Day 23: Swift Current to Besant provincal Park (Caron)

July 2, 2006

Km Today: 144km

Highlights:
Fresh Water and refueling in Herbert Saskatchewan:
Yep it is hot, so when you find a gas station that is kind enough to let five cyclists fill up their numerous waterbottles with water well you take it! We are soooo greatfull for the kind service at the Co-op and Coffee shop in Herbert.

Chaplin: The Salt of the Earth:
As we rolled up to chaplin a precarious substance seemed to line the lake. Powdery white stuff that really looked like layers of ice or snow from a glacier. So what is this powerys substance? Na2So4(Sodium Sulfate)- The ingredient that makes up 1/3 of your laundry soap. Really neat!

The realities of carrying fresh produce in the prarie heat struck a cord today as cam and christine pulled soggy spinich out of their panniers for lunch. They resigned to saving it for their Thai Curry Dinner, but I don't think it ever made it in the dish. We were informed that Chaplin had a small general store so natrually we decided to search the town to liven up our dinners with some tasty veggies. Yeah no luck! Thats Sunday in a small town for you!

50 km later we rolled into Besant Provincal Park just west of Caron to find a two peppers and a red onion to spice up our various meals. The girls added a pepper to our low cost refried bean tocos and Cam and Christine added the red pepper and red onion to their outback kitchen feast- a Thai Curry (coconut milk and all) that smelled amazing.

Klara taking a break on some abandoned paving equipement.
We found an old abandoned house too. Jennica was the bravest... she went right upstairs!
Another tasty lunch prepared on the go.
This is a moderate sized town... it has TWO grain elevators!