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Canada, Cuba and Covid 19
  • The World on Two Wheels
Mar – Dec 2020

Canada, Cuba and Covid 19

In March 2020 a group of 16 riders from the Australian Ghostriders cycling group travelled to Cuba to complete an extended cycling adventure around the island. This journal documents Cuba and the COVID aftermath that cut our trip short. Read more
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  • The World on Two WheelsCanada, Cuba and Covid 19The World on Two Wheels

    Day 3 of Quarantine

    March 22, 2020 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    After arriving home two days ago, I am finally starting to feel a little human again. Maggie and I made the decision to live in separate homes for at least the next two weeks. That means I am rattling about in this big place by myself. It is amazing how much we all crave human interaction. We were meant to be social animals and it is difficult to live without human contact.

    Although the next two weeks will be quiet and slow, I think it is a trivial price to pay if it slows the spread of this cursed virus. The best way to put out a fire is to starve it of oxygen and the best way to slow the spread of an infection is to starve it of the means of transmission.

     I think that this is something we can beat, but it will require discipline and sacrifices from us all. It is not as if we are in danger of being blown to pieces by falling bombs, like they were in the war. We are comfortable in our homes, we have mobile phones and the Internet to keep us connected. If everyone thinks more of their neighbours and less of themselves, we can get through.

    As far as I am concerned, I am feeling fine with no sign of fever or cough. I have an adequate supply of food and plenty of books to read and videos to watch. Two weeks is really not that long. The strangest thing is the silence. I just cannot hear anything at all. In some ways I feel like the last person on earth. Strange times indeed.    Read more

  • The World on Two WheelsCanada, Cuba and Covid 19The World on Two Wheels

    Day 4 of Quarantine

    March 23, 2020 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    It's been a lifetime since I last posted any "footprints", so I thought that I will start now to fill in the blanks of what has been happening over the past few days. I thought I would first do today's entry and then progressively work back to fill in the story of what has happened since I left Cuba.

    In case you did not already know, I am now safely back home in Melbourne and now undergoing my period of compulsory self isolation. According to my count I am now up to day 4 of 14. I have a reasonable supply of necessary items, so I am not starving. Maggie even left me a new digital thermometer to check my temperature. If the technology is reliable, I can tell you my current temperature is 36.6 C - low enought to give me the green light on the thermometer.

    I can also tell you that I am feeling fine. Even my sleeping patterns are not as disrupted as they normally are after returning from the other side of the planet. According the scales I have also dropped 5 kg since leaving Australia. I am not sure if that is due to the cycling or the stress, but I am actually the lightest I have been for some time.

    One thing that is quite eerie is the deathly silence outside. Not a single car has driven past my home this morning. The park opposite is deserted. I cannot hear even the distant sound of traffic on Princes Highway. Either I have lost my hearing or no one is moving anywhere.

    It may be some time before we will be able to resume the shared activities that are so precious to us, however we still have the Internet and mobile phones to keep in touch. I am sure that we will all crave human interaction more than ever, so please call your families and daily let them know how important they are.

    I just heard this morning that another batch of the Cuba team arrived back in Melbourne. According to my calculations that means that only one person is still making their way home. That is a remarkable result under the circumstances, especially considering the dire straights that some other Australians have now found themselves in dozens of countries around the world.

    Stay safe.    Read more

  • The World on Two WheelsCanada, Cuba and Covid 19The World on Two Wheels

    Day 5 of Quarantine

    March 24, 2020 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    I am starting to feel that I am in solitary confinement. I had not realised how much we rely on talking and personal interaction to make our lives meaningful. I awoke to another day in a quiet, empty house and knew that the time would pass slowly.

    The thing that I find the most strange is the complete absence of noise. I suppose I have become conditioned to the constant background noise of someone else moving and talking in the home. The dog quickly tells us whenever anyone walks past in the street, and there is always the subdued sounds of distant traffic on nearby roads. All that seems to have stopped. Apart from the birds singing, there is almost complete and utter silence and I am having trouble coping with it.

    On the positive side, I am feeling fine. The thermometer tells me that I have a temperature of 36.5 C, which is quite normal. I am not sure how many more days I need to go before I can start to feel confident that I did not pick up the virus on the plane. In the meantime I am working my way through a succession of canned food. I have no idea why I ever bought tins of sardines in tomato sauce, and now I know that I will never, ever buy them again.

    I suppose this is an excellent chance for me to rearrange that messy sock drawer. I will let you know if I ever really get around to it.    Read more

  • The World on Two WheelsCanada, Cuba and Covid 19The World on Two Wheels

    Day 6 in Quarantine

    March 25, 2020 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    I am starting to understand what solitary confinement feels like. It is hard to understand how much we need other human contact, until we no longer have it. For me the strangest sensation is the silence. I am normally surrounded by a constant background noise of cars passing, children in the park, dogs barking, etc that it seems so weird when they are all removed at once.

    At least I am up to day 6 of my quarantine and all is well on the health front. My temperature is still normal and I feel fine. The unexpected side benefit is that I have lost a few kg. It's not the way I would have liked, but heck, I need every win I can get at the moment.

    Today I have regressed about 35 years to my earlier occupation of school teacher. Since my grandchildren are home from school, I thought that I would prepare a few Science lessons for them to work through. It's been more of a challenge than I thought as I have had to wind back the memory so far. Even so I am happy with the finished product and it is looking like they might get passed on to some other kids as well.

    I had to be reminded that we are still in daylight savings. I had completely forgotten all about it. I guess there is so much other stuff rolling around in our heads at the current time that I can hardly remember what month it is, let alone know whether we are still in daylight savings time.

    Today I did have one great piece of news. All 16 members of our 2020 Cuba Adventure are now "safely" back in Australia and have entered their time of self isolation. It was a disappointment that the trip had to be ended prematurely as it really was going sensationally well up to that point, but that was the only option open to us. Cuba has already closed its borders, like just about every other country.

    The consequences of such a shutdown are going to be devastating, especially for anyone involved in the travel industry. In many countries tourism is one of the main sources of income, and without this income the people will suffer enormously.

    I am also enormously grateful for Lothar and Celia who have very kindly dropped off some survival groceries for me. It was an act of love that was very much appreciated.    Read more

  • The World on Two WheelsCanada, Cuba and Covid 19The World on Two Wheels

    Day 7 of Quarantine

    March 26, 2020 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    Life seems to have adopted a new pattern for me. I am now almost half way through my compulsory self isolation and I can now make a few observations of how I have been spending my time.

    Television - almost zero. In fact I think I have only turned the TV on a couple of times in the past week.
    Streaming videos on my computer - I have watched a few episodes of "The Office", but that's all. The nonsensical nature of the characters in The Office seems like a good counterfoil to all the doom and gloom elsewhere.
    Talking on the phone - probably several hours each day. I have had a large number of calls, some of them from people I have not spoken to in years, and it has been a great way to renew and strengthen friendships.
    Answering emails - I have been trying to keep up to date with answering every email message I have been sent. This can take quite a while.
    Video Conferencing - this is a new skill for me, but I have been developing my use of various video conferencing apps, including WhatsApp, Hangouts and Google Meet. We are all busy working out the platform that operates best and practical matters such as reducing background noise. I suspect we will all be using these a lot more in the weeks ahead.

    I can happily report that I am still OK, with no sign of a temperature, so that's good.

    At 6 pm there was a knock on my door. When I got there I found a delivery had been left on the doorsptep. It was an UberEats delivery of hot food. It had been ordered by my kids and it was a wonderful gift. I can assure you that it was so much appreciated.

    Tomorrow I reach the half way point of my self isolation. I am so looking forward to being able to go on walks and bike rides again.    Read more

  • The World on Two WheelsCanada, Cuba and Covid 19The World on Two Wheels

    Day 8 of Quarantine

    March 27, 2020 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    I think my body clock is changing. Anybody who knows me would already be aware that I am something of an early riser, but the situation is getting more extreme. Since I am not watching TV, I find myself with nothing worthwhile to do after about 8.30 pm. That means I go to bed and listen to my Internet radio instead.

    BBC Radio 4 Extra is my station of choice as they have an interesting mix of radio dramas and comedy. When you are really lucky you can even catch an episode of my favourite TV comedy - Dad's Army.

    After an hour or so of radio, I drift off to sleep, sometimes waking in the middle of the night to discover the radio still on. At the other end of the evening, I have been waking up around 5 am. Although I have tried to go back to sleep, once my mind is alert, there is little use looking for more refuge in the Land of Nod. I listen to a little more radio and then get up and start the day.

    After all the financial disasters of the past couple of weeks, today I had my first little win. For the past couple of days I had battling to cancel a booking for 5 nights in a hotel in Vancouver. I made the booking through Booking.com some months ago and paid the full amount of $AUD 651 in advance.

    Although the original booking had been non refundable, I had rung the hotel a couple of times and explained my situation. It was not so simple working with Booking.com, however I think I have now been successful in getting the booking reversed. Even better is the fact that the AUD has collapsed so badly when compared to the CAD that I now stand to get a refund of over $700 AUD. I could pretend that it was a wise investment, but I will not celebrate until the money is actually back in my bank account.

    I am still battling with webjet and Air Canada to get some sort of refund for the return flight that I was not able to use. The problem is that no one in the travel industry is currently answering their phones.

    Since the weather was beautiful and since I am not able to walk or ride my bike, I took the opportunity to catch up on some painting that I had been postponing for months. Small achievements, but still worhwhile.    Read more

  • The World on Two WheelsCanada, Cuba and Covid 19The World on Two Wheels

    Day 9 of Quarantine

    March 28, 2020 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 22 °C

    What a glorious Autumn day. It would have been ideal for a group bike ride or even for just a nice walk in the sunshine. Unfortunately I am still in quarantine, so neither of those is an option for me.

    I awoke early, as has become my new daily routine. After a solitary breakfast I went back to finish the painting I had started yesterday. At least my time in quarantine won't have been a total waste of time.

    I am not sure how many phone calls I received or how long I spent on the phone, but it must have been at least two hours. This has become my new normal, but at least it allows me to maintain contact with the friends that are so important to me.

    Later in the day I tried watching a movie on the computer, however it failed to grab my attention, so I abandoned it about 60% of the way through. The news is almost entirely bad, so I have stopped watching it altogether.

    Six days to go till I can leave the property !    Read more

  • The World on Two WheelsCanada, Cuba and Covid 19The World on Two Wheels

    Day 10 of Quarantine

    March 29, 2020 in Australia ⋅ 🌧 20 °C

    It seems that summer is not quite finished with us yet. The past three days have certainly felt more like summer than autumn. Each day has been warm and sunny with a top temperature in the high twenties.

    I must admit that this is making it very difficult for me not to step out past the end of my driveway. It would be so nice to be able to go for a walk around my familiar neighbourhood. It would have been even better if I could have stopped for a coffee along the way. They were previously such simple pleasures, but seem so far away from me at the moment.

    This morning I received the latest update on the government restrictions on meeting together. They have now made it illegal to organise a bike ride where two or more people are involved. That's right - two or more. That means we can no longer even go riding with a friend. The only exeption is where they both reside at the same address. That will be a bitter pill for many, but I can see that such measures are required if we are going to avoid even worse pain down the track.

    The run of hot weather came to a dramatic end with a thunderstorm, accompanied by much thunder and heavy rain. The temperature has fallen considerably, promising cooler weather ahead.

    And how did I pass my time ? As usual I spent a lot of time on the phone and answering emails. I also set up the high pressure washer and finally washed away the last remnants of the red dusty rain that fell on Melbourne a couple of months ago. It gave me some feeling of achievement.

    I also managed to lodge an order with Woolworths on line. It is supposed to be delivered tomorrow morning, so I will be interested to see if it turns up as promised. As for now ? I think another early night might be the best way to finish the day. Television just has no attraction at all for me at the moment.    Read more

  • The World on Two WheelsCanada, Cuba and Covid 19The World on Two Wheels

    Day 11 of Quarantine

    March 30, 2020 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    Many years ago I remember that there was a novelty that was intended as a gift for wives to give to their husbands. It took the form of a flat disc with a hole in the middle. Boldly printed on each side was the word "TUIT".

    In case you are feeling a little confused, a bit more explanation might be in order. The idea was that when wives ask their husbands when they will be attending to certain items of home maintenance and the like, their answer is invariably they will do it "when they get around to it". So there you have it. If you give them a "round tuit" they will have no excuse for delaying the job any longer.

    With so many people now confined to home for an indefinite period of time, maybe now would be the perfect time to hand out the "round tuits". While many businesses (cafes, coffee shops, travel companies, retail, etc) are suffering badly, shops like Bunnings and Mitre 10 are doing a roaring trade. The supermarkets are struggling to employ extra staff to meet the demand. On a darker side, apparently the gun shops in the USA are also seeing record sales of firearms and weapons. Sad but true.

    This morning I had a small degree of excitement when there was a knock on my door from the Woolworths on line delivery man. Because I am currently in home detention, I am apparently a "priority" customer. That means I belong to one of the privileged groups of people who can have the groceries home delivered (for a fee of course).

    I have to admit that it was kind of like Christmas when I got the packages, especially since I had largely forgotten what I had ordered. I never received any of those Crisco Christmas hampers, but now I can understand a little of what it must be like.

    With the spirit of the "round tuit" in mind, this morning I attended to a vital chore that I had been joking about for days. I finally reorganised my sock drawer ! Out went all the ones with dodgy heels, the inevitable few odd ones that had no partners and a few that were not worth keeping. All the rest were paired up and packed away. Job done. Nobody can say that the day was wasted.

    I also took some time to catch up on the latest round of restrictions. It is hard to believe that we can no longer even ride with a friend. All rides must now be solo or with others who live at the same address. This is another sad reminder of how much everything has changed in such a short time.

    Tonight I will be enjoying the first piece of steak that I have had since leaving Australia at the start of the month. I can't wait.    Read more

  • The World on Two WheelsCanada, Cuba and Covid 19The World on Two Wheels

    Day 12 of Quarantine

    March 31, 2020 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 15 °C

    It would not be so bad if it had been pouring rain all day. Then I would have had a great reason for staying indoors. My problem was the day was just too perfect - just the sort of day that makes autumn my favourite time of the year. It would have been the ideal weather for enjoying a ride or walk, but instead I had to watch the proceedings through my front window. It was a bit like looking through the window of the world's best chocolate shop and not being able to walk in the door.

    The only good thing is that I can feel my period of enforced confinement is drawing closer to an end. By Friday afternoon I will be able to at least enjoy my favourite walk to the local lake and parklands. It will be a glorious feeling of freedom, even if I cannot get within several metres of another human being. I am not sure what the advance weather forecast is for Friday, but it would just be my luck if it was for a day long downpour.

    My day was busy spent writing a weekly email to the Ghostrider group, answering emails and having a delightful video chat with my newest grandson. It was wonderful being able to see him enjoying his dinner, but it is distressing not knowing how long it will be before I can again pick him up in my arms.

    I am also extending my limited culinary skills and beginning to experiment with some meal options that I haven't tried before. The toilet rolls are holding up well as I am still on the same roll that I started when I first got home. At that rate I should be able to last until the end of winter.

    I can feel another early night is instore for me. After all, it's almost 9 pm.    Read more

  • The World on Two WheelsCanada, Cuba and Covid 19The World on Two Wheels

    Day 13 of Quarantine

    April 1, 2020 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    Sometimes the weather can be really cruel. Today was another of those idyllic autumn days that makes everyone glad to be alive. As I looked out my window into the park opposite, I could not help but think how glorious it would be to go for a walk or get on my bike. As it was, the furthest I was allowed to venture was to my front nature strip to bring my rubbish in.

    According to the calendar I now have only two more days of self isolation to get through. Then I will be able to cast off the home shackles and set out to rediscover my neighbourhood. The only problem with this plan is that the Weather Bureau is now telling us that the spell of marvellous weather will come to a crashing halt. When will this happen ? You guessed it - Friday !

    I have previously said that the next few weeks would be a great opportunity to master a new skill. I have already chosen one skill that I would like to learn and have already started on the learning trajectory. And what is that skill, you might ask ? For the moment I will keep that to myself. I want to see if I make any progress before I tell the world about it. I promise to let you know by the end of the month (but only if it works out).

    So how did I pass another day in solitary confinement ? Like many of the previous days, I have found myself spending an increasing amount of time on the phone or in video chats. A few weeks ago I had never used any of those video apps, but I think we are all learning quickly. It will be increasingly important as we head into winter.

    The warm sunshine was also the catalyst I needed to get out into the yard and prune all the hedges around my house. Sometimes I could almost swear that I can hear them growing. I trimmed the hedges about noon and I wouldn't be surprised if they have already grown several cm since then.

    According to the thermometer, I am still free of fever. Does that mean that I can relax ? Not quite, but each day that passes by, I do feel more confident that I didn't bring anything nasty back with me on the plane.

    Tomorrow will be my final full day in lockdown, so maybe I should do something special tomorrow night to celebrate. I will feel a bit like a prisoner who has come up for parole at the end of their sentence. If I had some fireworks I might also be tempted to let off a sky rocket or two.    Read more

  • The World on Two WheelsCanada, Cuba and Covid 19The World on Two Wheels

    Day 14 of Quarantine - almost over

    April 2, 2020 in Australia ⋅ 🌧 16 °C

    At around 9.30 am on Friday 20th March I touched down at Melbourne airport after an exhausting 3 day journey from Havana, Cuba. At the time I was just relieved to be back home. Throughout the journey I had seen the international situation change almost hourly. Borders were closing so rapidly that I was fearful that I could have been left stranded somewhere along the way, with no immediate prospect of getting home.

    Of course I knew that I would be arriving back home and going straight into a 14 day self isolation period. That seemed like a very reasonable precaution to take if it meant ensuring the safety of my family and the general population. Today marked my last full day in isolation. This means that tomorrow morning I will be legally permitted to leave my property. It is a day that I have been eagerly counting down to.

    It seems a little ironic that the past week has consisted of a succession of glorious autumen day. The forecast for the next few days is not encouraging. Apparently the skies are about to open and the temperature will plummet. In spite of this, I am so looking forward to being able to go for a walk, that I plan to do so, regardless of the weather.

    It is worth noting that I have started to receive emails from others in the Ghostrider cycling group telling me how they have been passing their time. I plan to include these accounts in the weekly newsletter as I think it will be benefical to those who do the writing and also for those who do the reading. Perhaps the newsletter will be one way of keeping us connected during this stressful time. Perhaps we should make a temporary change of name from Ghostriders to Ghostwriters ?

    My temperature is still perfectly normal, so medically I feel fine. I am however suffering from a severe case of bike withdrawal. The only effective treatment for such an illness is to get on the bike and start pedalling.    Read more

  • The World on Two WheelsCanada, Cuba and Covid 19The World on Two Wheels

    Free at Last, Free at Last

    April 3, 2020 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    Way back in August 1963, Martin Luther King gave his famous "I Have a Dream" speech. The immortal closing words of that speech were "Free at Last, Free at Last, Thank God Almighty we are Free at Last". Almost 57 years later I was tempted to utter the same words as I stepped onto the footpath outside my home for the first time since arriving home from Cuba.

    That might have been just slightly over dramatic, but I have to admit that it was a moment that I had been counting down to for the past two weeks. Although it is not a terrible fate to be confined to the house for a relatively short period, it still gave me something of an insight into how much we can take for granted.

    I was also relieved that the rain had temporarily stopped and the sun had reappeared, just in time for my walk around the neighbourhood. My favourite local walk is down to the large lake and then do a few laps of the lake itself.

    When I arrived at the lake it was soon evident that quite a few others had decided to exercise at the same time. I joined dozens of walkers, dog walkers and joggers as we made our way around the perimeter walking path. I had not walked far before having something of an epiphany.

    The biggest potential risk in exercising in a busy location is from other walkers and joggers coming from the opposite direction, This could so easily be minimised if everyone moved in the same direction. All it would take would be a few strategically placed signs to initiate the one way rule. It would not even cost much money to implement.

    I decided to share my idea with the staff at Cardinia Shire Council. I might as well have discussed it with one of the ducks in the lake. The receptionist did not seem to know who to put me through to, and then decided that it would be better if I "contacted the police" ! I am not kidding, she wanted me to ring the police. I could have said that it is the council that I pay $3000 a year in rates to, not the police force, but I could see that I was getting nowhere. At least I tried.

    After lunch the sun was still shining, so it was a perfect excuse to put on my cycling gear and head out on the bike. I cannot describe how good it felt to be back out on two wheels again. It would have been even better if I could have stopped somewhere for a coffee, but you can't have everything.

    I decided to head to the Pakenham Wall and ride to the highest point of the city. At the summit I enjoyed the 360 degree views and tried to ignore the broken glass which some air head had spread liberally all over the bike path. I should have shouted "Free at Last", but there was a lady and child in the nearby picnic shelter who might have thought that I was a recently escaped convict. At least I mouthed the words to myself.

    Over the next couple of days the rest of the returned Cuba riders will also be reaching the end of their captivities and will probably be experiencing the same feelings.    Read more

  • The World on Two WheelsCanada, Cuba and Covid 19The World on Two Wheels

    The Rains Came

    April 4, 2020 in Australia ⋅ 🌧 11 °C

    It was great while it lasted. We all love those beautiful lingering warm and sunny days that are inclined to tease us that winter is not really on its way. These sequences of late warm days used to be called "Indian Summers". I don't know if that term is used any more, but whatever we wish to call it, our run of glorious weather came to a sudden halt late yesterday.

    Sometime after nightfall the wind picked up, the temperature dropped and the rain started. I went to bed relatively early, with the lovely sound of heavy rain on my iron roof. I awoke a couple of times during the night and each time the rain was still falling steadily. It was still falling when I awoke at 6.30 am this morning.

    Today was my second day of comparative freedom, however there was no way I was going to be able to enjoy a bike ride in this weather. I decided to go on a short drive around my neighbourhood instead. The car had only been driven once in the past five weeks and I was getting worried about the state of the battery.

    As I headed off down the hill, the first thing I noticed was how wet everything was. It was obvious that a LOT of rain had fallen during the night. Our lake had risen markedly and a lot of surface water was lying around the lower areas.

    There has been a major level crossing removal project taking place on Cardinia Rd and it was interesting to see how much progress had been made in the past month. Three large concrete bridge supports have now grown where there was previously just level ground. Work had also started on a new high school building in Henry Rd. I was surprised to see so many tradies in their high vis gear working on a Saturday.

    After driving around for some time, I found a nice place to park and resumed work on a crossword that I had been battling with. I figured that, as long as I did not leave the car, I was not in danger of inadvertently breathing in a virus particle.

    Tonight marks the end of daylight saving for this season. I usually get a little excited at the prospect of an extra hour's sleep, however it all seems a little meaningless in the current lockdown. Time has lost its relevance in most respects.

    I could also mention one other event that took place this morning. At 9.00 am I had a ring on the doorbell that signified my second delivery from Woolworths on line. I never thought that I would get excited over a delivery of groceries, but somehow it felt like Christmas, especially when I had forgotten exactly what I ordered. With apologies to Forrest Gump, I think that a bunch of Woolworths delivery bags is just like a box of chocolates - you never know what you are going to find inside. And guess what ? I even found a chocolate bar in one of the bags !    Read more

  • The World on Two WheelsCanada, Cuba and Covid 19The World on Two Wheels

    The Icy Blast

    April 5, 2020 in Australia ⋅ 🌧 12 °C

    I should have known that the temperature had plummeted. No matter how much I pulled and fought with the doona, I just could not get warm during the night. I even tried cuddling the spare pillow, but it was just no use. I was freezing. Although the Weather Bureau had been predicting that an Antarctic blast was coming our way, I did not expect that it was going to make its way right into my bedroom.

    After a long and cold night, I awoke to the sound of wind blowing against my windows. It was not any ordinary wind, it was actually blowing like a thousand demented banshees. For a few minutes I could have believed that I had somehow woken up in the middle of Antarctica. And then the weather took a turn for the worse.

    By 10 am the wind has risen to hurricane force, the rain was sheeting in horizontally and icicles were starting to form on my ceiling. Yep, it certainly felt like winter. I was sorely tempted to just head back to bed, except I knew how cold and lonely that place had been.

    So on went the trakky pants, fleecy jumper and thick socks. I would not have scored well in the fashion stakes, but I did finally start to thaw out. I would like to say that I spent the rest of the day engaged in home improvements and fastidious cleaning, but that would be stretching the truth just a bit.

    I did tidy the kitchen, catch up with the laundry and cook a nice pasta dish for dinner. The rest of the day is a little hazy, but I know that quite a deal of it was spent on the phone and on emails. I also watched a movie on Netflix. It might be just as well that my time alone is drawing to a close. Within a couple of days I will moving to rejoin Maggie and the dog down at Inverloch. With three of us in the bed, at least I won't be as cold down there.    Read more

  • The World on Two WheelsCanada, Cuba and Covid 19The World on Two Wheels

    On the Road Again

    April 6, 2020 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C

    After the freezing weather of yesterday, I was happy to discover that the temperature had risen a fraction of a degree and the rain had stopped. I really wanted to get out on my bike again, but I could see that it was going to involve some careful timing if I was going to avoid getting drenched.

    By mid morning the sky was blacker than a coal mine. It looked like it was about to pour at any moment, but I could not wait any longer. I donned some cold weather clothes and headed out. It did not take long to see how the wild weather had wrought havoc on the local bike paths. Not only were there numerous fallen trees, but in many of the low lying areas the path was completely submerged. On one occasion I had to leave the path completely to detour around a large fallen tree. I didn't mind in the slightest. I was just exhilarated that I was feeling free at last.

    By some fluke of probability I actually managed to complete my ride without getting rained on at all. Although it was not a very long ride, it was sufficient to boost my spirits. I am sure that I must have worn a big silly smile on my face as I rode back up the hill to my house. It certainly felt good.

    I spent some time later in the day calling some friends and seeing how they were coping with the current situation. It seems that everyone's life has changed so much in the last few weeks. Some seem to be adapting better than others. Now that daylight saving is officially finished, the days seem dramatically shorter. This change can also potentially be detrimental to our state of mind. The next few weeks will be difficult for us all.    Read more

  • The World on Two WheelsCanada, Cuba and Covid 19The World on Two Wheels

    The "New Normal"

    April 7, 2020 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    Now that most Australians have been confined to their homes, it is already evident that subtle (and some not so subtle) changes have been taking place. People who once prided themselves on their smart attire are now content to wander about their homes in their pyjamas till sometime after lunch, then change into their trakky pants and tops. Some who used to always rise with the larks are now learning a new skill. It's apparently called "sleeping in".

    Back in the old days when all we had to communicate was a mobile phone, you never knew what the other party was actually doing when you called. I have even heard of cases where (horror of horrors) people have chatted on their phones while they are sitting in the toilet.

    Now with the advent of video calls, it is no longer possible to hide in obscurity. If we answer a call while we are sitting in our underwear, the whole world will know (and see) what is going on. With the proliferation of these video calls, I have been gaining an interesting insight into the way our friends have metamorphised over the past couple of weeks.

    When I now chat with my friends the people that I see looking back at me are not the same people that I remembered from the last time I saw them in person. What I now see are unwashed faces, stubbly chins, messed up hair and unbrushed teeth. If that was not bad enough, the men are even worse ! Is that what they refer to as the "new normal" ?

    If I am brutally honest, I would have to admit that my own lofty standards have also slipped just a little. Perhaps that is due to the fact that I have been living alone for the past two weeks. That will all come to an end tomorrow, when I will be making the journey down to Inverloch to be reunited with Maggie and Lailla (the dog, not a secret mistress).

    So how did I spend my last full day of isolation ? The highlight was a lengthy bike ride exploring some recently completed new bike paths. Although the weather was a bit grey, at least it did not rain. I have to admit that time on the bike is the very best medicine for improving the morale. The only sad aspect was the sight of all my favourite coffee shops closed and empty. I seriously wonder if many of them will survive this challenge, no matter how much government support they get.

    In the afternoon I had another event occur to brighten my spirits. It was a long video chat with my 10 month old grandson. He really is at an adorable age, and it breaks my heart to think that I may not be able to give him a hug for some months. It is looking like he will not even be able to have his first birthday party. I realise that many are much worse off, but it is still a difficult burden for Maggie and me to carry.

    Tomorrow morning I will clean the house and finish packing the car. Then I will turn out the lights for last time in goodness knows how long. Stay safe everyone.    Read more

  • The World on Two WheelsCanada, Cuba and Covid 19The World on Two Wheels

    Goodbye Melbourne, Hello Inverloch

    April 8, 2020 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    Today I finally left my solitary existence and reunited with Maggie and Laila (the dog). It was a day that I had been looking forward to eagerly ever since I returned from Cuba. What I was not so eagerly looking forward to was tidying and cleaning the house before I left. After two and a half weeks of living as a bachelor, it was starting to show the collateral damage from missing a woman's touch.

    The first step was to pack about everything I own into the car. I guess I should be glad that the Skoda has such a large boot. Believe me, I needed every cubic centimetre of the space. After packing clothes, tools, computers and cycling gear, I started packing all the food from the fridge and pantry. The car sunk a little further on its suspension.

    Then I started the housework. Vacuuming really is exhausting work, especially when you are just not really into it. It was somewhere during all this activity that I made a shocking discovery - one of the car keys was missing. From bitter personal experience I already know that a replacement costs about $600. Considering the massive hit that our finances had taken over the past few weeks, that was enough to send me into a tailspin.

    I searched high, I searched low. I even unpacked all the stuff that I had already packed, just in case it had accidentally got caught up in other things. There was no sign of it. I did what any other elderly lunatic would do under the circumstances - I started to panic. The problem was the more I panicked, the less logical my searching became. I needed to reset.

    I decided to return to the vacuuming, hoping that it might also suck some of the cobwebs from my addled brain. My strategy worked. After a short time of cleaning, my mind started to clear and I thought of some other very logical places to look. Within a couple of minutes the lost key was found. I almost jumped for joy.

    The final step was to put the bike carrier on the car and load our bikes. Then it was a final look around, not knowing how long it will be before we can return home. By 3 pm I was backing out the driveway and on my way.

    I had heard about police stopping people in their cars and hitting them with monstrous fines. With the bikes on the back and the car packed to the roof, I guess I looked exactly like someone heading off for an (illegal) Easter holiday. I would not have been surprised if I had been pulled over and interrogated, however the entire journey was achieved without incident.

    Maggie and I will now be settling into a new lifestyle, until the isolation period is officially over. The hardest part is being separated from our family and friends. It will also be interesting to see if our marriage survives being trapped together in such small quarters for an extended period of time.    Read more

  • The World on Two WheelsCanada, Cuba and Covid 19The World on Two Wheels

    Settling in to our New Normal

    April 9, 2020 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 14 °C

    After arriving in Inverloch last night my solitary life has finally come to an end. It feels a little strange to now have someone to talk to and a dog to sit on my knee. We were worried at first at how we would be able to squeeze so much stuff into a small house, but somehow we seem to have managed the impossible. Maybe we should rename the house to "The Tardis". We even managed to find a place for our two bikes inside the house !

    Today was just too glorious to let it go to waste. As soon as we could get sorted, we jumped on our bikes and headed out to explore some of the bike path network. Although Easter is normally one of the busiest times of the year for Inverloch, this year it is almost deserted. Apart from the people who live here all year, there has been absolutely no intake of visitors.

    It was a strange feeling to be able to ride up the main street and see most of the shops closed. I don't how how some of these businesses will survive the loss of such an important trading period.

    We stopped to gaze across Anderson Inlet and admire the beautiful blue ocean. Earlier in the day I had seen some images on the Internet of towns in northern India where, for the first time in decades, they were now able to see the snow capped mountains of the Himalayas. For many of the younger people it would have been the first time in their lives that the mountains were visible, as they are normally blocked by a curtain of air pollution. Now that so many cars are off the roads, it is as if the earth is starting to rebuild its damaged atmosphere. The same phenomenon is happening in cities all over the planet. It is ironic that it might take a virus to shake us into action about what has been destroying our beautiful planet. Changes that take place slowly can somehow go unnoticed. I wonder if the people even realised that their amazing mountains were gradually being hidden from them.

    I spent some time practicing my new skill and I must admit that I am quite pleased at the progress I am already making. I can see why some people really get involved in this. My first few successes did give me something of a rush, and inspired me to keep practising and improving. One day I might even tell you what it is.

    Our first day together ended with a delicious crock pot stew. We have plenty of food and plenty of toilet paper too, so we should be OK for the next few weeks at least. The weather bureau has promised another lovely day for tomorrow, so I think we will be back out on the bikes in the morning.

    It's almost 9 pm already. Time for bed.    Read more

  • The World on Two WheelsCanada, Cuba and Covid 19The World on Two Wheels

    Good Friday in Inverloch

    April 10, 2020 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    I have to admit that it looks a little weird. Easter time in Inverloch is usually one of the busiest times of the year. The caravan parks and B&Bs are always packed out. The main street is full of happy holiday makers, enjoying al fresco dining at one of the many eateries. Not so this year.

    Since the weather was so perfect, Maggie and I took the opportunity to get out on the bikes again. We decided to ride out from Inverloch on the road to Korrumburra. At peak times this road can be quite busy, and it would not normally be a road that we would feel comfortable riding along. Today there was barely a car in sight. We could have been riding on one of those beautiful back roads in rural France. We might have been the last people left on earth.

    After riding about 10 km, we decided to turn back to Inverloch. The same scene of complete solitude was replayed everywhere we went. It felt sad to ride down the main street and not see another soul. For many businesses, Easter is their last opportunity to make some profit before the off season begins. This year their turnovers will be close to zero. I wonder how many will survive.

    In the middle of all the focus on the coronavirus, I guess that Easter has almost been forgotten. Yet the story of Easter is all about hope rising from despair, joy being born from grief and new life coming from death. If ever we need such a renewal, it is now. It seems that the entire population of the earth is suffering together. It is hard to recall any other time in history when all the nations have been united in their struggle. This is made all the harder when the common enemy is invisible and can be imagined to be lurking everywhere.

    Some people think that the planet has its own way of defending itself. If that is the case, then maybe it has finally got tired of us pouring our rubbish into the oceans and our filth into the atmosphere. If no other good comes out of this, it is clear that the world has had a little time to recover from some of this destruction. I guess time will time if we ever learn anything permanent from this.

    After returning from our bike ride I settled down to read some of the collected works of Arthur C Clarke. This guy really was a genius. The story I read today was written in the same year that I was born and yet it is still scientifically accurate.

    Tomorrow the weather is predicted to take a turn for the worse, so I suspect that our cycling might be over for the time being.    Read more

  • The World on Two WheelsCanada, Cuba and Covid 19The World on Two Wheels

    Hello NBN

    April 11, 2020 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    If yesterday had been a perfect Autumn day, today was anything but. Sometime during the evening the predicted storms arrived with a vengeance. The rain poured heavily all night and the wind steadily built up to a real crescendo. I recently learned that Melbourne has received as much rain in the first three months of 2020 than it had in the whole of 2019. That is quite a statistic, especially as it was only a couple of months ago that it seemed that the entire state of Victoria was engulfed in bushfires. Another example of how quickly things can change.

    When the sun rose this morning the storm was still raging. It was very obvious that there would be no bike riding today. This was a reminder that winter was surely drawing closer and that we would have many cold days indoors in the months ahead. Since our main connection with the outside world is the Internet, we will become increasingly dependent on having a reliable connection with a generous bandwidth.

    At that stage I had an idea. Since, for the foreseeable future, we will no longer be living in Pakenham, I wondered if it would be possible to transfer our NBN service from Pakenham to Inverloch. I suspected that there would be a hundred reasons why it could not be done, but I have learned that you never know unless you ask.

    I wasn't even sure if our Internet company Aussie Broadband would be open during Easter, but I decided to call them anyway. One thing I really appreciate about Aussie Broadband is that they are situated nearby in Morwell and that their support staff all speak Australian English. Soon I was chatting to a friendly young man who knew exactly where Inverloch was (something you would never get with those call centres in Manilla). I explained what I would like to do with my Internet connection. To my surprise he said that it "should not be a problem". After a few minutes I had begun the transfer process. It was simple and painless. What I didn't know was how long it would take for the NBN to be connected to our house in Inverloch. I suspected that it would be a couple of weeks at least.

    You could therefore imagine my surprise when my phone chirped with an incoming SMS about an hour later. It told me that my new service was now "ready for use". I connected the router and was delighted when the Internet was up and running just a few minutes later. The NBN often gets bad publicity when things go wrong, but I could not believe how quick the whole process had been . There was no charge for the transfer and I did not have to enter a contract. How good was that ?

    The rest of the afternoon was spent experimenting with our new and improved Internet connection and trying to learn how to use Skype. It might help to maintain our sanity over the next few months.    Read more

  • The World on Two WheelsCanada, Cuba and Covid 19The World on Two Wheels

    Coffee by the Inlet

    April 12, 2020 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    While most people agree that everyone needs to play their part in reducing the spread of the virus, some of the restrictions do seem confusing and counter productive. According to some of the interpretations I have seen, it is illegal for a husband and wife to have a picnic in their car as that would represent "unnecessary travel". While I can see that it is important to cut down the amount of travel for trivial purposes, I see that a quiet coffee in the sanctity of their own vehicle constitutes absolutely no danger to the couple in question, or to anyone else. It may also be an essential for maintaining mental health.

    Whether it was illegal or not, this morning we decided that we needed to get out for a short time. We filled the thermos, packed a couple of biscuits and drove the short distance to the waterfront. It felt great to be able to watch the water in the inlet while we enjoyed our coffees. Fortunately no law officers tapped on the window while we were there.

    Later in the day we enjoyed some more video chats with other Ghostriders. We are learning to embrace this technology, as are our friends. It is becoming very clear that it was a wise move to get the NBN connected as we would have exhausted the data allowance that was included in our mobile phone plans.

    It has been interesting to see how everyone else has adapted to their many housebound hours. Gardening and home maintenance seem to be the two most popular pastimes. I have already said that I have taken up a new hobby that I have been finding quite interesting. Tomorrow I might even reveal what that hobby is.

    I just glanced up at the clock and saw that the time is almost 8pm. No wonder I am starting to feel like bedtime.    Read more

  • The World on Two WheelsCanada, Cuba and Covid 19The World on Two Wheels

    It's Not Easy

    April 14, 2020 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    It's not easy. No, it's not easy. After three and a half weeks of lockdown, it is starting to sink in that this might be our lifestyle for some time to come. Although the effectiveness of this strategy is being shown in the latest statistics, it is not easy to be separated from our family and friends for such an extended time.

    I think it is also the complete uncertainty of the whole thing that makes it harder. If we knew just how long it was going to last for, we would have something to look forward to. As it is we don't know whether it will be for just a few more weeks, or maybe to the end of the year or longer. Maybe the only way to approach this is to take each day at a time. Each day that we get through is another day closer to that day when we will all be free to return to our normal lives and relationships.

    I know another thing that is not easy. Adjusting derailleur gears has always been a black art, but for some unknown reason I decided to give it a go this morning. On the past couple of rides I had been conscious of the fact that my gears were not engaging as precisely as they should. Since it was a pretty good day as far as the weather was concerned, I had promised Maggie that we would go on another ride.

    Just as we were about to leave, I called out to Maggie.

    "Hang on a moment, I need to adjust my gears", I said, as if I actually knew what I was doing. It did not take me long to upend the bike, spilling the entire contents from my pannier in the process. I had forgotten to close the zipper.

    Then I attacked the gear cable, succeeding in almost immediately ripping off the cable cover on the end. It was not going well and I hadn't even started. Very soon I could not engage any gears at all. That was not the result I was planning.

    "How long will you be ?", Maggie asked.

    "Not long now", I lied.

    About 30 minutes later I had managed to repair most of the damage I had inflicted on my bike. The gears might have been marginally better, but then again they might have been even worse. I washed my hands and announced that the job was done.

    When we finally got underway the weather had deteriorated a little. At least it was not raining (yet). We first headed up the main road to Korrumburra, before turning left into Lynnes Rd and heading towards Wonthaggi. The traffic was still light, but was substantially heavier than it had been in the Easter break. Fortunately none of them managed to knock us off our bikes.

    We eventually reached the road to Wonthaggi and that is when the rain started. The pace quickened in an attempt to find somewhere to shelter. Unfortunately we never did find shelter, but fortunately the rain stopped after about 15 minutes.

    The final section of the ride took us along the Bass Highway from Wonthaggi to Inverloch. Although there is a generous shoulder for cycling, it was a little unnerving when large trucks flew past at 100 kph. We did make it home in one piece and decided that overall it had been a successful ride.    Read more

  • The World on Two WheelsCanada, Cuba and Covid 19The World on Two Wheels

    Oh No, Not The Tour

    April 15, 2020 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    I woke up this morning to the news that the 2020 Tour de France is the latest casualty of the Covid19 virus. Although it was almost inevitable that it would join the likes of AFL football, the Melbourne Grand Prix, Wimbledon, The Olympic Games and so many others, it still seemed a little hard to accept that we will not be glued to our TV sets in July watching those glorious views of France.

    So many things have been taken away from us this year. If 2020 was a computer program, I am sure that we have hit the Ctrl-Alt-Del keys to reboot and start again. Unfortunately it's not that simple. It is looking like it will be a long, long winter for most people.

    Since we can only live one day at a time, we decided to make maximum use of the fine and sunny weather to get back out on our bikes. This time I left the gears well alone and we were able to get underway without yesterday's delay.

    Our first destination was the RACV Country Club at Inverloch. Of course we knew that the lovely restaurant would be closed, but we thought that it would be fun to at least ride around the bike paths.

    As we entered the main gate a group of maintenance staff gave us a friendly wave. We waved right back and continued up the hill. It was only when we riding past the main building that we heard a shout somewhere behind us.

    "Did you know this centre is closed ?", it shouted.

    Well actually we didn't. There was no sign at the entrance and the maintenance staff obviously didn't know it was closed either. I could have debated the situation, but it was much easier to play the "confused old person" card instead. We Uturned our bikes, waved to the grumpy guy and headed back down the hill. There were plenty of other places to explore.

    A short time later we were at the other end of the town and looking out over the beautiful waters of Anderson Inlet. If we are going to be locked up for the next few weeks, this is not such a bad place to be.

    Later in the day we returned to the beach with our dog. Over the past few years the beach has been steadily retreating away from the Esplanade. There is now a wide expanse of sand at least 500 metres wide where the sea used to be. This makes for a lovely quiet walking location - absolutely perfect in times where we have to practise social distancing.

    I guess the only people who are probably not excited about the retreat of the sea are the people who own the mansions along the waterfront. These places used to be able to boast that they were within a few metres of the water, now the water is a 10 minute walk away.

    The Weather Burea is predicting that the fine weather might be over for a few days. That probably means that we will not be able to get out on the bikes for a little while. It's just as well we have plenty of books to read.    Read more

  • The World on Two WheelsCanada, Cuba and Covid 19The World on Two Wheels

    Almost Like Christmas

    April 16, 2020 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 13 °C

    Life in lockdown does tend to become a little monotonous. In our previous lives we had lots of things to look forward to. Visits to the grandchildren, bike rides with our friends, coffees by the lake, lunches at our favourite cafes. The weeks tended to pass quickly because there was always something to do or a place to go.

    Now that most of those things are no longer possible, the days do tend to drag by rather slowly. There is only a limited amount of time you can spend reading books (or picking locks) before you start yearning for something else to do. Today was a Thursday, not that it really makes much difference any more. Every day is the same. Rather than calling them by the days of the week, I have started to classify them by their weather type - lovely day, windy day, wet day, etc.

    On a normal Thursday we would have had the regular Thursday ride to look forward to. We might have been riding the Warby Trail and having lunch at the Carriage Cafe, or maybe we would be riding to Waterways and having lunch at the Nest, or maybe exploring a brand new trail. Thursdays were always active, and the time spent with our friends was precious.

    But what about today ? The sunshine had retreated for a while and it had been replaced with a canopy of grey clouds. It was not perfect riding weather, but I had another idea. We had previously noticed that the big bakery in Inverloch was apparently still open, I suggested to Maggie that we could buy a couple of take away pies for lunch. She did not seem convinced, but reluctantly agreed to come along, provided she could marinate herself with antiseptic every few minutes.

    AT least we did not have to touch the door handle, as the doors opened by themselves. Inside the huge bakery all the tables and chairs had been stacked against the rear wall. The place was deserted and it looked so sad. This place is usually one of the busiest places in the town. It just looked wrong for it to be completely empty The display cases were still fully stocked with pies and a wide range of cakes, but there were no customers to buy them.

    The young assistant seemed happy to have something to do. I commented on how sad it was to see the place empty and she replied that it was like that every day now. I could not help but wonder how much longer the business will be able to survive under such circumstances. We bought a couple of cakes as well, just to help the bakery (and also because they looked delicious).

    The other highlight of the day was the food delivery from Woolworths on line. We have been ordering our groceries once a week from the Woolwoths in Wonthaggi. Although the process is rather tedious, it does avoid the need to attend the store and I have to admit that it is sort of exciting to have a driver bring all the parcels to our door.

    When you are of great age, you do quickly forget what you might have ordered. That means that opening each bag is a bit like opening a lucky dip parcel. You find all sorts of stuff that you cannot remember ordering. To add even further to the excitement, we find that Woolworths will randomly replace out of stock items with other items that they seem to think you might be interested in. We had ordered blueberries, but got raspberries instead ! Just as well we both like raspberries.

    It was almost like Christmas Day.    Read more

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