“It is not about the endpoint, but how you get there. It is about the journey itself!”
Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote:” Life is a JOURNEY, not a destination “. We need to be reminded of this occasionally instead of all the time running from one destination to the next, from one mission to the next, from one problem, issue, to the next, as I do in my own working life. As human beings we do like to divide a whole lifetime in smaller amounts of time, maybe to have a better grasp of these smaller time intervals of decades, years, months, weeks, days, hours, seconds.
Now I know those words by Emerson is a quote that is used frequently to describe many things, such as personal happenings in life or other similar aspects but in this context for us, it really described “the journey”. Because, when you travel Via Canada train, it is not about arriving at the destination but the manner that you got there. In colloquial terms, it is all about the journey! For Marc and I, it is how we physically travelled from one place to the other, from one side of Canada to the other and what happened along the way!
West Coast to East Coast Canada via Train was something that we had not considered before this holiday and so, a new personal journey was undertaken. Four days and four nights ahead of us, on a train commencing at Vancouver and ending at Toronto – the Canadian version of the Orient Express, with ‘Economy’ travel at one end and the impressive, Orient Express-like ‘Prestige’ portion at the back. Although I must admit that I felt a little bit of trepidation, knowing Marc and his need to walk … I was concerned that boredom would settle in. However, after our countless months of ongoing pressures of work, this was deemed as the opportunity to force a ‘stop’, a ‘rest’, a time to slow down and relax. “Let’s try it at least once” became our song. But we both considered that if we are going to do ‘it’, then we shall do it in ‘Prestige Class’!
And ‘All aboard’ we went!
Every day for four years as a teenager, I travelled 45 minutes every morning and afternoon on a diesel train to attend high school. Sitting in my school uniform, finishing any homework I did not complete the night before, chatting with girlfriends, flirting with the boys (as I grew older in my teens), and of course, grabbing those two potato scallops from the fish and chip shop close to the station to eat on the train trip home. That was a normal part of my journey in my daily life. That was a voyage all by itself…many stories could be told about that part of my life…but the significant feature of that travel was about getting to school on time. This ‘train journey’, this trip was nothing like that! Fellow travellers well acquainted with ‘The Canadian’ were quick to say, “You should never arrange travel connections if you are travelling on The Canadian!” We certainly found out why.
The Canadian, euphemisms aside, is really about the journey. The Canadian Train crosses almost the whole width of Canada but shares its tracks with the real workhorses of the railways, a multitude of freight trains. The freight trains are the real money earners, and it appears they are preferentially given right of way. The result, it was nothing for us to be stopped for anything up to three hours in the middle of no-where allowing freight trains, exceptionally long freight trains, to rumble past us delivering their goods to who knows where as much as on time as their specific schedules allowed. Sometimes we backed up to allow them to pass us. Sometimes you had the illusion that you were moving but it was not your train, it was the other one passing you…usually the freight one! Occasionally we were waiting for two or three of them to pass us by, and not all at the same ‘time’. I assumed that if train regulators had to make a priority choice between food, goods or fuel, and people, then the ‘people’ part most certainly lost!
Stopping and waiting at stations like Winnipeg for up to three hours also became the norm. A 20-minute allowance at an insignificant station to stretch your legs, then head back to the train so it would not take off without you…. became 45 minutes. (Of course, I ensured that both Marc and I made it back to the train well within the exercise/fresh air limits set us by our lovely attendants, as they called out those famous words you hear in movies …’ all aboard”. Knowing Marc, he would probably wander off, never to be found again.) Apart from changeover of staff, or refuelling, or cleaning observatory windows, we had no idea why the stops at times were so long. Pausing frequently in the snow alongside riverbeds and lakes also became the norm. Perhaps it was because it was winter and travel had to be slower, but this was actually stopping as in no movement at all. Then the opposite of that meant faster train speeds were then endured with much rocking and rolling in attempts to catch up! But alas that catch up never actually happened. Meanwhile, our own arrival epochs at waypoints turned out to be very elastic including our eventual estimated arrival time in Toronto. Thus, why the admonishment mentioned to us by our fellow passengers who had travelled this train a few times – if you were travelling on this train, to never to make tight travel connections as you simply would not make it! I can see why! Experiencing all this I am so glad that we were not on a time frame, and it did not matter what hour we eventually arrived in Toronto!
Being on a train for four days really meant inactivity. You basically ate, drank, and sat! So, you can imagine why my concerns re Marc and his need for activity- to be busy! However, we found a way of overcoming this dilemma. Each day after breakfast and each afternoon, we walked the entire length from one end to the other. We walked initially to see the different ‘classes’, various sleeping arrangements and carriages, chatting and smiling with fellow passengers, carefully and quietly sliding past those sleeping ones, pushing open the connecting doors between carriages, some that were quite icy and layered with snow. To be honest I was amazed at how much snow accumulated inside those connecting door sections! But yes, as expected, many times I slipped on those short-frozen corridor paths, much to Marc’s amusement to continue, into the warmth of the next carriage. I am sure over the four days I gained a small amount of upper body muscle tone pushing open those heavy doors between carriages. I must think positive in respect of having a little bit of extra exercise anyway.
By the third day we were running up and down the train corridors numerous times and on the final day a train attendant encouraged us, to walk/run it without touching the walls! Just like a a child when you tried to not step on the cracks in the pavement. Now remember that the train corridors are so narrow, you cannot pass another person without becoming intimate with them and the train rocks unpredictably. But a challenge to be taken. Now that was hard. Both of us trying to manoeuvre our way along the many corridors with its numerous twists and turns without touching the walls! Have you ever tried to do that?? Lots of laughter believe me! The train attendants got used to seeing us,’ on our daily walks”. One attendant even commented “Oh I would have missed you if I had taken the bedding out now!” It must have been quite humorous for them to see two older Australians, walking, running, laughing their way up and down the various corridors acting like kids! They were more likely thinking we were those mad Australians as we were the only ones on the whole train doing this activity! Everyone else was sitting! Can you picture us both, two professional people, in their early 60’s running up and down the corridors??? But on our daily walks I definitely gained another understanding of train travel as the train itself was quite amazing. It was soooooo long. And I mean long!!!
Life on the train always meant that it was noisy! As a high school student riding the train every day, that train noise was simply a part of that scene. I had quite forgotten that. The noise of our holiday train as it rushed along those rail tracks was constant (apart from when it simply stopped as mentioned above). It was a considerable noteworthy noise. At times, a pleasant musical cadence, at others strident and coarse! Being rocked gently as you read your book as you reclined in your seat or your cabin, …. as it gradually slipped you into a gentle slumber of a short nap was pleasurable, but believe me, any thoughts you had of sleeping effectually on the train, went out the window!
Do you know that I had never realised how noisy trains are until you try to sleep on one! Restful sleep was not something to expect. We both gave up expecting it to happen because sleep for us was certainly not conducive. In particular, that first night on the train. Instead, each evening consisted of endless significant rocking and rolling, rolling, and rocking, not to mention the rocking and rolling! Did I comment about the rocking and rolling? Our first night on this forced restful aspect of our holiday was not very restful at all and we were awake for many hours. Yes, two bleary eyed people headed to that beautiful dining car to consume that enormous amount of food on that first morning! Our lovely hostess asked…Coffee?? Three cups downed quickly later -oh yes please!
I must mention that one night was better than the others but after discussion with fellow passengers, it was because we had stopped for a few hours in the middle of nowhere! No movement, No noise. And I thought I was getting used to the rocking and rolling!
Tell me have you ever tried to consume soup when you are on a train? Think about it. You have to match your soup spoon (or other eating implement for that matter,) into the mouth movements with the train movement because if the two movements don’t meet, the spoon misses the mouth! Spoon /Fork to the left, Mouth to the Right! Very funny!
Train movement, however, became part of your natural walking stride. Leaning sideways, rolling with train movements as it went around corners, lurching sideways, backwards and forwards into Marc…who gallantly saved me from falling flat onto my face…(no I was not drunk, even though to others it may have it appeared to be that!) Walking through the train and staying on your feet was an accomplishment all in itself! I was utterly amazed at how our meal attendants carried the trays of food or drinks. Even sitting down, you were constantly moving, sometimes bending around the corner tilted at an angle and at others, your whole human frame moving upwards or downwards! But through the trip, our bodies adjusted to the movement and the swaying and rolling, and that rocking became part of your natural stride along the train corridor. I must admit that sitting on a swaying train while attending to nature was certainly an interesting task! Had to make sure you did not miss! So glad this time I was NOT a male!
Meeting and greeting people on the train from various parts of Canada and USA…. (Not to mention hearing the Australian accent at times as well) was a significant part of our journey. Sitting in the lounge car, sharing drinks, we crossed paths with many different versions of Canadians, entertaining us with numerous stories of their life and their reasons for being on the same train as us. Many diverse characters with their own stories to share and laugh with. Some individuals who talked a little too much and dominated the conversations and others who just listened. Many a “people watch” was performed by me! Plus, you had the choice to join them and engage with the conversation, or you could sit alone or with your partner, relishing your own company, in the solitude and peace, of your cabin and watch the silent thick world of white and the beautiful landscapes before you. An excellent choice at times!
Have I mentioned how much food and drink you consume on this trip. The name of the trek from Canadian Via Trail could be renamed to Canadian Ingesting Trail! If you really wished to, you could eat and drink your way from West to East. Full breakfasts, lunches and four course dinners were provided every night within the beautiful dining car and first-class service that we entered daily for our formal meals. The reference to the Orient Express above really symbolises the beautiful dining setting. Something not normally experienced by ‘common’ people like Marc and I! The food served was nothing but first class. As we were in the Prestige Class end of the train that included as much free alcohol and munchies you wanted not only at mealtimes but at any time of night or day. Many plates of hors d’orvres, cheese and biscuits and red wine were offered each afternoon. How could we refuse such tantalising gifts – that would be so rude! I have to admit it was rather an enjoyable part of the trip, not having to think about what you wanted to eat or to buy anything along the way- the menu was all provided for your choice and all food and drinks were free.
Similar activities and routines meant that our days rolled consecutively into others, and I admit that I thought that on the second day we had been on the train for three days. No, I was not upset by that at all! In fact, another day of forced rest before my husband takes me exploring was a lovely thought! However, by the third day, we felt we had eaten and drunk more than we had eaten and drunk over the past few months and that our bodies resembled that aspect too. In comparison to some of our fellow travellers, Marc got to the point where he could not drink another alcoholic drink, because his liver had had enough! My own body has now morphed into a much bigger roly-poly version of Lyndell! I perceived that there will be a change from the initial ‘spring in the step’, striding up into and onto the train to be replaced with rolling, burping, and belching off the train at the end of our journey! I will not be able to walk at all! Therefore, in fairness to our bodies that were crying for assistance, to alleviate this pressure, on our final two days, we consumed much less and drank more water.
Yes, being part of this journey forward, across the 4,466 kms across Canada, was the most impressive section of this first part of our Canadian travel break. Playing card games with each other, reading books, eating, drinking, conversing with others while observing beautiful snow-covered mountain scape of Jasper and Alberta, contrasted to the prairies of Saskatchewan, the frozen lakes, and frosted trees of Ontario, all added to the charming adventure of our journey from West Canada to East. Everything considered, the journey itself was an interesting one and more than happy to commend to others!
However, when we get to Toronto, I wonder how long it will take me to gain my balance again, as well as my pre-train waistline?
Ah, TIME will tell.