Wednesday morning I went out into the drizzling rain to walk to Granville Island. It was a nice fresh morning a part from the rain and I wanted to go back to Granville market as this was one of the things I remembered from my trip as a kid. Granville Market is one of the main things on the Island but there are loads of studios and galleries around this where you can see the artists at work or browse round the shops. I spent a long time walking into and out of the hundreds of different studios from glass blowing to iron work to quilting it is all here. There is a childrens market that houses all the old wooden toys, games and kites in a huge array of colours everything bold, bright and eye catching.
Granville Markets itself was much smaller than I remembered it being but it is strange how a child’s eye see’s things so differently. I sat and had a coffee and took in the atmosphere. I took photographs of the flower stalls and the neatly piled bundles of carrots and pyramid stacks of cherries and strawberries. One thing that is definitely different about America and Canada is that everything they sell has to be presented in the most ridiculous fashion. Each cherry strawberry or carrot is inspected for any signs of soil or natural sugar marks and polished within an inch of its life. It is no wonder that kids grow up believing that fruit and veg are cultivated in a sterile environment right inside that supermarkets and grocery stores.
When I left the market it was really pouring down and so I caught a bus up to Gastown, a large proportion of original building and a huge tourist area. I was again revisiting childhood memories and I went to see the Steam clock and had a late lunch at the Old Spaghetti Factory. I immediately realised that this was the perfect place for backpackers and budget travelers to go because you buy a main meal and get bread, salad or soup, tea or coffee and ice cream all in the price and the food was really tasty. Feeling very full I left Gastown and walked to the library to use the internet. After which I walked through the shopping centres as far as I could to get back to the hostel trying on a few clothes but managing to resist temptation. I watched a movie and managed to get to bed reasonably early for my 5am start.
I dragged myself out of bed and packed the rest of my stuff in the dark and went down to wait for the taxi to the train station. It arrived within minutes and delivered me to the train station 45 minutes ahead of departure time. I really don’t understand why they tried to insist on an hour, I was too early. We got loaded up and set off stopping numerous times to pick up and drop off passengers 10 minutes to stretch the legs before another few hours on the road. The day started off raining and then we came across blue skies and the cloud lifting from the snow capped mountain tops. We traveled further still and the scenery was looking more and more impressive. The cloud had however started to descend again but it seemed to add a new dimension to the patterns on the mountains and the sky line. I had been told that no 2 days looked the same in the Rockies but I got the impression that no 2 minutes looked the same in the Rockies. At 9pm we finally arrived in Banff and was thankful for the walk to the hostel after so many hours being in the bus. It was bloody freezing though.
The Same sun hostel in Banff was not too far out of the centre and had a real ski lodge feel about it. It has a nice courtyard in the centre with chalet style rooms coming off that and en suite rooms which meant not having to freeze to go to the bathroom. I was in a 4 bed room with only 1 other person in. A girl called Kristy from New Zealand. I talked to her about my new found love for New Zealand and she said she was on a working holiday visa exploring BC and Alberta before going to work in a Summer camp near Toronto. The following morning after a breakfast of pancakes and maple syrup we walked into town and she went off to the cave and basin while I explored Bow Falls. There were really pretty and it was a nice walk from the town centre a long the side of the river. I took loads of photo’s for me and a couple for other people. After this I went to warm up in a coffee shop and then explored to town centre.
Back at the hostel I told Kristy the merits of the Old Spaghetti Factory and that night we went there for dinner and then to the cinema to see Robin Hood.
It seems to have been a while now since I updated the blog and I felt the last one was more a snapshot. The days have been full of activities and nights packed with music and conversation and thoughts of what has been have taken a back seat.
I spent Saturday exploring Ganges market and meeting a few local characters. The market is made up of Saltspring residents selling their creations. It is amazing to see there is so much talent on one Island, even local youngsters are getting in on it selling homemade sweets and candy or singing their hearts out for the masses. It is one of the highlights of the week for locals and tourists and this one was a big deal because it was a bank holiday weekend. I tasted my way round the cheese stalls and bought bread and biscuits. I also found a lovely stone necklace and one of Jess’s screen printed scarves without going for my usual brown or turquoise tendencies. A breadth of inspiration for any budding artistic entrepreneur. Sunday morning saw us catching the ferry to Vancouver Island and going to the 147th annual Victoria highland games. After the obligatory bagpipes, marching bands and highland dancers I reveled in the 6ft kilt wearing bear like creations on display in the heavy weight highland games event. I was only disappointed to discover they were nearly all wearing shorts under their kilts. After we had our fill we went into town for Trevor to do some last minute shoe shopping and for a late lunch at one of the many pubs on Government street.
Bank holiday Monday I left Trevor and Chenty packing up the house and drove down into Ganges going for a coffee and trying on shoes that I really can’t buy. Past Ganges I found a nice shell beach and sat their whiling away the day alternating between studying the fantastic scenery and my latest book. Later we went out for dinner and listened to some live music at Saltsprings coolest music venue ‘The Tree House’. On ground level but nestled around a tree this cafe/restaurant plays host to local talent every night of the week in the summer months. I have driven and walked past this place for the past week and have never seen it without a queue out the door and a waiting list on the board, while other restaurants surrounding it sit empty. They were holding a Bob Dylan night in honour of his 69th birthday. we listened for a while and then went back to the house and I packed my bags for the following morning.
Which brings me to today. I caught the early ferry with Chenty and Jess to Swartz Bay where I got straight on another ferry to Vancouver city. I am spending a couple of days here before getting the bus to Banff on Thursday. I went to the tourist information to look for other hostels in the city. I have taken to just going with the Hostel International hostels and these are quite often more money then some of the others. I am after all 5 months into the trip now and in real need of cutting corners where I can. I found the Samesun Backpackers and resolved myself to the fact that the money I saved could at least pay for the taxi I needed to take to the bus station due to lack of local public transport at 5.30am!
I walked round some shops and posted another parcel home at the post office. I found the Library which is a mammoth building that looks a little like a modern take on the Coliseum in Rome. I have also never seen a library with a pub attached. All emails sorted, information gathered and a plan set out for tomorrows activities I went back to the hostel, that also has a cheap bar and restaurant, for dinner.
After getting the Clipper ferry from pier 69 in Seattle I arrived in Victoria 3 hours later and was searching the dark recesses of my brain to see if there was anything that I remembered from 20 years ago. I cleared customs and was greeted by Trevor and Chenty and we went for dinner in Victoria before catching the last ferry back to Saltspring Island. The conversation flowed easily and I was happy to be sharing some of my travel stories with people I knew. They are days away from their own trip around the world on a motorbike and it makes me think that I want to start me trip over again.
The view from their house is amazing and you can see for miles across to Vancouver on one side and Vancouver Island on the other. Bald eagles are flying round above and the hummingbirds congregating round the feeder. The caravan on the drive is where I am calling home this week and it is really comfortable and nice to have peace and quiet and no strangers moving round in the room at 6am.
The first day on the island we went out for lunch and Chenty gave me a quick tour. The days seem to be flying by so fast and I have been here 5 days now. The last 5 days have consisted of a day exploring the island on my own, walking round Rundle park, in Victoria exploring the city, Butchart Gardens taking artistic photographs and walking round Ganges market. I have had a great time and taken loads more photograph. It was raining the first few days in the mornings but as soon as I arrived somewhere it seemed to stop, it must have been my positive attitude!
Victoria was nice, I walked around the city, went in the BC museum and went to Chinatown. I found a great bead shop in Market square and a good book shop in Munro books. Butchart Gardens had some great colours and I really enjoyed taking photographs there, trying to time it right to get a bee among the flowers. Ganges market is great because it is all locally produced and it is the people that make it that sand on the stalls. There was everything from soap to cheese. All absolutely great and I wanted to buy so much. I managed to spend 3 hours wandering round the market and Ganges town and I came away with bread, biscuits, apple chips, a scarf made by Jess, a pretty stone necklace and a felt flower brochet.
I feel inspired. Sorry there are no photo’s folks but I can’t get them scaled down for the blog without downloading 3000 photos on to random computers. I will keep trying but I hope the descriptions go far enough for you to form your own mental picture. Lets see if I did a good job when I get them on here or when I get back!
I got out of the hostel in Auckland on Saturday morning, went to the Library to check my emails and then caught the bus to the airport. Not wanting to leave New Zealand left me feeling more than a little sad to be checking in my bag again America bound. At 1pm I boarded the plane after going through double security checks (for America only) and had a 12 hour flight unable to sleep again. Therefore my journey consisted off Brothers, Twilight: New Moon, Pam Ann: Live in London and my new favourite Australian film Bran Neu Dae. The Plane landed in LA at 6.30am and I went through Customs and Immigration with a very nice officer who was asking me all about England. He wanted to go but didn’t think he could face the flight.
Going into terminal 3 was a different story, the immigration people were just moody and I got stopped at the security gate and was told they ‘wanted to check my pants’. Having lived in Newcastle for the past 9 years and watched enough American TV to know that they actually wanted to check my trousers but I was still a bit taken aback. After doing all this I still had another 3 hours to wait but I had a book, my ipod and a Starbucks so it wasn’t long till boarding. Another 2 1/2 hours and I had arrived in Seattle with sleep deprivation really kicking in. It is weird to think that because of crossing the international date line I had arrived before I set off.
From the airport I got the light rail to Chinatown and walked to the hostel. As soon as I dropped my bags in the room I went for a shower to wake myself up knowing that I had to stay awake to go to bed tonight and minimise the jet lag. I did feel better after my shower and set off on my orientation walk. I walked up 3rd Ave and past the library and the art gallery then stopped for coffee at Seattle’s Best Coffee Co. (I am trying to avoid Starbucks in its birthplace) where I got talking to a lady that told me it was the cheese festival this weekend at Pike Place Market and I asked her about the buses (free in the CBD) and a couple of the visitor attractions. Someone on the plane mentioned a great seafood restaurant on one of the Piers so I am hoping to go there when Helen arrives (note the when not if). I walked down to Pike Place market but it was already 5pm and people were packing up, I wandered round a bit knowing that I could have a better look on Sunday. On the way back I found a great Thai takeaway so with my Prawn Pad Plik I went back to the hostel.
Finally giving in to sleep at 9.30pm I got up at 10am having slept 12 1/2hours and feeling like I had woken from hibernation. I caught the bus to Waterlake Centre and wandered round the shops before heading down to the market. Seattle is an easy city to navigate, with a better workout for legs than most. The lady in the coffee chop yesterday said that she, like many locals, had found routes through the buildings in the lifts to get up the streets. I am amazed that Hong Kong has outdoor escalators but cities in America don’t. I figured that I am more likely to get myself lost in the shops and definitely spend more money so I keep walking up the hills. It doesn’t have as many as Auckland.
Anyway down at the market and this place is crazy. Loads of stalls with all different kinds of cheese but yo have to fight your way through to them. This market is in every guide book and tourist leaflet for Seattle but also frequented by the locals for the fresh produce like seafood directly from the piers below. There are flower stalls and loads of people walking around cradling bouquets like babies or with them high in the air away from bodies. I ate at one of the seafood restaurants in the market over looking the piers, the aquarium and Elliott bay. I picked out some salmon and vegetables for dinner and after satisfying my market fix I walked back up the hill to the library for my 30 minutes free internet time.
I had a 7 hr bus journey down from Christchurch to Queenstown and now I was here I really needed to decide on the best ways to spend my time and my dwindling budget. I spent time in Queenstown which is incredibly beautiful nestled on the side of Lake Wakatipu surrounded by The Remarkables on one side and the Richardson mountains on the other. Queenstown is the most touristy place in New Zealand totally geared to the thrill seekers looking for their next adrenalin fix. Choose between skydiving, paragliding, jet boating, canyon swinging, canyon diving, bungy or rafting all year round and then skiing and snowboarding in the winter thrown in. I decided on jet boating and chose the only company that went up the Shotover river canyons and advertised themselves as ‘the worlds most exciting jet boat ride’. It was really good, we traveled up the Shotover river 6km through the canyons and pulling 360 degree turns. I was very impressed with the attention to detail like the heated hand rails. The men in the boat were screaming like girls and they happened to mention that the second run was half price so I jumped at the chance to do it again. Although the drivers were very skillful you could tell that it was a practised routine and no variation from one ride to the next. Even the best jobs had elements of routine.
I collected the photographs from the gift shop and took a load of my own of the next boat emerging from the canyons. On the way out they had a hall of fame and I now know that even though I haven’t been able to meet the All Blacks, I could have sat in the same seat as not only them but Ryan Reynolds, Elijah (Frodo) Wood, Sean Astin and half of the England rugby team too!
The next day before the trip to Lake Tekapo I went up in the gondola to enjoy the views. It was a fantastically clear day and I could see for miles. I walked the loop track up the mountain through the pine forest to get a clear view of the para-gliders below. I sat with a coffee enjoying the view before having to leave to pick up my bag and catch the bus. Initially I had planned to return to Christchurch today but encouraged by the weather I got off the bus at Lake Tekapo to enjoy on evening of stargazing. It was truly spectacular and the skies were so clear. Millions of stars competing to the brightest and I felt like they were all there just for me. I sat outside for a couple of hours just wishing I could pack this up in my rucksack too. Then I settled in front of the log burning fire to warm up with a hot drink.
In the day light I went for a walk along the lake side before continuing the journey to Christchurch which was pretty uneventful. Thursday and another flight back to Auckland. When I arrived it was raining and didn’t stop for the night. I went to the library to use the internet and then made dinner and watched Forest Gump at the hostel.
Rated as one of the greatest train journeys in the world and I was on it. The Tranzalpine train from Christchurch to Greymouth. There was a deal where you could experience the journey and still stay on track with travel plans so I went there and back in the same day. The journey there took 4 1/2 hours and crossed the Canterbury plains before climbing through the Waimakairi Gorge to Arthurs Pass National Park. This was the highest point of the journey and 737 meters above sea level at Arthurs pass itself then heading downwards again through the 8.5km Otira Tunnel and bursting out into the rain forests of the west coast or ‘wet coast’ as it is affectionately known. The train had an open viewing deck for taking photographs although it was incredibly difficult trying to stand up in the wind and freezing. Traveling a distance of 230 kilometers, going through 18 tunnels and over numerous viaducts we arrived in Greymouth at 12.30. This gave me 1 1/2 hours to explore Greymouth and have lunch before the return journey. Greymouth is a nice small town on the west coast and looking out over the Tasman Sea. I went down to the water and looked round the town before settling into a cafe for coffee and a sandwich. On the journey back I took photo’s of all the things I missed first time round but it wasn’t long before it started to get dark. We arrived back in Christchurch at 7pm and had another fantastic day.
Saturday I spent exploring the cultural precinct and art’s centre of Christchurch. I know they say that Christchurch is more English than parts of England but the old buildings, bridges and punting on the river could easily have been Cambridge. I ended up in an Irish pub drinking New Zealand cider and realised how truly accessible the world is and how things are not that different in other countries. The Irish will always set up their own pubs where ever they settle in the world, the Chinese and increasingly so the Thai, will open food outlets and the British will always put their historical stamp on the architecture.
Sunday morning and another early one. This wasn’t good as I haven’t been sleeping well recently. I don’t think this was helped by watching The boy in stripped pyjamas last night. The atomic shuttle bus picked me up from the hostel and drove the 7 hours down to Queenstown. This went via Lake Tekapo, Twizel and Mt Cook. I saw amazing scenery and took another heap of photographs. It was good because the driver took us via a salmon farm and the possibility of fantastic views of Mt Cook, the highest mountain in New Zealand. We were really lucky, the views of Mt Cook were amazing and clear blue skies. The driver said there was only a 30% chance of seeing this and it was rarely as clear as it was today. The whole day was brilliantly clear and it made the already beautiful autumnal colours shine even brighter. Speaking of autumn, I am finding it hard to get my head around autumn being in May, I don’t know what I would have done if I was here for a summer christmas.
Before I go I also need to mention the driver from Crompton to Queenstown. We stopped in Crompton to meet another bus approx 30km away from Queenstown and lost our driver to another bus. The new driver insisted on pumping the accelerator and we bunny hopped all the way. I was talking to a guy that had come on his bus from Alexandra and looked awfully grey. He said he was feeling really sick and hoped he would get rid of this driver but he had followed him. It was a good job it wasn’t far, I am sure another few kilometers and I would have had a lap full of a strangers vomit.
Unfortunately this post needs to start with a warning, DO NOT travel round New Zealand on your own. There is absolutely no way that you can drive, read the map, gawp at the scenery, take photographs and add in all the oohs and aah’s of appreciation on your own, it is like hell on earth. Having said that, this is some of the most beautiful scenery I have ever experienced and I am really pleased to be here.
After catching the bus and picking up the car I drove from Auckland on the impressively named Thermal Explorers Highway (no A1 here). This route took me via Hamilton and Cambridge but I wanted to get to Rotorua. I knew I was there when the smell hit me. Seriously, it smells like a rotten egg diarrhoea with a bit of red wine vomit thrown in for good measure. I wandered around the town for a while and down to Lake Rotorua before going to the Government Gardens and Geothermal Springs. I had to catch the ferry at 2pm the next day and so had to drive further south today. I was pleased I did as I discovered the Huka Falls and Lake Taupo. The falls were really impressive and made you appreciate the true power of nature. Millions of gallons of water with tremendous force charging through a narrow gap in the landscape and the purest blue colours in everyshade. I walked around both sides and took plenty of photographs. Lake Taupo was beautiful and the water from Huka falls fed into it. It is just a massive expanse of water and I drove round the side of it for about 30kms stopping to take photographs of the sun setting over the mountains in the background. I think other people then had the same idea as I passed people stopping their cars and getting out the cameras. I made it to Turangi YHA and managed to talk the lady into giving me a free upgrade so I had a sound nights sleep in my own room for an early start in the morning. Just time for dinner and a soak in the indoor hot tub before bed.
Tuesday morning 7.30am I filled up with petrol and took to the road once more for the run down to Wellington. Check in for the ferry closed at 1pm and I had been told that it would take anything from 3 1/2 hrs- 5hrs to get there. The roads were pretty clear and I only got stopped for sheep crossing twice. I travelled round Mt Tongariro and Mt Ruapehu where the snow fields are and although there was snow on the mountains the roads were clear. I kept in the same road and travelled through mountains and along the river with the temperature climbing the further I went. The road went within a few kilometers of the beach and I was making good time so I stopped in Waitarere for a walk along the beach. The sand was black and littered with shells and drift wood. I picked a couple of good ones and got back in the car. I arrived at the ferry terminal at 12.30 and sat in the sun till they loaded us up into the ‘bloody big metal ship’ (sorry reference to movie Australia which I saw twice while I was there).
3 1/2 Hrs later and freezing cold from staying outside to take photographs of the Marlborough sounds we arrived in Picton. Nelson was the nicest hostel in the area and on the route that I wanted to take to Christchurch so I decided to stay there, the only down side was that it was a 100km drive along very twisting roads up and down the mountain sides in the dark. I crossed over the bridge into Nelson all lit up and was happy I had arrived. The Youth hostel is lovely so I made dinner and settled into a film in the tv lounge, excited to see what Nelson looked like in the day light.
Next morning and I took a little time to explore Nelson. I booked the next 2 nights accommodation for Hanmer Springs tonight and Christchurch city for tomorrow. I am trying to sort things out but realised that if I want to get back to Auckland in time without flying I will need to get off on Tuesday which means only 7 days on the South Island. I think I am going to have to fly again but on the plus side this is much cheaper than any alternative. After I left nelson I drove down to Lake Riotiti and took a load of photographs I could have stayed there all day. It was really beautiful and so tranquil, until a bus load of Kiwi Experience arrived. The scenery I have seen today has been truly mind blowing and words can not do justice to how beautiful the landscape is. I stopped on numerous occasions and had lunch at Maruia Falls where I was mesmerized by the rainbow over the falls. A few people went to the lookout but otherwise I had the place to myself. I later found out that Maruia Falls were formed by an earthquake when the course of the river changed. The drive continued through Lewis Pass and on to Hanmer Springs where I spent the night. On exploration of the village I found the Hanmer Springs Spa so went for a soak in the warm bubbling waters before making dinner.
Thursday and on to Christchurch. I dropped off the car without any hassle and got to the city and the hostel. I had a vague idea of how the next few days would pan out but I seriously needed to book things and make the plans a reality. I didn’t need to worry because no sooner had I put my bag down and made my bed Ben, one of the hostel guys, had booked my accommodation for the next 5 nights, transport to Queenstown and the TranzAlpine train trip for tomorrow. With my credit card still smoking from his efforts, I went for a walk round Christchurch to try and get my head around the early starts, amazing experiences and long journeys that were ahead of me.
Having arrived in Auckland yesterday in the dark I didn’t really get a chance to see the city, that was the treat for today when I stepped out of the hostel. I had spent last night going through all the magazines, travel reports and brochures that I had gathered to try and plan the best way to make the most of this experience of New Zealand. This is the first place that I have felt as if I needed a plan and after 4 months of just going day to day it hasn’t come naturally. For my first visit there are a few things that I want to see on the North Island including Rotorua, Auckland, Lake Taupo and Waitomo but the majority of the must see things are on the South Island. This said I needed to book a car or van to relocate there. Although they don’t pay anything for petrol here this is still the cheapest way for me to get down to the South Island whilst being able to see things i.e. not flying.
Car booked for Monday and I have 2 days in Auckland and plenty to explore. I started by walking up to the Museum and Domain Park. Walking into the park on a Saturday morning I knew I had made the right decision to come here. The trees were a wash with autumnal colours, leaves rustled underfoot and most importantly there was a healthy gathering of Aucklandians playing rugby. I stood and watched for a while before dragging myself away. I read last night that they have Maori cultural experiences at the Museum so I went to experience. It was fantastic they called us all through to the Atrium where they talked and performed traditional Maori songs, dances and games before culminating in the Haka (the warrior dance the All Blacks do before the rugby game). I got a really good photograph of one of the women with demon eyes! After the performance we sampled some Maori food and got a guided tour around their section of the museum. I could comment on the Maori guys and their tribal tattoos wearing very little but I might leave that one for Rotorua or your imagination.
From the museum I walked through the Domain Park and into the city mostly via a series of parks. I explored Queen street and the Skycity Tower, I walked round Aotea Square and Myers Park before going for dinner. I enjoyed a drink and a movie with others in the hostel and I can’t believe the day went so quickly, is that what they are all going to be like?
Sunday morning and I needed a coffee to wake me up. I hit Karangahape Rod or K’Road just up from the hostel and home to a large proportion of the coffee shops in Auckland. Suitably awake and ready for another day of exploring, I walked down Ponsonby road and into Western park in the general direction of Victoria park market. Yes I know another market but seriously that is where you get a feel for the place and the people. Victoria park market was small but full of Arts and crafts, clothes and home to the most comfortable pair of shoes that I have ever tried on. It is still home to the most comfortable pair of shoes that I have ever tried on because it is also the most expensive pair of shoes that I have ever tried on. They are an American brand so I could have a look to see if they are any cheaper when I get there.
After the market I walked down to Viaduct Harbour and along the waterfront. It is a gorgeous day the sun is shining and it is not as cold as I was expecting yet, although not sandal weather. Passed the Britomart bus and train station and Westfield Downtown shopping centre where I stopped to buy a fleece. Another coffee later and I was back on Queen Street adn heading up the hill back to the hostel. Laundry day today a mundane task that still needs to be done where ever you are, at least this hostel has a computer in the laundry. Other hostels take note, this is a good idea.
Wednesday morning I went out into the drizzling rain to walk to Granville Island. It was a nice fresh morning a part from the rain and I wanted to go back to Granville market as this was one of the things I remembered
from my trip as a kid. Granville Market is one of the main things on the Island but there are loads of studios and galleries around this where you can see the artists at work or browse round the shops. I spent a long time walking into and out of the hundreds of different studios from glass blowing to iron work to quilting it is all here. There is a childrens market that houses all the old wooden toys, games and kites in a huge array of colours everything bold, bright and eye catching.
When I left the market it was really pouring down and so I caught a bus up to Gastown, a large proportion of original building and a huge tourist area. I was again revisiting childhood memories and I went to see the Steam clock and had a late lunch at the Old Spaghetti Factory. I immediately realised that this was the perfect place for backpackers and budget travelers to go because you buy a main meal and get bread, salad or soup, tea or coffee and ice cream all in the price and the food was really tasty. Feeling very full I left Gastown and walked to the library to use the internet. After which I walked through the shopping centres as far as I could to get back to the hostel trying on a few clothes but managing to resist temptation. I watched a movie and managed to get to bed reasonably early for my 5am start.
I dragged myself out of bed and packed the rest of my stuff in the dark and went down to wait for the taxi to the train station. It arrived within minutes and delivered me to the train station 45 minutes ahead of departure time. I really don’t understand why they tried to insist on an hour, I was too early. We got loaded up and set off stopping numerous times to pick up and drop off passengers 10 minutes to stretch the legs before another few hours on the road. The day started off raining and then we came across blue skies and the cloud lifting from the snow capped mountain tops. We traveled further still and the scenery was looking more and more impressive. The cloud had however started to descend again but it seemed to add a new dimension to the patterns on the mountains and the sky line. I had been told that no 2 days looked the same in the Rockies but I got the impression that no 2 minutes looked the same in the Rockies. At 9pm we finally arrived in Banff and was thankful for the walk to the hostel after so many hours being in the bus. It was bloody freezing though.
The Same sun hostel in Banff was not too far out of the centre and had a real ski lodge feel about it. It has a nice courtyard in the centre with chalet style rooms coming off that and en suite rooms which meant not having to freeze to go to the bathroom. I was in a 4 bed room with only 1 other person in. A girl called Kristy from New Zealand. I talked to her about my new found love for New Zealand and she said she was on a working holiday visa exploring BC and Alberta before going to work in a Summer camp near Toronto. The following morning after a breakfast of pancakes and maple syrup we walked into town and she went off to the cave and basin while I explored Bow Falls. There were really pretty and it was a nice walk from the town centre a long the side of the river. I took loads of photo’s for me and a couple for other people. After this I went to warm up in a coffee shop and then explored to town centre.
