It was a long journey, but not as long as the trek east, as I had not returned to Grand Bruit. Having stuck around in PAB for the remainder of the weekend, I then took the DRL (formerly CN) Bus to Deer Lake. The gal in front of me was a starry eyed tourist from South Africa, who snapped no less than a thousand photos I'm sure. Granted, there were some magnificent sights as the fog rolled down through the Table Mountains, but I didn't want more photos through a dirty bus window, so let it be and soaked it up in my mind instead. There was room.
I landed at the Irving Big Stop in Deer Lake, and dragged my altogether too heavy suitcases (I REALLY have to look at travelling lighter) through the store to the restaurant to get a bite to eat as I wasn't sure what would be around the motel I was staying at that night. The food was awful, or should I say, the burger was completely tasteless and dry. I wished I had not bothered as I didn't finish it and was left wanting something else. So then I dragged the suitcases to the back of the Big Stop to use the pay phone to call a taxi. No phone books, or should I say, only one with the taxi page ripped out. Thanks a lot asshole. I called information, and got some foreigner to stumbled out a phone number to me. I called the taxi, informed dispatch of my destination, and dragged my bags back outside to wait. and wait. and wait. When he finally showed up, he was pleasant as punch, actually got his lazy ass out of the cab to load my 3 pieces of luggage into the trunk. When I told him my destination, I was the one who looked like an asshole. The motel was ACROSS THE STREET. I had been waiting for 20 minutes in the humid air waiting to get a taxi to the motel across the street. I hadn't noticed because the sign faces the highway, not the gas station. The taxi driver was quite nice about it and still drove me, and brought my bags inside so I gave him some money for his trouble.
The room was WAY overpriced at $138 (with tax) and few amenities. No internet, no elevator, no mini-bar, tiny room, closet sized bathroom, tacky decor, and a general tired feeling to the room. I dragged my damn suitcases thumping up over the stairwell to the second floor where of course, they HAD to place me, and entered the inferno that was my room. Thanks to efficient air conditioning, I had it quite chilly in no time.
The rest of the stay was frustrating with lack of internet, and nothing offered in town for access after 4:30pm...great. So I called my mother from the payphone at the Big Stop and checked in on my dad...another diagnoses - two kinds of vasculitis now, one of which is quite rare and he is being written up about it, and included in a documentary. Interesting...
Off to the airport to be gouged by the taxi driver who charged each of us the same flat fare...I had shared the cab with two others flying west but he didn't think we should split the fare. Gouge gouge...
The flights were mostly uneventful, other than the last two planes were god damn hot, like a sauna. I KNOW they have air conditioning but they failed to turn it on, despite the plane being full and everyone sweating bullets. Of course, on those last two flights I was jammed into a seat next to a very large person (and I am large enough) so had elbows in my face most of the flight. And can I say just how annoying it is to listen to someone on a cell phone talking business in the seat behind you. The flight attendant finally told him to end the call (with a slashing motion to her throat) as she tried to instruct those of us sitting next to the emergency exit. He did.
I landed in Grande Prairie about suppertime, but wasn't interested in wasting time eating in a restaurant, so headed to the grocery store and Wal-Mart to stock the cooler before heading north. Added a sack of ice to ward off botulism and salmonella and I was on my way, and cranky as hell to get the fuck out of the city and all that NOISE!
It was thunder and lightening part of the way, with some spectacular cloud formation, some of which I managed to capture with my small digital camera. The unbalanced tired unnerved me some at first but then I talked myself out of turning around to visit Crappy Tire and get gouged once again. It settled down after a bit, mostly once I was topping 120kms/hr. The sunset was amazing, and I managed a few shots. The air was still at one point and I snapped some great reflective shots of a little pond off the highway.
I found myself quite tired by midnight (add jet lag and it was 3:30am) so decided to stop in High Level for a few hours, parking in a hotel parking lot and curling up in the back seat. After High Level, there is little else before hitting Hay River, so as safe a spot as any. Up again at 4:00am and was on my way, driving through the forest fire area near Steen River and Indian Cabins. The smoke was thick in places, and the stench choked me up, but thankfully did not last long. I saw the fire fighters camped out along the highway in dozens of tents, as they dozed a little longer.
Wildlife was interesting...I saw 4 deer, 2 rabbits, and a pig. Yes, you heard it, a pig. A big brown pig was on the highway when I saw it, and then it dropped to the asphalt and rubbed it's head before scurrying off into the brush on the other side. WTF? I can only assume he snuck off the farm...I do not know of any wild pigs in northern Alberta...
They are known as laughing gulls. I'm sure they were laughing at me swatting flies...
They are known as laughing gulls. I'm sure they were laughing at me swatting flies...
