Sanuk Canadian

 Cycling the Island - Olowalu & Haleakala Route Around the third day of being in Kihei, Maui, my boyfriend and I decided to try a big, famous ride on the island -- the Olowalu route. This route snaked along the north-western coastline and offered very dramatic cliff views of the ocean, passing along the ferry terminal at Maalaea. This route has some tough hills and you'll battle some very strong headwinds close to Maalaea.    The Route: I was so focused on just getting through this ride due to very strong headwinds going out, I didn't stop to take any photos.    Another day, my boyfriend suggested we try to ride up part of Haleakala - the tallest peak on Maui at 10,023 feet. The Route:  This ride was pure torture. I am not sure why I said "Sure, let's try a mountain climb!" I live in the Prairies of Canada, which is home to flat wheat, flax and lentil fields. There are zero mountains. I stopped often and was so slow going uphill, my boyfriend said he wa...

Cycling The Island - Wailea Route Before travel was restricted due to COVID-19, in early February my boyfriend and I took a two-week holiday to Maui, which is part of the Hawaiian islands in the USA. We took our bikes to ride the island and see the sights from a slower perspective. While I had travelled with my bike before, it was always by car; this was the first time I would be flying with bike in tow. Kihei was our home base for this trip; we rented a 'tree house' on VRBO, which was actually just an upstairs apartment in a home. The tree house was a one-bedroom and had its own balcony, which was the perfect spot for our daily morning coffees. The tree house view from the balcony in Kihei.   Kihei proved to be a perfect base for our cycling trips; it was a short walk to the supermarket, beach, and even a local bike shop so we could suss out the best local rides.  One of the first rides we did was out to the lava fields along the south-western part of the island past Waliea....

Short Weekend Break in the City In summer, I usually participate in a few local triathlon races (swim, bike and run races). It became very clear in April of this year that many, if not most, sporting events would be cancelled.    Only one race ended up being approved by the Ministry of Health, and so, in early August, I attended a charity triathlon event just outside of Calgary, Alberta (Canada). Due to COVID-19 regulations, the race was limited to only 150 athletes. The turnout was smaller; approximately 92 participants attended. Still, it was a great way to test my training and fitness levels and meet some new people.  My race kit set up in transition. My race bike is a Liv Langma Advanced 2. The race was called Tri for Evan and proceeds from our race entry fees were donated towards research at Mito Canada . The race coordinator was Be There Races, who host a number of sport events for runners and triathletes in Alberta.     This race only offered the Sp...

Sights from a Lakeside Ride It's been a while since my last post in 2017. A quick rundown of what has happened since that time: I received my MA I got a new job & moved to Canada I bought a house & car I sold all my sheet music and flute to a friend I used the money from selling my flute to purchase a really nice road bike.  In summer of 2018, I started cycling a lot, as a new hobby and way to get out of the tiny apartment I had been living in at that time. I now own two road bikes - one for racing and the other for travels.  Over the past few years, I have travelled to several places exclusively with bike in tow. I hope to share some of those stories on this blog. Today, I'll feature my most recent trip -- to Fort Qu'Appelle. Fort Qu'Appelle is east of Regina, Saskatchewan. By car, it takes less an hour. It's a popular lake resort area which is busy all year round; in summer, boaters, jet skis, and families crowd the two lakes in the area - Pasqua Lake and ...

The first two posts from this series are HERE and HERE .  In February 2017, I escaped the island of Japan to visit another island -- Cuba, specifically, the beach town of Varadero. While I stayed mainly inside the resort hotel, Club Kawama, my explorer-self ventured out to the town on two different days. Varadero town is just one long strip of a road with markets, restaurants, and local shops lining each side. I took a lot of photos while walking about four hours out and back. Please enjoy the pics. I love signs cause they're like art. The aforementioned hotel in the previous sign. Off the main strip were smaller side streets, all which led to the beach or coast. Heaven, no? Cubans are given rations for certain food items. This shop is one where locals can pick up rationed items. Street corners all had these lovely pyramids informing us as to the street and side roads. Loved them! The art below was attached to a chain link fence and the entire artwork...

See THIS POST for the start of this series on Cuba. In February 2017, I took a week-long break from my work and studies to become a beach-bum in Varadero, Cuba. The destination was not my personal choice. My parents requested I join them, yet I thought many times about turning down the initial invitation due to my perceptions of the beach-pace being too slow from my normal explorer travel behavior. I was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed Varadero's white beach and slow style. The resort we stayed at was the all-inclusive, Club Kawama. Similar to a cruise, the resort included food, drinks, snacks and entertainment, all free for guests. On one day, a water ballet show was performed in the main pool by a team of incredibly fit men and women.... The group performed to a number of songs including  Beyoncé 's "Single Ladies" (left)  and dance tracks (right).  The biggest surprise was a foam party, also held at the main pool closest to the lobby. It seeme...