Day 4-Merritt
Wednesday June 29, 2006
Distance: 66km
Temperature-high 30’s
Wild-West, Merritt, BC
Seriously, we’re in the Wild West here, in this two-bit town of Merritt where their claim to fame is the largest country and western music festival in western Canada, Canada, North America, the World?
I am not sure, but apparently it’s pretty big, with lots of unknown names-to-me- but big names to those in the know.
The town is set up like a country western town, replete with the western-style shop fronts, and men in cowboy hats. Is this a joke? Do places like this really exist?
I keep wanting to ask people if this is for real, or is a movie set?
Anyhow, we’re staying in a campsite, situated beside a 24 hour logging processing plant where I can hear the constant bang and clang of these Banging Clanging Machines.
On the ride so far we have seen truck load after truck load of lumber-I can’t identify the different type of trees, but have notices the different smells as they clamber past us on what is a sometimes very narrow road.
I noticed that I am taking on bullfrog traits in trying to puff myself up as they go, so as to appear larger.
I am not sure it’s working-or perhaps it is, as I am still here….)
We were on galley duty breakfast this morning (you do dinner, and then breakfast the next morning.)
Said missing member who rolled into camp at 9:30 last night was very sheepish when he showed up late for breakfast duty.
Since I am the elected (not really, we drew straws) galley chief, I have to initiate a ‘you are a naughty-boy’ type lecture with this man who is twice my age; I’ll try just giving him dirty looks and see if that works, if he doesn’t catch on after that I’ll enlist the other three members to do the same…just kidding, they’re already in on it with me.
No, really, a mature meeting will happen before our next shift, in 5 days time.
We will tell him what a bad person he is, and threaten him with lashes, all said in a grown-up and mature tone.
We were all feeling rather smug in the thought that this ride was a measly 65 km, and that we’d be into our next site in a couple of hours-how wrong we were; the reason it’s short is because there were a few leg-crushing hills (four plus some leg squeezers.)
Our legs were all tired as well from yesterday’s long ride.
Also, we definitely had the opposite of the prevailing winds again; as they were blowing so hard they almost blew us back to camp as we set out.
Lewis and I rode with a guy in our galley crew who is a good rider, and the three of us kept a quick rotation for drafting (pulling,) which worked pretty well.
The heat again was pretty bad, but was nothing like the 46 degrees we had yesterday, which made the poor Australian woman cry (now that’s hot, if someone from Australia is brought to tears due to the heat.)
I too would have cried yesterday, but couldn’t afford to lose any valuable liquid from my eyes, so held back on the tears.
Just as a reference, after filling my water bottle with cold water, it was hot after about 45 minutes.
The terrain is changing once again, from the dry arid, rocky landscape slowly back to green again, but not the kind we experienced nearer to Vancouver.
It’s still pretty dry however; the farming seems to be hay (purebred hay, whatever that means,) horses, and old junky cars which are strewn everywhere along the way.
About 10km away from town we passed by a little place that had a butcher (no baker or candlestick maker, that will be in the next town,) and the guy we were riding with smelled jerky, so we stopped.
The poor woman didn’t know what hit her, as these three very sweaty cyclist came clambering into her tiny air conditioned shop; we were dripping all over the place, and immediately headed for the ‘free samples’ tray, which disappeared within seconds. She looked a bit frightened as we eyed her, and then noticeably relaxed once she realized we were genuinely interested in what she was selling.
I think she was so relieved we weren’t going to eat her that she gave Lewis some free bacon, which he excitedly took and strapped to his saddle bag, in the midday sun.
We also bought some fresh beef jerky (cheap and delicious) and then set off again into the heat, with some meat in our bellies (perfect for cycling…..)
We rolled into town (cue ‘The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly’ music) and gaped at the setting (see intro.)
We’re all very excited as tomorrow is a much needed rest day-laundry, phone calls, internet connections….none of which we’ve had due to the remoteness of where we’ve been and lack of cell phone coverage in the area-we really are in the middle of nowhere.
Also, our legs need a break!
I coincidently have a straw cowboy hat along with me on the trip, and can’t wait to wear it tomorrow as I will fit right in! (I am tired of standing out like a loaf of bread at a Dr. Atkins convention everywhere we go, and want to look like one of the locals for a change.)
Already we seem to have settled into a rhythm, even though we’ve only been at this for four days, it now seems like our new norm.
These people, still strangers on many levels, feel like our compadres in an adventure that must be endured together (unless you shirk on your galley duties, then you are tied to a cactus and left for the vultures….)
One woman (the rapid fire questioner) already feels very comfortable with me; she asked me to pluck the hairs out of her chin for her….I didn’t want to be rude……but eeeewwwww.
