Southern Saskatchewan

Well after managing to get a few hours sleep we headed south to Regina. First stopping in Moose Jaw, a quirky little town. We did a tour of the Tunnels which ran under the streets and along the train tracks, in which it is claimed Al Capone ran his bootlegging business during the US Prohibition. Though there is dispute over whether he actually came here.
Afterwards we headed onto Regina, Saskatchewan's capital for the night.
Today we headed out to Indian Head and along the Qu'Appelle Valley which was quite wierd as one minute you're driving along the flat prairies then all of a sudden you go down a hill and wind alongside 4 lakes and around roads quite similar to the country roads in NZ.
We have also been seeing a few wooden grain elevators from both the train and the road. These used to be really prominent in the Prairies but have been systematically torn down and replaced by new concrete and steel cylinders to process the grain. This has caused much anger with some of the local who want to preserve them.
We came back to Regina and walked the 4km around the Wascana Centre and Lake, it was really pretty.
The really wierd thing about this area is one minute it is boiling hot sunshine and the next, storm clouds have appeared from nowhere (and trust me you think in this flat land you would see them approaching) and you're watching lightning strikes while the sun is still on your back. The rain then pours down, it passes and suddenly it is blue sky for miles again.
Early start tomorrow to drive up to Prince Albert National Park.

Welcome to Saskatoon weary travelers

After being dumped unceremoniously at the train station at 2:30 am over a hour late, we caught a cab the 8kms into town to our motel. This scene was surreal I'll do my best to describe - Our Indian as in Asian cab driver braked at the entrance to the motel, it was one of those ones where you park outside the door of your room and there's a reception at the front. I didn't know why he braked but quickly saw it through his eyes. Parked in the foyer was a black pickup with what can only be described as a good ole boy standing out front of the reception, black Jeans, gold buckle rodeo style black belt, black tee and of course a black cowboy hat - his nickname definitely included the word bad somewhere in it "Bad Dresser" is my best guess. Also in the scene are two black guys sitting in the chairs in front of the motel drunk, one massive drunk 1st Nation guy stumbling by (its rude to call them Injuns - referring to him as "Chief" probably would've got me more than a dirty look). The next thing I noticed was that inside the reception was a 50yr old man frantically rushing around in nothing but a pair of boxer shorts, and he wasn't in the best shape of his life either. Our cab driver just confirmed once or 3 times if we were sure this was our motel...Good on him for sticking around. But as it turns out most of it was innocent enough. Bad Bob just wanted a room for the night and when one wasn't available he made like a banana and split. The 3 drunks left amicably enough. The motel owner wearing the boxers had been pulled out of bed as the guy who should've been at reception was tending to another guest in their room (nothing surreptitious). We got our room and slept like logs.

Manitoba

Our first destination in Manitoba was Winnipeg, basically the geographical centre of Canada although the train guard informed us on our travels that Portage La Prairie is the official one.
Trivia fact: Winnipeg is who Winnie the Poo is named after.
It is a city rising up out of the prairies and very windy, would give Wellington a run for it's money (apparently). The windiest point is at the intersection of Portage and Main Streets.
Winnipeg also has the Forks, where the Assinboine and Red Rivers meet.
After two days in Winnipeg we hired a car and drove up to Riding Mountain National Park. It was a beautiful place and we stayed a night in the park so we could maximise our wildlife viewing with late evening and early morning drives.
On the first evening we went to the Buffalo Range and drove around it twice and couldn't see anything and typically we were on our final drive of the night when we decided to go to the North End (where they weren't supposed to be this time of year) and on the drive out we saw them and it was amazing. We followed them as the walked along the road grazing, criss-crossing back and forth. At times it was a bit nerve-wracking about how close they got, twice Craig reversed out of range for fear that our small rental car would become a wreak.
After leaving the Buffalo we also saw the back of a Black Bear, Elk and some Deer.
We left Riding Mountain and headed across to Hecla Provnical Park which is on the shores of Lake Winnipeg, passing Lake Manitoba on the way.
At Hecla we rented a cabin and did not have high hopes of seeing any wildlife as all of the locals were being very mysterious about where best to spot them, but in the morning before we left we saw a moose out of the blue sitting in a lake having some breakfast. It was a beautiful sight.
Now it is on to Saskachewan.

Wildlife Photos, and tidbits

Buffalo - Tick (Riding Mountain National Park), Moose - Tick (Hecla Island Provincial Park), More Deer than you can shake a stick at (I'll post a photo of Bambi and her mother another time) and even a few Elk for good measure but they are shy and by the time I'd unpacked my massive camera they had pegged it through the undergrowth their big white bums (thats how you know its an Elk) disappearing before you could say "Quick get your camera out its an E..". No recorded sightings of Black Bears but am hopeful to see more when we hit the Rockies and Vancouver Island. Other creatures that deserve a mention are the bugs - Black Flies the size of bumblebees that love the taste of human flesh and Mosquitoes that just don't quit. One word - Repellent and plenty of it... everywhere. Both Suz and I have spent days looking like we have hives or chicken pox or something more sinister. The Moose viewing cost us dearly as we were totally unprepared and I swear as the Moose sauntered into the undergrowth part of me was relieved to see the back of it so that we too could head for the refuse of the car.

The Train - VIA Rail Canada

This has been an essential part of our travel across Canada along the East Coast and through the Prairies. The longest journey: Toronto to Winnipeg was 34 hours and we lost count after 19 carriages. Surprisingly it was very easy travel, although luckily we didn't have to hang outside all they way.... it sometimes took a while to get comfortable to sleep it was better than a plane!!
The trains all have Dome Cars which give you an excellent view of the surrounding countryside. Gotta love the guy behind Craig!!
The hardest journey so far was probably Winnipeg to Saskatoon as the train was meant to get in at 1.05am but actually arrived about 2:30am. We also had what can only be decribed as Train Geeks on our carriage who must have been on some kind of train tour but they really had no grasp on normal human behaviour!!

Ottawa - Got Directly to Jail....Do Not Pass Go

We have spent the last two and half days in Canada's Capital and it was actually quite a cool place, there were a few shady characters hanging around the under passes and quite a few beggers but the hot weather and old buildings meant they could be ignored.
The afternoon we arrived we went for a long walk around the river and locks so we got the layout of the city.
We were staying in the Hostel there which is the converted Carlton Jail. At night they had a tour of the Jail and it was really interesting. We saw where they held the prisoners on death row, where they held the executions, (nicely leaving the rope there and the foot leaver for the trap door) they also have left the 8th floor exactly as it was so you could walk in the original cells. The tour guide also told us about the numerous ghost sightings there were. The two Japanese girls on the tour looked petrified. But sadly to say during our three nights there we saw no such sightings :(
The next day we walked around Parliament Hill for a couple of hours, saw another Changing of the Guard ceremony and then wandered around looking at Canada's past and present.
In the afternoon we went around the Byward Markets and had dinner there.
Yesterday we got up, hired some bikes and went on a 40km cycle. They have excellent cycle paths along the river and locks. After doing that for 3 and a bit hours we were quite shattered and attempted to go to the Museum of Nature but the majority of it was under renovation so (Mike & Iris you'll be pleased) we went to the movies.
Today we have arrived back to the lovely Pam and Grahame's in Toronto before catching the train to Winnipeg tomorrow morning. That train ride will be interesting as we leave at 9am on Sat and arrive at 4pm on Sun....

Montreal - More French than the French?

Apparently this town was more like Paris than Quebec, or so the Lonely Planet said. What do they know anyway... Montreal is a cool city with a real vibe about it.
We managed to get here in time for the Comedy festival and spent the first night walking the streets watching more street performers and not getting the jokes (they were in French) we couldn't find English comedians but most of the shows translated fairly easily, they fall over we laugh - you get the idea.
The following day we had a look around the Olympic Parc and the Biodome (transformed Velodrome) they have changed it into a big Eco System with a Tropical Zone, Monkeys etc climbing around, Crocs in the water and such. Canadian Zone, mainly Bevers and Otters of interest also some Seagulls and Ducks which pretty much look the same the world over. Lastly a Polar Zone with the obligatory Pengiuns all dressed up with no where to go. We then went up the Tower overlooking the Olympic Stadium (Tour de Montreal)to see a panoramic view of the city. It's the worlds largest inclined structure (190 metres at a 45-degree angle) again with the big stuff.
Next up to the Jardin Boutanique for a stroll around Japanese and Chinese Gardens and it's just a really nice big park. Temperature over 30 so it didn't take long to work up a sweat.
Today has been really hot again +34 - so the stroll around the Old Town this morning was a bit too much like hard work, we had to escape to the underground internal mall/street complexes which have aircon working a treat. Cool in Summer, Warm in Winter - not much natural light but...
Something about local politics here. The French Prime Minister once, on the steps of Hotel de Ville here in Montreal, cried "Vive le Quebec libre!" (long live free Quebec) these four words were enough to fan the flames of seperatists for years.
Off to the Country's Capital Ottawa tomorrow which is in Ontario.

Quebec City - The Paris of Nth America

We have just spent the last couple of days in Quebec City. We have been lucky that it has been the festival season while we have been here, and we've seen lots of busking and free shows all around the city every evening. Added to this it is a beautiful place and has been very hot. We have basically walked everywhere there is to walk, including the City Walls, Upper Town, Battlefields Park, The Plains of Abraham (where the British defeated the French), also the Lower Town, which it's narrow streets, pretty shops and huge murals on the sides of the buildings.
Yesterday we took a tour out to Isle de Orleans, Montmorency Falls, these were pretty impressive, one and half times higher than Niagara, although not as wide. Wegot to walk across the top of them over a bridge. We also stopped at Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre Church (She is Jesus' grandmother, Mary's mother), inside the church they have a real religious relic of the hand of Sainte Anne, dedicated by the Vatican.
Today we catch th train down to Montreal.

Toronto, City of Culture

We have headed to Toronto to re-group and re-plan and are in the pleasant company of Pam and Grahame Macfarlane. Our plans to purchase a van in Canada has been scuppered by various laws and insurance regulations too long to list. So we will instead be going by Train back to Quebec, Montreal, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Saskatoon and Edmonton and renting cars as required and eventually renting a van for 5 weeks out of Calgary to Vancouver so all is not lost. (Families now up to date I can move on)

Toronto - CNN Tower and Skydome above, well having been here before and commented that it would be a great place to live but not too much on the tourist front my mind has changed a little as this weekend they had festivals galore including a huge art exibition by freelance artists from all over the world, The World Cup final in all its splendor - Zizou bowing out of the game graciously by kissing his fellow competitor Materazzi Liverpool style, and of course in true gangsta fashion a Hip Hop dance event where 'crews' (Groups) 'battle' (basically Breakdance) against each other for respect or props. Some lame crews got served bad, some could barely walk they were served so bad after doing fierce battle for massive props. (I'm so down with the kids).

The Bay of Funday

After leaving P.E.I we headed back through New Brunswick to Nova Scotia and the Bay of Funday. We stayed overnight in Truro at a B&B with a lady that could talk the ear off an elephant and her husband who was a ex Naval Deep Sea Diver, now stained glass enthusiast. Both salt of the earth and we had a really pleasant night although the conversation was very one sided, the husband got in less than us - I'm surprised he knows how to speak with as little practice as he gets. The next morning we woke to see the World Famous Truro Tidal Bore. Which is where the tide meets the outrunning river to form a wave sometimes metres in size which you could surf up! We saw what looked like centimetres (bit boring - excuse the pun) but once the bore came in, the bay we were watching went from low tide to high tide in about an hour so was rather spectacular to view.

We then drove to Burncoat Head which is the site of the largest recorded tide at 16 metres! Yes the size of a 5 story building. Anyone from the 6th floor Credit Suisse group just look out of the window and imagine the depth of low tide to high tide. The photo shows Craig just after high tide so about mid tide really.

Prince Edward Island

After realising that it wasn't going to be possible to get a van in Nova Scotia we hired a car and drove up to Prince Edward Island somewhere Suz has always wanted to go since she was about 10!! Yes all because of 'Anne of Green Gables'.
We drove across the Conferation Bridge which connects the Island to the mainland. It was opened in 1987 and at 13km long is apparently the longest non-suspension bridge in the world. It was pretty amazing to drive across.
When we arrived on the Island we drove clockwise around the central part seeing all of the pretty ports and tiny villages. The scenery on the Island was fantastic, the earth is so red and there were potatoes growing everywhere.
We stopped at all of the 'Anne' sights, the birthplace of L M Montgomery, and for you 'Anne' readers: The Lake of Shining Waters, Silver Bush, Avonlea (which is actually the town of Cavendish, Green Gables, where we saw Lovers Lane and The Haunted Wood. We had a great time and even Craig appreciated the beauty of the place. Even though I'm sure he felt a connection which the numerous guys we saw being taken around the sights by their female partners...
We stayed overnight in Charlottetown which is the largest town on the Island but in actual fact a tiny town the you could walk around in about 5 minutes.
Another interesting fact Lobster is the speciality dish and is dirt cheap.

Knights of Columbus that hurts (Ron Burgandy - Anchorman)

Well - we have arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia a province which although it looks small on any map of Canada is actually the size of England. We have spent the first few days looking around the town which is a great little harbour town of roughly 500,000 people population. The weather has been fantastic but the overnight fog off of the Atlantic is as thick as pea soup so everyday looks overcast until about midday when the sun finally burns through. Things of note, this was pretty much the closest port of call to where the Titanic sank and thus has a cemetary and various tributes designated to the unfortunates who passed. The flag looks like Scotlands only White with a Blue Cross. It has a military tatoo not unlike Edinburghs which they claim (in true North American fashion) is the 'biggest and best' indoor show in the world - nothing like a little modesty. Lastly 'Knights of Columbus' a group recently brought back to life by the movie Anchorman and the character Ron Burgandy actually arose here from a branch of the Knights Templar - maybe that grail is around here somewhere.