elseware (elseware (Related) elseware ) wrote,
@ 2007 (Related) -05 (Related) -08 (Related) 14:16:00
Banff (travel to)
I'm at a conference in Banff, Canada. This is quite a long post so it's under the cut
So, I got to the airport and was asked if I'd like to be upgraded to Business Class, which I assumed was them trying to sell me something but it turns out they had spare seats. Then Wendy signed Les and I into the first class lounge where they have free champaign and...
FREE cucumber sandwiches. Cut into fingers! With no crusts! Wendy and Nigel point out that the first class lounge isn't what it used to be - too crowded and they are a bit slow to replace the cheese selection when it runs out. The problem with things like this is that after a while people adapt and it becomes your baseline, and then rather than make you happy, a lack of it makes you unsatisfied.
Business class was also like that. You sort of get a pod which would be perfect if you are just under six foot. Also they keep bringing you booze in an attempt to make you doze off. It's very nice until they decide it's nap time then, just after you've got used to the nice people and the booze trolley, they turn out all the lights and stop offering the sauce. Luckily there's a screen about the size of a paper back book which you can watch movies on so I lay on this slighly uncomfortable seat pod thing watching movies wondering if there was a way to get Booze. Which is almost exactly like Sunday at Ben and Sioux except bumpier. Ah, another issue with being in business class was travelling next to Wendy, so doing my best not to be too annoying on a nine hour trip. As it was, Wendy fizzy wined hereself to sleep for most of the trip. It reminds me of the military vets in books who always catch sleep when they can get it as you don't know when you'll next get a chance.
We missed the shuttle bus which runs from Calgary to Banff by about 5 minutes and got a Taxi rather than wait around an hour (remember at this point it's about 3am UK time and it's a 2 hour trip).
The taxi requires advance payment.
And isn't quite sure where the hotel is, although knows Banff and that's at least the right direction. Luckily another taxi from the airport is going to the same place so we have Taxi Convoy!
Les sleeps in the taxi. I don't - I've decided to try and have one big sleep when I arrive. Driving out of Calgary I get the impression it's not finished. Everywhere seems to have construction projects and there seems to be new areas of housing so new that the banks of Earth that have been cleared to make them flat, have not yet grown over with grass. Although to be fair the only vegetation I've seen so far is grass and tree. Like a very big WoW zone.
We drive towards the mountains. This is pretty cool. A mountain range, in the distance taking up all of the horizon. Straight roads between here and there. I'm not sure where the food comes from around here. I've seen a cattle farm and two plowed fields and that's it. Between Banff and Calgary is what I assume is wilderness. Land that isn't doing anything very interesting except being between Banff and Calgary.
We get closer to the Mountains. They have clouds forming around them. You can see the microclimate around them. I take some photos. We can't go round, we must go over or under, I think wondering if Tolkien saw these chaps.
After a bit I'm really done with mountains. Just sitting there on the horizon, getting bigger, reminding me of Outrun.
In Calgary there were lots of new little "villages" of suburban nice-ness. Nearing Banff is the same, once we enter the mountains there's lots of little projects, many clearly under construction, turning wilderness into idylic Mountain view homes. Or something. I assume this is the kinda stuff they try to sell to Glengarry and Glen Ross. Still just trees and grass.
There's some cool refineries and stuff we pass. Photos didn't come out well.
Trying to find a hotel in Banff is like trying to find a bit of hay in a haystack. In a weird way it reminds me of Shanklin - it's all geared up to tourism. Luckily the other taxi driver knows the way and drives us to a Hotel which is more of a faux mountain stronghold. It's somewhere between cool and very silly. I find my room, say hi and gibber a little to Wolfgang, my room mate, then crash out.
Obviously I then wake up at 01:30 local time and its very dull. I go for a bit of a walk, and find the foody place which sells beer (in a limited sort of way). Not wanting the challenge of something new, I plump for the safe option of the can of Draught Guniness, for which it turns out they don't have a glass big enough (sigh, colonials), the front desk as advised me not to go off the site alone as there's real life animals that may eat me.
Now it's 12:30 UK time, or about 5:30 here. Writing this to kill time until something more interesting happens. Maybe it's time to investigate the coffee situation.
I'm at a conference in Banff, Canada. This is quite a long post so it's under the cut
So, I got to the airport and was asked if I'd like to be upgraded to Business Class, which I assumed was them trying to sell me something but it turns out they had spare seats. Then Wendy signed Les and I into the first class lounge where they have free champaign and...
FREE cucumber sandwiches. Cut into fingers! With no crusts! Wendy and Nigel point out that the first class lounge isn't what it used to be - too crowded and they are a bit slow to replace the cheese selection when it runs out. The problem with things like this is that after a while people adapt and it becomes your baseline, and then rather than make you happy, a lack of it makes you unsatisfied.
Business class was also like that. You sort of get a pod which would be perfect if you are just under six foot. Also they keep bringing you booze in an attempt to make you doze off. It's very nice until they decide it's nap time then, just after you've got used to the nice people and the booze trolley, they turn out all the lights and stop offering the sauce. Luckily there's a screen about the size of a paper back book which you can watch movies on so I lay on this slighly uncomfortable seat pod thing watching movies wondering if there was a way to get Booze. Which is almost exactly like Sunday at Ben and Sioux except bumpier. Ah, another issue with being in business class was travelling next to Wendy, so doing my best not to be too annoying on a nine hour trip. As it was, Wendy fizzy wined hereself to sleep for most of the trip. It reminds me of the military vets in books who always catch sleep when they can get it as you don't know when you'll next get a chance.
We missed the shuttle bus which runs from Calgary to Banff by about 5 minutes and got a Taxi rather than wait around an hour (remember at this point it's about 3am UK time and it's a 2 hour trip).
The taxi requires advance payment.
And isn't quite sure where the hotel is, although knows Banff and that's at least the right direction. Luckily another taxi from the airport is going to the same place so we have Taxi Convoy!
Les sleeps in the taxi. I don't - I've decided to try and have one big sleep when I arrive. Driving out of Calgary I get the impression it's not finished. Everywhere seems to have construction projects and there seems to be new areas of housing so new that the banks of Earth that have been cleared to make them flat, have not yet grown over with grass. Although to be fair the only vegetation I've seen so far is grass and tree. Like a very big WoW zone.
We drive towards the mountains. This is pretty cool. A mountain range, in the distance taking up all of the horizon. Straight roads between here and there. I'm not sure where the food comes from around here. I've seen a cattle farm and two plowed fields and that's it. Between Banff and Calgary is what I assume is wilderness. Land that isn't doing anything very interesting except being between Banff and Calgary.
We get closer to the Mountains. They have clouds forming around them. You can see the microclimate around them. I take some photos. We can't go round, we must go over or under, I think wondering if Tolkien saw these chaps.
After a bit I'm really done with mountains. Just sitting there on the horizon, getting bigger, reminding me of Outrun.
In Calgary there were lots of new little "villages" of suburban nice-ness. Nearing Banff is the same, once we enter the mountains there's lots of little projects, many clearly under construction, turning wilderness into idylic Mountain view homes. Or something. I assume this is the kinda stuff they try to sell to Glengarry and Glen Ross. Still just trees and grass.
There's some cool refineries and stuff we pass. Photos didn't come out well.
Trying to find a hotel in Banff is like trying to find a bit of hay in a haystack. In a weird way it reminds me of Shanklin - it's all geared up to tourism. Luckily the other taxi driver knows the way and drives us to a Hotel which is more of a faux mountain stronghold. It's somewhere between cool and very silly. I find my room, say hi and gibber a little to Wolfgang, my room mate, then crash out.
Obviously I then wake up at 01:30 local time and its very dull. I go for a bit of a walk, and find the foody place which sells beer (in a limited sort of way). Not wanting the challenge of something new, I plump for the safe option of the can of Draught Guniness, for which it turns out they don't have a glass big enough (sigh, colonials), the front desk as advised me not to go off the site alone as there's real life animals that may eat me.
Now it's 12:30 UK time, or about 5:30 here. Writing this to kill time until something more interesting happens. Maybe it's time to investigate the coffee situation.
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