I think today is Wednesday. Time is becoming entirely irrelevant. I spent two nights and a day in Vancouver with my bro eric the poet. We had some wonderful chats and I felt honored to be allowed a glimpse into his life after all this time. He's going to be a great catch for some strong and beautiful young woman out there.

I took the ferry to Nanaimo on Monday afternoon and was met by my friends Helen Duggan and her husband Dan who live just north of the city. I lived in Parksville for a few months a few years ago and studied yoga with Helen. She's 55 and looks 41 and teaches in the most remarkably nurturing and gentle way. I had the privilege of being invited to her class last night. It felt great to stretch after being on the bike and not making time for my daily yoga. At the end of the extremely luxurious class, she placed a blanket over me for final relaxation. That simple caring gesture moved me to tears. We'd done some great heart-opening poses and twists and I obviously haven't drained my water source yet.

Helen and Dan are two individuals in one of the most inspiring couples I've met. They welcomed me into their home for two nights and we shared meals, great chardonnay, and deep conversations. They're not big believers in religion and rail against the status quo. They have no television, read voraciously, and love to discuss philosophy and ideal ways of living. I see them as part of the solution rather than people who rant and rave against the system but do nothing about it. They're planning an intentional community where people share resources and cars and lawn mowers and leave as small a footprint on the planet as is physically possible.

I'm in the world's salmon capital, Campbell River, about halfway up the east coast of Vancouver Island. I took the 19A along the ocean and made a quick stop at the beach at Qualicum. I was looking for a pebble souvenir when Marty the gardener came over and started chatting. He's actually from Windsor and rides a Harley. He's been on the island just over a year and said he wished he wasn't working so he could ride me up the island. It's a great feeling knowing I'm inspiring people to get out there and ride. A young woman at yoga last night said she'd been inspired to take a motorbike riding course after talking to me. The girl at Starbucks this morning said she was 'so jealous.' I told her she could do it too.

I'm not sure which route I'll take from Port Hardy. The road from Bella Coola to Williams Lake contains a couple of 25-30 kilometre stretches of very steep and twisty gravel. It sounds daunting, but the girl at Tourism BC assured me motorbikes do it all the time. I met a couple on the ferry who had ridden bikes from Nova Scotia all the way out here. They asked me to email and let them know how that dreaded 'hill' is so they can plan their next year's ride. I guess this wouldn't be an adventure if I had no fear. I'm definitely scared. But for now, today, the roads are dry, the sun is shining, the views into the Queen Charlotte Strait are magnificent, and I just had a fabulous smoked salmon quesadilla in the salmon capital of the world.