We set five alarms the previous night.  Only one of them went off, but that was enough to let me know it was time to grab my backpack and hike up to the Holiday Inn to take the shuttle back.  Four ... Read more ]]> Mon, 21 Jul 2008 16:36:00 EST http://www.canadatravelblog.ca/Experiencing-Canada/2008/07/21/Day-11-Halifax.html

     Bizarre hostel story #4: When I went to sleep last night, one of the guys in my dorm was playing music on his laptop.  A little rude, but it was pretty quiet so I didn't think much of it.  Before... Read more ]]> Mon, 21 Jul 2008 16:35:00 EST http://www.canadatravelblog.ca/Experiencing-Canada/2008/07/21/Day-10-The-Ocean-to-Halifax.html

   I'd missed the train after our brief hiatus!  It was nice to wake up this morning and think "I wonder where I am now?" then roll up the shades (yeah, this train had shades!) and see the Atlantic Ocean... Read more ]]> Mon, 21 Jul 2008 16:34:00 EST http://www.canadatravelblog.ca/Experiencing-Canada/2008/07/21/Day-9-Montreal-to-Quebec.html

     Having become experts at Le Metro in our two short days in Montreal, it was easy to find our way back to Gare Centrale, even though we had no real idea where it was directionally.  Once there, we... Read more ]]> Mon, 21 Jul 2008 16:33:00 EST http://www.canadatravelblog.ca/Experiencing-Canada/2008/07/21/Day-8-Montreal.html

     Bizarre hostel story #3:  I had a great sleep, and it seemed like everything was pretty normal.  I went to the front desk to check in for another night, and was informed my roommate had got bed bugs... Read more ]]> Mon, 21 Jul 2008 16:32:00 EST http://www.canadatravelblog.ca/Experiencing-Canada/2008/07/21/Day-7-Toronto-to-Montreal.html

     As luck would have it, there happened to be a transit strike in Toronto, so our plan to catch the subway to the CN Tower was effectively foiled.  However, despite the giant backpacks slowly compressing... Read more ]]> Mon, 21 Jul 2008 16:31:00 EST http://www.canadatravelblog.ca/Experiencing-Canada/2008/07/21/Day-6-The-Canadian-arrives-in-Toronto.html

     If you really want to understand just how vast the Canadian wilderness is, take the train.  Shortly after Winnipeg, the landscape changed to boreal forest and the Canadian Shield.  That was at about... Read more ]]> Mon, 21 Jul 2008 16:30:00 EST http://www.canadatravelblog.ca/Experiencing-Canada/2008/07/21/Day-5-Aboard-the-Canadian.html

     Jen and I both expected to wake up to fields of golden wheat.  What we didn't take into proper consideration was the time of year.  We instead woke up to snowy river banks and grain elevators as we... Read more ]]> Mon, 21 Jul 2008 16:29:00 EST http://www.canadatravelblog.ca/Experiencing-Canada/2008/07/21/Day-4-Departure-aboard-the-Canadian.html

    Every hostel I stayed at in Canada had some bizarre event tied to it.  In Jasper, it happened the last morning.  I woke up and looked at my watch, and noticed it was past 8:00am, but the lights weren't... Read more ]]> Mon, 21 Jul 2008 16:28:00 EST http://www.canadatravelblog.ca/Experiencing-Canada/2008/07/21/Day-3-Jasper.html

    Lights on at exactly 8:00am.  That is what you get at the hostel in Jasper.  Also, lights out at exactly 11:00pm, so you'd better make sure your bed is set up or there will be a lot of clambering into... Read more ]]> Mon, 21 Jul 2008 16:27:00 EST http://www.canadatravelblog.ca/Experiencing-Canada/2008/07/21/Day-2-Prince-George-to-Jasper.html

I don't know how it worked out, really, but somehow, a while back, with no ride to Jasper and a train to catch from there, I convinced a bunch of my friends that it would be a good idea to spend a couple... Read more ]]> Mon, 21 Jul 2008 16:25:00 EST http://www.canadatravelblog.ca/Experiencing-Canada/2008/07/21/Day-1-Vancouver-to-Prince-George.html Day 1-Vancouver to Prince George

Okay, okay, so technically I didn't cross the WHOLE country by train. But I did cross the whole country, and that's what counts right? Anyway, the reason I had to go to... Read more ]]>