Nòmada del vent

On dit la plus belle province. Je dirais la plus chaotique, la plus europien. Montréal is the easternmost canadian city that I am going to reach. After a short night in the outskirts of Toronto, I decided to go a little bit further with Team Strippa and the Van 4 to the next stop and pay a visit to an old friend of my father and his family that runned away to Canada after too many problems in Argentina. The city is old and rugged, full of unsmiling french people that lack the politeness of the typical canadian. There are no apparent pedestrian crossings and you have to make your way amidst the vehicle hectic pace. Totally old spanish style. Possibly french too. Besides the commercial city centre full of the same ole chain corporations, if you get lost its streets you can find plenty of independent cafés and plenty of proper french baguettes baked in nice-smelling boulangeries. It is definitely a different Canada. A more intermingled language-wise, colour-wise, minded-wise of people. E...

The empty prairies slowly transitioned to taller and taller bushes that became trees, splattered with puddles that became lakes that became apparent oceans. Driving the transcanada highway through Ontario is like driving again in the west coast 101, with a windy single lane road with the shore at your side. The only difference is that the water is sweet this time, not salty. We spent 2 days in Thunder Bay, with an unexpected awesome couchsurfer, Heidi, that invited us to a no-pants-carrot-cake house party, and took us around the tiny city. The second night we hada quiet beerless bonfire that ended up with children games in the playground, playing witches, and being eaten by midges! The hours in the van seem to fly. It is like a time black hole that swallows hour daytime. It has been a lot of 8 hours driving days, from one city to another. Leaping giant steps to reach Toronto, the far-away destination that no-one really wants to reach. Dustin run out of money, I am running out of holida...

The descent of the mountains lead to the first big city in Alberta, Calgary, a big city in the middle of no-where, full of skyscrapper of oil companies. The good part is that the gas is cheap. A short night in Calgary. We don't like the city and the earliest is over the best. It has been a short-lived day with Taylor. Reminiscents of Kamloops. What was is past. Ahead of us lay the longest plains of north-america. Endless grassy plains spanning more than 2000 km, comprising Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario. The is nothing, nothing, nothing. Just never ending canola and wheat crops, just in case we need to do a lot of bread. The hours in the van add up increasingly fast. We've lost track of time and since Monday that we dived in this emptiness we've been driving for hours and hours just to realize that we only did a small step in the map. Hours go by while we switch drivers and in the meantime, on plenty of stuff can happen in the backseats. Bracelet sweatshop, rea...

Los ríos de hielo imperecederos, se mueven lentamente, a un paso imperceptible por la ladera de la montaña. Toneladas de hielo que van triturando rocas hasta convertilas en harina, con el paso de las decadas. Es un gran ejemplo de las tremendas fuerzas del universo, lentas pero poderosas. Un gran proeza de paciencia y perseverancia. Es como una alfombra blanca, que se extiende indefinidamente hasta le cielo y se confude con la nieve, atrapada por siempre entre los picos de Athabasca, flanqueado por cataratas de piedritas destrozadas por el paso de antaño. Ahora Banff va quedando abandonado en el oeste, por esas carreteritas sinuosas que sesean por las montañas. Pero poco a poco se acercan las planicias. Calgary se asoma como una ciudad llana, esparcida por el primer sabor de las praderas que vendran por los proximos días.

Empieza una viaje en furgoneta a través de uno de los países más grandes del planeta. Nomás de Vancouver a Toronto son más de 4.000 km, y apenas se asoma a el lado este del país. Si no fuere cuestión de tiempo iría hasta el final. Las Rocky Mountains se empiezan a asomar a medida que nos adentramos en Revelstoke. Después de pasar Kamloops y el valle Okanagan, el clima desiértico queda atrás y se siente ese aire fresco de nieve. Hemos dormido un par de noches en Golden, hasta formar todo el equipo de viaje. Maja (Dinamarca), Tom (Inglaterra), Dustin y Cody (New Brunswick) y yo (España). Nos hemos alojado en una gigantesca casa de turismo rural, donde hemos comido posiblement la mejor comida de los últimos 9 meses y hemos bebido vino casero por doquier. En los siguientes días hemos llegado a Banff (Be Aware, nothing for free), aunqué nuestra especialidad es eso, y gracias a una amiga subimos a Sulphur Mountain gratis y una excursión a los glaciares para todos valorada en 700$. Mientrasta...

Back on my steps. If feels weird to undo all the travels that took so long and so much effort standing on the road in just 3 days. I came back with Nathalie and Hannes, a couple of guys that I met in Craiglist and they were going from San Francisco to Vancouver before the end of the month. They were nice, they even bought a Snickers as a welcoming present. We hit the 101 Hwy back again, exactly the same route, one night in Crescent City and the second in Portland, in the same place I stayed a month ago with Kirsten. Minor changes in the decoration but everything looks the same around here. Cross the border problem-free and back to see waving maple leafs and Tim Hortons all around. It feels kind of home. I am sad and glad to be back. Love contradictions. There was only the last steop to make it back to Kamloops. It took me 8 hours and 7 rides for some stupid 350 km, including a ride from the police (yay). NORTHVAN-SURREY-ABBOTSFORD-CHILIWACK-HOPE-MERRIT-KAMLOOPS. I am back. Back home, ...