On the Road Again 2013 #1

Waiting in a railroad station -got a ticket for my destination.... wish I  knew how put little musical notes around those opening words.  It would give me something to do.  Train stations are rather  ring places.  The train is almost two hours late and I have not even started yet. I am not a happy camper....

The original plan was to go from. Sudbury to Winnipeg. I would get to Winnipeg by 8:00 am and have my thumb out by just after 9:00. That way I would avoid the mosquitoes and the blackflies as well as the two days of traveling through northern Ontario. I was not too sure if my plan was going to work as until the 14th there was some fear of a Via rail strike.  I was quite relieved when there was no need for a strike. Would I have traveled on the train when it was run by managers? It would have felt as I was crossing the picket line or something.

And then the floods happened. I don't mean to demean or reduce the huge impact the flood would have had on those people in Canmore or Calgary but the flooding has made my life a lot more complicated. While I sure that I could have gotten across the Prairies without trouble, it looked as if getting through medicine hat, Calgary and Canmore would have been potentially difficult. Not only were parts of the road flooded or covered in mud but some of the essential services had been stopped. It was not clear if I could have made it through  downtown areas. So after a lot of internet surfing and conversion I decided to take the train to Jasper and hitch the rest of the way. At least I will get to get a few rides through the mountains but I will miss my rides across the flat lands. Plus of course the extra cash to take the train. Still if I had gotten stuck somewhere east of medicine hat I could have spent even more money of motels etc.

Train is not that full and at least for now I have two seats for me. As well because I am on the train for two nights I get to be in the quieter car which means that during the night I will have fewer disturbances as folks get on or off.

It is a gray and cloudy day -time for a few nuts, a boiled egg, carrots and perhaps some sleep. I am on train, heading west and for the next 36 hours all there is to do is to relax, read, listen to music and sleep. Sounds pretty good to me.