Day 15 -ahhh the mishaps!

July 28

Morning.

Time for us to get up and head for Gros Morne National Park!

We got our respective tents and gear packed up, and loaded the bikes. One of the few drawbacks of motorcycle travel, at least for me, is the unloading and loading of the bike which occurs everyday. For this trip, I decided that to save time I would leave the saddlebags zipped onto the bike each night, as there wasn't really anything valuable in them to be stolen. Also, I would unpack only what was absolutely required from the t-bags. That day I would only beed to pack my toiletries and a few other items. This saved on time greatly.

Steve and I got the bikes packed, but before departing, Steve wanted to check his tire pressure. The rear one was 32 pounds, down from 41 the night before. Uh, oh. This was not good. It meant he had a leak.

Steve explained he had patched this same tire months before and that the patch had been holding up. However it now it was giving up its seal.

We decided to ride into Corner Brook and find a Canadian Tire where Steve could buy a tire patch kit.

After getting his kit, we rode over to a gas station and Steve repatched his tire. He filled it up with air. Both of us hoped this one would hold up. It was a long way to Baltimore, Maryland afterall!

From Corner Brook we rode north. Shortly after embarking we rode to the town of Deer Lake. Here we decided to make a stop.
As luck would have it, the exit we took into town led to an A & W. I say this, because when we saw it, Steve yelled to me that he wanted to stop there.

Steve told me that on the eastern US A & W's were rare. At least, you could only find ones that were partnered with Taco Bell. Steve did not like this, he told me he missed the more traditional stand alone A & W.

I offered to buy Steve a big frosty mug of Root Beer, which he happily accepted. Steve was really happy to be in this A & W. He asked me to take a picture, using his camera, of him holding up his frosty mug of root beer. Steve was jacked. He told me that having a big frosty, in an A & W restaurant, was one of the highlights of this trip for him! I certainly could relate. I loved experiencing things, whether it be food, or even an old building, that were prominent in my life growing up. As much as progress is important, having a physical link to the past is important too. It just goes to show that you are never too old to feel like a kid again!

After A&W we rode to an Esso down the street. Steve checked the pressure in his tires. The patched tire was holding up! Good news. While he checked his tires, I walked across the street to take a photograph of a KFC, which had the old store front (i.e. it actually said Kentucky Fried Chicken, not KFC!!).

Then we were off. We steered our iron steeds back onto the highway. Back north we went.

I led the ride out. Periodically I would like in my mirror to check on Steve.   Except after a few minutes of riding, Steve was way behind me. Moments later, he pulled over to the side of the road. I had a sinking feeling of what this meant.

I doubled back to where Steve was. I took one look at his rear tire. It was as flat as the Saskatchewan landscape!

I don't know about Steve, but I didn't feel that upset about the situation. Steve didn't seem too upset either, or if he was, he certainly didn't show it. This was one of the things I really liked about Steve, was his even-temperedness.

Fortunately there was a gas station nearby on the highway. Steve slowly rode his bike, with me behind, until we got to the station.

Mintues after arriving, a fellow in a Honda CRV pulled up to us. He said in a Newfoundland accent, "having trouble?".

He introduced himself as Norman, and he said he spotted Steve's flat and wondered if he could help us out. We explained that we had patched it, however this was not holding and we would need a tire shop so as to get a replacement. Norman lived in a cottage near by and knew the area quite well. He told us there was a tire store in nearby Deer Lake. However, with this being a Saturday, he didn't think we would have any luck finding anyone who could fix it this weekend. He gave us directions to Deer Lake. Before he left, he asked us how we were going to fill the air with tire.

"Well, With that air hose over there", I answered, pointing to the hose on the gas station building.

"Ha, ha!" Norman laughed, half covering his mouth. "You're funny!"

"Why?" I asked, bewildered.

"Because that's a water hose", he replied flatly.

"Oh", I said, feeling like a total idiot.

"I've got an air compressor. I'll be back in a few minutes." And off he went.

A few minutes passed, and Norman returned. He opened the hatchback, revealing a large air compressor.

"That's a big one!" I exclaimed.

"I don't screw around", Norman said.

We hauled out the air compressor, and hooked it up and within moments, Steve's tire was full.

Then we got talking and learned more about Norman. He grew up in Newfoundland, and always lived in a city. It was only recently that he moved to the cottage, his permanent home. I asked him how he liked it.

"I loves it!" he said.

We learned Norman would soon be 65 and would soon after retire. He operates a rock loading truck, and spent a good many years in the explosives part of the construction business. "I like to blow up stuff" he told us, while putting on his most mischevious look.

Steve thanked Norman profusely for his help. Norman responded like this was something he did everyday.

"Well if I can put a smile on a man's face, then my day has been made", he said. "If a day passes without me helping someone, then my day isn't fulfilled". Norman was true and true. There wasn't an ounce of pretension in this man. He was completely sincere in his words. These were traits I was beginning to discover many Newfoundlanders possessed.

Then it was Steve's turn to return some kindness. "Norman you are the Prince of Newfoundland!" he exclaimed. He then reached over and stuffed a twenty dollar bill into Norman's shirt pocket. "Norman, I want you to take your wife out for dinner!"

Norman didn't want to accept. "Oh go on now, I can't accept this!" Steve insisted he take the money. After a few volleys of "no I can't accept this" and "no you take it", Norman finally accepted. As he did so, he took a step back and you could tell by the expression on his face that he was genuinely moved. "well", he said and held out his hand to shake Steve's. "Good enough.", Norman said. As they shook hands, I thought I could see a tear in Norman's eyes. This told me of the enormity of this man's character. And why wouldn't he feel the way he did? On this day he had taken the time to help his fellow man.

We said goodbye to Norman. "Well", Steve said to me. "You better get going to Gros Morne".

"I'm not leaving you", I said. "I want to make sure you get there ok".

So off we rode to Deer Lake.

I rode behind Steve this time, riding close so as to keep an eye on his tire. It seemed to be holding up.

Moments after taking the exit to Simmon's tire in Deer Lake, Steve started to slow down dramatically. I then heard the rear tire go pop. Well at least it got us to Deer Lake!

As luck would have it, the tire got us to an auto repair place. I ran down the street to look for Simmon's while Steve watched the bikes.

I learned that Simmon's no longer fixes bike tires, but the mechanic there gave me a number of a local guy who could fix it for us.

I got back to the bike, and Steve was already on the phone with his insurer. I took Steve's bag of clothes and went off to find him a hotel while he got his bike sorted.  The idea was that I would book a room for him and leave his gear there.

It turned out that finding an available hotel in Deer Lake was quite a challenge! It wasn't until I reached the third one that it was available. They agreed to hold a room.

I then rode back to where Steve was, but not before going on a wild ride around the highway and Deer Lake.   The GPS completely misdirected me several times.

When I finally found Steve again, he was still on the phone with the insurer. There was a holdup while they figured out how much he owed for the tow, as his insurance only covered part of the cost. He had been on the phone for almost an hour.

While I was gone, a biker had stopped by, as he noticed Steve's flat. He offered Steve a free place to stay at the nearby RB park he worked at!

I apprised Steve of the hotel situation. Then I noticed something which made me sick. Steve's clothes bag was no longer on the bike! It must have flown off! I was beside myself. I cursed out loud. Then Steve hugged me and told me not to worry about it.

By now the day was kinding of getting on top of us. We had been in Deer Lake for some hours now trying to get everything sorted, and it was very hot today too. We would later learn that the temp was in the mid 30's! To be outside in this all day, especially when you are not moving and are a bit stressed on top of that - well it's not fun.

Steve got a hold of a shop in Corner Brook which could replace his tire. Unfortunately with it being Saturday, the earliest they could do it for him was Wednesday! So that meant Steve would be stuck in Corner Brook until then!

At this point Steve told me that I should be on my way. He thanked me for my help. Without hestitation, I suggested to him that we ride two up to Gros Morne. He happily accepted my offer! He got back on the phone with his insurer (they were still getting the price of the tow sorted!), and I began to consolidate my gear, packing only the most essential items (yes, it included clean underwear!).


After a long, frustrating call, the insurer got the fee sorted. Steve spent a few minutes consolidating his gear. I then took the gear I was leaving behind and loaded it into one of Steve's panniers (these are storage boxes, if you will, that go on each side of the bike - kind of like saddle bags). As luck would have it, all of my gear just fit into it and Steve was able to securely lock the pannier!


Now came the task of getting all the gear I was taking - plus Steve's - onto my bike - and still leave room for a grown adult passenger!


Luckily for the trip I packed extra bungie cords. I pulled them out of my bag and commenced to bungying!


Never in my life have I so quickly packed gear, and loaded the bike for that matter. I had bags of gear piled pretty high, however it looked stable enough. The real test would be how the bike would handle with Steve on it. He's not a big guy, however he is a grown man, all 6 feet of him!
Eventually the tow truck arrived. Steve and I assisted in getting the bike loaded and secured on the flat bed. It then left for Corner Brook.


I looked at my watch. Holie, it was late in the afternoon! Earlier we had learned of the Gros Morne Music Festival playing in Woody Point, a village in Gros Morne. It was called Sherlock Homes and Bonne Bay, an old style 40's radio play. If we hurried, we might just make it.
So on the bike we got. As Steve got on, I could feel the added weight on the bike. I said a few quick prayers, kicked her into gear, then we sped off!

Actually the bike handled quite well! What a marvellous machine my Shadow is! I'm telling you this bike is the bomb!

Before leaving, though, we decided to do a run down the highway to see if we could find Steve`s clothes bag. We rode to the last hotel I checked out earlier. Steve ran in while I waited.
He was in there for a while, so finally I went in to see what was going on. Steve happily held up his bag of clothes - they had been found! He also was trying to track down accomodations for us in Gros Morne. I was growing anxious, as the clock was ticking and I was afraid we would miss the play.

After an unsuccessful attempt at finding accomodations, we made our leave of Deer Lake.
Eventually we reached the entrance to the park (it was only 20k's or so from Deer Lake). I was greeted to steep, twisty roads, with some nice rough patches that might bite you if you weren't careful. Being that I had Steve on the bike, I very carefully negotiated the turns, whilst riding as close as I could to the speed limit without killing us!

The scenary was beautiful. To the left of us was Bonne Bay - and forested hills! When I did take the time to look up, I was quite awestruck! However I spent most of my time watching the curvy roads - I was bound and determined to get us to that play!

Eventually we rolled into town. The theatre was on the main drag. We got off the bikes and ran in. The young girl at the door told us it started just 20 seconds ago. Ha, ha! We had just made it!
The play was alot of fun. There was one main actor who read from a script, playing the role of several actors. The other people on stage either played music or did sound effects - just like radio plays were done back in the 40`s! I thought this was totally cool!

After the play was done, we were quite weary. However our night was not done. A woman walked up to us on the street, Sharon was her name, and she invited us to the Legion down the hill for a music party! Despite our exhaustion, we decided we would go.

We got to the Legion and it was loud and hopping! We then tried to order drinks.

I say try because it was a good hour before we got served. Our side of the bar was continually ignored by the servers. Eventually we learned the drinks line up was on the end of the bar. And even then we waited, as the lady bartender served people who came after us!

I finally decided on a different tactic. I yelled out `hey darling`. That got her attention. I ordered two beers, and also asked her if Steve and I could get screeched. This is a Newfie tradition which officially, I`ll say, ` indoctrinates`, newcomers to Newfoundland. I knew little about it, but I did know it involves Jamaican Rum, the newcomer singing a Newfie song, and dressing up in a ridiculous getup. Culture is what we were after, and culture is what we were going to get.

Except she would not do it. She simply was too busy. Well we couldn`t blame her - the place was hopping busy!

So we found a seat and drank our beers. We met a local girl who didn`t have that strong of an accent. We learned that the Newfie accent differed depending on what part of Newfoundland you were from!
The hour reached 1 am and I was done for the day. We bid our goodbyes to the legion, and headed for our motel, which we had checked into after the play. Within minutes we were off to bed.
Fortunately for me I had had only one drink - I didn`t want a replay of Halifax!

　
　

Day 14 - Newfoundland!

July 27

After arriving by ferry the previous night at Port-Aux-Basque, we had checked into the local hotel, the Port Aux Basque Motel.

That night we stopped at Tim Horton's for coffee and to work on our respective blogs.

The two girls working there had Newfie accents.

The Newfie accent was unlke anything I had ever heard.  I had an incling of what it sounded like, but until you hear it in person, you cannot really appreciate how unique it is.

The accent is very thick, almost Irish like.  But at the same time, it is nothing close to Irish.

The one server in particular had a very thick accent. I really had to concentrate on her words to understand her, but within moments I understood most of what she was saying.  I ordered a bagel, with each slice containing a different cream cheese, at the recommendation of these two fine Tim Horton's ladies.  The one girl told me that afterward I should tell them which I liked better.  The other said I had better like her's.  We all laughed when she said that.

Fast forward to today, July 27th.

After spending the night at the Hotel Basque, we were ready to begin our Newfoundland adventure.
We filled our stomach's with a hearty breakfast from the hotel's restaurant, packed our bags, then checked out.

But before we departed, we had things to take care of on our bikes.

One of the things you have to deal with as a motorcyclist is that you have to take care of your bike.  This includes the time spent on vacation.  Steve and I both have chain driven bikes (his is a Suzuki V Strom 1000).  These both needed to be tightened.

Steve realized he did not have the proper tools for the bolts on his chain, and mine didn't fit his, so off he went across the street to Canadian tire. 

After adjusting our chains and running a few errands - getting cash, etc., we were finally off!  It was 1 pm and time to head for Gros Morne National Park.

As we left Port Aux Basque, we got our first real taste of the Newfoundland landscape.

What a site!  The landscape was hilly and there was green everywhere - you guessed it - fir trees.

Within minutes, the landscape went from hilly to mountainous.  The Turtle Mountains were everywhere.

I was excited.  It struck home that I was on Newfoundland soil.  The amazing landscape made me feel like we had just been transported - which we had by ferry - but what I really mean is that it felt like I had awoken and instantly found myself in an amazing place.  And what was really cool for me was that I was riding on an island.

Hours later We got to Corner Brook where we stopped at the visitor's centre.  There we tried to book a hostel or campsite, but we found that either there was no phone number to call, or the campsites were booked.

At this point I didn't feel well.  At all.  I started feeling sick the previous day, and now things were worse.  I had a really bad cold, and worse, I was really fatigued.  I could barely stand anymore.  We decided to call it a night in Corner Brook.  We found out the nearest campsite in Corner Brook, and hopped on our bikes and rode to it.

The route took us back on the highway which encircled the city.  And what a view!  Corner Brook is surrounded by huge hills, rich in trees.  It is also situated on a lake.  So far this island had offered nothing but great views!

We found our campsite and set up our tents.  I was feeling even more exhausted.  It didn't help that I had been up till late the previous night working on my blog (I hope you readers out there appreciate how much I have suffered to bring you this!  LOL!).

Steve offered to make supper.  With his handy pocket rocket camping stove, within minutes he create a delicious lentils meal flavoured with Indian spices. With a few cranberries and almonds thrown in, we had a feast!

We then decided to head to the McDonald's - so as to use their WIFI.  We wanted to check out the schedule for the ferry ride back home as well as figure out the rest of our itinerary.

The McDonald's is perched on top of a hill.  It offers spectacular views of Corner Brook!

Much of Corner Brook is situated in hills.  It was night time and we could see lights of the city everywhere, with the lake below.  It was a beautiful, peaceful site.

After looking at the Ferry schedule, as well as catching up on emails, we hopped on our bikes and headed back to our campsite.  It had been a great day, but a long one.  I hoped my cold wouldn't get any worse.

The Turtle Mountains