Day 63 St. Louis DeKent (Rest Day)
Petit Rocher to St. Louis DeKent
Distance: 149 km
August 25, 2006

This morning did not start auspiciously, as when I showed up for breakfast at my usual 7:30 time to an empty oatmeal pot, I was told that breakfast was over, and that I could make it myself.
These are not the words that should be spoken by the galley crew, as it is galley crew’s responsibility to provide breakfast for one and all.
I was too tired to get into it with them, so just grumbled and walked away to make a sandwich; the past two meals around camp had let to big rows between other people besides the BP and myself for a change; I think people are really tired and are coming to the end of their patience-rope, as tempers have been flaring.

The breakfast before last had two parties going at each other, to the point where we thought someone’s eyes would pop out from the exertion of physical expression.

One of the other riders had more energy and got into it with one of the galley crew (as he’s had a similar situation earlier that week for the same reason, that some of the early leavers who want to get out of camp earlier, are rushing the later leavers by shutting down breakfast precipitously.)
Rumor was going around that the original breakfast time of 7:00am to 8:00am had changed to end at 7:30am; we were told at the beginning that under no terms was this ending time to change, as people were not to be rushed.
Somehow, the early leavers thought they could change the rules without a vote, or any consultation with the rest of the group, and that the rule change would go unnoticed.
It hasn’t, as people are up in arms over the dictatorial type rule change.

The person who instructed me to ‘make my own breakfast’ claimed that she thought that everyone knew of the rule change, and when a random pole suggested otherwise, she claimed that since we had got the new driver, she thought we had changed the breakfast time, which was simply not true.
We decided that when we are making everyone fried eggs on toast for breakfast on our next shift, we shall declare the kitchen shut just as she puts out her plate; petty revenge seems to be the order of the day as we are reduced to the immature actions of children on this trip.

Our galley crew motto is, ‘no stomach leaves half full,’ whereas theirs is obviously, “screw you guys, we’re outta here.”

After this all too early excitement, we headed out for a relatively long ride; this being our 6th day of riding before our long awaited rest day.

We rode with our fave’s the Aussies, leaving the camp laughing about the past few explosions around camp.
Our ride was great, as the winds were fairly cooperative, although we switched directions so many times that we didn’t get to take full advantage, but didn’t mind so much as we were having too much fun to notice otherwise.
Even though we were riding with different people, we carried on with our impressions of our fellow campers, this time including the people we were riding with yesterday, so that when we got into camp, we had a good laugh with the others over all of our impressions of each other; some people can do it better that the original person.

At the end of the trip, we shall all perform our impressions of each other, to each other’s faces and have a good laugh as it’s all done in good fun, with no mal intent; most people have a really good sense of humor and play along.

We only have seven more days until we reach St. John’s, so the trip is growing to a close; I will be sad to say goodbye to some of these people even, I am surprised to admit, BP, as we have all grown very fond of each other, in our own funny way.
Some of us have outright argued and blown up at each other, we have all definitely irritated each other at some point or another, but just like a dysfunctional family, care for each other and are genuinely fond of each other, and will be sad to part company at the end.