PEI Island Walk - September 27, 2024 Day 21 New Zealand + 13 Kms to Bothwell

Overall a great day walking 29.6 kms at an average pace of 5.2 kms per hour...very pleased how strong I felt throughout the day. While it rained early/latter part of the day... the expected weather forecast was a total dud in my favour? ☺️. However both the start of the day and the end had some rough moments...more later. 😳

Official Stats

Original Plan (Red), 2023/2024 Actual (Blue)

Walking Days: Original Planned 24, 2023/2024 Actual 21

Total Kms Walked:  Original Planned 703, 2023/2024 Actual 612

Shuttle Rides: Original Planned 17, 2023/2024 Actual 23

Elevation Gains/Losses: 95 m Gain (109)m Loss

Walking Time: 5h 42m

Kms per hour Walking: 5.2 kms per hour

% Come on get a Wiggle on Days (>40 km): Original Planned 7, 2023/2024 Actual 4

Waypoint Bothwell # 23 has been reached 😀

Bothwell (Green Arrow)

Bothwell WP # 23

First back to last evening when Dawn and I went for a nice stroll around Johnson Shore Inn. We only scratched the surface as to potential exploring...apparently one can walk down to the shoreline safely on a good path...that will be for another day. I will let the pictures speak for themselves...it’s a stunning setting.

Ok...I have been told that my imagination can get the better of me however take a look at the next two photos...last one is a fuzzy zoomed in shot. What is this? A whale tail? or more likely a Lock Ness type of creature lurking in the waters off Johnston Shore Inn. Hmmm I lean towards the latter explanation. ☺️

The evening meal at the inn was themed German night...and it was outstanding!!!

Great salad with tomatoes and home made feta cheese from Water Buffalo Milk!

Snitzel, pickled beets, green beans and roasted potatoes

Apple Strudel and ice cream

Ok how did the day get off to a rough start...well it wasn’t the breakfast for sure!

It wasn’t the start timing for my walk as I had breakfast early at 7:00 and Dawn drove me to my starting point around 8:15 so a nice early start. Dawn then returned to the Inn and would have had a more leisurely breakfast ☺️

Sure it was raining but that was totally anticipated and I was geared up for it.

Very surprisingly it was my mental outlook...I woke up feeling a bit blah about resuming the walk. I can honestly say this has never happened to me as the first day essentially equates to Christmas morning for me. I simply can’t wait and am raring to go.

I am not sure why...maybe the weather forecast however I have walked in solid rain many times...my left calf was not happy...again sore body parts is simply part of long walking. Perhaps some part of me was saying “Guy are you really ready for this...sure you have trained but this is for real now?”

Honestly I don’t know why...my first km or so was somewhat painful as the left calf was cramping however I took it very slowly and voila the cramp simply vanished. Along with the vanishing cramp my outlook did a 180 and I was back in my happy place ☺️. Weird start!

Essentially nothing...except for the brutal end of the day geez...happened during my walk today. The first part was on the Confederation trail to Elmira and I enjoyed this walking immensely...so very peaceful. I did not meet or interact with a single person today which has been par for the course for the PEI Island Walk...nice to a point however I do very much enjoy meeting other walkers.

A few pictures from today...

Phew it must be 6 inches deep down there 🤣

I KID YOU NOT! This was the driveway!

Nice rest stop...I did not stop 😳

Soon I was at Elmira which has a train museum, an old train station as tourist attractions. Neither appealed so I kept moving along.

Old Train Station

Railway Museum...must admit I am not a big fan of museums...too much old stuff!

Eastern start of Confederation Trail

Then the balance of the day or 20 kms was road walking…always facing traffic.

Kudos to PEI drivers as most slip into their oncoming traffic lane when they pass me so I return the courtesy with a thank you gesture.

By noon I was at the Eastern Point Lighthouse which is pretty impressive and I had a quick (wind was howling!) great lunch packaged by Mellanie at the Inn. 😋 

A few more photos and then what a scary 😱 end to the day!!!

Hmmm seen better days!

East Point Windfarm

A very big boat!

White church for my good friend Ken

Around 5 kms from Bothwell it started raining again and I think I must have popped my iPhone in my pocket without shutting down my screen. iPhones and rain simply do not mix well...at all...anything can happen as the dumb phone takes a life of it’s own 😬.

As I fished out the phone to see where I was at on Wikilocs I was horrified to see a message “iPhone is locked...in 5 minutes your passcode will need to entered”. What the h*ll happened? I tried to shut down my screen but it got much much much worse with a message something like “Press here to factory reset your phone or here to cancel a reset”.

Great if I muff this next move I totally and royally screwed (I may have internally used a different word here!)...Dawn will not know where I am at...I will spend the night in a ditch and my iPhone will become a boat anchor as ALL WILL BE LOST. Let it not be said that I am unable to go to the dark side...and fast!!!

Took a deep breath...flexed my fingers to make sure they were working properly and very gingerly pressed “cancel”. New message “In 2 minutes a passcode must be entered”. Stupidly I put the phone in my pocket and missed the 2 minute prompt.

Now a new message “In 15 minutes a new passcode must be entered”. Damn I am in really trouble here...luckily I am also at the end of my walk for the day and enter Elliott's General Store with 7 minutes left.

Went to front to talk to the young woman who was checking people out. “Have a bit of a problem with my phone and need to keep staring at it for 7 minutes as it’s locked me out and I need to reenter my passcode. Mind if I just hang out a bit...just wanted to let you know so you don’t think I am stealing stuff or something”

She smiled “No problem at all” I was so relieved I said “Promise I will buy something”  She just laughed at that.

Now I am at the ice cream freezer staring intently at my iPhone waiting to input my passcode and muttering to myself the 4 digit code at naseum. A few people stroll by...not even noticing my panic stricken face...PEI folks are cool.

7 minutes elapse...lock screen appears as does opportunity to enter my iPhone passcode. I DID NOT FLINCH...CAME THROUGH UNDER PRESSURE!!! Nonchalantly I grabbed a Magnum ice cream bar...bought it with my best “No big deal look”... and then Dawn strolled in. ☺️🥰. She missed all the fun...oh my she has seen me at my panicked worst a few too many times 🤔

If any of you ever have the pleasure of meeting my Brazilian walking friend Paulo ask him about a different but similar incident the last day of our Camino Primitivo. Paulo saved the day...my life was essentially over for 15 minutes or so!

Geez why does stuff like this happen to me? Please no one even try to answer that.

On to tomorrow and a big decision “Do I go for the very long day resulting in a 4 day walk or not?’ Will see where the body and mind are at tomorrow....I fully expect to be sore tomorrow morning...the key question will be “do I feel ready to go for it or not?"