This weekend we took the train from Edmonton to Vancouver. It was bloody long… Somehow 33 hours on a train feels incredibly different to 24 hours on a train.
That’s my key takeaway from the last two days. Oh, and also that the passé simple sucks.
I tried to write this post on the train, but couldn’t quite find my rhythm. All I managed was to throw together a quick list of what we did & when, so I can at least refer back to that rather than try to dredge it up from my memory like I had to last time. We also took a video both before entering & after leaving the train, so my confidence level in the timings is much better this time around. 👌
OK, so I don’t mean to gloat, but I just tidied my ‘quick list’ below & added it all up… ONE MINUTE difference to the actual time lapsed. That’s pretty darn close. 🤓
Summary of Train Time [Compiled from notes & drafts from the train]:
– Found seats & sat down [15 mins]
– Got ready for bed, fought with blankets & footrest [16 mins]
– Changed seats to a quad section (Advised by train attendant) [3 mins]
– Chatted & eavesdropped on the potential stow-away situation [49 mins]
– Broken sleep [334 mins, estimated combined total]
– Changing seats/sleep position (Night 1) [17 mins, estimated combined total]
– Proper Sleep (Half against window / Half on Etienne) [70 mins]
– Waking up, getting ready for the day [35 mins]
– Stepping out of train for air, at Jaseper. [1 minute (Ceri), 6 minutes (Etienne)*]
– Looking at Yukon magazine [60 minutes]
– Breakfast [43 mins]
– Playing Farkle [30 mins]
– Sat in Dome car, admiring view** & doing blog [50 mins]
– This list, up til this point [14 mins]
– Staring out the window [65 mins]
– Lunch [15 mins]
– Pyramid Waterfall (VERY brief video here) [3 mins]
– Second Lunch [10 mins]
– Blog incl. this minis section [50 mins]
– French Diary [26 mins]
– Gameboy [8 mins]
– Terrible filming of landscapes [9 mins]
– Writing a Short Story & trying to translate it into French [89 mins]
– More looking out the window [75 mins, estimated combined total]
– Buying drinks*** [9 mins]
– Playing Hive [45 mins]
– French Story [61 minutes]
– Dinner & chatting to the train manager [54 mins]
– Watching the Hangover [107 mins]
– Getting ready for bed (again) [16 mins]
– Sleep, mixed, confusing. [597 mins]
– Leaving Train [10 mins]
– Unknown/Lost Gained time [-1 minute]
Boarded: Friday 10th May, 22:46
Got Off: Sunday 12th May, 07:56
Total Duration: 1,990 minutes (i.e. 33 hours, 10 minutes)
*Etienne taking videos & pics for Marav. Ceri lost time doing nothing in seat.
** We’d just passed Mount Robson when I wrote that. Mt Robson is the tallest Mountain in the Canadian Rockies. (Think I’ve already mentioned that fact in an earlier post). It was on the right & slightly behind the train.
***Buying drinks was a faff. 9 minutes might be an understatement.
See the route: Map
Read the short stories: On request.