Aug
18
2009
by Mr Cubes
Campbell River to Courtenay (31.3 miles)
Courtenay to Parksville (51.7 miles)
Total Miles: 2,418.8
Ahhh, to be woken at 6am by the sweet, sweet sound of industrial machinery breaking the morning silence...followed by angry shouting and then more silence. That was the start to my day, though thankfully it got better. After getting my laundry done and having breakfast I went for a tour of the town. Down by the harbour side it was fairly touristy and I found Dickie's Fish and Chips which had been recommended to me. And very good it was too, though obviously not up to the standard of back home.
It was a sunny day and getting really hot and as the road followed the coast line it was also really busy. There were plenty of small fishing villages which offered lots of places to hide in the shade and get refreshments. Being right on the shoreline meant the day's riding was flat, which allowed me to relax and take
in the scenery - impressive mountains and volcanoes were visible over the water. As the road started to cut inland, then the hills returned and my mind wondered to what might happen when the trip comes to an end. Will I ever be able to work in an office again?
Was a short day riding due to my late start and I got to Courtenay, a pretty little town filled with flowers and regular sized shops...rather than mammoth superstores, by early afternoon. The streets were all piping out some muzak which made it quite surreal. Like being in a giant elevator. I was able to get a new gas canister for my stove and a spare tyre for the bike, then went to the local bar for a bit. Nothing was happening there so it was back to the campsite and an early night. The next day I awoke already sweating as the sun streamed through into the 
tent. The road returned to the coast and reminded me of North Devon, with cute little villages full of cottages and some dramatic scenery. I found a nice little cafe in Deep Bay where I stopped for lunch and a chance to use their wi-fi. I think I may have outstayed my welcome there though, as I heard the owner tell her son to "go turn the internet off". Subtle, but effective. Today was one of the few days where I wasn't wearing trousers and it didn't take long before my legs were getting sunburnt. Other than that, it was a great day for riding and plenty of other people were out enjoying the sunshine too. I probably saw more people today than I had in the previous two months combined and all th
e motels along the coast were fully booked. When I got to Parksville I found the campsite which charged the odd price of $23.52. Was really busy here too and one group of campers had managed to set up a cinema screen and were all watching Star Wars. Parksville was a fairly ugly town and as I didn't need anything I spent the evening doing maintenance on the bike...and my sunburnt legs. Tomorrow I'll get to Nanaimo and decide whether to visit Phil and Marge in Vancouver, or continue south to Victoria.