fairly early I had paid for a room with a view and wanted to watch the sun set from my balcony. Also there was a loud drunk American trying not very successfully to persuade us that America had failed and that Trump was the salvation.

Sunset Pacific City

Day 22

I had checked for bicycle shops the night before and worked out I had 2 options go back 40 km's to Tillamook or Newport which was 100 km's along my way. I was not going to make 100 km's so I would try and catch a taxi back to Tillamook and get a new tyre. I phoned the bicycle shop at Tillamook as soon as they opened at 9.30 to check if they had the right size tyre available and they did.

I went down to reception and asked them if they could call me a taxi, I got a rather blank kind of surprised stare and a response well check if there is a taxi in Pacific City or Tillamook, turns out there was no taxi service anywhere close, I had an option of a bus which I could catch at 11 get to Tillamook at 11.40, then leave Tillamook again at 1.10 get back to Pacific City by 2. But where the bus would drop me versus the location of the bicycle station was a mystery. Everyone could see my face drop..... Then the lady I spoke to about Africa said just hold on we will make a plan for you and went to the back room. She returned 2 minutes later and said my son will drive you to Tillamook and mentioned he had done a 1000 km off road cycle trip in Australia and new what it was like to be needing help.

Her son arrived 5 minutes later, great guy a few years younger than me, he had done exchange at school and spent a year in New Zealand and loved rugby. He said his wife wanted to do a marathon in all continents and still needed to do one in Africa, I suggested the two oceans and he questioned wasn't there another famous one, I worked out that he was referring to the comrades marathon. We parted and I said if you come to SA to do a marathon give me a call. I tried to give him some money not very successfully finally he accepted 20 dollars for gas. Sometimes I am blown away by people wow. I have definitely met a mixed bunch on this trip but its great when you are blown away.

By the time I got going it was after 1 so I cycled to Lincoln City 42 km's and booked into a motel 6 cheap and clean as there moto goes. It had definitely been an eventful 3 days.

Day 17 - 19

Day 17




I had planned to ride from Raymond to Astoria a very long 82 km's. I started the day rode 2 km's and stopped for a breakfast, came out and it was raining, there was no way I was going to ride for more than 5 hours in the rain. I made a decision I would ride to Centre Bay instead 30 km's away. The only place to stay was an RV park (Camp site), but they had bungalows. It rained for about 20 minutes, just enough to get me cold, wet and miserable. It's hard to stay motivated in this weather. I got to the camp site and they had no bungalows available so I setup camp, after putting up my tent I went to buy some wood low and behold some one had cancelled and a bungalow became available, it was freezing and looking like rain so I took the bungalow.

Day 18


Sunset at Astoria

I was riding from Bay Central to Astoria about 62 km's, it was a long ride, from about 50 km's as my energy was dwindling I came to the Columbia river on the Washington side. I had about 7 km's along the Columbia river and then a long bridge across it to Astoria and into Oregon. Along the river I had a raging headwind. The bridge was about 4 km's and ended with a steep climb of about 75 metres, so the bridge could allow large ships to enter the harbour.  I looked at bookings.com and Best Western had a room at about 250 dollars everything else was fully booked, I thought I would ride through town and see if anything else more reasonable was available, The riding was dead easy and I thought I was feeling great, actually I had a raging wind pushing me along, after about 3 miles I gave up and booked the Best Western on bookings.com which was now all the way back about 3.5 miles. I quickly became aware why it had been so easy the opposite direction. I battled my way back to the Best Western only to be told there was a problem and they didn't have a room for me. Luckily they felt responsible to now try and find me alternate accommodation. They phoned around and got me a room at the Eliot, back the way I had come 2 miles. The location of the Eliot was way better, in the centre of downtown close to the Columbia river.

That evening I went to a small wine bar with live music on the pier, had a few glasses of wine and met some interesting people, The whole trip had been quit lonely and I had been quite desperate for conversation, I had gotten better at striking up conversations with strangers. In some ways I was glad I had done this on my own, but I wasn't sure if I would do it alone again. A problem with doing it with someone else would definitely be fitness levels, but would definitely be motivated to do bigger distances and push harder so as not to hold everyone else back. It is very easy on your own to take the easy way out and not ride long distances. The first couple of weeks with my fitness levels as they were it would have been almost impossible to push to keep up with a group. It was definitely much harder to motivate myself being on my own. The time I am least motivated is the morning, as soon as I get into a rhythm my motivation increases, but first thing in the morning I seldom feel like riding, special when its cold and even more so when its raining. 

After the fiasco booking accommodation that night I would need to plan ahead and book during weekends.

Day 19.

I had been told Cannon beach was stunning, so I decided my next stop would be Cannon Beach only 40 km's away. It was a really easy ride with the wind behind me all the way, mostly flat with one large hill just before Cannon beach. I left the Eliot just after 10, by 12.30 I was in Cannon and stopped for fish and chips, then made my way to the Tolovana Inn, a couple of miles outside of Cannon centre. The best part of the ride was the weather, the sun was out the whole time, it was not to hot and not to cold, probably about 18 degrees Celsius but the Sun made it perfect weather to ride in.

Day 15 - 16

Day 15

At 8.30, it was 10 degrees Celsius and raining, I was tempted to book in for another night, the rain finally stopped around 11 and I set off. I don't like getting rained on while I am riding but starting when it is raining somehow seems even worse. The first 10km's were mainly up hill and after about 3 km's it started raining, it cleared the sun was out for a couple of km's then it rained again, that was how the rest of the morning went. I stopped for lunch at about 1 having done about 30km's very wet and cold. Starting after lunch I was miserable and cold the last 18 km's I did as quickly as I could. My bags were looking the worse for the wear with all the rain. I arrived at Montesano Guest house at 3 checked in after soaking in a hot bath for 30 minutes I felt way better. I was definitely feeling that my fitness was getting better, and I thought I had lost some weight, have to wait for a scale to find out. 15 days of cycling and my legs were still sore, not any where like day 4 but still relatively sore. I had been putting on Voltaren and intermittently having Anti-inflammatory's, I had decided the previous night I need to stop the Anti-inflammatory's, will see if they get worse without the Anti-inflammatory's.

Big time on my mind was did I start pushing to do the full distance or just relax and do as much distance as I wanted to each day, according to the "Bicycling the pacific coast" book I had finished day 9, and had taken 15 days, plus 2 rest days. I had 29 days left according to the book and in reality 42 days left till my flight, but I wanted a few days to relax at the end, I had said to my brother, I was planning to get to him at Laguna Beach on the 22nd of July, leaving me just 37 days.

Day 16

It was raining when I got up, damn another day of riding in the wet and cold. I waited for the rain to subside and got going. After 20 minutest it started raining heavily again. I tried hiding under a tree but within a couple of minutes I was getting soaked anyway. I found a little restaurant after 15 km's and stopped for a coffee and house soup. After that it pretty much cleared up but I was wet and cold. I had planned to cycle to South bend about 50 km's, from 30 km's I was feeling drained. This was my 7th day cycling without a rest day. At 40 km's I came to a small town Raymond. I stopped at the Pitchwood Inn for a coke. Stunning little pub, after a couple of cokes I had a beer, that settled it I would stop over. I booked in for 2 nights I needed a rest day.


Wednesday night was jamming night and for a small town it was quite full and festive, the people were very friendly. The Inn also had rooms I could fall out of the pub into my room.

The rest day I got up really late and did nothing, it was raining again and I was glad that I wasn't cycling. Planning the next days ride there seemed to be no where to stop before Astoria 82 km's away so it was looking to be a long day out of Washington state and into Oregon.

Day 1 to Day 16 Map

Day 12 - 14

Day 12.

I left Port Townsend just before 9 and got to Quilcene just before 12. I had done about 40km's and I was feeling great energy wise but very wet and cold, It had been raining for about 2 hours. I had a lunch at "101 Brewery Cafe". I took my time after lunch trying to warm up about 1.30 headed off, I had Mt Walker in front of me for about 8 miles after that rolling hills. On the climb up the rain started again, and the down hill I was seriously cold and wet. The first 50 km's my energy levels were great the last 25 went downhill I got to "Mike Beach Resort" just before 6 exhausted, the last 10 km's I was stopping for a break almost every km.

Still not happy with my fitness levels but on the upside 2 weeks ago, I would not have been able to make 76 km's, so its definitely getting better however slowly.

The accommodation was basic but best of all it had a 'Braai'. I had. Braai couple of glasses of wine and went to bed exhausted.

Mikes  beach Resort

Day 13

I left at about 10, but my energy levels were really low  by about 1.30 I had got to Potlatch a meagre  27km's, I had to stop there or do another 20 odd km's which I didn't feel up for. So I stopped early, and took the afternoon to do my laundry

The last 50 km's have had almost no shoulder with huge drop offs plus busy roads which has made the cycling not very pleasant. I would cycle for a couple of km's then stop to take a break from the traffic and therefore never got into the routine of cycling, from here I was heading inland from the Strait of Georgia to the Pacific Coast.

Day 14

From Potlatch, I either had to cycle 30 km's to Kamilche or 70 km's to Montesano, the hotel at Elma which was in between was full. Considering how I felt after day 12, I opted for the shorter option. The roads on this section were much better with a shoulder of typically More than 3 feet. The cycling went hugely better, I could feel my fitness was much better and could cycle for 45 minute sessions with relative ease, the next day I had planned to do just more than 45 km's but I need to shortly start increasing the distance.

In Kamilche I stayed at the Little creek casino, the room was cheap and way nicer than I was used to staying in. I got to the hotel at just before 12, but annoyingly had to wait 3 hours for my room to be ready. I decided they owed me so went to the casino to try my luck, not that I gamble often but when I do I always play roulette numbers 13, 28 and their neighbours. The first spin was 28 the next 13, within thirty minutes I had made 300 dollars they changed the croupier, I decided it was time to cash in while I was up. I had waited 3 hours for my room 100 dollars and hour I reckoned they had paid up in full.

day 9 - 11

Day 9

Day 9, was a short cycle from Crofton to Sidney via Salt Spring Island, and was my last day in Canada. The next day I would be catching a ferry from Sidney British Columbia to Anacortes Washington State. Had breakfast at a tiny café, a breakfast rolls, kind of like McDonald's egg Mc Muffin's but much nicer, soft eggs proper cheese. The ride whilst short had a few really steep hills to climb. I took my time and got to the ferry the other side of Salt Spring Island by lunch time, a quick ferry from Fullford Harbour to Swartz Bay and then a 6 km's cycle to Sidney. Soon after arriving at the Travelodge I got my washing going, and then went to the pub for a few drinks and dinner, I wasn't cycling the next day so could afford to have a few drinks.


I caught the ferry the next day at 12 and arrived at Anacortes at just after 3. I booked into a motel a few hundred metres from the ferry.

Local wildlife outside my Motel at Anacortes

Deception Pass

Day 10

The next morning ride I was planning to ride to through Whitney Island to Fort Casey and catch a ferry to Port Townsend. The ride took me through Deception Pass and to Oak Harbour, a few miles before Oak Harbour my bike started wobbling. I had about 7 broken spokes. I tried to catch a bus or Taxi to Oak Harbour, hoping to get the spokes replaced. No luck I finally had to walk the 5 odd km's to the closest bicycle shop. A couple of hours later I left with a new wheel. Inquiring why the spokes were broken, she said my wheel was not strong enough to handle the extra weight, you get specific touring wheels that are designed to take extra weight. The new wheel wasn't a touring wheel either so hopefully it lasts.

I need to lose weight, even my wheels are telling me.



Day 11

I finished the rest of yesterday cycle just short of 20 miles, I had now had 3 really short days plus a rest day I'm between, way behind on mileage but my legs were feeling much better. Being a Friday night I battled to find accommodation in Fort Townsend, and the next night there were very few choices. I either had to do 35 km's to Quilcene or 75 km's to just past Brannon. The pressure was on I had booked Mikes beach Resort 75 km's plus one big arse climb in between Mt Walker, reality only about 300 metres but bigger than any other climb to far. I planned to reward myself with a braai on the other side, and bought a steak. Potato, Mushroom and corn. The steak I will put in my Camel pack with my water to keep cold.

Day 7-8

Day 7
I made a decision to stop putting pressure on myself, with unachievable expectation from then onwards I was going to try and make my expectations more reasonable, instead of aiming to do 70 km's in a day and then being mad with myself because I only made 40, I was going to aim for 40. On the upside for the first time the pain in my legs was diminishing  and I was getting more conditioned. for the saddle (polite way of saying my bum wasn't so sore)



Not sue if I get this sign on the toilet seat at my last night accommodation

Day 7, I planned to ride to from Parkville to Nanaimo which was 40km's. The day started badly with a flat tyre. ever hopeful I  pumped it up, 15 km's later it was flat again, so I grudgingly changed the tube. I was getting lots of practice at changing tyres and pumping up wheels with my very small pump. I finished the day and another screw had come out of my shoe, seems like Deja-vu. The lady at the cycle shop had put new screws in but hadn't tightened them hugely, guess I can't complain it was free and very friendly. Its much nicer when you can be mad with someone ha ha. No bike shop available so I had to tighten them seriously and hope for the best, luckily it was my left shoe and as I was riding on the right hand side so I was pulling off my left foot first. At least I wasn't at risk of falling over when my foot wouldn't come out of the cleat. Something I have to admit t had conventionally forgotten to mention had happened twice so far on this trip. Each time I toppled over to the right when starting, with my right foot still in the cleat trapped under the bike. Would have made for some funny pictures luckily no one was around to catch the moment.

Departure bay just outside Nanaimo

The whole trip so far had been very lonely but that night I was feeling especially lonely, I hadn't had more than a 5 minute conversation with anyone since Ruby Lake, lots of text messages and a WhatsApp  call to Mandy and the kids was all that was keeping me sane, but the time difference was making it very difficult, by the time they are ready to chat I was cycling, by the time I finish cycling they were sleeping. So unless we chatted during cycling hours or breaks during cycling it was very difficult. While I was on bell the roaming rates weren't to bad 5 rand a meg, I had turned off background tasks from using data and in 6 days I had used 20 megs for maps and WhatsApp  so R100. The last few days only Rogers had been available and that was R220 a meg so would have been R4400 for the equivalent. I had planned to get an American Sim when I got into the states, but it hadn't seemed worthwhile in Canada.

Day 8.

Rather large ice-cream

Left my rather grungy motel cycled a couple of km's then stopped for breakfast, a benny Canadian term for eggs benedict. Then cycled 15 km's stopped for an ice-cream another 15 and lunch. The last 15 were a bit tougher. It was seriously hot and I went through huge amount of liquids 3 litres  of water and 4 sodas. One sodas I thought was orange turned out to be cream soda and orange not great. In total I cycled 47 km's at about 18km's per hour. that excludes breaks for breakfast, ice-cream, lunch and just simple to get my breath back. I was typically cycling 5km's then taking a 5 to 10 minute break. So my typical day was 7 hours of cycling time, 2 to 3 hours for breakfast lunch and then another hour of quick breaks with just under 3 hours of actual cycle time. I was hoping that when I was fitter I could reduce the stops and increase the average speed, to up the daily mileage. That night I was staying in Crofton, very close to the ferry, The next morning I was catching a ferry to Salt Spring Island. I went to the local pub, met a Canadian couple who were friendly chatted for a couple of hours, which made a difference from having dinner on my own.

8 days of cycling and my fitness did not seem to have got much better, typically in the afternoons, my energy levels seemed to plunge, I was worried how much longer till I could increase the mileage. Regretting my laziness when it came to training!!!

Day 5-6

Rest day.

I woke up early felt terrible coughing and had zero energy, I  thought I  was coming down with flue. I think it was my bodies way of pleading with me not to ride.

I thought  back to the previous day, wow I had been in a bad way, there was a hill about a hundred metres assent I had to stop about 15 times on the way up to catch my breath.

By 10, I had done my washing the sun was out and I started feeling way better, my bodies reward for listening to it.

I started thinking about all the gear that I had brought with me, when am i going to start throwing things away, tatty old be of Jeans gone, new pair of takkies bought for this trip yes it's a pity, but they didn't have laces as they had been used to tie my solar panels to my panniers. Mandy's camera now broken gone (Sorry Mandy) As Mandy said when she heard I broke her camera "I see a new camera in my future". Damn but I'm to stubborn to start throwing things away.

Extra small pump

They only make front panniers for fools like me, yesterday at the real ebb of my energy levels I cycled past a bicycle shop, great I could replace the pump I didn't bring. I went in and bought the smallest pump I have ever seen, I can just imagine the conversation of the staff, someone finally bought that miniscule pump. As I left she said if you've got a flat I can loan you a big pump, she was likely worried I would get to my bike start pumping my tires half an hour later I would return saying can I replace this with a slightly bigger pump. I giggled when I imagined the dumbfounded look on their faces when they saw the size of my bike.

Day 5
My legs were feeling better but still sore, my energy levels were much better after a days rest. I left at just before 7 so that i could make the 8 o'clock ferry from Powell river to Littleriver/Comox and hour ferry, finally i have turned South towards San Diego. I read the reason the popular way to ride the PCH is from North to South and the reason is that the wind normally blows that way. The minute i turn South way I have a pumping headwind. I was planning to ride to Qualicum Beach, which i estimated was about 75 km's. At 32 km's checked the distance and it was still another 52 km's. I was not ready to ride 85 km's.  The idea of 52 km's and my energy disappeared. I saw a B&B at 36 km's which seemed a very appealing idea at 44 km's I was starting to battle i saw a place Fanny Bay Inn stunning pub and restaurant but no accommodation. Haha i saw someone with exactly the same panniers as me plus a tent tied on, I am not the only fool.

I was forced to plug on. I finally stopped at deep bay after 57 km's exhausted but 18 km's up from my previous high, no B&B so started my first night camping. I was right on the water at a little Marina stunning views and a brilliant sunset over the water, I was a bit worried about the cold. I found out that night there are 2 reasons not to camp yet, 1 it's to cold, 2 I am to stiff to get in and out of a small tent.

Funny bay inn top left, my campsite top right, bottom left view over the marina at sunset and bottom right view out of my tent window as I went to sleep(Sun sets around 10)

Capicum beach

Note the snow on the mountain peaks

Day 6
Started out not so well feeling well,  stiff sore and low on energy, as they day went on I actually felt better, but had a flat tyre replaced the tube, I must add it took half an hour pumping with my tiny pump. Started riding again and the bike was feeling really weird, I had put the tyre on the wrong way with tread pointing the wrong direction.

Fixing my puncture

Then I stopped for a smoothie and couldn't get my one cleat off. Luckily it was the right one and my left foot was already on the ground. I literally had to take my shoe off to get it off the peddle. I had lost a screw in my cleat. As luck had it there was a bicycle shop 500 metres away went there they fixed my shoe and swapped the tyre the right way, without charge, not sure if they were feeling sorry for me. Took all this as a sign I was meant to stop, I finished the day with only doing 40 km's, but was feeling great my legs weren't very sore.