Sunday, August 18, 2024

A Tough Journey!? In Prince Edward Island Part 1


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“I've always heard that Prince Edward Island was the prettiest place in the world, and I used to imagine I was living here, but I never really expected I would. It's delightful when your imaginations come true, isn't it?” -L.M. Montgomery “Anne of Green Gables”


PEI is a beautiful island rich in nature. Lupine flower fields and beautiful apple blossoms like the Snow Queen bloom in a sparkling lake. Berry cultivation is also thriving; blueberries and cranberries are abundant and can be eaten cheaply. Bicycle tracking is provided, and it is such a luxurious and elegant trip to cycle slowly from PEI National Park to Cavendish. I got off the plane with my heart full of expectations.


Day1

There are few buses from the airport to the city, so I took a taxi. I paid the driver about $20 and headed to the hostel.


©HI Charlottetown Backpacker's Inn


The hostel's design used red as a beautiful contrast against the white exterior walls. The people at the hostel were very kind and looked like the typical Canadians that Japanese people often imagine. PEI seems popular with Japanese people, and there were warning signs in Japanese all over the hostel.

 

The warning signs in the bathroom were written in both English and Japanese. While Canada has two official languages, English and French, it seemed as if Japanese and English were the two official languages ​​at this hostel. I put my luggage down, had a light dinner at Tim Hortons, and went to bed.


Day2


According to the weather forecast, the weather was not going to be good from tomorrow onwards, so I decided to make the most of today by enjoying outdoor activities. I quickly finished breakfast at the hostel and headed to the bicycle rental shop. I rented a bicycle from MacQueen's Bike Shop for two days and headed to Cavendish in high spirits.


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I raced up a straight road and then down a hill in one go. It felt so good to ride down the hill with the wind carrying the scent of PEI's nature on my whole body. I didn't have to pedal the bike on the sloped parts of the road, and it was an exciting experience to ride the endless highway for about five minutes without pedalling at all. Looking around, I saw hills covered with a carpet of green, cows that looked like they had no worries at all, and Islanders mowing the grass half-dressed. These are the typical PEI scenery.


According to Google Maps, it was about a two-hour bicycle trip one way. It was almost two hours, but strangely enough, it seemed like it would take some time to reach my destination, Cavendish. And the straight roads and hills were repeated many times. I was reaching the limit of my physical strength. When going up the hill, I walked little by little, and when going down, I rode my bike, repeating this process. I felt like a triathlete. When I finally arrived in Cavendish, I gulped down a large-sized Tim Horton's coffee in one go. 


Cavendish



©2024 Toshihide Ikoma

When we think of Cavendish, we think of the Green Gables House. But I was so tired that I didn't have time to enjoy sightseeing slowly. I quickly toured the inside of the house, and there were other places to go, such as Lover's Lane, but I needed drinks and food more than sightseeing, so I finished without sightseeing. After returning to Tim Horton's and eating a sandwich to take a break, I headed to the beautiful red soil beach.


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The red soil coastline was beautiful. Listening to the sound of the waves gently lapping on the shore, I rested my tired body and mind. It was a moment when I felt glad that I had come to Canada.

 

And then, after more than three hours of cycling, I returned to Charlottetown, out of breath.


To be continued

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