Jasper - Vancouver - Seattle

We got dropped off the next day and got our free lift back to Jasper with a guy that looked very much like the trucker guy in Wolf Creek but he was sound though..

We were booked into the HI hostel in Jasper which was grand as it was only minutes from the wee village centre. We had about 3 days to chill out here before we had to get the via rail train acropss the rockies to Vancouver, Ger even managed to find his mate...!

We immediately fell in love with Jasper, but it is very hard not to as it is just so idyllic you want to stay for longer, its not terribly big but the quaint shops, cafes and bars are gorgeous and all to the back drop of the snow capped rocky mountains.

We just chilled out around the town but we did go up the Whistler mountain cable car for the amazing views and then its optional to continue further on foot to the very top of the mountain and as it looked the world.
Obviously we did it and it was amazing, it took about an hour to get to the top but it wasnt that far it was more the altitude that slowed you down, oh and the fact that i had left the house in flip flops as it was about 35 degree heat but up the mountain it was windy and a lot colder and some parts were covered in snow - this didnt help!! But once we got to the top it was brill and it felt like a super achievement..

On the friday we were leaving on the 3pm train to cross the rockies, the train looked weel exciting as the roof was see through and raised so you could get the full experience of travelling through the mountains. We had booked our trip at home and didnt realise that we got a full 3 course dinner and free champagne when we boarded so it was a treat to be treated like first class as opposed to the travelling look we were used to.. i think we shocked the train ticketer as she advised us to buy our own food before getting on the train as it was quite expensive on the train haha... i guess we werent looking our best that day!

Our dinner seating was at 5pm so we headed for that first and a few glasses of free wine and champers.. meet 2 other girls that had actually won the same trip who were lovely. After dinner we got to go up to the viewing carriages and watch the mountains as they passed by, it was really brilliant we were both just in awe and i dont think we spoke for about an hour!

It was like luxury compared to the train journeys in the hard sleeper in China with Andy and Jane (... but we we were thinking of you guys!). They made up the beds for you at night - whch were huge and it was just gorgeous being able to fall asleep looking up at the rockies and the stars - very romantic lads!
We got into Vancouver the next morning at about 8am and had to wait then til 12 for our bus to Seattle where we stayed for a night before heading to Chicago and Ger's cousins house for a full week. We were kind of sad to leave Canada and would encourage anyone to go as it was definitely one of our highlights!