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After making it to Sydney, my first order of business was finding a laundromat. I asked around and was directed to a small laundromat located inside a convenience store. Fortunately no one else was using the laundromat so I could change out of my dirty clothes, unpack all my stuff, and walk around barefoot while I washed my things. The old man running the store was very friendly and helpful. I learned that the $1 coins were called loonies, after the loon on the reverse, and the $2 coins were called toonies.
After a few hours at the laundromat, I had a late supper at McDonald's -- they're everywhere, quick, and consistent, what can I say? The guy at the laundromat had suggested camping at a nearby empty lot, and one shirtless customer across the street from the laundromat said I could put up in his yard, but I would've had to drive back through town again, and then once more in the morning to get on the Cabot Trail. So instead, I started looking for an empty spot near the highway I would jump on in the morning. I found a spot I was hoping was close enough to the highway to be off private property, and pitched my tent and went to sleep.
A few hours later at 4:40am, I was awoken by a couple voices and flashlights asking to talk to me. As it turned out, it was actually part of the grounds for some kind of medical facility, an assisted living home I think. Security there had called the police a couple times, so they came out and asked if I would pack up and leave. They were sympathetic to asking me to get up so early in the morning, but said security was worried that management would be upset if they saw me. Unfortunately, the mosquitoes were out in full force at the time, which made getting packed very irritating. I sprayed myself with DEET heavily, but I was still bitten a few times on the tiny spots I missed.
After a quick breakfast, I started out for the Cabot Trail. It was nice to be riding early in the morning. The traffic was light, and the sunrise was beautiful. I took a short ferry ride to a causeway, and started into the Cabot Trail partway into it (I didn't realize I had missed the first 30 km or so until later).
The view from the trail was impressive, and I think getting an early start worked to my advantage.
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