July 17, 2014
Approaching Confederation Bridge today, I couldn’t help but feel excited. Even though the trip is far from over, it seems like an auspicious moment to cross onto Prince Edward Island, almost as if all that’s left is to cross some t’s and dot some i’s. Now they are some hefty remainders but the anticipation grows. And then as if to welcome me, a vibrant double rainbow appeared on the island while I cross the bridge by shuttle. (You can’t walk or bike the 12.9km bridge). The rainbow over the red cliffs on the shore certainly made an impression. I don’t know if it was the red dirt so much like that in Paraguay or just my exhilaration at having made it this far but I could almost sense the feeling of coming home that islander often talk about it. With frequency, it may become routine but the crossing is an event not unlike landing at the airport though thankfully without the intrusive security. PEI in fact offers free passage to all onto the island but charges to leave: a reluctant good-bye or honey trap of sorts?
I meet many interesting people on the road from the peculiar to the awe inspiring but write mostly about the places I encounter. I consciously leave out the people since there is no easier way to generate hurt feelings and ill will than write about someone. But the interactions and conversations often stimulate hours of thought for me so I will mention a cyclists I encountered again today. This is not about him.
An enthusiastic young man, he is on an extended bicycle tour but on a vegan diet. As you might imagine, vegan options are scarce outside larger metropolitan areas, especially when you need extra energy to cycle all day. He found an ingenious if heavy solution by packing weeks of super-foods in a bicycle trailer. I was thoroughly impressed by his commitment as I feel like I can hardly consume enough calories with all the burgers and poutines I inhale. Among the various topics we covered, he told me about the adventure he was having with his bike. An inexpensive Walmart bike, it only lasts about 600km or from one Walmart to the next before it completely falls apart. So basically the store replaces it at each Walmart along the way. The reason I’m sharing his story is because it got me thinking about how messy our, my ethical convictions and practices are.
We didn’t talk about why he chose to eat vegan but I suspect various principles about doing less harm and the sacredness of life, all principles I can embrace. What struck me was how nonchalantly he recounted his practice of the disposable bike. We weren’t well enough aquatinted and also on the shoulder of a busy highway for me to inquire how he reconciled these seemingly disparate practices. But more importantly, it got me thinking how important it is to me to have a quality bike and parts that will last as near a lifetime as possible. I consider it ecologically and socially responsible. Yet in the food I eat, there are glaring discrepancies between my convictions and practices. For example, I consider nonviolence a fundamental guiding principle in my life and yet I scarf down a juicey burger every chance I get. How can I account for the inherent violence in consuming another animal? Obviously I think we need to reconsider the intrigal relationship between death and life but it doesn’t answer how I can justify the violence when with adequate adjustments to my habits and life, I could meet my basic needs otherwise. Or at least with less violence. I don’t think it’s possible or even desirable to attempt to perfectly match our convictions and lived life but it is intriguing to me how messy it can be and yet how easy it is to become self righteous about our own principles. After all, I would never buy a Walmart bike just because I knew it could be replaced regularly.
Road Report: 101km
The roadside becomes more interesting the closer you get to the coast. Unfortunately, the quality of the shoulder remains inconsistent but local traffic is fairly understanding. Being on secondary roads, few transport trucks are around to bother you.
