Urban Garlic

“No.” said the hatchet-faced customs officer. “But …” I tried. “No.” was the reply. “Surely we can ….” I ventured. “No.” came a further stony response. “How about if we ...” “NO!”.

I pursed my lips, exasperated. Randy, our shipping agent in Vancouver shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot.

We were attempting to import the 11 bikes which comprise our team for the 2011 Trans Canada GlobeBusters expedition, a fairly straightforward job complicated by the elderly customs officer who had at some point in her career had been awarded the exalted semi retirement position of ‘receptionist’, a position offering great power over whoever attempted to gain an audience with the customs team within the Canada Excise offices in the imposing BC Hydro building in downtown Vancouver. In our case an attempt to circumvent the archaic system of ‘appointments’ for import paperwork.

Salvation came in the form of a younger female officer who appeared from behind a screen and said, “Hell, let ‘em in, we’re not busy.” Hatchet face shot a viperous look at her colleague and waved us into the inner sanctum.

Things then started moving. Randy and I had the necessary paperwork and powers of attorney over client bikes and it was starting to look as though our ‘on spec’ visit to Customs was going to pay off. That was until the officer on the case, looked up and said. “your cargo is from the UK? Then it will need a soil inspection.”

A new one on me and also on Randy, who looked incredulous while I remarked that this requirement had not been necessary when Barbara and I had air freighted our bikes to Vancouver in 2009. Customs seem to have had a sense of humour extraction since then as well.

But the ever tightening noose of international bureaucracy could not be circumvented this time and it was a soil inspection for us. Happily though, import papers were stamped, so aside from the oddly inappropriate inspection, the bikes were in and 36 hours later were reunited with their relieved owners, who had been steadily arriving in Vancouver alone or in small groups.

Vancouver has been our home for nearly a week. A pre expedition phase of gathering the group, importing and checking over the bikes and assembling support equipment and other items necessary for the expedition. Our group has been dividing their time between exploring the multitude of activities that Vancouver has to offer and spending time in the bar excitedly discussing our forthcoming adventure. As team members have joined the group, a small competition has developed to see which of our newcomers can stay awake beyond 8.30pm local time on their first night and also if they can stay in bed beyond 1am the following morning. Contenders have been few in number, but jet lag is now well behind us all.

Today we had a ‘shakedown’ ride to Grouse Mountain, which offers stunning views over the city – at least when not covered in clouds. But the ride was a chance to escape city humidity and make sure that bikes and equipment are all set for the start of our 6,800 mile Canada crossing which starts tomorrow at 8am. (23rd July). Spirits are high as we anticipate the start of the adventure.

We’ve a great team of people for Trans Canada, the majority of whom are riding BMW GS models, though we also have two Triumph Tigers. You’ll hear more about them in future updates. Our journey now takes us northwards and into the Rocky Mountains for a few days, before we start the long trek eastwards across the great plains and prairies of Alberta and Saskatchewan. The weather forecast and news has been full of the great heat-wave that is currently afflicting parts of the USA and Canada. We will have to wait and see if our ride encounters the extreme heat that has been reported, but all are prepared for just about every climatic eventuality given the huge variances in temperature and general weather which is encountered on this expedition.

Vancouver is always a delight to visit. A richly varied and cosmopolitan city, there is much that Britain can learn from this amazingly optimistic and forward looking place. Though how the popular ‘herb and garlic’ bagels became ‘urban-garlic’ is surely a matter of deep local lore. We can’t wait to see what rural-garlic bagels look like …