A bit of British Columbia

This post is from a newsletter I sent out while cycling from Canada to Mexico in 2017

Hello friends,

I’m writing from sunny Victoria, 212 miles pedalled since Vancouver. All going very well if a little slowly due to a 2-day storm which I sat out in my tent. Aside from that hiatus, British Columbia has been excellent - empty rolling highways along the coastline with a few meaningful hills to keep things interesting. No bear sightings.

Mitch is doing well. To be honest it turns out he’s a bit of a flirt, attracting friendly locals wherever we go, from a lively cross-dressing tugboat driver “the work’s nice but it’s better on my day off when I get to wear this tutu” to a wonderful veteran cyclist Michael who befriended me during a ferry ride, after which we rode in convoy to his friend’s beachside cabin for dinner and a good night’s sleep. The following morning I was sent on my way with a cinnamon bun and some rear-view mirrors from Michael’s own bicycle, feeling very lucky to be part of this brilliant community of travellers on two wheels.

Victoria marks the first mental milestone, my last stop in Canada. This afternoon I head to the San Juan Islands, Washington state.

Love, Elishka