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February 26, 2005
On climate
Part of my reason for coming to Canada at this time of year was the hope of experiencing the extreme of cold that we really don't get in Australia. It's a little late in the year for the -30C I would have liked but for an Aussie girl who got on the plane in Sydney in +30C the mere presence of snow is a shock to the system.
Last night we walked a few blocks to Safeway to pick up some groceries. There's not much snow left now but plenty of ice on the footpaths, particularly in the evening when any snowmelt again freezes solid. Walking on ice is a knack that I'm still mastering - it seems to have something to do with bracing your knees but I've slipped enough times that I walk around it wherever possible and tread carefully when I do have to cross it. I definitely hold up any Canadians I'm with as they barely break stride even on the slipperiest of ice.
Luckily I had the presence of mind to bring my gloves because it was truly cold by the time we finished the shopping. I knew it was colder than I'd ever experienced when my face began to ache and I noticed that my ears were really stinging, almost burning. A quick check on the internet revealed that it was -13C with windchill taking it down to -22C.
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February 25, 2005
Moose Jaw
There's something shabby about coach terminals no matter where in the world they are. The grimy counters with chipping laminate tops, the pens that don't work properly, the weary incurious gazes of waiting passengers and the dull rumble of buses labouring into oil stained parking lots just seem to create a gloomy miasma over any long bus trip.
Perhaps my pessimism about the 6hr trip to Moose Jaw meant I could only be pleasantly surprised.
With dustings of snow, sparse yellowed grass and gently rolling, treeless expanses the terrain between Medicine Hat and Moose Jaw reminds me of the Monaro area of Australia more than any other place I've been. We passed some loooong trains - I counted three engines and 84 carriages on this one but I'm sure some of them were longer than that.
I spent most of the trip listening to music and watching seemingly endless expanses of stubbly grass and patches of snow roll by in a semi-hypnotic state that helped the time to pass. It was great to be met at the bus depot by the friendly, smiling face of my dear friend Ken and my mood brightened immediately.
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February 24, 2005
Heading east
I'm now in Medicine Hat, Alberta. I was able to catch a lift with fellow couchsurfer Dave who flew in from the UK that day and was driving back to Medicine Hat for a house-sit. There seems to be healthy disrespect among Canadian drivers for the speed limit on the Trans-Canadian highway. With a posted limit of 110km/h most drivers were cruising at 130km/h and more than a few going as fast as 150km/h. Being a monotonously straight, four lane divided highway (for this segment, at least) of some 7,800km spanning the breadth of this vast country it is quite understandable.
Medicine Hat's main claim to fame is the giant steel Saamis Tepee, grandiosely billed as "the world's tallest tepee" it is made of large section tubular steel and is actually more a sculpture or monument than a tepee, as such.
When I asked some locals what they'd suggest someone do on their first day in Medicine Hat the response has been a cheerful laugh and "Get the hell out of town!".
Even though I was only here a few days I've had some good times with Dave and some of the locals, including some fellow couchsurfers, in the pubs and coffee shops of town but I now have a bus ticket to Moose Jaw courtesy of a mysterious benefactor (I have my suspicions!) so will be tackling the 6hr trip in the afternoon.
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February 23, 2005
Banff
Stephen very kindly took me up to Banff for the day today. It’s about an hour’s drive from Calgary and we stopped at Bragg Creek, a tourist town of the kind that caters to weekenders with innumerable shops selling souvenirs, curiousities, art, crafts and clothing. It was the perfect place to stop for a hearty breakfast along the way.
It’s difficult to adequately describe the rugged beauty of the Rocky Mountains in winter. Laced with snow and silhouetted against the clear blue sky, the jagged rock faces of the mountains bathed in sun or shrouded in shadows from neighbouring peaks they are an awe-inspiring sight.
We spent some time driving around the area and I got my bearings a little and continued to marvel at majestic, rocky crags all around and then we went into the main township of Banff. We stopped at the museum, a historic building of log construction, built in about 1895. It houses a large collection of taxidermy native animals and is well worth a visit, if one is not disturbed by taxidermy. Even though I hoped to catch sight of some live wildlife it’s still good to see all the birds and animals up close and to get an understanding of their sizes and also to get an impression of the full range of species in the area.
After wandering around town for a while we drove around the nearby area some more, going up to the Cave and Basin (closed) and the Bow Falls (frozen). Perched on the hill above the Bow Falls is the picturesque Banff Springs Lodge, which puts me in mind of the Ahwahnee in Yosemite.
We stopped at an Italian Pizza restaurant for dinner and then went up to the Hot Springs where we soaked in 37C water for an hour or more until my fingers were wrinkled prunes. Because it was a public holiday today the pool was pretty crowded even at the late hour and because the water was cooler than normal (usually it is up around 40C) there was a $1 discount on the admission price.
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Arriving in Calgary
It was extremely difficult to haul myself out of bed at 6am this morning. The temptation to sneak just a few more minutes was enormous but missing my flight to Calgary wasn’t an option.
It was a beautiful clear day the entire way and the view coming in to Vancouver was spectacular, as the city is spread in a narrow strip of land between the Rocky Mountains and the ocean. Unfortunately I had an aisle seat but the couple next to me were very tolerant of my craning to see past them out the window.
Passing through immigration was a little sticky because of my lack of an outbound ticket from Canada but after a thorough grilling about my intentions I was allowed to enter.
Taxiing in at Calgary airport I was delighted to see snow lacing the edges of the taxiways.
My host Stephen met me at the airport and we stopped at the Canada Olympic Park, built for the Winter Olympics in (I think) 1988 for a look around. The ski jumps are an impressive sight up close and although I imagine they must be still be used by athletes for practice they look a little disused – kind of like an aging roller coaster with small signs of disrepair that make me think that I wouldn’t want to be hurtling down them at 100km/h on a pair of skiis. Then again, I wouldn’t if they were shiny new either.
I was surprised to find that the bobsled track was clean and dry but there was piping running along the outside. I guess they must sluice it with water and freeze it when they need to use it.
Because Stephen had to work and there wasn’t time to take me back to the house I went with him to do his delivery runs for the evening. It’s a fast paced, intense job, frustrating at times, requiring a thorough knowledge of the city and very good driving skills.
A late dinner of tacos and then fall into bed once again.
Posted by Yasmin at 06:24 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
February 22, 2005
Still haven't slowed down
I thought four days would be plenty of time to do the errands I want to run in San Francisco, catch up with Rog and Mary and get some decent, professional looking belly dancing photos taken but once again I miscalculated.
By the time I liaised with photographers, arranged times, walked to and from train stations, travelled on the train and waited for trains that were scheduled further apart than I recalled I spent at least three hours a day just getting around. This really limited how much I could accomplish in one day and most days I arrived home quite late and fell into bed exhausted. I endured in the hope that things would settle to a more sustainable pace once I leave San Francisco.
However, despite the logistical problems, the results I've seen so far are great! Here's a sample and I'll get the others I have uploaded to my dancing page as soon as I have broadband access (I'm updating this via 28.8Kb dialup).
Posted by Yasmin at 06:01 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
February 17, 2005
It's begun
The last few days have been tumultuous to say the least. Despite my best intentions I simply didn't get a chance to post any entries here.
The constant stream of things to be done before departure turned into a deluge and the house became a landfill of clothes and belongings sorted loosely into piles; Op Shop, Garbage, Move to Mum's, Pack etc. I think there were even a few 'What-the-heck-am-I-going-to-do-with-this' piles. Although I managed to get most of the really important things done I know that I will have missed something and only time will tell how important it was.
I have to confess to a few moments of deep sadness and uncertainty as the little Metro-liner took off from Merimbula. Seeing Mum and Pete standing forlornly at the gate and then watching the sapphire blueness of the bay open out into the endless expanse of the ocean brought a lump to my throat and a tremble to my hands.
In the past few weeks leading up to this time I've felt a heightened awareness of everything I love about the area and I've found that it is the simple things that are the most important. The intense blue of the water that I have I have seen nowhere else, the blinding whiteness of the beaches, yachts moored in the shelter of the hills below the house, the bustle and activity of the fishing port, long walks on the beach or in the bush with my dogs, the scent of blossom in the air in the early morning, the carress of a sea breeze on skin on a hot day. These are just a few of the things I know will make my heart ache in the months ahead.
A seemingly endless wait at Sydney airport before my flight departed was eased by last minute phone calls from friends and family who wanted to say a final farewell. I was saddened because I will miss them all but my spirits were buoyed by knowing that they care and support me whatever I choose to do and wherever I may be. You will all be in my thoughts at different times as I travel.
My arrival in San Francisco was marked by heavy overcast skies that mirrored the thundering headache in my skull. The route from the airport to my brother Roger's house is well known to me but even the thought of lugging a heavy bag through the streets for almost an hour made my head pound even more. No taxi's were in sight so I compromised by walking part way and catching a bus part way. First order of business on arrival was drugs, a looooong shower and a cuppa tea. Now as I type this the headache has abated to dull tightness but is nothing a good night's sleep won't fix, I am sure.
Posted by Yasmin at 12:24 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
February 11, 2005
So much to do!
I knew that 5 weeks wasn't much time to prepare for a year-long round the world trip but I wasn't prepared to take any longer. Even the 5 weeks seemed a grinding eternity when I first made my resolve. Predictably enough the time flew by and I now find that an endless list of small errands and large jobs that need finishing up are competing for my attention and making my head spin.
Some things are inevitably going to remain un-done but I do need to find time to squeeze in a haircut at some stage. While the Feral-Cheryl look is de riguer for backpackers I was hoping to at least start my trip looking civilised.
To top that off I now have a sore gum and can't get an appointment to see a dentist in the day or so that remains. It's not too bad and hopefully vigourous brushing will make it feel better. Hey, it's worked before!
Posted by Yasmin at 01:36 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
February 09, 2005
Goodbyes
The time has come when it is necessary to start saying goodbye to people I may not see again for a long time. I already know I hate long and lingering goodbyes but even a brief and cheerful farewell engenders a bittersweet mixture of emotions.
Pete and I spent a wonderful evening at good friends' Judy and Mauro's Crown and Anchor drinking a couple of superb bottles of red over Judy's delicious Paella.
After dinner, in the beautiful old lounge room of the Crown and Anchor, I browsed through their collection of historic books on Eden and listened to Pete play the guitar and Mauro bash at the piano. It was then that I realised I would have to say goodbye to Mauro this night because he would be going back to work offshore on the Bass Strait platforms the next day.
Listening to them talk of their plans for the next year and sharing my own made me realise how quickly, dramatically and irrevocably things were changing. The changes are all positive and exciting, however, and it's easy to keep any sentimental affection for the past in it's place. Eden has been a beautiful place to spend a part of my life but it is time to move on.
Posted by Yasmin at 07:17 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
February 03, 2005
Too much fun
I just went through my Outlook reminders on my laptop deleting all the bill-due reminders. Incredibly liberating - no more electricity, no more rates, no more car rego, no more insurance, no more telephone. Wheeeeeeee!
Sorted out the problem with the travelocity website by booking direct through Air Canada at a cheaper rate. Must remember this for future use: Look for the cheapest fares through fare brokers then go to that airline's site to book the ticket.
Posted by Yasmin at 06:50 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
February 01, 2005
Frustration!
I've been incredibly busy with work and other tedious mundanities lately and realised I'd left it a bit late to book my flight from San Francisco to Calgary. Logged on to travelocity.com because this is where I found some good, cheap airfares a week ago. Predictably the best ones were gone but I found one that was still within range and resolved to get it out of the way then and therebefore anything else intruded. Of course, it wasn't to be that simple.
I kept getting a script error at the end of the submission process. I tried every alternative, different credit card, different delivery address, different contact numbers, different browser, you name it. Same error every time. I've sent a message off to their support email but have just about given up. I can't get a fare as cheaply or as conveniently scheduled here in Oz but it seems as though that's what I'm stuck with. One last possibility is to get my brother in SF to book it for me.
Posted by Yasmin at 08:07 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack