Viarail - Montreal to St Thomas
Fri 20 Feb 2009
Tip of the day: The SMTP server on the VIArail wifi internet is mail.ripnet.com
Have endured the price of trains in Europe, a more favoured exchange rate encouraged a visit to the VIArail web site to scope the choices for Southbound travel.
Tipping in the extra coin via Mastercard, I was shortly booked for first class travel Montreal to Toronto and regular seats through to London (Ontario).
Arriving at the Montreal, I found my way easily to the info desk, where the lass behind the counter was helpful to the point of pushy. There was a first class lounge for me to enjoy, but I had shopping to do. In Canada you queue at the steps to the platform and only make you way once the train is ready to accept you… like boarding a flight. How interesting.
Shortly there after, and armed with a new Olympus SW850, I found my way onto the plane, err. Train. The first class seat was large and comfy, the cabin staff helpful and friendly and the adjacent power points starting charging notebook and phone. There was food to enjoy, but the Turkey a little bland.
I was also keen to try out the WIFI Internet, which is now a feature of their stations and trains. At a very affordable $8.95 for 24 hours, I was shortly hooked up. It’s slow at times on the trains as it is supplied by satellite… uploads were also dodgy…. But who cares. To travel in comfort across the snow covered countryside of Canada with Internet and AC power was just fantastic… Do a bit of work, catch up on Facebook, email photos to friends.
In Toronto, I had two hours. I used this to interview a couple of local applicants for the best job in the world. Both Christina and Shannon were great to spend time with.
Back on board the train, I was now seated beside a bright eyed elderly lady and the cabin tended by Lorraine who I started to wind up from the word go. Asked if I needed anything, I asked her to move the pillar for the window, so my view would be better… I later followed later with "Will I see a moose today?" and "What altitude would we be flying at?". She responded accordingly, trying to sing me to sleep, or suggesting that I might like to get off at the next station.
Beside me, Beth was lovely. Her husband had worked on the train for a career and had past just this last January. She was very engaging, telling me of their travels in Canada and abroad. I queried her about the state of the world, the current economic recession versus the great depression. The affect of technology on the way we live. Her main concern for all of this was the less time that families were spending together. When she was young, 3 weeks every year were spent at Grandma's place with cousins and other, near Niagara Falls. Without technology and great distance between the extended family, they would have fun the old fashioned way, in person and with each other. We also discussed the shrinking world and how the English language was everywhere now… making travel much easier than in the past. This was certainly true but I worried about the reducing differences in culture, as we find global brands and a common lingo invading every tourist spot of the world. In future will we be able to spot the difference from one country to the next?
In the end Beth reminded that travel should be a life time aim. Her history was spiced with stories of distant travel reminded me of the imperative to experience the world and its many flavours… while you still can.
