July 12: Another day off in Cardston, Alberta
| Heart | 2 | Comment | 0 | Link |
TODAY'S LOGISTICS were such that we had either a half day to Waterton park or a long one through the park and on through Babb. We opted for the first so that the weather, forecast to be gloomy for a couple of days, would be better when we tackled Going to the Sun Highway (so named because an Indian leader walked that way and disappeared into the sunshine after working miracles with the morale of a down-at-heart tribe).
With just half a day's riding, Steph got her hair cut, I called ahead to the bike shop at Whitefish to replace a worn bottom bracket, we got shopping... and we had a lie-in. They were all good things to do, and necessary. Steph has a true headful of blond hair and it makes her horribly hot unless she has it trimmed and thinned.
The problem was that the wind was blowing hard again by the time we left. There is a 40km climb from here to the park and that would have been enough without further hindrance. We rode a few kilometres, down in our tiniest rings, then decided we would be better back in the campground with books and sleeping bags.
Today's single fact learned, apart from the foolishness of starting rides on windy afternoons, is that people on the Canadian side of the border don't feel at all different from those on the American side. "Not this close, anyway," a spreading woman dressed in black told us. "Go further south into the US and the people seem very different, but not here."
We asked which side of the border was less expensive. She shrugged, said it varied but that right now it was about the same. "The US does have good deals on clothes," she said, "but for food..." - her face that showed deep thought and calculation - "...that's about the same."
The only other thing she mentioned is that she wished the border controllers on the US side would let people get on with their lives. "I see that they have to look out for terrorists but when it's just local people going across..."
She shrugged in a way that said "But it ain't worth the breath to complain."
| Rate this entry's writing | Heart | 3 |
| Comment on this entry | Comment | 0 |