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Published: November 3rd 2014
First, a very funny note! I just found out that I spent the 5 days in Churchill with two fellow bloggers from Travelblog. And the best part, is that we spent a lot of time together without ever mentioning TB. So Sheila and Paul it was great to meet you...and to read your blog too! You can find Paul & Sheila under silvernomads nickname....and their blog is way more detailed than mine on anything Churchill has to offer...a great read and some amazing pictures!
So due to the fog and that we got delayed with our flight from Churchill to Winnipeg by more than 24 hours...I missed my train connection to Vancouver. Could have made it as the train pulled into Winnipeg with more than 5 hours delay....and pulled out of Winnipeg still two hours late. But we did land 20 minutes after the train left.
Slight issue, currently, they have only 2 train per week to Vancouver...and that's it! Good news, with internet in the lodge in Churchill...I had some time to plan ahead. Could have drive the 800km to Saskatoon...but that was 800km on a boring road in less than 9 hours to
have a chance to catch my train...not a good idea. The only option was to hop on a plane.
This is the first ever time that I take a plane to catch a train that I missed....and catching it back at the next main station...just 800km away...not bad.
First option would have been to fly on Air Canada...but once I reach the airport, the ticket had jumped to 700usd...no thanks. So I took WestJet and made it before 6pm into Saskatoon.
Scott, the guy seating next to me offered me a ride into town once we landed just before sunset...he actually did way more by driving me around to show me the landmarks of his city. That's a first for me and a wonderful sign of hospitality...Saskatoon did impressed me, if only for the time Scott took to show me his lovely city.
Only 260,000 people live in Saskatoon, with a huge proportion of them being actually Ukrainian migrants from after the First and Second World War. My train was only after 10pm...well, it actually left closer to midnight, so after Scott dropped me downtown, I had some
extra time to explore the surroundings. So yes, this blog entry was not at all planned.
Downtown Saskatoon is actually pretty small....all this with a nice river and few churches. Winter is showing up fast...it was not yet freezing, but the lights where clearly those of the winter...but sadly, as in Churchill, no Northern Lights yet.
I stopped in a restaurant for a last proper meal over the next few days and access to internet....here again, truly welcoming people. Not the best burger, but nice people!
Saskatoon train station...is actually pretty far away from downtown. I did my researches and knew a local bus was stopping just 15 minutes walk from the station. I also had all the time ahead of me. Asked the first bus driver where was bus 9...and confirmed he was going there...indeed...and the fare is currently free as bus driver had been on strike for a full month...and only came back to work 2 days ago.
So far so good, till I reach bus 9 and the most impressive idiot of a bus driver and unpleasant one I ever met. Had no idea of
anything in his own city...and was not going to help. Good that I could find somebody in the bus to let me know where to get down. People of Saskatoon...you have really nice citizens...minus one idiot of a bus driver.
The train station that day would only open from 9pm to midnight...due to that single train on that day. The guy in charge only showed up at 9.20pm...guess he knew there was no rush. So a late afternoon to visit Saskatoon...that place was not really on my list. And I actually only missed the most boring part of the train ride, the flat Prairie...
Next entry coming soon...it's train time!
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Paul & Sheila Williams (Silvernomads)
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Proper meal
Where is the proper 'healthy' meal Pierre?