The first view from my window hastily taken (there was a 5am alarm and a ‘be here on time or else’ warning with which to comply). The coach driver said ‘I’m leaving at 6am you’re welcome to join me’ funny guy but he was dead serious. Even if I’d had more time I don’t think I could have improved on this image, not really much to work with here.
We arrived in Kamloops late in the rainy afternoon yesterday, so we didn’t see any more of the town other than this view and what we saw from the bus on the way in. It looked a bit like Penrith, just your average suburban town, not touristy and as such I would have liked to visit it a bit but we didn’t even have the energy to eat in a local restaurant, just room service (which was delicious) and sleep (well sort of - whoever can sleep when there’s that sort alarm set?)
Breakfast on the train is a three course meal whilst looking at this, takes the sting out of the 5am alarm
The trip today followed seven rivers. It was a bit longer than yesterday’s trip, hence the earlier start with some very interesting tunnels at the end of the day. Chase, was efficient, friendly, ever patient (some ‘characters’ on board) erudite and articulate. This really enhanced the experience for me. Having had a few bus trips with guides who did not have these characteristics, I was grateful.
Two of the characters, were cranky lady 1 & 2, you know them, they’re on every group trip. The ones who do not listen to instruction and then complain when they don’t know what’s happening. This pair even complained to Chase about their plane flights when they found out he works for same same carrier. They found it hard to wait to 9:30 when the liquor licence kicked in, sat with their back to the view (really, they did!) & feet up on the chair, which I think is rude. The chairs reclined and had footrests after all, not to mention seat warmers & lumbar support. But their biggest crime was they sat with their eyes on their phone NOT the scenery.
I find people hard to understand at the best of times but this behaviour, I just cannot work out. This is a once in a lifetime experience, every single minute to be soaked up, every single drop of goodness to be savoured and stored for the days when you’re standing at the ironing board / kitchen sink / washing machine etc. We all know I love my phone but the only time I had it in my hand was to take pictures, because look what the cranky ladies were missing.
And don’t get me started on the food which they fussed about - not going down to it in their allotted time. It was amazing despite having to eat to the disturbing accompaniment of mr sniffy mc-cough-face (dude! Take that revolting messy noise outside when you’re eating in public eating areas).
I guess I’m just not a good ‘group people’ person, not a joiner if you will. After our first foray into sharing a table with some albeit lovely ladies where keeping up my side of the small talk was exhausting, Mike devised a cunning plan so that we always got a table on our own - heaven.
Even though it’s called the Rocky Mountaineer it seemed like we were in the Rocky Mountains for about five minutes lol, but oh boy are they spectacular.
I know I’ve been banging on about it, but the Rocky Mountaineer is amazing. Of course they are working with some spectacular scenery but all the way they manage all other moving pieces makes this train trip one very impressive experience. They take your bags and put them in your hotel room, and then in the morning you just leave them right there in the hotel room and they move them on to the next place! They get hundreds of people boarded and detrained, loaded on and unloaded off buses, into and out of hotels with a seemingly effortless precision that would make the Germans proud to take ownership. If you’re wondering what to do in Canada, do this trip. It will make you smile like this
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