Sept 7th. Day 38
Even though I went right back to my old ways of staying up late and didn’t really go to bed till after 1am I still woke up to my 7am alarm.
Make some oatmeal. Tidy up the kitchenette. Double check I’ve got everything. Return the key and hit the road. My host wished me well and made mention of the big hill just out of town.
He was right about 2pm into my morning I hit a steeeeep hill. But I picked a spot ahead to stop and look back. And holy shit it was cool.
Ride more to the top and a ripper down. Had to slow because of a rock slide on the route 132. But one lane was open and I didn’t have to stop.
In the next town I stopped for dirty gaz station coffee. Also bought my first? Red Bull of the trip and a muffin in plastic. Was pretty based after that but the views were sick at a rate of one per half km. So I had nonstop a bunch and take photos. Otherwise I’d have made it to Gaspé in no time.
Some good flats and a few hills too.
Hit a nothing town with the name Douglastown on the way. And stayed on the 132 into town versus the short cut way.
Gaspe was just a place. But look away from the town and it was rad. I bought food first. And a guy on his way in talked to me. That was cool because it feels like days since the last time.
I was parked right by the door though. Not to get attention but because there was an outlet by the soda machine and I wanted to play music on my iPod while I ate my food. It was 500 of Greek yogurt.
Leaving there I rode over a bridge into more of the downtown Gaspé. Spotted a McD and tweeted out a few things after checking the email.
Bank. 50US got me 48,03CA.
On the hunt for a laundry, I rode hills and a circle only to come back the the spacious but mostly vacant motel and ask to use their laundry room. No problem.
Walking around the corner I saw a guy sitting and smoking a pipe. He had tattoos on his face and he looked like he had been a traveler for a long time. I tried to talk to him but he spoke French. I think he said he was not a traveler. I rolled my bike to the washer and walked back with my camera but he was gone. Why did I wait?

Only my way out of Gaspe I stopped at their second photo exhibit. The. Further to another flat bridge. And around and into the park. Some hills. Like “first floor, going up” then “second floor, going up” then maybe back to mez before seeing the third floor. After and bit of that the messing around was over. Big climbs.
But the odd thing was they were over before I knew it. It sucked and I was in my Z gear but I thought it would be hell for hours. Nope, a couple of climbs then a long down hill to the water on the north side. It was winding and had some up scoops but there were some very pretty landscape to be seen. And then like a surprise that is Friday when you were sure it couldnt be more that Thursday I rounded a turn and there was the lighthouse that’s everyone was talking about. Looking good to the sun was setting and pushing good light right onto it. And pretty clouds behind making the sky look like a magazine cover.

But I couldn’t take photos for ever. A lady walking her dog who I’d passed way back was now in front of me again and making me look slow.
Riding with the water on my right but now a new body of water.
Riding into the sunset. West.
Riding to find a camp spot.
Riding past sunset
Riding up a hill to see more bright sunset colors on the horizon.
Riding past having the energy to ride.

All I wanted to do was find a spot

I did find a spot. Not a good one but I needed to set up and make dinner.
I think I’m very close to the water. Could be just over the rock barrier I’m next to in this undesignated gravel lot. Very close to the street too. No cover except a lack of light.