Today we entered French Québec. We left Ottowa in a downpour. This was easily the most rain I have ever ridden in. The good news was that once I was geared up, the rain really wasn't much of a problem. The 40 or so miles we traveled before we ate breakfast wasn't much as physical change, but the cultural change was immediate. French became the language of choice and it was time to dust off my ancient high school French vocabulary. Unfortunately it was not up to par, and conversations with Joe Public were trying at best. When Tracy called me at the Caribou Motel in Matagami, it took the desk clerk a few minutes to find someone who could speak English. This was an especially impressive task when you realize that the desk clerk is also the hotel manager, and bartender.
Today's destination is the mining town of Matagami. The major industries in this part of the world are mining and lumber. This is the first stop where we began to see Cree Indians.
As for me, this was the hardest leg of the trip thus far. In addition to being the longest run yet, the monotony of the road is getting to me. Tomorrow, I am going to use Dad's iPod Shuffle to liven up the ride a little bit.
Here we are in the bustling city of Matagami headed for dinner. This was a short walk to another hotel in town that had a restaurant.
This picture needs a little background. To fully understand what is happening here you need to understand that Dusty has strived to ensure that he stops as little as necessary when rides. This goal manifests itself in many ways. For example he has fitted not one, but two additional fuel tanks on his Honda Gold Wing to greatly increase his cruising range. Another less obvious customization is the installation of a "bladder relief" tube. Equipped with this device, he can eliminate those pesky bathroom breaks that force you to stop occasionally. In this picture, Dusty is demonstrating the handy features of his tube with his impersonation of a dog. You can't see the stream in this shot, but rest assured that this shot was real.
Here is most of the crew at dinner that night.
Linda and Dad in one of his more serious moments.| Trip Stats | |
| Date: | Aug 20, 2006 |
| From | Ottowa, Ontario |
| To: | Matagami, Québec |
| Miles Today: | 444 |
| Total Miles: | 1,048 |
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