Hello and welcome to this week’s mrlukeniktravels blog.
Since last week I have moved twice, once from Edmonton to Calgary and again from Calgary to Banff. Mixing up the length of stay helps bring some variety and also keeps a check on the budget too! This has involved more bus journeys, but thankfully shorter than Winnipeg to Edmonton.
Calgary is a great city to visit, I spent a good amount of time there exploring what it had to offer. Unfortunately, the Calgary Stampede has already happened so I missed that. The stampede is a big rodeo festival that celebrates all things cowboy. There was, however, plenty to do. The highlight was the Studio Bell, The National Music Centre. The museum is on five floors and covers all aspects of Canadian music. I have to admit that I did not know much about the subject before I arrived. Therefore, there was plenty to learn! As part of the exhibits there were a number of playable instruments. I was able to play a little after a couple of months with no instruments at all.
All sorts of angles and reflections in Studio Bell, completed in 2016.
The riverside walks were also very good, being specifically set aside in the mid-20th Century for leisure space. Along these were a number of parks with plenty of space to relax- for free! Being able to paddle in the Bow River in the hot weather was a welcome respite from the August heat. The hostel in which I stayed was in the Downtown area, so the city was very accessible.
The Bow River at dusk.
Whilst in Calgary I also had a new experience getting my hair cut! Not usually an issue on a short trip. I managed to find a place out of the centre which was reasonably priced and without fashionable ambience. I can’t be a person who never cuts their cut whilst spending time abroad, it just isn’t me. With the weather warm at the moment, having less hair on top certainly is an advantage.
During my stay in Calgary I met with some really good people and we had some great times together. Sometimes in a hostel environment and the smartphone it can be very easy to ignore everyone else. However, taking the leap of courage means being able to establish new connections with people. This could be for the day, a week or much longer. This is especially good when you meet people with similar interests and spend time doing them.
A few people I met in Calgary were also travelling on to Banff, so while here we’ve been able to pursue our mutual enjoyment of hiking. This is the principle reason why I, and most other people, are in the Banff area. It has been really fun to head off on hikes together and enjoy the great outdoors. The first two days in Banff were not so great as the smoke from the wildfires across the Rockies in British Columbia made the air quality poor. Since then, however, things have improved and the weather conditions are perfect for getting out on the hills.
The famous view of Lake Louise, when arriving in the morning there was only mist!
Perhaps one of the downsides of Banff is that is incredibly popular and, unfortunately, quite expensive during the season (July and August). Sometimes it takes a little effort to head beyond the crowds and experience what the area has to offer. As a national park everything is monetised- mainly to support the area’s number of visitors. That said, being here on a budget is certainly not impossible. It might mean slightly fewer ziplines, helicopter rides and cave dives but somethings have to be missed out.
So far, the expenditure in Banff has been reasonable, utilising as many savings as possible. Keeping away from expensive restaurants and bars is good for the bank balance and also good for the health of the body too! Thankfully, I do not suffer too much going a while with no pint of beer in hand. Plenty of hiking is also helping keep me fit, as well as using the services of local parks and open areas. Facilities such as gyms are not only expensive but also a little pointless when only being in an area for up to a week. I suppose I could of course become the world’s most inducted gym member!
That is pretty much it for this week, I shall be back with more news of Banff National Park next week when I have spent more time here. Until then, there is always my Twitter account @mrlukeniktravel. For (hopefully) nice pictures there is the Instagram account @mrlukeniktravels.
Until next time, stay safe and keep travelling!
The view of the mountains around Banff from the supermarket carpark. Doesn’t always have to be a fancy location.