Rocky Mountaineer

Day 11 and 12, All Aboard! We were picked up from our hotel at 7.00 am and dropped off to the  dedicated  Rocky Mountaineer station where we were directed to our  carriage for the trip. 

Day one on the train took us to Kamloops where we spent  the first night. The train initially passed through a heavily wooded region ( mainly Douglas Firs, Spruce and Silver Burch which are a vivid yellow at the moment as the leaves take on their Autumn colors ) with  background of snow capped mountains. Once  up over the first set of mountains the  scenery  changed  to a very dry desert region.

High snow capped  mountains, beautiful fast flowing rivers, bald headed eagles everywhere, ospreys with their huge untidy nests on top of trees or discarded telephone poles and large groups of  mountain sheep.

The night at Kamloops passed uneventfully and the  next  day we had another early start on the way to Jasper.
The countryside quickly changed to high snowcapped mountains , some with magnificent glaciers  and heavily wooded forests, again many fast flowing rivers and lakes . The water tends to be  beautiful  turquoise  blue mainly due to the  sediment  brought down from the glaciers which feed them. Arrived in Jasper after a long day on the  train.

More about  the train. Canada has an extensive railway system which is incredibly  busy. Freight trains  are huge ( counted 256 carriages  on one !) . The  long freight trains are  given preference  on the  rail roads with the result the  Rocky Mountaineer  is often pushed off to a siding to allow  the freight train to pass.

This makes for slow going not that it  matters as the  scenery is  magnificent.  Seats are  very comfortable as there  is an outside  viewing platform  if you want some fresh air.  Two hostesses and a chef were assignec to our carriage  for the  two days. Breakfast  and lunch  were served on board as well as numerous snacks  and coffees.

Drinks started  at 10am (somewhere in the world it was 5 o'clock). The hostesses provided an ongoing commentary throughout  tbe journey.  The food and the service were first class - it was a truly  great all  round experience. Our luggage was sent on ahead so when we arrived our suitcases  were already in our rooms ...... amazing  service.