Arrived in Seattle..

yes, this is where I am at the moment :)

staying at the apartment of Liz super cute and extremely nice best friend and meeting my beloved one in just a few hours.. FINALLY!!! :D

I got some stories to tell (they are naturally about to come, when you journey out into the day! ;)

So I started pretty early in Vernon.. missing one of my two Sarongs, that hopefully will be sent to me later.. (got lost in the mess there ;)
was a nice ride, met some other bikers and they invited me a coffee.. shared some good stories and I continued to Kamloops and then west, where the road leads down the Frazer Valley. That was a really beautiful ride!! :D sorry, just enjoyed for myself and no pics.. light wasn't suitable for taking pictures. I ended up this night in Harris Hot Springs, where I found myself and abandoned house in the city (camping was insanely expensive!!!) so I tried to be unseen and leaving no footprint. I was having some beers on the lake and when I walked back into the property, there was a police car standing.. must have been there for at least half an hour (got delayed, be saving a ball out of the water ;)
so yeah.. somebody saw me, called the owner, this one worried, called the cops and there we were ;) was totally easy going.. was a bit nervous walking towards that car, but mastered the situation exceptionally! :D they were checking on my bike and didn't find anything.. so after another 30 minutes, they had no information about the bike, nether my insurance, but it was OK.. I seemed to be OK ;) so after they called the owner back and asked if I could stay (the answer was "no", but I had to try ;) I left the place went swimming in a hot pool and spent the night in the forest, next to a walking trail.. cold and dark, but for free ;) hehe :D

next day, I was driving to Vancouver Island.. almost got in the city, by taking the wrong highway ;) but then finding Horseshoe bay, where there are ferries (newly bought in Germany) over to the Island. Had two hours to stay and went down on the beach, playing guitar, meeting a total awesome guy and having a great conversation! :) hopping on the ferry, enjoying strong wind on deck.. you could lean strongly in the wind.. totally fun! :D
the Island is pretty big and I didn't want to travel all the way to the top, but Tofino seemed to be a good destination. because also this several hours, I made it to Parksville, where the coastal road begins. wanted to stay on the beach, but seemed to not upset the people, I start asking around. the first try was unsuccessful, but then there was a guy who let me park my bike and told me to come back in an hour, when his wife is around.. I did so and I was welcomed in, got a super tasty and healthy salad for dinner and we talked the whole night long, smoking spliffs in their kitchen and drinking two bottles of wine! :D they had a wicked house (he works in house improvement and it's the first private house I've seen with an urinal!! :D that rocks!!) and they had me a bed to sleep :)

the next day I spent some hours on the market in Coombs.. first just playing with my tools and then playing instruments and busking in the street :) made 10 bucks ;) hehe :) had nice conversations and could pass something on.. just not sure, if I want to take money for that ;) but was a nice experience, never did this before and there might be a time, where I travel this way. but because of poor guitar playing, better poor didgeridoo playing ;) hehe :)
was getting really cold then to drive to Tofino.. I had this picture of a pepperoni cheese pizza in my mind, that guided me so far.. but FREEEEEZING cold!! :(
I got my pizza, some beer and went to the city park beach and stayed there for a night. the Pizza lady told me that.. camping is not allowed, but everybody does and because of the end of the season, it wouldn't matter that much :) so met some people on the beach and talked and slept just a stone throw away from the surge, watching the stars :) was a special night.. missed Liz a lot!!! ..and was pretty cold.. slept in all my clothes + bike jacket :P

next morning it got rainy and I stayed in Tofino until noon. meeting people, doing my stuff in the city and figuring out, where to go.. was a farm of a hippie dude, that was just outside of town :) so I met a lot of random people there, got a dry place for 10 bucks and helped with trimming work. the people that are living there, do so for weeks or month and I bet, it's even more lovely, if it's warm and dry ;) was a big peace of land with forest and walkways, trailers and tarp-cottages, where people would stay. ..I got the "Tharp Mahal" :D haha :) pretty much space and a fire place, that I didn't dare to use ;)

started then my ride down to Victoria early in the morning the next day. Almost all days, I went to bed pretty early (cold and dark) and slept quite a lot (cold and wet in the morning ;).
so in Port Alberni I took the gravel dirt road to Bamfield, but heading further down to Lake Cowichan and from there over to the coast.. so my bike got once again all over dirty (looks badass, but have to wash it this afternoon :P
after Bamfield junction it got really, really, REALLY nasty with bumps and wholes in the ground. the street requires good shocks! was glad, that I made it to a paved road again and was lucky to arrive in Victoria after another pretty long ride along the coast. On the way, I hit the ditch, but not too bad.. once again: a pannier out of shape and I had to unload the bike. the first car stopped, asked if everything all right (didn't get any scratch.. was pretty controlled ;) so he helps me moving the bike and I'm on the road again after 5 minutes :)
and then.. I see this black bear crossing the street!! :D I slow down, getting closer and he hurries over the road, I stop, he stops, watching each other and the he disappears over the edge. that was really cool!! :D never saw a wild bear so close.. he was probably: "Oh shit dude, gotta get of the road.." ;)

I spent this night 30 dollars to have a warm place to stay in the HI hostel in Victoria (hate doing that). but it was to cold and nasty to not do so.. ;) I don't like hostels that much, because it rembers me my Lonely Planet times and the people there are either very much for themselves or then it's not the kind of party people that I'd like to meet.. so I went out and met this night about five random parties in a row, having beer, good conversations and a wonderful time! :) was really fulfilling! could ask some people on a table and sit down and when we split up again, it was such a good vibe! listened to their story and told them mine.. my trip, my new love and about the uncertainty of the future :) was GREAT! :D
the next morning I got despite every caution a parking ticket, that I tossed, after I have been advised to do so :D haha ;) yeah.. they don't make the effort to bust tourist.. sorry about that :) wasn't blocking the road anyway :P
went on the Black Ball Ferry down to the states.. Passport stuff and customs.. happily the guy in the hostels tells me, I have to be there 90 minutes early.. just made it in time, without reservation, all totally easy. don't get even searched ;)
got invited by a older couple, that drives a big truck with goods around and they invited my second breakfast and .. do I have to mention it: totally nice and fulfislling! people are so incredible lovely!!! it's just a pleasure to be on this planet and meet this awesome people!! of course do I have faith in mankind!! how could I not?? :D

getting on US ground, the weather was again changing.. changed along the way my gloves to the winter edition and wrapped more things around my head to keep me warm.. in the next days we will decide how and where to continue and if it's possible to ride the bike together.. wouldn't be for very long then and next to the packing issue comes now the climatic aspect.. it's probably already too cold.. but yes, it's only 10 hours away from meeting each other again!!! :D and then we gonna see, what our plans are ;)

I drove to Seattle.. over some really cool bridges! :) but also a lot on highways and I liked it more in Canada.. so somehow California or New York or South America.. but it's one of these moments, where I'd feel to speed up to the warmth ;)
I met Hannah here last night, we went out to have a salad and spent then some time talking on her balcony, having a glass of wine! :) as enjoyable as it sounds!! ;) hehe :)
now it's time to fix the bike and get some minor tasks done (as washing the beer soaked underwear, caused by leaking containers after special driving maneuvers :P ..so all not too bad ;)

wish you all the best and will hear from me, once I feel, enough things have happened, that I can let the public know ;) hehe :)

L'n'L!