We woke around 6 at the train’s first stop in Kamloops. At least the first stop for passengers. The Canadian in fact stopped frequently to let vast freight trains pass – the kind of vast where you start counting the wagons and give up and go off for a coffee when you get up to 60. The views were amazing: mile upon mile of forest, mountain, lake and river. We had breakfast on the train, watched the view from the glass ceilinged observation car, the girls befriended 2 boys from Edmonton and engaged in wireless Nintendo contests, we had lunch. All the time the scenery rolled on. They obligingly slowed the train to photo-speed as we passed waterfalls and we were treated to a view of the snow-capped summit of Mount Robson – highest mountain in the Rockies – which is only visible 12 – 14 days a year. And then at last we were in Jasper.
Though one of the major towns in the Canadian Rockies, Jasper only consists of 2 main streets surrounded by some very pleasant residential roads. On all sides the town is surrounded by vast mountains. At 28ºC in the summer it’s all very blue and green, but in winter this place must be seriously cold and bleak.
Our arrival also meant it was time for me to start driving. Having last driven an automatic 16 years ago this was no laughing matter. In fact laughing, speaking or breathing on the part of the car’s passengers was seriously unrecommendable. Things got a little easier once I remembered that you only actually have to use one foot and that having one on the accelerator and one on the brake at the same time is not actually a requirement and leads to rather too much forehead-windshield contact when you stop. So long as you basically imagine you are driving a bumper car at the fun-fair, working an automatic is pretty straightforward, but driving in one with me during those first few kilometers definitely carries a health warning.
Nonetheless we soon found our B & B, had a pleasant stroll among the backstreets of Jasper (bear-proof bins, elk-proof netting on the local baseball diamond) and an enjoyable evening meal at a local Greek restaurant.
