Friday 4 June 2010

It just gets better and better and better

1st June 2010 - white rabbits, white rabbits, white rabbits

Mp3 track of the day: If I ruled the world - Jamie Cullumn

Weather: Good, the sky was white with cloudy
















Looking up at the sky it was cloudy but very clear, therefore I decided to go on the tramway. The tramway travels up Whistler mountain (which was the mountain outside my hostel) which currently was the only way up due to a recent sighting of a Grizzly Bear on the footpath. I walked up to the tramway and handed in my 'free pass' (which worked ... huzzar!). On the tram there was a guy who did a quick talk about the mountain and the surrounding area.




I stepped out onto the viewing platform to meet one of the most beautiful views I have ever seen. I can't describe how beautiful the views were in words, but if a Canadian had said that the view was 'awesome' I would have agreed. I spend around 3 hours up at the top, just sitting there and looking out into Jasper National Park ... bliss (I also took loads of photos ... check my Flickr account). Whilst up there I met an American guy from Texas who was really nice; he kept finding me on the viewpoint and saying "... son, you've got to have your picture taken here..." I couldn't leave the viewing platform and walk to the top due to the snow and the grizzly bear sighting (still I wasn't bothered).




I didn't want to go down, really I didn't, but I knew I had to at some point. When down I headed into the shop and purchased a book of photographs of the Rockies (superb quality, worth every cent). I then headed down to the hostel to have lunch. Unfortunately, at 2:30pm, the kitchen was 'out of bounds' due to cleaning (they have all day!) and so I headed, with my new purchase, into Jasper.




The plan was to post my book of the Rockies home, book my hostel in Lake Louise and work out how to get there. I found the post office and posted my book home no problem; secondly I went to 'Sundog' tours and met a 'well fit' Canadian chick who was also really helpful. Unfortunately there is no direct Greyhound service from Jasper to Lake Louise (I would have to go back to Edmonton, then Calgary, then Banff and then Lake Louise ... a 15hr trip). Apparently I had two options:


  • One option was a direct link 8:30am - 12pm down the Icefield Parkway which cost around $68.00


  • Option two was a tour which went along the Icefield Parkway (8:30 - 16:00), stopped at various sights, stopped if there were any animals along the way and went to the Columbia Icefield (which you could go onto for an additional $50.00) for $93.00. Plus it picked me up at my Jasper hostel and dropped me off at my hostel in Lake Louise.


Once I had this information I then went to the local library to use the internet to book my hostel at Lake Louise. I then returned to 'sundog' tours and booked the Icefield Parkway tour with the hot Canadian Chick (to be honest, if she was selling an epileptic baboon I think I still would have purchased it). I decided that, for an additional $25.00, the tour would be much better as the Icefield Parkway is supposed to be one of the best roads to drive in the world.



Once this was done I headed back to the hostel and asked up increase my stay for another day (until Friday); luckily there was room and so I then had tea and, as it was Tuesday, worked out my daily average spending.



£51.32!!! Ouch ... I'm a little over and that doesn't include the tour I've just booked. To save some cash I have decided to only have 2 nights in Lake Louise and 2 nights in Banff; this means that my Greyhound pass will still be vaild for the 16hr trip from Banff to Vancouver (which is roughly the same price as the tour).



After this I put my name down for the free hike to Pyramid mountain on Thursday and went to sleep ... wondering what delight tomorrow would bring.



Toodle Pip

No comments:

Post a Comment