Day 11

I've just realized that I have only been numbering days where I had been riding, so day 11 will include a total of four days. The first two were spent staying with a friend in Calgary. It was great to have a visit, and we spent most of our time rolling around Calgary. So much urban sprawl, it was an interesting place. Met a bunch of cool people, and hopefully got my moneys worth at an all you can eat korean BBQ/sushi restaurant. They brought raw meat to fry in the middle of the table as well as so much Japanese food. It was awesome. Also went to check out the ludicrously ballet mansion his parents were building, and I must admit I was blown away. I missed it being ready by a month! Will definitely have to make my way back out down the road.

So after two days of rest, his family packed me some pasta and homemade trail mix and I got dropped off on the other side of town (I had been warned by several cyclists to how ridding though Calgary a miss if at all possible). It was nice and sunny, and I rode about 125km to a little town called Bassano. I got my first taste of riding against the prairie wind along the way, and then after a direction change I got to enjoy a nice tailwind. I stayed at the Bassano municipal campground which was crazy nice: soft flat grass, power, and most importantly showers. There was also another cyclist from Quebec on his way home, but he turned in early and was gone before I woke up. I also tried washing clothes in the shower, which was a total success. Oh! I also manages to break my glasses, but super glues them back together. Thankfully I pretty much live in my sunglasses.

It stayed windy through the night, and the next morning it started raining. Having been spoiled with nice weather to date, I opted for yet another rest day, which I spent curled up in my yet with a book. It was very restful. When it cleared around 130pm I decided I was too late to make it to the next site, went on a grocery run, then hunkered down for the night (after a second evening shower, of course). It was neat going to the grocery store to get an idea of small town living, everyone knew everyone by name, and the cashier asked if I was the guy in the campground. Word gets around.