Impressions of Canada

It has been a week since we returned from our vacation in Canada so time to reflect. Unlike China 2 years ago which was an adventure, Canada was much more of a holiday. Yes, we travelled 2,000kms but the plan worked and we got to see all the attractions we planned to see and more. Wildlife wasn't as abundant as we had been lead to believe, but we still saw an impressive list of creatures; ground squirrels (chip monks), marmots, brown/black dears and grizzly bears, bold headed eagles, sea otters, seal and sea lions, whales (including a mother and her youngster), and numerous birds I couldn’t identify.

The Rockies are spectacular and despite warnings that we would overdose on mountains and forests to the point of boredom we just kept on enjoying the ever changing views – that is the beauty of touring. Due to the high temperatures and low spring rainfall (the wet season ended 2 weeks early) there was a distinct lack of waterfalls and water levels in the rivers were low.

Main Street, Banff - just so pretty.

But it is the people and places we will always remember. Calgary, Banff, Lake Louise, Jasper, Clearwater, Harrison Hot Springs, Tofino, Victoria and Vancouver were the main places on our tour. Banff deserved more time and Lake Louise is vastly over-rated and should have been omitted (it was an expensive diversion) as there are so many lakes more deserving of the tourists’ attention such as The Emerald Lake, Moraine Lake, Lake Medicine, Maligny Lake to name just a few.

How can you tire of vistas like this one of Moraine Lake?

Banff and Victoria were the two surprises of the trip. Happily we spent a couple of days in Victoria but Banff only got a few hours of exploration and deserves much more. Jasper would be a good base from which to explore if you had a week to spare although Jasper town is not up to the standards of Banff or Victoria, and Victoria… what can I say? Given the chance I’d move there tomorrow. The people in Canada are friendly and welcoming but Victoria winds it up to a whole new level.