travel

Gold rush: going to the Klondike on 10 US$ a day. Summer 1998

Shortly before quitting my job, I was at my favorite restaurant with one of my best friend. Suddently, she drops "Hey! Let's go to Yukon!" Summer vacation was just around the corner for her, and I was going to be a free man in 2 weeks. We quickly sketched the outline of the trip. Travelling would be on a shoestring: 15 CAN$ (10 US$) a day, ALL inclusive (food, lodging, transportation). The only way we could do it was by camping, hitchiking and eating from supermarkets...

When you hitchike, there's a simple rule. Someone is going to pick you up. You don't know who, nor when, nor if he is already on the road looking for you. But one thing for sure it's that going to happen.

We left Quebec City early in the morning. Our first step would be Ottawa, where Mylene had a friend staying there.

When you go across Canada, there is a looooong dreaded area you have to go through. It's basically 600 miles of pine trees and lakes, with small villages peppered along the way. One of the most crucial decision you have to take is: should I take highway 17 (soutern trans-canadian) or highway 11 (northern transcanadian). An unaware hitchiker would probably takes the 17: "well, it's shorter, and I don't want to freeze my butt up north!". What a mistake. I've tried it before. Any person who's been going through that highway will, for the rest of his life, remember a small place called Wawa. Some might get stuck a few hours. I personally got stuck there (on an journey done in 1992) for 17 hours. I spoke with a guy who got stuck there for 3 DAYS! Needless to say, we choose highway 11...

After our good night of rest in Ottawa, we started to work our way north to hit highway 11. But because we left late (we went for a long breakfast before leaving her friend), it wasn't going to be a very productive day in terms of mileage. Towards the end of the evening a freight truck stops and picks us up. It turned out to be a very nice man... Our ride lasted until the middle of the night. After asking us where we were going to sleep and seeing our long faces, he kindly offered us the bunk bed in the truck. "You just have to leave by 7, when the guys will come to unload the truck".

The next day .Going through the small Franco-Ontarian communities left us with the impression that we hadn't left Quebec at all.

Stuck in Hearst, in the middle of Ontario, and the sun's going down. The locals stare at us like we were from Mars or Jupiter... morale is sinking... with a 300 miles of road without civilisation ahead of us, the prospects of finding someone passing through that region isn't very good. And then, in front of us stops that big yellow truck. Grabbing our stuff, and we run like crazy towards him. Once we opened the door we were greeted by a "Take off you shoes!", followed by "Never tell anyone you've been picked-up by a yellow truck!". That was to set the mood for the next 16 hours from Heart, Ontario to Sainte-Anne, Manitoba. He was one of those strange person, not very talkative. Inside his truck, there was 8 of those scented "pine trees", all absolutely and exactly symmetrically placed inside the cabin. The interior was as clean as an operating room. When the night came and Mylene and I started falling asleep, he just told us to go in the back and sleep. Usually as a hitchiker you try to entertain the person who picked you up. But in his case it was hopeless, and we both went to sleep.

Once Ontario is behind you (to be continued...)

The Oceania-Asia tour, Fall 1998 Winter 1999.

Australia was a nice way to escape the incoming northern hemisphere winter.

Had the choice to go to Europe, but considering I only had summer cloths with me, it wouldn't have been nice...

The European tour, Spring and Summer 1999.

This is what 15$ US gives you in Sevilla... a nice room decorated with colorful ceramic tiles.	The narrow streets of Toledo...
Toledo, sitting on top of the hill. The main access to the in-walled city is through the stone bridge on the left, defended by a mighty tower...	The wonderful gardens at the Alahmbra. It used to be the royal palace during the Moorish period in southern Spain.
In Barcelona, the main park was designed by Gaudi. Wonderful curves!	Inside on of the many Moorish palace in Spain
The Smart car... a tiny tiny 2-seater.	Riding on the train along the Mediteranean sea.
The port of Monaco... they say it's a "sunny place for shady people" Lots of money going in and out. Tax-free haven for the rich.	Athens. Classic postcard shot :)
The old Rome. Well, what's left of it. Still amazing.	In Florence
Still in Florence.	Under the St-Peter cathedral, in the pope's crypt. St-Philippus was not there. Tried to take his place, but too many people around watching... I had to stay below, and took a semi-religious statuesque pose. Not quite good.
Can you tell it's Switzerland? Look at all the flags around.	Bruxelles has such a variety of architecture. And fries too. With mayo please. Mmmm :)
Basel (Bale) city hall. All painted in "faux-relief". If you go closer, you can see the paint flaking away. Oh well, nothing last forever.	Soviet-era communist-style concrete-and-aluminum TV tower in Berlin. Funky style. The base of the tower is covered by Grafitti.
Check-point Charlie. What you see is the Soviet zone. It used to be all sprayed-concrete buildings. They've replaced it by brand new buildings. Now it's the American sector that looks bad :)	Great wall of China, near Beijing. A day off during my 2 weeks contract there.