Well I haven't been able to get to a reliable internet connection for the past few days so really haven't been able to do any blog updates sorry. Plus I've also been in Edmonton and Calgary which are both big cities, the biggest I'll be visiting on my trip to Canada. But there's not actually that much to take picture of really. Just more buildings and stuff really. I came into Calgary yesterday evening on a luxury bus that basically was half the price of a plane ticket, but probably took the same amount of time (3.5 hours form downtown Edmonton to downtown Calgary) as it would if I were to take a plane (taking into account transfers and taxis and stuff) - so all in all a very nice trip. Although I did pay a price for not booking somewhere ahead in Calgary. Almost every hotel was booked out! I had to walk in the friggin freezing cold for the about 2 hours, and when I say cold I mean in the mid -10 to -20 degrees just as it was getting dark. I had to walk probably over a few kilometres but eventually I found a room, and I was glad of it. Went to an Irish pub across the road, which was probably the worst Irish pub I've ever seen, with useless bartenders who couldn't layer any of the shots I ordered (trying to impress my new Canadian mates I met about 10 mins earlier whilst sitting at the bar. Anyhow, I met a Danish guy and Texan girl who were travelling together. Well, she was travelling, but he had to work in Calgary for a week. They knew several bars so went toured around a bit to about 3 of them. Most of them were dead, as you can imagine on a Monday night, but we found a goodie at the end of it and watched the hockey game there. Oh, and we met a nice South London lass and I told her that I knew a guy who supported Liverpool and she said she felt sorry for me haha. But soon around 10pm the other too wanted to go home as the Danish chap had to work the next morning so I went down to the hotels pub and talked to the last few patrons there. They were closing up to for the night, but one of the guys there said there was another pub across the road that was open till 2am, so off we went. It was a bit rough, but pretty empty really, only about 5 people there all night, so we had a pretty interesting chat about Israel, the States and Canada. Well it was pretty interesting if you were as drunk as us haha. I was doing pretty good actually, having converted over to a few diet cokes here and there, so I could still stand. At least I wasn't slurring my words like some others there haha (slurring is always my 'Coup de Grace').
So this morning I got up at 9am, hungover again, and cursing to myself about it again. Got up checked out and got the people at that hotel to find me another room in another hotel. Turns out this new room is better and cheaper than last nights, so that's all good! Walked around Calgary for most of the day today. Actually saw some intersting things. The first thing was that I though I wasn't in the main area of town because there were hardly any people walking around on the streets. I thought maybe they were all in the office blocks or that this was normal for a Tuesday morning and maybe it was because it was pretty cold. But then later I kept noticing these walkways going over the streets, connecting the buildings. I followed some guys into one, trying to look all cool and casual like I knew what I was doing and it lead through this little tunnel/rabbit-warren type scenario. Eventually it came out into a mall area, pretty neat! In fact, these tunnels almost snake along most of Calgary. They mainly run up on the first floor of lots of buildings and connect to lots of other buildings. They are all nice and warm and stuff so you can actually get from one end of the CBD to the other (a good hour or two's walk) without ever having to step outside and get cold. Very cool, but shame it's not advertised a bit more for us newbies). I did think however that it did all get a bit too 'recycled' air kind of thing and I did actually make several conscious moves to go out and walk on the street form time to time. It was all a bit too much not to go outside and get some fresh air and see the sun. Still nice though to pop back inside and cruise around all nice and warm.
I also went to the Calgary Theatre. There were all sorts of shows on, but mainly all very arthouse and things like that, not really my scene so I didn't really go and see any shows. Also I went over to the Calgary museum. Why do I always have frikken hangovers when I visit museums... ugh. Anyhow it wasn't too bad. this one actually had non-canadian stuff in it. Lots of things about history and wars and things. Sure it was relevant to Canada in some ways mostly, but I was glad not to have to look at more Native American Indian stuff.. it gets oddly boring and annoying when you see to much of it. But the best thing I did today was go up the Calgary tower. Almost 200 meters tall and with an observation deck on it you could see all around Calgary - I got a few photos' of that so it was pretty cool. Then I went to the level beneath the observation deck and had a lunch there in their restaurant. I had some Haddock and chips. OK fish but nothing really to write home about hehe.
So here I am back at my hotel room, replying to emails and stuff, trying to catch up really... oh - I did a little more shopping in Edmonton, I bought the other series of Kenny vs Spenny! Yah! Now I have all 3 series on DVD and the 4th series is on tonight at 9:30pm so hopefully I can get the bar to change the channel if there is no hockey on - pfftt what am I saying... there is always hockey on! More hockey on tv here than bloody Rugby in NZ! haha
Anyhow must go. See you hosers round eh? Take off!
Matt
No comments:
Post a Comment