Lost in the Maritimes

Don't worry, we're not actually lost. We would initially like to apologize to everyone who has tried to make a donation online in the past while and has been unable to. Paypal is not cooperating, but we are doing our best to remedy this problem. In the meantime, please feel free to donate by sending a cheque to the address on our website.

Almost three months ago, we biked out of Vancouver and began a long, ambitious adventure. We now have only about 15 biking days left to St. John's. The end is in sight, and our hearts and minds are more fixed on our final destination than ever. We are tired. Although we are in the best shape of our lives, our legs just don't want to bike anymore. But there's no stopping us now, and our determination will get us to the end.

We are in Nova Scotia, province #9. The Maritimes are hilly, slow-paced, and all about water: raining from the sky, snaking through the land in the form of rivers, and encircling each province with ocean. Atlantic Ocean. We can now officially say that we have biked Canada from coast to coast, but must contain our excitement, cause we ain't done yet.

In New Brunswick, there is a mix of cultures and languages that changes depending on where you are. One town speaks english, the next french, and the next Acadian, a unique French dialect that most Canadians know little about. We cycled to Edmundston, then south to Fredericton where we celebrated New Brunswick Day with live music and free ice cream. We cycled through Fundy National Park, where we ate fresh lobster and witnessed a 13 metre-tall tide come in and out, the highest tide in the world. This natural ebb and flow that happens twice a day illustrates the impressive graviational pull of the moon and sun; it's also really cool to watch.

And then the coast. After crossing Confederation Bridge, truly an engineering wonder, we found ourselves on P.E.I. Being the "gentle island", P.E.I. lives up to its name. Made of sand, clay and stone and covered with potatoe plants, rivers and beautiful beaches, P.E.I. is a seafood-lovers paradise. Lobster, mussels and scallops are in abundance, but unfortunately not dirt cheap. Being on the island was wonderful, not only because it was quiet and flat, but cause it was so short: we were on and off in three days.

Today we took the ferry to Nova Scotia and rode through the rain to Antigonish, on our way to Cape Breton. And so continues our existence as homeless nomads. It's incredible how much we have come to appreciate a warm shower, bed and roof over our heads. These little things that we normally take for granted are enough to keep us pedalling for days. To all those who have provided us with these gifts over the course of our trip, a giant preliminary THANKYOU.

From Antigonish, Nova Scotia, bye for now!