Train Journal – Day Two

3/28/2013

9:00

Beginning my day in the second story viewing deck after another memorable breakfast in the dinning car. I ate a Crab Eggs Benedict, that for 12$, is a small price to pay to get my day two off to a great
start.

I ended day three watching Game of Thrones with a fellow named Jordan who is from Vancouver Island. We finished watching just on
the East side of Edmonton at about 2am.

Today the sun rises while the train makes its way across the prairies of Saskatchewan. The day began in some small rolling hills and I was a little disappointed that it wasn't so flat. I think I jumped the gun with that thought, the train has made its way to the flat, wind swept, and snowy plains... and boy is it flat!

I am unsure as to how far we have to go until Saskatoon, but I am worried I might have to share the seat beside me with another person as we picked up a lot of people in Edmonton last night. Lets hope a decent number of passengers get off in Saskatoon to insure I have a relatively decent sleep tonight. But I have caught some hearsay that the journey between Saskatoon and Winnipeg is the busiest leg f the journey.

Anyways at the moment I am enjoying the views as I am not quite yet bored of the passing farmsteads and granary buildings. I'll write in a bit!

10:50

We have just pulled into the Saskatoon rail station on the outskirts of the city. The last two major
stations in Edmonton and Saskatoon are bleak, and would even be embarrassing by a post-soviet standard.

The train has filled up no and my buddy Jordan and I have had to bunk up beside each other. I'm praying that we get our two separate seats back after Winnipeg so sleeping tonight will be a good. It will be a bit cramped and uncomfortable if we are neighbors. But it could be worse, could be neighbors wit a big fat smelly person!

My camera is officially dead, and so from here on in all pictures will be taken on my iPhone and relatively sub-par.

We could be stuck in Saskatoon due to freight traffic moving west after being stuck due to the massive storm they had a few days ago.

11:30

We are now moving... for now.

14:40

We are moving, again after another few hours of sitting in the great white north that is Saskatchewan at the moment. Jordan and I have been watching Trailer Park Boys and had a composite lunch. By composite we just sort of made due with everything we had. Menu for today; Tuna salad wrap with Jalapeno cheddar sauce, carrot slices, and crumbled Doritos Sweet Chilli Heat.

Train is moving again and I hope to flick a few more good photos of the countryside in Saskatchewan before we lose daylight. Might as well take advantage of the roomy viewing car... and its cooler up here!

18:10

Sitting in the viewing deck now with Jordan and a few other friends I have met on the train. The sun is setting soon as we are a lot farther north than Vancouver now.

Our friend that we have met Alaia could not hold the urge to have a cigarette so she smoked in between two of the train cars. This is strictly forbidden on the train and she was caught and kicked out in Mellville, Saskatchewan. Luckily this was where she was getting off! But one can sympathize as it would be hard to go 8 hours without a cigarette.

I think we are about another 2 hours outside of Manitoba where I hear that there are double rail tracks all the way through so no more stopping. Over the last 10 hours the train has had to stop in about every town where we have to stop, and leap frog the freight traffic.

Over the last day I have really noticed that the prairies are very bleak. The combination of snow swept fields, brown leafless trees, and old abandoned farmhouses give me the instant feeling that I am in some post apocalyptic land. There is also no-one on the streets, barely anyone driving. So barren, and such a wasteland. I certainly would never be able to live here!

Also I have been noticing a lot of Ukrainian churches of course. I have seen the two red grain elevators that are the post card icons for the prairies... only it is winter and they are not as inspiring as they normally would be I'm sure.

Anyways, this might be my last correspondence for the day. See you in day three!

W