DAY 11 - CANADA

CANADA – DAY 11           KAMLOOPS TO VANCOUVER

We assemble at 7:00am in the lobby of Hotel 540 for transfer back to the Rocky Mountaineer for the remainder of the journey to Vancouver.  The train is much longer today as overnight a section from Jasper has joined our train from yesterday.

We receive the same pomp and flair as yesterday as we are welcomed back on board.  Today we are the first shift to breakfast (omelette with chorizo/potatoes for Michael and eggs benedict for the other three).  Lunch is Beef Spare ribs for Ian, Helen & Dot, whilst Michael has seared Tuna  -  all very nice.   Dot & Helen collect the menus as souvenirs.

  We feel more comfortable today, as we have missed out on a muffin breakfast at the hotel, scone pre breakfast and wine & cheese pre lunch.

We are lucky today in that the thick smoke haze has reduced overnight.  The geography and terrain of yesterday is very different to today.  Instead of mountainous terrain, we start off in a dry semi desert environment with either large grassy or rocky hills.  We then move into canyon areas where rivers flowing by the track have cut deep, followed by large lakes.   Beside these waterways we see ospreys and their large nests on man made structures.  We even see long horn sheep and a lone coyote.

We are often required to stop because other trains require to pass us.   This maybe up to 10 – 15 minutes.  In the distance we can see the track of an alternate railroad company, and see many trains throughout the day…. All being very long.

We pass a number of other canyon systems, some of which are known for their avalanches as the hillsides consist of loose scree.   Warning systems are in place to report likely incidents back to a control centre, who will then send a team out to investigate and clear the tracks where required.  In this section they have “rock sheds” which we drive through to enable any slides to go over the track & trains.

We see the merger of the Thompson River ( dark green water) and the milky glacial fed Fraser River and follow this very large Fraser River to Vancouver.   In the river, on its edges in many places are log pens for storing cut timber logs before processing.  The landscape has now flattened out to a river plain, where we see diverse agriculture, towns and industry.  We can still see very large snow capped mountains in the distance.

We finally hit the outskirts of Vancouver and crawl through rail yards, over large bridges crossing the very wide Frasier River and arriving at the Railway station around 6:30pm.   During this latter time, tourist passengers recited self written poetry re the trip or the staff.  Michael did one on Brandon. Hazel & Colin took out the award and were given a special pen and a unique handshake only to be used by all previous award winners when they greet one another…all a bit of fun.

 The crew of the Rocky Mountaineer provide us with a fond farewell.

We are met by the bus, and our tour group reassembles with those that travelled in silver and red class.  We are taken to the Marriott Pinnacle for the next 2 nights.

Another walk down to the impressive harbourside and then a walk around the City’s quarters.   We finish up in the Gas Section, an old part of town and have a light meal.   Walking on past this place we find a huge range of eating & nightlife places.

Back to the Hotel around 10:30pm for sleep.   Dot is having trouble with her breathing and coughing during her sleep.   I am up typing this by the light of the screen