Location: Approx 12kms East of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Time of Writing: 22:00
Another day another provence! Today we said goodbye to Ontario and hello to Manitoba. At last I feel like we are making progress accross this vast country. Before leaving Ontario we passed through a little town called White Water Lake, site of White Water Castle a locally well known oddity built in 1904 by Scottish Imigrant Jimmy McQuat and now restored. He built it entirely by himself - and nobody knows why! He was a bachelor yet this huge palace comes complete with a 4 storey tower! Ain't it amazing what a man can achieve without a nagging woman in his life........ Or maybe he just built it to quel the frustration due to the lack of a woman in his life!!! Who knows! Also passed through Kenora and saw an entire airport built on a lake to facilitate water boats..... Seeing these really makes it feel like we are now in the Canadian heartlands.
Last night was very cold and I didn't sleep great because of it, camping it seems is now becoming a winter Olympic adventure sport the further we travel west and the later it is getting into the Fall.
Manitoba was top of my list of places I wanted to see in Canada before even coming here. I don't know why really as the only things I know about it I learned from an episode of 'Malcom in the Middle'! (the one where they visit Louise's dads other family!) The name itself means "Great Spirit" in native Indian so that to me suggests a place of great mysteriousness and adventure so maybe that's the attraction! Thus far it has actually been mysterious and I'll explain why - for the last few days Marco has been complaining about the quality of the ground mat he bought for camping on so today when we stopped at the border crossing to get a photo of the "welcome to Manitoba" sign there lying by the side of the road was a brand new still wrapped in it's original packaging ground mat!!! I'm guessing some poor cyclist dropped it and never noticed and while they may tonight be sleeping in the cold the German couldn't be happier!!! Tomorrow I'm insisting he complains all day about the quality of women we have met so hopfully when we cross the border into Seskatchawan Ms Canada herself will be waiting there for us!!!
Crossing into Manitoba also means the price of gas is reasonable again, Ontario gas prices really put a big dent in the fuel budget. Being honest I shouldn't be complaining at all considering the much cheaper cost of gas here compared to at home but when you are filling the tank twice and sometimes three times in a day it adds up! Plan to spend all day tomorrow in Winnipeg meeting the locals! There is nothing I like more about traveling than getting out there and talking to a few strangers!!! It's liberating for the soul..... But to be honest even the word "strangers" I use sparingly as there really are no strangers - just friends we haven't met yet.
Until tomorrow....
On the iPod today: Nirvana (MTV Unplugged) & Tucutronic (some Jungle music band the German listens to!
Today's weather: Very sunny and dry.... Coudlnt be better.
