Thursday 20 May 2010

I see a Train!

MP3 Track of the day: Battle of Stirling - Braveheart Soundtrack

Weather: Quebec = Sunny ... Halifax = overcast but warm














Okay so it's been a while so I'll go back to Wednesday...

Wednesday 19th May



Okay so this was the day I was to leave Quebec City; I was sad to see Quebec City go but, at the same time, I felt ready to move on as I had ran out of stuff to do within the city (there were a few things outside of the city, but it wasn't that important). So I checked out of my hostel and left my baggage in the hostel locker (apart from my book and a 2ltr bottle of Orange Soda, which cost $1.75 ... bargain!) and headed back to the park.


My train wasn't until 8:15pm; I had pretty much done all of Quebec City and didn't fancy venturing out of the city (encase I got stuck and missed my train) and so a lazy day at the park was chosen. I had made a slight mistake though; I had left my suncream within my luggage and so I decided to find a nice shady spot within the park. This park is brilliant, it had all I needed; a clean park bench, a nice big tree, pretty girls roller blading in front of me and a 17th Century cannon behind me (very important the cannon). I must of sat in the park for a good 4 hours, reading my book (got half way through), stopping for short walks and then read again ... it was bliss.


At around 3:30pm I headed for lunch. The sun was fully out in all it's power; I was very conscious of my white skin getting burnt ... one the trip back I must have found every piece of shade possible (I am a shade hunter ... I am truly British). I decided that I wouldn't really have time for tea and so I had a large lunch (okay it was a McDonald's ... but I went 'large') and then headed back to the hostel. At 7pm I went to the train station to pick up my connecting taxi to the railway station. On the way I spoke to a really nice French-Canadian (all the French Canadians within Quebec have been lovely) and we chatted allot ... so much so in fact he asked if he could have my email address so he could see what I was up to (he's thinking of 'couch surfing travelling' next year) and I handed him my card (third one I've got rid of ... less weight and all that). At the train station we parted; I got my 18hr train to Halifax and he went off into the province of Quebec (still a 12hr journey he was telling me).


On the train I sat down and pretty much went to sleep.




Thursday 20th May


Okay when I say I went to sleep; I tried to go to sleep. I reckon I had about 4/6hrs sleep in total. Anyway as I woke, at 6:30am, I looked round me; to the left was a window (good start); in front was a quiet girl. Two rows back to the right was the girls mother (who spent the whole trip occasionally staring at me). Finally to the right was a mother and her two children; one was about 11 and he was a little large (the mother was huge) and a 2/3 year old who was cute but very annoying (as I was to find out soon). I opened my pack up to find 2 cereal bars and chocolate muffin for breakfast, which I was just about to tuck into, until I noticed that the mother on the right was just changing the child's dyper (nappy for those of us who speak English properly) ... maybe I'll have breakfast later, oh and the mother two rows back was still staring.


For most of the trip the little child (Justin) was annoying, very annoying. At one point he was pointing out of the window saying:

"... I see train..."

10 seconds later

..."I see train..."

10 seconds later

"... I see train..."

10 seconds later

"... I see train..."

At this point I wanted to shout ... IT'S THE SAME TRAIN, WE'VE STOPPED!!!

The above is just one example of the trip; he was just ... errr I know why Steve (at work) doesn't like children. The best bit was when the mother (who had sworn in front of her children ... which I didn't think was on) asked the child to just do this one thing he was told ... I was thinking WHY ... HE HASN'T DONE ANYTHING ELSE YOU ASKED HIM TO DO ... I suppose I'm just used to my nephew and nieces who must be the most well behaved children on the Earth ... oh and the woman two rows back is still staring.


Now from the above negative comments you would have thought the trip was a disaster (staring, continual nappy changes and an annoying infant), and it would have been if not for the views. As I passed through Quebec into New Brunswick then into Nova Scotia the scenery changed from a sandy hot terrain to one of massive forests, lots and lots of marshes and rivers ... it was simply beautiful and reminded me allot of Scotland. I've taken some pictures on my Flickr account, however they are from my phone and I'm on a moving train.


Anyway I've now arrived in Halifax and it's not quite what I expected. I know its the capital of Nova Scotia but I was expecting a little more 'fishing village look' and not so much the 'twined with Peckham' look. Still the people are very friendly and I've met three British backpackers; one is a guy who has been here for a couple of months looking for a job. He took ancient history at university and wants to work in a museum ... but he does look like he's just smoked something other than tobacco. The other two are a young couple from Leicester; however it's not all bad ... they both seem really nice and have just arrived in Canada.


Well that's me done for tonight; I'm not going to get something to eat because I'm dead beat. So food wise hasn't been very good recently (in the last 30hrs I've had a large McDonald's, 2 cereal bars, 1 chocolate muffin, 1 massive bag of potato chi ... crisps and loads of cooki ... chocolate biscuits), however tomorrow I'll rectify the situation.

Toodle Pip

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