Cool Runnings

After very nearly being caught out by the sneaky daylight savings time debacle, with only a notice on a piece of paper in the hotel lift that saved us, we managed to get to the airport in time for our 8am flight over to Calgary.

Again coming in to land at the airport we were treated to a magical snow covered landscape. On arrival the movie-style welcome commenced as Jayne and David met us off the plane with hugs harder than a grizzly bear...hopefully won't every be able to confirm that fact...

Calgary felt much quieter than Vancouver, seemed to be hundreds of cars around but no people anywhere? 

Day1 we headed to the Olympic winter sports cetner built for the 1988 Olympics to check out the famous bobsled track where the 4 Jamaicans had their spectacular "Cool Runnings" story come to a dramatic head with that crash on their final run. It happened on corner number 9, a massive left hander that curls around in a complete circle after coming off the back of a 400 meter straight where speeds reach in excess of 150 kmph. 

(The straight on the left comes first, then the left hand bend around the pole, then they keep turning to come back on themselves and go underneath the original straight that came into the corner)

It was eery standing in the middle of the track where thousands of people would have witnessed it, and even more eery to be at the actual locations used to film Cool Runnings - one of the most awesome and inspirational sporting movies I ever watched as a child. 

We'll be watching an professional NHL game on Friday with the Calgary Flames, but we got our first taste of ice-action at the hockey center at the Olympic venue. There was a "beer game" going on (pub league 5 a side type thing) between two teams. THEY WERE BRILLIANT. Forwards, backwards, sideways they could go everywhere AND FAST! The puck moves seemingly faster than the speed of light and it draws you in immediately when you've got your nose pressed up to the glass around the rink - Awesome, cant wait for the big game on Friday.

That evening, back to the apartment for some night-time views of the Calgary skyline from the rooftop of our apartment building...and the biggest steaks ever bought in a Safeway...

We completed the 1.5 hour journey to Banff yesterday right into the heart of the rocky's to be hit in the face with what is almost certainly some of the most jaw dropping scenery you'll find anywhere on earth. We bunked up in our ski lodge as inches of snow falls outside and we can stick some logs on the fire. It feels like we've pretty much gone back in time to star in The Whams "Last Christmas" music video...except without the pressure of last minute present grabbing because you've left it too late as usual.

 

All our ski gear has been delivered to the hotel and its currently 7.30 in the morning and its a hive of activity with salopettes, ski goggles and socks flying everywhere as we kit up for our first day out on the slopes.