Two nights on the train from Toronto to Winnipeg. Extremely glad I upgraded to the sleeper as champagne when we arrive, observation-bubble roof-car-thingy, superb meals, 24 hour coffee and biccies and congenial company.
The first night I stay up till one in the observation car with my new best friend, am English priest..The aircon makes it freezing up here but we wrap blankets round us and enjoy sitting in the dark, the headlights way ahead, the romance of night train travel. And giggle a lot. And go 'Wow' a lot.
i put on my alarm for the next smoke stop - they come about every six hours and you don't want to miss one. Breakfast is huge and delicious. It's all good.
Meet Soosie and Linda and we spend the rest of the time with them and charming Halifax types. We have a sing song in the bubble car thingy and generally act like the happy wrinklies we are.
I am not seeing wildlife. Other people are seeing bears and pelicans - me, one butterfly, and I only see that because it is the only thing in lots of miles that isn't green. There is so much green and so many conifers and I don't think that I will ever get excited at the sight of a Christmas tree again. No mooses, no bears for me. So far in this land of abundant wildlife I have seen one rat, one butterfly and one squirrel. Later going up to Churchill on Hudson Bay where beluga whales and polar bears teem. What do you bet that I arrive and they head for the tundra or the sea or wherever they live when not enthralling tourists? It's like being a negative of David Attenborough. I have seen more dangerous mammals in Southeast London.
The stop I enjoy is Hornepayne which must have been important at one time but now the station is a ruin and the place looks a bit unloved. However I like it and it becomes one of those 'Gee, I could live here' places. So many times travelling by train and you stop somewhere and would like to get off and live there forever - for no good reason.
We arrive in Winnipeg where the train stays for 3 hours and I get off. Rather glad to, as it happens because it's quite bumpy and things flash by in the night and that lonesome whistle blows.
And Winnipeg is cooler and I feel better already.
