So after a lot of planning, cancelling, moving dates around, change bookings multiple times, add people, remove people, book kennels, cancel kennel reservations, the trip was finalised. In the end it was Debby, Sjon, Denise and me that were the lucky ones that ended up actually doing the trip.
The plan was to meet at the Tim Hortons near Barrie and then travel together from there to the Wolf Den Bunkhouse near Algonquin park. Debby and Sjon will stay the Saturday night and come back on the Sunday. Denise and me will stay till Monday before returning home.
We woke up early the Saturday morning (always up early before a trip. I guess excited) packed the bikes and were ready to go. Then the heavens opened up and the rain came down in sheets. Have not seen rain like this in a long time. The plan was to meet D&S at Timmies at noon. So we decided we will wait and see if the rain lets up and then leave at the latest at 10am, so we can make it for noon.
We just sat down with fresh coffee to wait out the rain, we get a call from Debby. They are riding up from Toronto, saw the big rain coming, decided to out run the rain and are now 20 minutes away from Barrie. So we gulp down our coffee, put our rain gear on (Denise does not have all the gear she need) and we set off in the rain.
It rained hard all the way to Guelph, but after Guelph it just drizzled and then stopped. The sun came out and we stopped in Alliston to take our rain gear off. Denise was pretty wet and my shoes were filled with water. We rode under nice sunny skies to Barrie were D&S were basking in the sun waiting for us.
We all then set off to our destination. It was about 300Km away, and it was a smooth ride up highway 11. We stopped for lunch about 50km before Huntsville and had the greatest homemade burgers. There is just something great about a burger with real meat, and not the ones made with a plastic patty (that what those patties taste like to me).
Next stop Huntsville to stock up for the night on food and booze. We went to some grocery store to buy food for that evening's planned BBQ. After we packed all the groceries on the bikes, we used up every space on every bike. Now off to the LCBO to buy booze. This is the amazing part. No matter how overloaded your bike is, there is always space to load some more alcoholic beverages. At one point Debby volunteered to put the bottle of wine in the front of her leather jacket. No need for that. We got everything loaded.
Off to the Wolf Den bunkhouse. Here is a link if you wish to check it out. http://www.wolfdenbunkhouse.com/
I can highly recommend it, if you don't have issues with communal living. We stayed in the dorm where you share sleeping quarters with strangers. This is not for everyone, and in retrospect a private room or cabin would have been a better selection.
We had a great BBQ, drank and had an all round great time. Nothing better than having a great time with friends. Round 11:30pm we all turned in for the night. Apart from other guest coming in and out of the room, and having to go to a separate building to use the washroom (all of a sudden going for a pee at night is a job) we had a good night sleep.
The next morning we got up and went for breakfast at the Algonquin Inn, where we all had a great Canadian (or was it English) breakfast. We then went for a ride up highway 60 thru the park. We stopped a few times along the way to enjoy the scenery and just walk around, and since we were all smokers, any stop for a smoke is a good break.
One of the places we stopped at was the Algonquin Art Centre. It's an art gallery where you can buy very nice pieces of art, if you are prepared to take out a second mortgage on your house. Very nice art pieces, but highly overpriced. I for the first time saw a print of a painting that was selling for $65,500. Way to rich for my blood.
One very nice thing was a canoe that was painted like a puzzle. You can then buy one puzzle piece and do your own painting in your spot (leave your mark in the park). We did not do any painting.
We then drove back on hwy60 all the way to Algonquin outfitters to look at the stuff they sell. When we left the outfitter store I experienced a problem with my bike. When I pushed the starter button, I just heard a click and the bike was dead, like in completely dead. It blew the main fuse. Luckily I had a spare fuse, and was able to get the bike running by bump starting it. This was a bit of a pain the rest of the weekend. Every time I stopped the bike, I had to make sure there is space for Denise to push me to start the bike.
We then went to Dorset, where we looked at how the rich people live. Very nice boats everywhere, cottages for sale for $1.5million, and rich kids on daddy's boat. Very much like Plett in SA. D&S had to get going if they wanted to be back in Toronto before dark. We said our good buys, they went home, and me and Denise went back to the WDBH. The rest of the afternoon we just chilled (a term I picked up from my teenage kids). We ate the leftovers from the previous night's BBQ and finished off the rest of the alcohol. We went to bed round 11pm.
That's when we experienced the weirdest thing, We walk into the room and it is completely dark, and Denise says to me " great there is no one else here, so I can get dressed". That's when I look around and see this person sitting on his bed in complete darkness, just starring out in front of him, with open eyes. He was sitting in the lotus position so I guess he was meditating. We get into bed, and try to keep quiet not to disturb the tree hugger. But 2 hours later, he has not moved yet, and we can not fall asleep (starting to freak us out).
We decide to get up, and go have a coffee and a siggie. About an hour later we return to the room. He is still sitting in the same position on his bed like a statue. Now I'm starting to think that he might be dead, and is maintaining the upright position because he has a broomstick stuck up his ass. We try to sleep again. Then Denise says "nou het hy a fokken kers, hy gaan die fokken plek afbrand" (he has a candle, he is going to burn down the place). Just at that moment 2 girls from Germany that share the room with us comes in. I can see that they are stunned about the situation. We all try to be nice and keep quiet and sleep. Then I hear the 2 girls snickering. I look, and see that now he is bowing to the candle. Weird.
The next morning when we wake up, he is not in the room anymore. I run into the 2 girls outside and we start talking about the experience of the previous night. That's when I hear he was pouring water from cup to cup at night, and wandering around the room. One girl was completely freaked out because when he was staring or meditating or praying or whatever, he was looking straight at her. The first thing that I think of is, I'm glad S&D is not there.
Well we packed our bags and set of home (after we had to bump start my bike). We had this place in Carnarvon in mind to go for breakfast. When we get there, it is closed on Mondays. What a disappointment. We gas up the bikes. Again bump start my bike and start looking for a Tim Hortons. Luckily we find one in Minden. We have our coffee and start talking to 3 other bikers. They propose to take us around on some nice back roads. We both really wanted to go, but with my bikes starting problems we declined.
The rest of the road home we had to fight against some strong winds. I remember at one point I looked in my mirror and could see Denise leaning her bike over about 20 degrees just to keep going in a straight line and not be blown of the road.
We get home tired, but had an awesome time.
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