Final Days: 8 and 9

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It took me quite a long time to get out of Fredericton. It was raining, and my cheap Wal Mart rain gear had gotten ripped and shredded after my first encounter with rain in New Brunswick on the way the to the East Coast. So I rode to the local Fredericton Wal Mart and purchased a new $8 rain suit. (Pants and jacket). The temperature was around 8 degrees, so the rain was very cold on the bike. After getting on the highway, I was dreading having to do a 600KM ride in this cold rain. I figured some people have it worse off than me, so I stuck with it. I had already booked my hostel in Quebec, so there was no way I was going to give up. The cold rain drops were pelting off my face like getting shot by a semi-automatic BB gun. This was the worst part about the rain, the rain pellets hitting my face below my goggles. It might not be a bad idea to invest in a fully closed helmet for my next motorcycle trip. 80 kilometers later, I exited the blanket of rain clouds and saw a clear sky that put a tear of happiness in my eye ;) But I think the temperature either got colder or I wasn’t thinking about the rain anymore, so I noticed how cold it was. Especially since I was now driving directly against the strong Southeast wind. My non-leather gloves were drenched, and my entire body was shaking from being wet and cold. I stuck with it, and 200KMs later, I noticed that the wind had completely dried my gloves, so that definitely helped to make it less cold. The bad weather I encountered in New Brunswick had affected my opinion on the province, and I will probably never forget about it.

I arrived at the hostel in the beautiful historic city of Quebec at around 9:30PM Eastern Standard Time. I was pleasantly surprised to remember that Quebec was an hour behind the Atlantic Standard time. So I gained an extra hour. The $8 rain suit looked like it was ripped apart by a bear. I was exhausted from my 7-hour ride, so I checked out a live blues band at a pub on Ste. Jean street and then hit the sack.

I wanted to leave for Toronto by 11:00AM, so I didn’t have much time to walk around and take many pictures of Quebec. I finally got out of Quebec around 11:30 or so and headed home. The weather was great, a warm sunshine, and the wind was behind me for the most part. So I rode over 800Kms back to Toronto. I arrived home around 9:30PM with my eyes half closed from being exhausted as well as from having my goggles pressed against my face for 10 hours. I thought that after this trip I was a seasoned highway rider, with a lot more skill than when I left 9 days ago, but while driving along the 401, with 8 lanes in each direction, I was a little bit nervous. But the Ontario winds will never frighten me again. Seeing Toronto was quite the site, it was as if I had been raised in a barn my entire life, then visiting New York City. The lights and buildings in Toronto looked five times larger to me than they have ever looked before. But it felt good to get home so I can get a good night’s sleep. The trip was amazing, and the only regret I have is that I didn’t take 2 weeks off work instead of 1.

Total Kms: 4712.5 – Motorcycle: 2000 Yamaha XT 225cc - Total Provinces: 5 in 9 days.