Yukon and British Columbia – self made vehicle and hot springs
Keith took us from the place in Alaska, which another driver nearly believed had a curse on. ‘I bet I’ll find you here in few days. I’ve seen hitchhikers standing here for a long time’. He didn’t find us as Keith picked us up in exactly fifteen minutes, and we had a long good drive for exactly four days.
Kanada | Canada
The trailer was seriously long. We are lucky as he was going down all the way to States. Well, not all the way we need, but I would say the best part of Canada. Yukon and British Colombia are fascinating provinces. Northern Rockies interwoven with rivers and lakes, bisons and black bears.
At the border we ought to tell we are flying out of USA, as no other way we would able to cross the country by land. Quite a few miles you think you are in Canada, as they welcome you, but officially you only entering it after the border crossing. It’s still the same beauty as in Alaska. For some time.
Kytas | Keith
Keith is a stubborn traveler and the inventive one. His job is a pure traveling – transporting motorbikes across the continent. We are lucky ones to catch him. Funny enough he is also writing his diary about the traveling, and posts it to forums and Michigan newspaper. We have so much to share that it feels in four days he got to know us quite a bit. We felt comfortable and very cozy. Spending nights having a bonfire, chats in depth.
The drive seemed nearly perfect until the car started to choke and eventually died. Keith tries to change the filter, than stab the old one. No chance. The vehicle simply doesn’t get up the hills. Eventually Keith creates a new invention. He takes a fuel tank from his own motorbike, puts it into the wash basket, places it on the top of the car and straps it. With pipes he connects the engine to the tank, and here we go. The car rushes smoothly.
Keith was not only inventive in his own Dodge kingdom. When some travelers (in fact a bunch of couchsurfers) stopped us for some help, Keith in no time scrolled under the car and fixed the problem instantly. He was a hero for the travelers.
Well, we in fact got to the Liard hot springs eventually. This is a tropical oasis amongst Canadian forests. Springs are so hot you can hardly touch the water close to the origin. It cools a bit further away, and you can pleasantly bath under the blue or starry sky. Amazing place worth a visit and relax well. We spent there floating for a full day with tiny breaks.
Verdame karštosiose versmėse. | We are enjoying the hot springs.
Our ways split in Dawson Creek. At times we had a thought, what would have happened, had we continued our journey all the way around States. We still wanted to know more of Canada and its people, and needed to get to Chicago a bit sooner than later.
We try our chances to camp in the Pouce Coupe camping site. ‘We are travellers, and made quite a chunk of our journey. Would it be possible to pitch a tent in your site for free?’ Lovely workers not only helped us with wood, but also provided us a delicious breakfast.
Alberta – the story of Cree Indian and bikes for Africa
Galvojome pasistatysime palapinę prie upelio, bet šalia pamatę kempingą su daug pievelės ir laužavietėm, pagalvojom pasiprašyti vietos. Gavome ne tik malkų, bet ir nemokamus pusryčius! | We wanted to pich a tent next to a river, but there was a campsite with lots of fireplaces, so we thought of trying our luck. In the end we got some free wood and a breakfast in the morning!
‘My job is to cut the trees. It goes against what I believe in’ starts his life story Gordon. He is a Cree Indian, native one. He believes the trees have got soul. But only seven years ago he had a totally different approach to the world. His pursuit after happiness meant cars, women, alcohol and drugs. And jail. Until his mom offered him to come to the sun dance ritual. Then he started to attend sweat lodges, where the elderly to his request of finding a fine woman said ‘you came here for a wrong reason’. They didn’t try to convince him of anything, but soon he came up with the answers all by himself. The inner peace was the most important thing to him. No more anger or jealousy as such. He even helps at alcoholics anonymous club now to get over things.
Paul - tranzuotojas, dviratininkas, mus begalo šiltai priėmęs į namus žmogus. | Paul - hitch-hiker, cyclist, wonderful traveller that invited us to his home.
We thought to catch a hitch to Edmonton. Paul, who was the one to give us a lift, invited us to his home. He understood us from the first instance. No wonder, he is a traveler himself, cycled through Africa, hitched all around Europe. Moreover, he also cares for the ones in Africa to cycle. On Sunday one church donated 200 bikes, so they will be shipped eventually to the remote lands of Africa. The container will serve as a repair shop, people for a reasonable price are able to buy a bike and reach water or shop instead of walking for hours. The charity Bikes for Humanity is run voluntarily, and it partners with Ben Stiller Foundation. Check out http://www.bicycles-for-humanity.org/ to know more about this fascinating project.
Saskatchewan: domestic pig, the largest Easter egg, and 2600km directly to Chicago
Paul gave us a lift to a place more appropriate to hitch. The woman approached us and offered some sandwiches as ‘her daughter had hitched around Canada, and ordered her mom to take care of any hitchhikers’.
Miesteliai užsikrėtę tikra didybės manija - didžiausias pasaulyje vėlykinis kiaušinis. Ukrainiečių benduomenės sukurtas. | The biggest easter egg in the world in a land of Ukranian community.
Soon we hitched a guy who was willing to show us the largest Easter egg in the world. It seems that some little villages create something extraordinary. The Ukrainian community in the Vegreville had a thought to produce a massive ‘Pysanka’. The other village made a landing strip for aliens. So if any aliens come to Earth, they would have a place to land. The fascinating village imagination.
‘It would be great that someone would stop who would be going directly to Chicago’ we foresaw the massive traffics in the big cities. The nice car stops. There is a pig at the back. Beautiful one. With dyed nails in pink. Willis and Geraldine smile, they perhaps got used to the reactions of people towards domestic pigs. Geraldine feeds a baby goat in the front seat. “We are by the way going through Chicago’ total surprise to us. ‘If you want you could stay at our farm for a day, we could go to Chicago all together’. Wonderful. Herd of yaks, miniature horse, a donkey, goats, dogs. Lovely people. It felt like at home. The drivers made 2600 kilometres to Chicago bringing us straight to the house.
Practical tips
Food
It is expensive as in Alaska.
Transport
Hitchhiking is Canada is purely a pleasure. People are friendly and helpful.
Sleep
The camping sites normally are paid, and visitor centres might be surprised at a question of free options.
Hygiene
Camping places normally have (paid or free) showers, rivers are clean
