More waiting for a ferry
Well, the ferry is here. I’m watching it sit there waiting to take us on board, but the high winds are stopping us from setting sail right now. Everyone is sitting here waiting for the ship. I think it’s a good thing I got a ticket for this crossing since if I waited for the 10:30 AM one tomorrow this setback could throw all sorts of issues in the way of me getting up to Cartwright.
On a brighter note though, I talked to one of the workers here on the dock and she was quite confident that I’ll be able to get to Goose Bay even though I don’t have a reservation. While it’s not perfect, I’ll take her word over almost anyone’s at this point.
I started talking to the biker (bicycle biker), Guillaume (French for William), I spoke of before and if the ferry leaves tonight we’ll; likely split a double hotel room if there’s one available in town. No reason to spend more money than you need to. He speaks far better English than I speak French, we manage fine and chat for a few hours about our journeys.
We leave!
The ferry actually started boarding at 8:30 and we were on our way by around 8:45.
As I’m writing this it’s just gotten dark and we’re in heavy waters. I see people all around me going for the sick bags. All of this is in complete contrast with the ferry that took me over from Nova Scotia to Newfoundland which was a smooth and relaxing ride. This ride is not fun in any way. I’m just happy that I’m on it now. It gives me more time to get to Cartwright for tomorrow night.
The ride tomorrow shouldn’t be too bad – around 255 miles according to the map around two-thirds of it dirt. I figure around four or five hours aught to do it. From what I’ve heard the ticket office opens at the Cartwright terminal at 8:00 AM for the evening’s journey that leaves at 7:00 PM that night. That being said, I want to be there when they open! I don’t want to figuratively and literally miss the boat!
More bikers
As we were about to get onboard, a bike pulls up. It’s a big Victory cruiser. Atop are a couple that hop off and start taking to me. They are far more hardcore than I. Last year they circumnavigated the continent on their Victory over the course of four and a half months. Not just something like a four-corners thing, or just the United States and Canada, but the whole frickin’ continent. Down to Panama.
!
On the Kawasaki Vulcan!
Awesome! Hats off to those two! Congrats to Susan and Richard for following their dreams! You can see more of them at chasingtheroad.blogspot.com.
They had other cool stories to tell too, like crossing the North Atlantic on a ship many years ago in very rough seas.
As we got closer to the other side and we were exchanging stories, they even had a question for me: about camping in Alaska, is it cold? When we were up there it wasn’t to cold. In fact the previous night seemed colder than any night we had in Alaska the year before.
Goodbyes said and internet information exchanged we mounted up our bikes and drove off the ship back onto the mainland.
Landing on the other side
We got a late start and the rough seas compounded things. We disembarked the shore at around 10:30. And it was dark. And the fumes from the ship had fogged up my visor something fierce.
Nothing worse than going through twisty roads, in the dark, with moose, and your visor up.
A few miles up the road, on the Labrador side (we landed in Quebec), I thankfully found a hotel with rooms! :-) I just didn’t feel like trying to drive up the coast without seeing the scenery or seeing where I was going.
The Northern Light Inn in Lanse Au Clair up inLabrador had the front desk closed, but a party was going in the bar. One of the employees was playing pool and came back to the desk to check me and another fellow in.
They promised internet access, but something is hosed up at the moment.