Beautiful Canada.

Hi Everyone.

Back from a week in Canada and preparing for a week in New Mexico.  It was only a week in Canada but what a beautiful week it was.  I flew to Calgary in Alberta and then got a bus to Bamff.  The contrast between to plains around Calgary and the Rockies in the distance is amazing.  

I have to admit to falling in love with the Rockies.  They are so rugged and massive and stunning.  It doesn't matter if I see them from the air or ground, they just blow me away.  I'm not so sure about winter there.  The Aussies I spoke to said it's dreadfully cold and, from my memories of living with real snow and ice, I have no trouble believing them.

Bamff is charming and but very touristy (if I can use that word).  It was full of German, English, American, Australian, Japanese and lots of other tourists.  I was surprised when I arrived at my hotel to hear an Aussie accent at reception.  However, once I started to move around the town, almost every second person in retail was a young Aussie person on a working holiday. I started to become aware of the fact that Canadians are a little more casual than Americans  and just as friendly.  I had to buy a little coin purse for my Canadian currency and the lovely man in the supermarket took the time to explain their coins to me.  Oh how I appreciated that little gesture!  Their notes are different colours and very attractive after the dull greenbacks of the US but...... their $5 notes are the same colour as our $10 notes and vice versa.  So of course I handed someone a $5 note when I needed a $10 note a couple of times.

One night in Bamff was enough for me and the next morning I set off by bus through Bamff National Park and Jasper National Park.  Wow, what a day!  I felt as if my head was on a swivel and it was impossible to take it all in.  Our bus driver had lived in the area for most of his life and he had made it his mission to learn as much about the area as possible and he drove the route regularly so he he knew the places to look for wild life.  He also knew the history and the geology of the area.  It was fascinating.  Canada is such a huge country, so much bigger than Australia but we can relate to the tales of exploration just the same.  There were even a couple of women explorers.  Pretty amazing for those days and in those clothes.

I have to admit to having about 500 photos of snow capped mountains and glacier fed rivers, lakes and waterfalls and I'll try not to bore you with too many of them but each one is so beautiful in it's own way. One of the famous ones is Lake Louise.  There is a huge classy hotel there but the lake is much better to look at.  The day I was there was overcast and the blue of the lake was not he same as on a bright sunny day.   Gorgeous just the same.

Further along was the Raven's Claw Glacier.  All the glaciers seem to be melting faster than they are growing at this time.  These little plants use the fluffy foliage and the snow or ice on the outside to insulate themselves so they don't freeze over.  Then on to Bow Lake.  It looks rather threatening in this weather but I can imagine it would look much happier on a sunny day.  As you can see it still has some ice in it.  While walking around, I met a young fellow from Toowoomba.  He's over in Canada working as a cowboy on a feedlot in Alberta.  He told me he has a cowboy hat and chaps - got to look the part I suppose.  He and his mates had four days off work and were in a combi van traveling around the area.  He said it had been -6 degrees in the van the night before.  I'm so thankful for warm hotels.

Further along we came across a black bear just strolling along beside the road looking for something to eat.  Pretty relaxed about a bus pulling up, more important things on its mind.  It seems to me that no matter how many bears people see, their fascination never diminishes. The bus driver was just as excited as we were.  Then a bit further along the road another bear.  Two bears in one day how lucky!
Another very touristy thing to do, but fun just the same, is to go up to the ice fields.  It was freezing cold but fun to be there.  I have a video of people walking like penguins on the ice.  Our driver was this amazing Japanese man called Sami.  He's 62 and looks and acts like a extrovert 18 year old.  So much fun. 

Getting closer to Jasper but more beautiful waterfalls to see.  The Athabasca Falls (say that with your teeth out!) are huge and very noisy.  I couldn't imagine how much water was passing through per second but they were extremely powerful and complete with a deep gorge full of fast flowing water.  Obviously bears in the area too.

So all in all a successful day - two bears, numerous mountains, glaciers, lakes and stunning waterfalls.  Jasper here I come.  So I settled back in anticipation of a warm shower and a nice dinner.  Until ...........

Lotsaluv

Carmel