…at the end of the hearing-aid.

I’ve been involved in the world 0f deaf and hearing-impaired people for over thirty years, much of that time from the managerial and technical side. I have lectured students, instructed, written technical papers, prepared audiology training courses, designed complex sound and inductive loop systems for major buildings, assessed and tested people,  fitted hearing aid systems and provided counselling.

All very worthy, and relatively-easy, as I felt I was in charge. Just over a year ago I was honoured when appointed a Trustee of the Board of Directors of Hearing Concern Link. It is a national charity devoted to helping people to survive socially and psychologically after the onset of hearing loss.

The early Board meetings had been tough with the reduction in Government and Council funding, and most of the talk has been about money (or lack of it!). Although we seem to have turned the corner with the help of some funding from grateful people who had been helped, we cannot rest on any laurels.

The necessity of the work we do was vividly made evident to me at an organised meeting of some of our members one Saturday in Glasgow. This is one of a series of regular courses providing an opportunity for many folk with severe and not-so-severe hearing loss, to get together and learn from a facilitator, and each other. I think it is fair to say that most of us were over 21 by a long way!

Many practical subjects were covered, including personal security, available equipment, frustration and anger. What we didn’t have the time to cover were the effect of losing the ability to appreciate music.

This is a season full of music, so can I ask you think of those who for one reason or another are not able to hear the wonderful music we so love during the Christmas period.

The luck of life

It’s been some time since I have attempted to amuse/entertain/inform/persuade/cajole fellow-bloggers with a posting here. I left you in the middle of Alaska when we were on a marvellous cruise trip from and to Vancouver. It was great and we arrived back home to get on with our semi-retirement, and to sort out the hours of video and hundreds of photos to recount the happy times.

………..and suddenly the BBC brought us news and photos of a liner beached just off Tuscany (a favourite spot of ours) and the loss of life, injury and terror involved. Whatever happened or caused it to happen may eventually be explained but things for those people involved will never be the same again.

How many times have we gone down a road where there had been a recent fatality, got on a plane after one of the same types had just crashed, or feared to get on a Pendolino train knowing what happened recently on the Edinburgh/London express?

I know that statistically travel is safer than it has ever been, and vast numbers of people traverse the roads, sea and sky of this earth of ours in perfect safety, but let us remember in our hearts those who set out on a journey and never arrived.

The Alaska Adventure……Chapter 8

Now with one night and day completed on the Inner Passage to Alaska……………………

With sheer exhaustion, I slept quite well….but, with my body-clock even more confused, with yet another time-change, it is probably not surprising to note that 4am on 3rd June saw me wide awake! The allure of the Sudoku puzzlebook was short-lived, and so I quietly dressed so as not to disturb the Better Half, and headed up on deck with video and map.

There were a number of other idiots wandering about and we briefly passed the time of day, before keeping on the move because of the cold. I took the opportunity of  doing four laps of the pedestrian deck, so felt quite pleased with myself so treated myself to coffee in the breakfast bar when it opened.

Several visits to the cabin later and the Good Lady came on deck, just as we entered the narrow fjord called Tracy Arm which was to lead us to our first view of what we had come to see…..a glacier…..in this case the Sawyer Glacier. We had all been psyched-up to see this, but unfortunately the pilot we had taken on-board had decided that the environment had to be protected, and further movement up the fjord would cause damage to the small icebergs floating around

…..and so, we dropped-off some folk who had booked to go off to the Glacier by bum-boat, whilst the rest of us had to be content with heading for the restaurant for lunch.

Today was the birthday of the Good Lady. Discretion (and the threat of a thick ear) forbids me mentioning an actual number! However it was going to be memorable in that, firstly, it was to be our first land-fall in Alaska, and secondly I would not have to get her any gold for a present…..explanation in a minute!

Juneau is the capital of Alaska, and depends heavily on the sea and air, in that there is no land approach available. Everything coming to or from Juneau must come by boat or seaplane. You can see why as soon as you come off the ship when the surrounding hills become even more evident.

We didn’t really know what to expect even although I had looked at it on Google Street, so knew the general layout. But we found the inhabitants quite friendly. When walking through the main street we came upon a policeman, and had a chat. We did mention that our daughter was a policewoman, and he presented us with a sew-on badge as issued to the Alaskan Police!

Even the animals were friendly……..

However, this was just a lead-up to the main event of the day…getting  the present for the Better Half. We were picked-up at the quayside and met by a rather aged-looking gentleman with a large hat, extensive tobacco-stained beard, and an unbelievable drawl.

 

We were then taken by an old minibus to a creek (you notice my use of the Alaskan vernacular!), where we were given a lesson on panning for gold. We each received a ‘pan’ with mud and grit already in it, and shown how to swirl it about in the water. Lo and behold, each of us found a few flakes of a bright metallic substance in the bottom of our ‘pan’! So with our combined ‘flakes’ we could have just about covered a large match-head!…so fortunes were not to be made. Anyway I think each of the pans had been ‘seeded’!

Never mind, it was all just a bit of fun! A return to the relative civility of the ship and a lovely meal in the Italian Restaurant, ended an interesting day! It was worth recording her good looks for posterity, so we hunted about for a suitable location. The following is that photo….So her birthday was recorded by a photo showing Neptune with his hand on her shoulder!

The Adventure…Chapter 7

 

Leaving Vancouver, cruising on the Holland American ‘Hollandam’ heading North on the Inner Passage for the first time to Alaska………………………..

I’m not a good sleeper at the best of times, tossing and turning, wakening with the slightest noise, and with a body which  finds it difficult to go back to sleep once wakened. But, boy, was I tired when my head hit the pillow on our first night out of Vancouver on the 1st of June…….the start of our journey to this mysterious place called Alaska!

Don’t misunderstand me; it had been a week which had been wonderful, busy, awe-inspiring, exciting, revelationery (is that a real word?), with the long flight, snow, glaciers, Rocky Mountaineer train, different food, and latterly the calming effect of Vancouver.

The senses had been over-whelmed, and we were somewhat glad to be spending seven nights in the same bed without the constant repacking and moving-on. Our knowledge of what was to come had been taken from travel books, Google, what  others had told us, and a few television programmes. So all these thoughts were drifting through my mind as I tried to get to sleep. Meanwhile Lady was happily breathing with the sleep of the innocent!

I woke on the morning of 2nd June at 5.30 am (not an unusual scenario for men of a certain age!), and went up on deck (after dressing of course!) for a wander round. Although it was bright, there was nothing really to see as we were obviously some distance from land on either side. This land, and Inner Passage, was bigger than I had imagined!

Now, I have often been told-off, by you-know-who, for having my still camera or DVD camera by my side ready for use at the most inappropriate times……but no such stricture applied on this holiday as we wanted as complete a record as possible.  

We had been told that this area should be a good area for spotting whales, and over a leisurely breakfast, they materialised quite a few times.  However, the whales felt no need to give any advance warning of leaving or entering the water!  It is only when the event has started, been spotted by someone, who then hollers about it, and I grab one of  my cameras and point it in approximately the right direction, that I have a hope of getting a shot. By that time, of course, the blighter has disappeared, and I get lovely shots of empty water, only to find it re-appearing some distance away, after the camera has been set-down!  Try doing this as you are munching your cereal, or swilling coffee and you can see that discontent returned to the marriage relationship occasionally!

I tried leaving them switched-on, but then either achieved dead batteries, or shots of feet or floor, and the recording of chatter…so that didn’t work. However I did get one or two classic video shots of the tails but none of the great snout coming out of the water…..but never mind…there are some lovely shots on You tube!

The ship boasted a large theatre which hosted many events. After breakfast we attended an interview on stage with the ‘Hotel Manager’ who is responsible for some 7000 meals per day, in 7 restaurants…. the mind boggles! We then decided on the shore trips we wanted (some at an eye-watering cost!)….however ‘we may not pass this way again’….

There were good areas for walking and the promenade deck was exactly 1/3 of a mile right round….so we felt highly virtuous that we did several circuits every day. The above shows us enjoying a well-earned rest after a brisk walk. The sports ‘nutters’ were well-catered-for, with a a basketball and a tennis court, and those who simply wanted to sit at slot machines could do so…with the only exercise being for their elbow!

There was also a very good library, and now that I was in the area, I was reminded of a poem my father occasionally recited when I was a child. All I could remember was the name of the hero…Dangerous Dan McGrew, and the author, Robert W Service. In seconds I had been directed to a book of his poems and had great joy in reading  ‘The Shooting of Dan McGrew’ (who had a lady known as Lou), and ‘The Cremation of Sam McGhee’, who when he was alive, had hated the infernal cold of Alaska!….hence the name of the poem) and who could blame him!

As is probably the norm with most people, you find couples who come from your next of the woods and this also applied to us. Two couples attached themselves to us, but without suffocating the friendship. It was good to have someone else to join with or pass the time of day. We all went separately to the presentation devoted to booking shore trips, as we do not like to be pressurised by what others want to see! in the event we all did different things.

Dinner on the main Lido deck , a great Broadway show, and karaoke in the Crows’ Nest bar ended the first day out…..unfortunately, before bed we had to change watches back one hour! Would our brain and body clock ever be the same again??

The Adventure Chapter 6

………so far……….flight Glasgow to Calgary; transfer to Banff and the snow;  making waffles; Lake Louise and the marvellous Hotel;  Athabasca Glacier;  Athabasca Falls; two days on the Rocky Mountaineer; walking in Stanley Park……and the noisy air-conditioning!

…….Sadly we were soon to leave a lovely city, Vancouver. We had scarcely scratched the surface and we could only imagine from guide books what the rest was like. We had not got(gotten?) to Victoria or anywhere on Vancouver Island and I promised Lady that this is one area to which I would happily return. This photo was taken down at the harbour just before sunset…marvellous isn’t it?

It was now time to get our last sleep on terra firma for a week, in the Blue Horizon Hotel, but the infernal air-conditioning system whirred away, just above the threshhold of hearing, and hence, of sleep !  However, we had another good breakfast and a short taxi ride took us back down to the Harbour, where the cruise-ships lay. We were really getting excited!

We were physically still on Canadian soil, but politically it was American, as we would be. heading into American waters, so we were questioned, finger-printed, and photographed by American security border staff. I had inadvertently made a slight error in my on-line visa application,  and was slightly apprehensive that I might be considered suspicious, especially with my Irish accent. They were perfectly pleasant and luckily they didn’t seem to have noticed the mistake, so we got through with a hugh sigh of relief…..but what if?

Our ship was the American Holland  ‘Volendam’ and could take 1400 passengers. We had never been on such a large  cruise ship before…our Mediterranean cruise had 400, and our Rhine/Mosel ship only took about 100 folk. However, there was no feeling of claustrophobia or crowds as we were taken to our ‘Stateroom’ F1822 on Dolphin Deck. each evening we were faced with a strange animal on our bed made with a folded hand-towel!

‘Stateroom’ sounds very posh, and often expectations are unrealised, but we were very pleased with our king-size bed, panoramic window overlooking the harbour, loads of hanging and drawer storage space (mainly commandeered by Lady of course), good-sized shower-room and loo, dressing-table (eventually featuring a number of pills and potions, as well as a few drink bottles), cumfy sofa, and television….the following link ahould work.

http://www.hollandamerica.com/virtual-tours-videos/Main.action?cat=accommodations&subcat=am&type=vt&id=4&title=Holland

I, like most men, would probably have preferred to go out immediately, for a walk round to get my bearings…..but Lady had other ideas! Cases had to be instantly unpacked, hangers had to be acquired and drawers utilised, so that clothes which had been left unpacked for a week could now be allowed to un-crease, so that she could go out to meet her public, looking pristine.  My argument that some 1398 other people might have some creases in their attire cut no ice, I’m afraid!

Life-boat drill whilst we were still in port, was a bit of a farce. People wandered to their Station late, chatted, moved about, so they were difficult for the Crew to find, wandered off when they thought it was all over, and no-one donned a life-jacket. It was in sharp contrast to some 16 years previously, when men and women were separated, life-jacket-donning was compulsory and no photos or video was allowed! That completed (if not remembered!) we were able to set sail.

There’s something about that time just before any journey starts (be it plane, sea, train or car), when you want to get away, you know that certain things have to be checked (gas off, front door locked; ear plugs in, hand luggage under the seat, lap-belts fastened, etc) but you just want to get going. With planes there then follows the adrenalin-rush of take-off; with cars there is the last wave to the neighbours; with trains there is the noisy clanking over the points and the unsightly backs of houses, as we get on our way.

There is no such effect with large liners. After the ropes have been unhooked, they seem to gently slink away from the quayside. Some make a great noise about it whilst others, like ours, waited until an appropriate time before sounding their hooter.  In Vancouver Harbour it seems to be just as we went under the wonderful suspension bridge and we headed for the Inside Passage…we were leaving the black clouds and were on our way!

Duty done, we went to the Lido deck (one of seven restaurants) for a barbecue with salmon. This was a large deck with undercover tables and also a large area where the roof could open, just like Wimbleton. It had a fair-sized pool, but the sight of some semi-clad bodies entering and leaving the water did not do anything for the digestion!

However, the food was fine, and was, surprisingly, served by the staff. This was as a temporary measure for the first few days to prevent the possibility of e-coli or other bugs being brought-in by passengers…always a worry.

The goodly number of shops on board pleased the Lady so we had to have a look. I managed to get a good book called the ‘Alaskan Cruise Handbook’ (not surprisingly) which gave the maps, mileage references and the history of exploration in the area….I can certainly recommend it as I am reading it some time after returning home.

A brief walk round the promenade deck, and we were in bed at 11.45….but it was still bright enough outside to read by. Tomorrow would be exciting!

Nite nite!!

The Adventure…Chapter 5

We had originally intended spending a couple of nights in the city of  Victoria, on Vancouver Island, but after re-arranging our schedule, decided that Vancouver would be the place to explore. Having not been in Victoria we can’t say whether we made the better choice…but we can say that we certainly enjoyed being in Vancouver!…..if that’s not all too complicated!

We were worried when our travel agent suggested a hotel on Robson Street….right in the centre of Vancouver. We needn’t have been concerned!  If you had looked at the Google street link on the last post you might have seen the trees on what is a very-attractive walk-way…..and, yes, the drivers were courteous there, too!

Our Hotel, the Blue Horizon, was a bit like Dr Who’s Tardis…you entered what looked like a small shop, which then expanded to fill the space required. As with all our accommodation, the facilities were excellent and we could look out over the towering hotels and offices. All we could hear at night was the gentle whirr of the air-conditioning plant (at least it was at the beginning).

Having unpacked for the last time before our cruise, we went out for a walk to get a feel for the city. Lots of familiar fashion shops were noted by the Lady, but I  kept her moving!

But where do you eat in a foreign city? Do you go back to the Hotel, where you know the kind of quality you can expect, do you stick with an international brand of restaurant, or try to find a ‘local’ speciality eaterie? We plonked for an Urban Cafe….we didn’t really know what we were letting ourselves in for, but you grow courageous with age!  The menu on the wall was no help as it used strange names and descriptions, so we just went to have a look at what was in the chill cabinet. We ended up with some kind of toasted ‘thing’, coffee, and a rice pudding under another name…..dead exciting!

My main problem with moving about so much is that I find it hard to relax and get a decent night’s sleep. The rooms have all been very satisfactory, the beds have  been comfortable, I have never eaten anything dis-agreeable, and I have not had excessive alcohol…however  I did have the problem  of not getting back to sleep OK after wakening at 3am  with the gentle whirr of the air-(bloody) conditioning!!!!! 

The Sudoku book was my companion for some time that night but I still felt fine when we went down for a Canadian breakfast. Again the menu appeared complex with all combinations of bacon, sausage, egg, fried bread, waffles, black pudding coming up separately! What’s wrong with ‘Full Breakfast’ ?

Suitably sated, we decided that after a bit of minimal shopping at Safeway, for AA batteries (the digital cameras consumed them in great numbers!), we had to see the lovely harbour area on the way to Stanley Park…….

It looks at first view  a cluttered skyline, but when on the ground one certainly does not get that impression.

Stanley Park  is curiously shaped when viewed from above, looking a bit like a sea-horse’s head, with Beaver Lake forming the eye! It was opened in 1888 and named after Lord Stanley of Preston, who was the Governor General. It is over 1000 acres in size, with 120 miles of roads and paths. There were special lanes for cyclists, roller-bladers, and pedestrians, and so we had no problems from them.  There was no way we could hope to see any more than a small section of it in one day as we wanted to walk as much as possible.

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&sugexp=gsih&xhr=t&q=stanley+park+vancouver&cp=14&rlz=1R2ADFA_enGB347&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&biw=1366&bih=686&wrapid=tljp1309552165680024&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wl

It was possible to have a horse-driven carriage through the park, but with a cost somewhat between that a Gondolier in Venice, and the Greek National Debt, we decided that ‘a pied’ was a good idea. We got to a shop near the Totem Pole area, when it decided to rain, so in we went, and bought a small umbrella, and some small jewellery for presents. Unfortunately the photos we took of the totem poles were not worth recording because of the torrential rain (that’s my excuse anyway!) but you can imagine a number of such edifices with explanations. After a lunch of sandwiches from the shop (quite good, actually!) we moved on to the park, proper.

Stanley himself must have cut a fine figure, as his statue shows him throwing his arms to the heavens when he officially named it, avering that it should be for the enjoyment of all peoples.

However, when we saw the statue, it was clothed in a shirt depicting the Canadian ice-hockey team the Canucks, who were in some final of ice-hockey against what I believe was an American team….so no rivalry there!! They eventually lost to the Americans causing rioting inVancouver….so it’s not just in the UK it happens!

For those who have visited the waterfront in Copenhagen (there I am, name-dropping again!) the iconic image is Langeline (the Little Mermaid). Well, Vancouver has one of its own (Girl in a Wet-suit)….

…….again with a Canucks’ tee-shirt!

We misjudged the size of the Park, and turned-off far too early, but luckily saw the Giant Redwood trees. We then found ourselves back at the water and followed the walkway back through the harbour, imagining where we could go if we only had one of the myriad vessels tied-up.

Lady of the House is (I hasten to add) no tippler, but it was her who suggested that we acquire a small amount of liquid refreshment for our pre-dinner snifter on the ship. We had seen no alcohol on sale in the shops or supermarkets, so, when returning from the Harbour to the Hotel and seeing a shop window full of cans and bottles, we HAD to enter!

There was a good selection, and I discussed it with a security guard, who then informed me of the concept of Government Liquor Stores, where they are able to have an element of control with minimum pricing of alcohol units….so no great bargains here I’m afraid!

We got packing done and then out for our final meal on Canadian soil, and ended-up in a recommended Thai Restaurant!

And so our short sojourn in Vancouver came to an end. We should have planned to be there longer and explored Stanley Park properly (maybe not the whole 120 miles!). If you are a cyclist, then we would suggest that you hire one and see around the Park properly. We also did not get to see the thriving Chinatown. If (and it is a big IF) i could be persuaded to again take the long flight, Vancouver is one place I could visit again. 

And so we were ready to face the open sea next day on our Alaskan Cruise, but before that we had to get a good night’s sleep….ZZZZZZZZZ

The Adventure….Chapter 4

…..Our Rocky Mountaineer arrived at the halfway point in our journey, in the late afternoon of the first day, shunting slowly into Kamloops. I had not done my usual advanced research so wasn’t sure what to expect of Kamloops. I knew it was a connecting hub for trains but did not appreciate its size. It is at the confluence of the two branches of the Thomson River and is near Kamloops Lake, has a population of about 100,000, and is otherwise an un-spectacular town. We were waved-into the Station by a number of uniformed railway staff which was a nice touch. The contrast between the raw natural beauty we had all witnessed, and the industrial landscape into which we had come was very stark.

 

The organisation was great and we were  all coached to various hotels throughout the city. We ended up in a motel, which seemed to be in the middle of a retail park!  It had excellent sizeable accommodation, but no on-site eating facilities (just like the Premier Inn in the UK), but this was no problem. We were glad to have to go out to eat in the evening, and we decided that a local laid-back burger eaterie should be the destination (not the KFC of the photo!)

It was a brash, bright restaurant and we were given a rather large menu, which, when unfolded was almost as large as the table! As if that wasn’t enough, when the very-pleasant waitress came, she rattled-off a large number of specials, and options of sauces etc. ….and all I wanted was  a simple meal. Again, having looked around at the portion sizes, we shared a main course, and finished-off with a lovely ice-cream sundae….evil!! And the Canadians can make good coffee!

Most people who know me understand that I love to observe, and chat to people! Such a venue as a restaurant allows people-watching , and especially in a foreign country. What astonished me most was the love affair which the men appeared to have with jeans and baseball cap.  If, as a child, I had sat down at the table with a cap or hat, it would have been swiftly removed by a parent or grandparent. It was obviously the custom here for skip-caps to be worn, but I wonder……. are they all hiding a balding pate!

For convenience and security, our suitcases had been retained on the train overnight, and so we had been instructed to have overnight bags (rucksacks in our case).  Now, with most men, this is no problem; but to ask a woman to decide what was the minimum to make her feel presentable to herself and her peers, and compress it into a rucksack is not simple, or to be undertaken lightly. Lady of the House did it with panache, and looked a million crisp dollars (Canadian dollars, that it!). On the other hand, I managed with the normal toiletries (I even used a wet razor, to save space), minimal hygenic clothing changes, and a top that I was assured would not crease (Ha,bloody Ha!). I also looked a million dollars  (crumpled, scruffy, and needing ironed!).

Next morning, we were picked-up at another un-sensible time for the short drive to Kamloops station. (I somehow, in my ignorance, thought that this was going to be some kind of restful holiday……how wrong I was!) This time our train had joined-up with those coming direct from Banff and Calgary. So we now had another 400 passengers on board, and the train now stretched into the distance, in both directions.

Breakfast on the train was most welcome, and we settled down to watch the scenery gently drift by…now there’s a phrase! I was always interested in Einstein’s Theory of Relativity, which said that when on a train, or any other moving object, we could consider ourselves at rest and everything else moving relative to us (hence the name of the theory). It is easy to imaging scenery drifting-by, but of course the natural order had been there for many millions of years and we were simply intruding on it. (SCIENCE LESSON OVER!)

This scenery was quite different to the previous day’s. We still mainly followed the course of rivers, which were now slow-running  but were almost at their level. The few hills which we saw on some stretches had few trees and little vegetation, and bare rocks were the order of the day. Mining, logging, and old ruined buildings were in evidence, and we spent a considerable time in spotting osprey nests on the top of telegraph poles, and eagles hovering, all with squeals of delight!

As the volume of rivers continued to increase, so we were able to see the development of rapids, starting in the Black Canyon, which was more awesome than beautiful, with the river in spate.  At the confluence of the Thomson and Fraser rivers, it was possible to see which one carried more silt and was therefore muddy whilst the other was relatively slow-moving and clean. Before you ask me, I can’t remember which was which!

Contrary to the bravery (fool-hardiness?) of the Lady of the House, I don’t like heights, especially when it involves a large weight of moving steel traversing a spider-like structure, over a raging torrent some distance below.  She revels in leaning out of available windows to grab photographs, whilst I suspect every creak of being the beginning of a dramatic disaster for all of us, and retreat like a snail into its shell, fearing to change the centre of gravity to beyond the wheel-base.

This one looked a bit safer….

…and if only a train had been coming the other way

We were well into the second afternoon and eyes were starting to droop as the weather had been perfect and the sun very bright. The countryside started to become more tree-covered again and the river narrowed even further to Hell’s Gate. The water here is so fast that ‘fish ways’ have been constructed to allow them to rest in cavities of still water as they gather strength to progress upstream.

 Click on the picture to see the detail of the raging torrent of water, and the restaurants built out on stilts. The red framework in the middle was part of a cable-car which crosses the river and rises steeply to the mountain behind….you wouldn’t get me on that to see any view! As chance would have it, the train heading in the opposite direction could be seen on the opposite side at Hell’s Gate.

Our approach to Vancouver was actually quite slow. Unlike on the rural lines, we did not have priority here, so we had to go along at a snail’s pace, but very noisily, over several bridges and running alongside large freight trains setting off on their journey.

And so our two-day journey through the Rockies was over. Unfortunately it is impossible to adequately pass-on the concept of size, age and majesty of this area, ‘the unutterable beauty’ (to borrow a phrase from elsewhere), the raw nature and power of the countryside, the occasional glimpse of wildlife, and the opportunity to enter this world by standing on a glacier! We felt honoured to be able to have the chance to enter this world for a couple of days…and we knew we had more beauty to see.

We taxied to the Blue Horizon Hotel in Robson Street in Vancouver, and if you want to look along this street, click on the link below the picture…

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&xhr=t&q=blue+horizon+hotel+vancouver&cp=20&rlz=1R2ADFA_enGB347&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&biw=1366&bih=686&wrapid=tljp1309073744136034&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wl

Have a wander around and we will see you in a few days……

The Adventure….Chapter 3

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Sun 29th ….We left you last time seeing a chap  standing outside his house in Jasper, alongside a table with some  ’junk’, although he informed us that earlier it had been full to over-flowing.  It was in a lovely residential area, and seemed a bit odd.

However the explanation was simple and sensible……periodically, people put out unwanted, but servicable items.  Anyone can then come along and take any of them without charge, for their own use. Presumably reciprocity is expected so that everyone can get a glimpse of (and possibly obtain) others’ rubbish. Recycling made simple!

Having solved that query, we continued on our walk round this pleasant town. I got some video of one of the large freight trains running through with over 140 coaches! On the way, we had a good viewing of a large deer grazing  beside the road, oblivious to the presence of humans or traffic. By this time our digestion and body-clock synchronisation was still not right and we were snacking at all sorts of strange times. Lunch was at Cafe Mondo with home-made salmon sandwiches….to be recommended!

Next morning, at a quite unreasonable hour, we left Chateau Jasper, and assembled with others at the local railway station to join the Rocky Mountaineer on a  ’Journey Through the Clouds’. This is one of a number of great trains which traverse (guess what!) the Rocky Mountains, all starting from, or returning to, Vancouver. The weather having previously been mixed, we had been concerned about whether the splendour of the mountains would be revealed in all their glory….we needn’t have worried!  The sky was blue, and the mountains were inviting as we all talked excitedly about the coming journey, and pinned-on our little maple-leaf badges.

The tour on which we were involved had two standards of service, Gold Leaf, and Red Leaf. The Gold Leaf passengers had access to a glass-domed observation area, as well as cooked-on-board meals. We were very happy with the Red Leaf standard, and would be quite happy to recommend it to anyone. 

We settled into our carriage which had about 50 seats with loads of leg space (airlines, please note). There were about 38 of us in this carriage, so a lot of empty seats. Seemingly this is intended so that we could move easily to the side would give us a better view. We had a lovely stewardess, who served meals and gave us a running commentary on the journey and what we should watch-out for. A load of video was taken, but the following link is probably the best way to get a general feeling for it all…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1wYIGN8-Qc

Jasper Lake was the first major stretch of water after we started off, and riding along quietly south west, along the Fraser River, we were increasingly impressed and astounded by the beauty of the scenery. We were then suddenly instructed to put our watches back one hour as we had left the Alberta time zone and entering British Columbia.  Pine trees, animals, eagles, ospreys, rivers, and (obviously) spectacular mountains appeared at every bend and the video camera could be left on permanently.  Sometimes we had to slow down or even stop to let another train pass so the opportunity came to get photographs.

Two spectacular natural formations then had to be seen, and so the train slowed up to ensure we got good photos. Firstly, the Pyramid Falls……

………and Mount Robson, which is the highest point in the Rockies, and is only completely seen about 10 days in the year, so we were lucky….

Because the rail-line was often alongside the edge of steep valleys, many tunnels were necessary either for access or to afford protection from falling rocks. With the necessary curvature of the track we sometimes got a good glimpse of the front of the train heading into the tunnel, and looking remarkably like a snake.

And so the miles drifted on and as the land flattened out we came to the end of the first day and approached our half-way point…Kamloops. We’re off to the hotel to get changed and go out for a meal. Good Night!  See you later, and I’ll tell you about what happened!

The adventure…Chapter 2

Fri 27th ………The trip north-west from Banff heading towards Jasper was going to be a long journey lasting some 9 hours by coach, so it was important that we were up early! However jet-lag was beginning to set-in, and a broken-night’s sleep manifested itself. However, waffles and coffee did the trick and we were out on time.

Time and coaches wait for no man, and we headed off along the Great Canadian Highway, described by National Geographic as one of their ‘Drives of a Lifetime’ ……still with some snow and cloud shrouding the hills. It is truly startling along the whole journey…

The following link gives a good idea of some bits    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNoSIkb9xEE  

This area is one particularly noted for  icefields, but first we stopped at Lake Louise Hotel. This incongruously- massive building is at the end of a frozen lake. We went in to look around inside but anything more than a snack would require a second mortgagae! Further along we came to the Athabasca Icefield and the Num-ti-Jah Lodges. The following shot let us see, close-up, the thickness of snow and ice at the lake.

The Columbia Icefield was more accessible by specialised motorised machines. The running commentary by the driver was excellent, but like at many such events, the facts are often forgotten  but the impressions remain. It is obviously commercialised but the memories are startling. You can see the size of the equipment used, and you can imagine the terror engendered as it went over the edge of the road to go along the glacier!

Everyone wants to see bears in Canada, and Young Lady was no exception. We were warned on the next stage of the journey, that the driver might have to pull-up if cars stopped in front of us to view some bears at the side of the road…this seems to be permissible. We did, indeed, have to stop and had several good viewings of black bears.

 There were other photos taken, with a variety of focus and quality, but some images looked like faked images of the Yeti, so were not worthy of reproducing here!

Northwards to the Athabasca Falls, a collection of waterfalls going through a series of gullies, at spectacular speed, and accessed by well-positioned bridges.

We took so many photos and video of this area but still could not record the total experience…you have to come to see it. Then onwards to our most northerly point…the lovely town of Jasper, and the well-disguised Chateau Jasper in in its coat of green-painted wood.

Every place where we slept we were fortunate to have great beds, and despite the continuing jet-lag problem (at least in my case), we were ready, after a hearty breakfast, for a day wandering about ‘at leisure’, as they call it……….

We discovered that there was a nature trail on one side of the town, which took you rapidly to great views over the area. This ‘rapidly’ description meant that Young Lady had to be encouraged, cajoled and almost pushed up the steep narrow path, whilst our joints complained at this abuse.

In many parts of the trail the town below was hidden by the massive trees on the hillside, but they protected us from the cool wind. The trail was used by jogger, walkers and cyclists alike, but I was pleased that everyone spoke, and especially cyclists approaced with caution and indicated their presence from behind with their bells. For some reason, in our part of the world they do not seem to see the necessity of informing you of their approach!

And so, down to town level again into a residential area to be met by the following sight….

…..who was he and what was he doing?……..watch out for the next exciting instalment!…….

Setting-off on the adventure…..

No two-week holiday (our longest break in about 18 years!) can be set-up without worries and anxieties, and this one was no exception! Closing down a small business requires clearing appointments and paperwork, banking and answering machine, government returns and who will water the plants!

Close-family illnesses were cause for concern, but are outwith our control and the Lady of the House really needed the break. The other ‘cloud on the horizon’ was the Iceland volcano cloud. It was expected to arrive in time to disrupt our take-off from Glasgow on Wed . There was doubt about the  forecast and Thomas Cook Travel didn’t help by not keeping us informed. However, Son kindly took us to Glasgow Airport and we left on time.

My friends know that I don’t like sitting in a metal tube for hours, many miles in the air. I’ve done it for many decades but still find it un-natural, and boring! Lady of the House, on the other hand, loves it. Attempts to placate those such as me by letting me watch some ghastly video, or be beguiled by advertising, or read glossy magazines, or eat from a cardboard box, just don’t work! An 8-hour journey could be a good chance to have a snooze to try to deal with the expected jet-lag, but the continual jollification by the stewardesses prevents this, at least for me. The shrinking seats made it even more uncomfortable. Luckily we had other passengers who were happy to chat and such distraction helped the hours to pass.

….but, the 8 hour time-zone change was the largest I have had to handle. On arrival at Calgary we almost had to put our watches back to the beginning of our journey, and keep the eyelids propped open for a long time. The warm welcome at the airport from the staff was what should be expected, but rarely received.

The transfer from Calgary to Banff was perfectly pleasant, but the weather wasn’t! The housing estates on the edge of Calgary didn’t look particularly attractive to us, but we were now in a different culture, and had better get used to it. Rain and sleet didn’t detract from the beauty of the entry into the Banff National Park and Banff itself.

We booked into the Fox Suites, wandered around the pleasant main street, and noted the courtesy of the average Canadian  car-driver. Even idiotic pedestrians who wandered across the road contrary to the crossroad signs were treated as if they were in the right! Back at the hotel, Lady and I chose to share the main course of the evening meal as the portions were obviously over-sized for us mere Brits!

Next morning, she had the chance to learn how to make waffles for breakfast and we ate a bit more than we would have at home (but we were on holiday!). We went to the railway station, to get some shots of a train going through, but no-one could tell when the next one was coming as there was no schedule. A short wait in the rain proved photo-less. We had more  opportunities to investigate the main street, the Mall, the attractive river and the museums. It was a good chance to relax after the previous days’ hassles.

Friday morning welcomed us with a fall of snow, but the skill of waffle-making and loads of coffee set us up for the day. We booked-out and boarded a coach heading north towards Jasper, but on the way we had some stops to make…………..