A night on the buses

With a towel placed over a pillow to catch any bits and bobs along with some strong pain killers Fe managed a good nights sleep although awoke feeling like she had done 9 rounds with Muhammad Ali.  As for the hair, we had strict instructions not to get the glue wet for at least 24 hours, she wasn't looking the best!

We laid low, Fe didn't feel up to much and we had a late night bus journey ahead of us. At 11pm the hostel kicked us out and we had to wait in town for our 2.50am bus. Alas the bus station was closed so our only option was the pub that stayed open till 3am.  Amazingly we made one pint last 3 hours! Are we now officially over booze?

2:50am sharp, our bus left Jasper High Street. Brutal we know, but the rice was right.  Even at this time of day no bears were hanging around the bus station so we were all good. Where are those bears? For the next 5 odd hours the height of fun was a endless game of trying to get comfortable enough in seats 29 & 37 so that a small bit a shut eye was possible.

At around 8am we pull into Edmondton. A place where everybody seems to refer as 'if you're going to Edmondton, don't bother'. So thankfully our time here was a simple lay-over, bus change and morning coffee to then complete the final leg of the journey South down to Calgary.

For the next 4 hours the route east to Edmondton brought a different landscape. The mountains gave way to dead flat scrubbed out plains from yet another hard winter. The snow piles finally melting under blue skies and a steady temperature of about 13 degrees. What most ex-pat Britains or Canadians say if they've lived and working in the UK, is the thing they miss the most about the UK is the green rolling landscapes and of course the true to form good old countryside "public house"!


Most rivers now flowing fast with the odd bobbing blocks of ice acting as a reminder of how cold the source of these rivers really is.  But then two hours further east we reach oyster grey skies loaded with snow. A thick covering already on the ground, blizzard conditions and the temperature had dropped to 1 degree!