The 4 day train ride. Montreal to Vancouver

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It's 6.38 in the morning and in roughly 2 hours my train will be pulling in to Vancouver. This train has been my home for the past four days, shuttling me past magnificent mountains, vast forests and the long flats of the prairies.

Right now there is an eagle gliding above a field and just some minutes ago i saw one swooping down towards this huge river. I am always amazed when I see birds of pray, because since I am a city dweller it really is a rarity that I lay eyes on them.

I have loved been on this train, 4 days of pure relaxation .....and a bit of manginess from not getting enough exercise, but surprisingly not so much hyperactivity. I think knowing i am going to be in these 5 carriages for a long time just made me kinda slug like. Plus the fact that we have to try and invent new and more comfortable sleeping positions every night, but mostly my sleeps are shattered into tiny little pieces, waking to move my neck, or bring back feeling into my leg. The lack of decent sleep definitely adds to the surreal, non hyper active slug state I have adopted.

But I really like it! As most of my montreal friends will know, the weeks (and months) before our trip have been really stressful. Working full time, planning the project, trying to fit in time to socialise as well. And maybe it isnt really the time consuming aspect of it, but rather the mental energy, I felt quite zapped. So to be here on the train, no internet, no phones, no work is refreshing! For entertainment I have just a couple of books, a laptop, mastermind, charlis amazing company and enough beautiful scenery to keep my mouth dangling wide open.

It's also really exciting to be seeing some of the land I shall be cycling across. In ontario, woah, its so deserted (of humans). Its just one huge forest with lakes scattered everywhere. Every 5 hours the train might pass a village with a population of 700 or something. One of my first views of the prairies was huge yellow fields, mustard plants maybe, standing amongst the golden fields were the silhouette of 3 deers. But for sure, by far my favourite scenery has been the rocky mountains. Yesterday afternoon we were making our way slowly past the wide rivers, the hills to the sides getting bigger and bigger until they had snow on the top. I was sitting in the observation dome (situated in a carriage that has two floors and which is taller than the rest of the carriages. On the second floor the ceiling and the sides are made out of windows, so one can see all the nature!) So yeah....I was sitting in the little dome, most of the time its kinda quiet in there (people are sleeping in their sluggy train state) but the hour we were hitting the Rockies almost every seat was taken. The people were excitedly click clicking on their cameras when the first snow capped mountain came in to view. I saw elks, that was excited, never seen one of thoughs before!

The train made a stop in a little town called jasper (population 4000 i think) its one of these really beautiful, yet really touristy towns. 360 degrees of mountains, and almost 360 degrees of overpriced camping and souvenir shops. It was nice to have a stroll around. I was mainly day dreaming of going to a really tasty vegan restaurant, but that's gonna have to wait.

The land gets more and more populated as we get closer to Vancouver and the hills are slowly fading away. When I get there, i need to find a bike, get some more camping gear, and explore! Hopefully sam will be meeting charli and I at the train station. Sam caught the grey hound from Montreal to Vancouver. Which is actually faster and cheaper, but less luxury.

I reckon I'm gonna stop babbling now and take a little nap before reaching my destination.

byeeee

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Comments

[Mummy]

Slug...
You always wanted to be a slug, isn't it amazing how dreams come true if you wish hard enough? Your journey sounds amazing, did you get some photographs? The train's observation dome sounds brilliant, I didn't realise trains had things like that. Did you feel a bit like a hamster in a ball? Hope you have a brilliant time in Vancouver and get all psyched up for the cycle back, I am so proud of you all, its amazing being a mum! Lotsa love xxxxxx

[jo ann coughtry]

what is the name of the train line
i will be traveling from montreal to vancouver in a few months. what is the name of train line? thank you jo ann coughtry