Escape from the Island

Trip Start Aug 01, 2008

Trip End Ongoing

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Where I stayed

Fredericton Tree Fort

(Fredericton hotels)

Flag of Canada Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada
Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Bagel in stomach, gusto in motion I was ready for the walk. It took a long freakin time to walk out of Charlottetown again but it was done. I took many breaks along the way my muscles screaming, "WHY?! WHY EARLY MORNING EXERCISE?!" I took a bench break and chilled for a bit. I mosied down the road a little ways and posted up my thumb for review by many a driver. Many declined. But one stopped. Dude took me a few clicks down the road. Another short ride from a truck driver. A short visit from the police, some light conversation and a backround check. Another short ride from an old man who offered to have me crash at his place if I didn't make it off the island, he dropped me off steps before the big ol' bridge.

There was talk of a hurricane or tropical storm coming into southern NB so I contemplated staying back a day or two and waiting out the storm. Wet hitching is not fun hitching. But today was my day to escape PEI my ride pulled over and I hopped in. A dude with a minidisc player! He had bundles of wacky music from all over the world. We chatted, chilled and eventually he pulled into an abondoned farmers field and we picked apples off a tree. I shoved as many as I could in my bag and back on the way! He left me at the crossroads going either east or west, Halifax or NB? My choice was obvious. NB! So I waited and waited and I actually don't remember what happened next. Yep I'm drawing absolute blanks...

OHH! Right! So I was walking and it started to rain. A truck pulled over at incredible speed, it was a big rigger with an empty flatbed and I kid not the tires were skidding. I hopped in and met one crazy trucker. He was very fit and had a massive handlebar mustach. He told me of his sexual misdemeanours and all kinds of craziness about getting a pimp arrested for pimpin his gal to truckers. He left me in the rain a couple hundred clicks down the road and I scampered to an underpass to escape the onslaught of rain. Shortly after a nice Corolla pulled over and dear god it was a nice kid of 25 and I was his first! The 2nd or 3rd thing he said to me was, "Your not going to murder me with an axe are you?" I replied, "Nah I gave that up years ago!" as I stuffed my bag into the backseat. Society is changing my friends. My first ride from a dude who'd never hitched in his time. Pack your bags kids this is the time for revolution! Make the 70's happen again!

He left me on the outskirts of Fredericton and took a scary picture of me for bragging rights to his friends. I wandered into the trees and set up camp. Once again I achieved absolute stupid luck and the spot he dropped me off at had rained but wasn't at that time. I have yet to be caught in the rain. I quickly foraged a home the forest nearby and ate some mix before dosing off. Multiple times that night I was awoken by fierce winds and the rain pounded my tent all night. It was pretty horrific outside, pretty chilled inside. By the time I decided to get up in the morning it was blazing sun and warm n' fuzzy! I made some oatmeal with tea and let the tent dry out a bit. Back on the road back into the madness.