The Adventure so far...

Well, I must start from where I left off. Internet didn't come easy the first few days, so I will back up from where I last left off.

I arrived in Portland Maine around 6:30 Sat. evening. I was thrilled to see my bike box waiting for me at the luggage counter. I eagerly assembled my bike only to find a key component missing. I quickly thumbed through the phone book to call every bike shop in Portland to see if any were open late on a Saturday night. I was out of luck. To my rescue, Ellen Maemsch an Anesthesiologist from Stockton was watching my fractiousness. She asked if I needed help, I told her yes. Her and her husband drove me to their friends house where we had possibly the best home made meal I have ever had. Salmon, Wheat bread, and a salad with baby greens, strawberry's and lots of sugar. Maine is beautiful, and I was rescued by the doctors of Maine Medical Center, Phil and his wife Cecelia. I still had a broken bike, which was an easy fix because LL Bean was started in Freeport outside of Portland, with a 24hour shop. They drove me up there after dinner and saved my trip...$10 for the part. This is the room I slept in that night

The next morning Phil drove me to the ferry terminal where I hoped on the fastest ship I have ever been on. This is Portland in the Morning.

Its called the CAT and it goes almost 60MPH.

6 hours later I was in Yarmouth Nova Scoitia. Customs was very quick; I was quickly learning that Canadians are very nice people. This is my first view of Yarmouth from the Ferry.

I hoped on my bike and started riding east.

The landscape is beautiful, very wet and very humid.

The first thing I noticed is that every house has a sign in the front yard with the family name proudly displayed. Whats even more interesting is that you find six to ten houses in a row on both sides of the street with the same family name. I later found out that long ago, a family would buy large amounts of land and that the kids would build along the road next to their parents house, a tactic my mom is currently try to use on my and my sisters. The first stretch of nova Scoitia is very french, the acadians are their official title. American has acadians all over Louisiana, but we changed their names from acadian to Cajuns.

There are lots of light houses all over the coast, but none are the same. Most houses have small wooden light house decorating the lawn. This is one of many lighthouses I came across.

Sunday was my first day of riding. I would have made it all the way to Barrington but the rain started come down hard. I knocked on the door of the first house I saw and asked to take shelter until the rain passed. The family originally from Prince Edward Island brought me in, made me coffee and welcomed me into the house for the evening. It was nice to have locals to talk to. They taught me a lot of the area, and even gave me their last bottle of Canadian beer. The next morning I started riding for Shelbourn, a town founded my British loyalist who didn't want to me amercing after our revolutionary war. This is Shelbourn

Later that night in Shelbourn, I happend across a group of wild rabbits.

The next day, I asked the locals in Shelbourne about Canada Day, July First. They directed me to Lockeport, a small (900 People) town on the coast about 35 km from Shelbourne. I road on to Lockeport and found a group of kids jumping off the docks into the harbour. The boys quickly convinced me to dive in off the docks, I never refuse a challange involving water. That evening there was a concert in the town square with 3 bands, one from Halifax, one was a AC/DC tribute band, and the other was a blues band from Shelbourne. That night I camped on the towns baseball field and woke up this morning for Canada Day!!! Lobster fishing was a big theme of the parade.

The big event for Lockeport is called the, "Grease Poll". The town sticks a log over the harbour, greases it with Lard, and sticks money all over the mast. Then, young men line up to slide down the log and try to peel the money off the log as they are falling. Did I mention I don't refuse a challage involving water, or money. I hoped in line.

Me sliding down the log. It was very slick!!!

I came away with $80 which I believe was the most anyone got. The big Prize was the $50 bill at the very end, I got it!!!! Every gave me a big cheer when I got out of the water with a around 600 people watching. This is me with my first earning from the grease poll!

I am writing from the house of the last desendents of the Locke family, who founded the down. Tomorrow, I ride to Liverpool!