There was a lot of rock |
It was another hot and sticky morning in the tent, but at
least we were well rested. We had our longest day of driving ahead of us, a six
hour trip to Thunder Bay. After breakfast, we packed up the van and took to the
trans Canada once more.
He swallowed the toothpaste |
This was my first trip on the trans
Canada. It's a little piece of civilization in the wilderness, winding its way up
and down large hills with large rock cliffs looming overhead. The scenery was
enjoyable, but driving the van on this terrain can be quite difficult. 6 feet
wide, 20 feet long, and carrying over 4,000 pounds of cargo, the tight turns
and steep inclines of the Canadian Shield gave us our fair share of close
calls.
Passing vehicles were also
hazardous. GD almost pooped his pants on one of my more daring maneuvers. A
transport truck had pulled aside to let me pass and Greg urged me to accept the
offer. As I passed the truck, another car emerged from behind a bend, 100
meters ahead. Fortunately, I was able to pass just as the other car veered passed.
Matt in his touring outfit |
And if
something were to happen, we would be far from anyone able to help. This was the most isolated part of the world I have ever been, where 3,000 people is a
city, 200 kilometres close, and with signs that only say Ontario in case you’ve forgotten
you are still there. The few people here all live in towns oriented around the
highway where they survive on a simple exchange of commodities. People drive
in. They take gas and food. They leave money and shit behind.
Looking like rockstars in Thunder Bay |
We
arrived in Thunder Bay on a Saturday evening, although days of the week have
lost their meaning to us. The downtown was devoid of pedestrians with
only a few vagrants. Having loaded up on supplies—namely beer and propane—we
decided we had had enough of this town already and returned to the campsite.
The cheese spent 3 days in the van |
We were
all a bit tired and hungry at that point, and tempers were running high. While
setting up the tent, GD whacked Matt on the back of the head with the tent
pole, part of an ill-conceived scheme to antagonize him as a source of
entertainment. Matt cursed GD and gave him a long stare, but nothing happened
beyond that. Soon after, dinner was ready and things cooled down.
With
food and beer in our bellies, the Argyles decided to do some much needed
practicing. GD baselines were becoming more and more solid. Greg also helped me
work on some new sax parts. I am a proficient sax player, but struggle to come
up with good parts on my own. I don’t have the same ear that he does. It was
frustrating to see the ease at which he came up them while I was unable to contribute whatsoever.
Practicing in the washing station |
We made a new friend |
But rather than wallowing around in
my own self pity, I decided to do something about it. After we got back to the
tent, I picked up the guitar for the first time. Greg and Martin instructed me
how to do power chords. Soon enough, I was able to play a part of Smells Like
Teen Spirit and even played along with Greg for the verses of My Generation. It was the largest grin I had sported since first year. Looks like I have a new hobby.
Yay
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