I stayed at Wawa. Can't believe that.

(Remember, pix are here.)The western part of Ontario is stonking. The TransCanadian winds its way through forests and beside lakes. Brilliant. Then you get to Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Almost as boring as Texas. Prairie, flatter than Norfolk, featureless, windy, dead straight roads, Patagonia is more interesting, and not only in the Confucian sense.

But when one of my ignition leads gave out ten miles from Moose Jaw, I plodded on one cylinder to the petrol station and the owner opened the huge workshop door and helped me push The Old Dear inside out of the rain so I could construct a new lead and get going again. Lovely chap, kept giving me coffee and cigs. And I'd stopped earlier, just out of Regina, for a broken Harley, and the guy was gobsmacked because everyone else (including the local H-D dealer) had passed him by. Broken drivebelt. Chums on way so OK, but he was ever so effusive in his thanks that I'd stopped.

I always ask for Senior Discount - worth at least 10%, and I've only been asked for proof of age once. I imagine the grey hair is fairly convincing. There are definite advantages etc. etc.

There was a man from Truro at Wawa. Usual conversation "British numberplate, where are you from, how did you get here" etc. Nice chap.

But the Canadian radio journalist said "Obviously, you shipped the bike here." Er, no, actually. No shipping since that little flight over the Darién Gap. "Where's that?" etc.

Forest fire in Ontario. Helicopter carrying buckets of water. Apparently it had spread from Minnesota or somewhere (geography's a bit hazy, omigod I'm not turning into an American am I?).

So, in Medicine Hat tonight and on into the Rockies tomorrow where I hope to bump into Don and Pauline and their daughter and son-in-law, somewhere near Lake Louise but I'm not sure. A bit knackered 'cos I've done over 2,000 miles since leaving Ottawa on Thursday afternoon.