Saturday, 03 June 2006

Church Point to Digby

At some point in the early morning it started to rain - I didn't hear it being as I was pitched under the picnic area, but when I awoke at 6 am I could hear the water dripping off the roof. The rain continued all morning and I toyed with the idea of staying where I was for the day, except that there was nothing to do so I'd probably go crazy. I was a little worried that there'd be a lot of spray on the roads, as a little further on the [small] route 1 road merged with the main 101 highway.

I had a leisurely breakfast while I weighed the pros and cons, and then decided to head off regardless of the weather. It wasn't until 10 am that I finally set off, but I figured I'd only go as far as Digby, the next reasonably sized town, about 30 miles away. They turned out to be some of the toughest miles I've ever cycled in my life; into the wind and non-stop rain. Luckily the road wasn't very busy, but there weren't many places to stop, so I only stopped once on the way at a little gas station cum convenience store. Even before I was in the door the owner came rushing out to offer me a towel. I had a cup of hot tea to warm up and they also gave me a cup of fresh lobster chowder, for which they refused all payment. So kind.

I was mightily relieved to arrive in Digby after what seemed like an age. The Digby campground had some little cabins available (intended for cyclists like me) and at $20 as opposed to $18 to camp, it was an easy choice. (Inc. tax $23) I changed into some dry clothes and went out to an internet cafe to upload the rest of my photos (So, 25 May to 02 June all now online) It was still pouring when I came out, so I went down to Digby waterfront to the House of Wong (again on a recommendation) for a big 'combination plate' for only $9.85

Distance: 53.5 km
Cycling time: 3:22
Total distance: 1036.4 km