CCCT 2012 - July 6/12 - Day 48

Cross Canada Cycling Tour - Friday, July 6, 2012 - Day 48
Prawda, MB to Kenora, ON Trip 113.39 kms Time 5 hrs 58 mins Avg 19 kph Max 54.4 kph
Just as I was falling asleep I managed to get a nasty cramp in my right inner thigh at 11:00 PM. It's very difficult to shake out a cramp in a two person tent but somehow I managed. Perhaps it was because I was to hot in my PJ bottoms and T-shirt with my sleeping bag pulled over me as a blanket. I tossed and turned most of the night trying to get comfortable. Finally gave up and got up at 5:30 AM. We somehow managed to pack up our gear and tent in spite of the mosquitoes which were terrible in spite of several applications of Watkins cream/lotion. We cycled to the gas station/convenience store via the highway this time. Bought some Gatorade, water, muffins and fresh sandwiches. It started raining. We put our rain covers on and left for KENORA at 7:30 AM. We arrived at the MB/ON border at 10:30 AM. The Ontario Visitor's Centre was CLOSED. We made a pit stop at a gas station in FALCON LAKE and also had a hot chocolate. While there I was able to use the service bay to get out of the rain so I could dig out my sleeves and vest. I was feeling a bit cool because of the rain.
There were no other "services" along the highway for quite a stretch. We had to stop on the highway for lunch, etc. We arrived at the Kenora Information Centre at 1:30 PM where we were able to get information on camping, motels, shopping, etc. We cycled through Kenora to the East side of town and checked out 3 motels at $89, $75 and settled for the $65 Thee Laurenside Inn. By this time the sun had come out and it was getting quite hot. We were able to put our wet gear out in the sun to dry. After showering we cycled to the Laundromat. The directions the motel manager gave us were terrible. It was supposed to be a shortcut but turned out to be an assault course with plenty of hills. I guess if you were going by car it would have been OK but by bicycle it was a nightmare. We had to ask for directions several times. We did a load of laundry. There was no soap dispenser available so we had to borrow some detergent from another customer who had left his on top of the washing machine along with his cellphone. I went across the street to the Safeway to check it out for possible dinner stuff and got a diet coke and some mosquito spray. We met a local fellow who stopped to chat with us about our CCCT. Beverly finished the laundry and we went over to the Safeway for groceries. We took our laundry in with us for safekeeping. Bev had trouble deciding what to get for dinner - I had trouble deciding what to get to drink - there was no beer! Eventually we made up our minds and cycled over to Cdn Tire for fuel, a rear light for Bev's bike (she lost her other light), electrical tape and batteries for the tail light. I waited outside in the shade. We cycled back to our motel via a much shorter and less difficult route. Bev prepared our dinners in the microwave while I checked out the wi-fi. The sitgnal was very weak. I was able to get on the Internet but unable to download anything. I packed my freshly laundered clothes and hit the sack. The long ride, rain, hot sun had all combined to wipe me out.
Bev and Roly