Difficult situation on the Cabot Trail
"One drives along winding roads past cheerful lakes. Sea eagles circle high in the air, and from the cliffs a breathtaking view is offered", so the description of our travel guide to the famous "Cabot Trail", a 300km long coastal road in Cape Breton.
That's where we're going!
So we set off and drive to Baddeck, the starting point of the trail. Here we want to stand the constant rain and pass the time with a visit to the Abraham Graham Bell National Historic Site, a museum about the life and achievements of the inventor of the telephone, who settled here to be creative.
On the eve of our planned start we want to warm up our wet limbs with a coffee (in Tim Hortons of course) and there it happens: Mathias notices it the same moment he slams the back door of Baloo. All locking pins are pressed down, the two front doors are already locked and the key is on the fridge IM car. I'm already standing outside with just a little change in my pocket and we've only talked about the hidden emergency key in the engine compartment, but we've never hidden one. On the Atlantic we made jokes about how long it would take, now it is a bitter fact after less than two days on the way: We have locked ourselves out!
Well, what to do? This evening we definitely imagined more comfortable. The mood is rapidly dropping to the freezing point, as are the outside temperatures, by the way. It is already 7 pm, so all garages or Locksmith's, which could have helped us, have closed.
However, there is one small consolation. Mathias has at least his mobile phone with him and in Tim Hortons there is free Wifi. So let's use YouTube to find out how to crack a car like that. The first thing we come across is the "loop trick". In loop trick you knot a loop into a rope, which can be closed when pulling one end of the rope.
And now to the trick: one tries to squeeze the rope between the door and the bodywork, then push the loop over the locking pin with sure instinct and precision work, tighten the loop and pull the pin upwards so that the car is then open again. Looks super easy in the video - so let's go and buy a rope at nearby Walmart.
When the rain turns into snow rain, we knotted our bow and try our hand at the practical test. Even after several strenuous attempts, we remain unsuccessful. No way to squeeze that rope in there! We save ourselves back in the dry Tim Hortons.
We must look like a pile of misery, so completely drenched and jittering. In any case, an employee notices us and asks if everything is OK. We describe our problem to her. She immediately expresses her sympathy ("Oh Shit, that's bad"), but then means we should try it once with the police, they had broken open closed cars earlier. She types the number into her phone and reaches out to us.
2 minutes later the sobering answer - "We don't do that anymore!"
What are we gonna do?! There must be some solution! I can think of a nicer place to stay than this snack bar.
Reflecting…
After a few minutes thinking about it, the lady comes back to our table with the phone and asks what we are going to do now (has probably already gotten afraid for her end of work). Suddenly another guest stands in front of us full of pride and says "I can open your car", looks questioningly at the employee, "if you have a hanger". - Of course, and grin.
The forties with mustache, beer belly and sympathetic laugh doesn't bend anything to me you the hanger, goes out (have I actually already mentioned that an icy wind blows?!!)... no matter, the rain whips him in the face and after only few purposeful movements the door is open again. Hurray, that went fast! ... Wait a minute, that fucking happened fast! No need to close?!
Ah yes, the Cabot Trail was a dream then, by the way, but see for yourself: