Alaska

Andy and I returned from our Rocky Mountaineer and Alaska Cruise on Saturday (Aug. 25 2007). We flew from Winnipeg to Calgary on Aug. 15th, then from there to Banff by bus. After a tour of Banff and settling into our hotel, we had the afternoon and evening free to do what ever we wanted. We wandered around some, but the whole town of Banff (downtown) is a construction zone and hot and dusty. We turned in early, next day was going to be long. Next morning started at 5 AM; after breakfast and a transfer to the train by bus, we borded the Rocky Mountaineer for 9 o'clock departure. There were fifty-some people in our group, so it took a while. Did I ever mention, I hate bus tours with large groups? We travelled through some awesome scenery, took lots of pictures. The train is a tourist train, travels only in daytime, and we had our hosts (3 on the train and one more joined for the cruise) from our travel agency along to look after all the big and small problems - luggage, transfers, hotel etc. Breakfast and lunch were served at our seats by a very nice attendant, who was also the commentator for the 2 days. She had amazing knowledge of history and lots of stories and details. Also, she knew were the best places were for taking pictures, where to look for wildlife, osprey nests etc. By about 5 PM we arrived in Kamloops, were transfered by bus to our hotel then after a very short time were taken to a dinner and stage show. It was a buffet for about 400 people, probably the best I have seen - usually these things have cold, mediocre food, long line-ups and are generally messy. Not this one! The comedy show was about a train robbery in the interior of B. C. around the time of the gold rush. It was very enjoyable. Before the actual show started, Andy, along with several other people who were celebrating landmarks, were acknowledged. We were bussed back to the hotel after the show and went to bed, to be fresh for another early morning. So, back to the train, for the next leg - Vancouver. Now comes the camera story. All our luggage, except one small suitcase containing a change of clothes, wash bags and camera and a few items we needed, went by truck from Banff to Vancouver. In the morning we packed our little suitcase (how hard is that?) and left the hotel. When we got to the train Andy couldn't find the camera (the one we bought in China for the wedding - you remember the story). Panic of course. The tour's host phoned the hotel and asked them to check our room and they were going to send it right down - before the train left. However the train left and "no camera" for the second half of the Rockies. Everyone felt bad for these people who had lost their camera so early on the trip. So we took pictures with our brain. In Vancouver the same scenario, bus from train to hotel and still no camera. We had hoped it would catch up with us by then. So what do we do now? You can't go to Alaska without a camera and we leave in the morning! Two doors from the hotel was a London Drugs with a camera department so we bought a new one - thinking what if our camera turns up by the time we get back from the store. It didn't! Not until Andy opened the small suitcase and took out a bundle of clothes. There was the camera, it had got tangled up in the clothes when he packed and ended up in the suitcase without making a peep! It was never intended to be in the suitcase. After some discussion about returning the new one, we kept it. It has some features that the Kodak doesn't have. Andy wants to be able to take action pictures - read "soccer" and this one will do that. It also has a setting that takes out some of the shaking. Anyway, we now each have a camera, and that's ok too. So that is the camera story. The hardest part was to have to tell our host that all her efforts were in vain and to admit where we found it. So this is the end of the first part of our trip. Next day we were re-united with the rest of our luggage from Banff and were taken by bus to the cruise ship terminal and transfered onto the ship - Holland America - Oosterdam, arriving early afternoon, in time to partially unpack and go for our first dinner in the dining room. More next time.