The in-between places

Three down, baby! After having left Vancouver exactly a month yesterday, we have biked about 3000km, and are approximately a third of the way through Canada. After five days of riding through Saskatchewan, the landscape changed rather suddenly from flat, open farmland to rolling, aspen-covered hills. As coniferous trees, larger hills, and even a lake came into view, I didn't need the Manitoba sign by the side of the road to affirm that we were approaching the hundredth meridian, where the great plains begin. As we left Saskatchewan, I learned that provincial borders are largely decided by the shifting landscape.

We are now in Dauphin, Manitoba, a medium-sized town of population 8000, 110km east of the Manitoba/Saskatchewan border. Like pretty much every town we've passed through, it has an A&W, Subway, and Safeway; but unlike all the smaller towns, it also has a newspaper, library and crime. It was a real battle getting here, with a ridiculous head wind that required some strategic drafting to get through. (I guess we had it coming, after the strong tailwind that pushed us to Saskatoon. But we are here now, eating homemade meals and sleeping in real beds, one thing I've come to really appreciate.

I've decided that biking across Canada isn't about seeing famous sites or towns, although there has been a bit of that. It's more about exploring the in-between places: the stretches of highway and towns that, although marked on maps, are forgotten to all but those who live there. It's the in-between places, where no one goes except in a vehicle and in passing, that we are getting to know the best. Having been born in raised in Toronto does not give one a good indication of what Canada is like, because most of the country is unpopulated.


On the really long days, with the strongest winds, I remind myself what I'm pedalling for: a school in rural Kenya, and a group of children who wish for nothing more than to complete their education. As I have the privilege of eating, sleeping and biking all day, these kids have to worry about whether they will be in school next month. I don't mean to make their lives sound miserable, because I can tell you with certainty that they are not, but only to remind you of the reality of these individual lives. So far, we have raised about $1700 for SEED. We encourage you to continue supporting us as we strive to reach our goal of $10,000. Thankyou to all who have donated so far.

Farewell from Dauphin, Manitoba!