Monday 20 September 2010

Day 4 - Sydney to Calgary

After a late finish at the concert the night before, we dragged ourselves out of bed for the start of the long commute to Calgary. At 7.15am we were on the train to the airport for the true start of the adventure. The flight was to be the longest of the trip (14 hrs) from Sydney to Vancouver. The Boeing 777's (above) do the job, but Air Canada just aren't in the same league as the likes of Singapore Airlines when it comes to in-flight entertainment, comfort & service.We arrived in Vancouver to miserable wet conditions although still quite warm and humid. A two hour stop over was all we had before hopping onto one of Air Canada's Embraer E190's (above). They're great little planes. New, comfortable &, being a small aircraft, little waiting time to board or leave the plane or collect baggage. When we arrived in Calgary an hour or so later, the temperature on the ground was +4 C. It was overcast & miserable. What had we done?!

We picked up the hire car (more on that later) & headed for Shane & Laura's place. A quick bag drop & we were heading into town to close bank accounts & buy a few supplies for the next week or so.Back at the house, we sorted our gear out & caught up with Shane & Laura. We also met their cat Chloe (above). Chloe has a neat trick. She plays fetch with her stuffed toys. Clever Kitty!

After the long day of travel, sleep was our best friend.