Fri. 4th September ’26
Our accommodation was a bed and breakfast, which can take many different forms. Well, this place had the best breakfast plate we have had in a long time and lovely hosts, who were in the background whenever needed but not overpowering. So, well fed, fully coffeed up, emails answered and the next blog drafted meant we could head off and see what delights were in store for us today.
The lake east of Okanagan lake is Kalamalka Lake, some 16km long and up to 3km wide. It seemed enormous to me but according to Grokipedia (yes apparently that is a thing) that makes it much smaller than Okanagan lake at 135km long. We stopped towards the top end of the lake at a viewpoint for coffee and a photo or two. It is difficult to appreciate the size in any photo. The lake was also remarkably turquoise green in colour.
Heading away from water we were on the lookout for Enderby cliffs, high balsite outcrop formed from a lava field some 50 million years ago. There is a 7km walk to the top, forget that in this rain. It was not as impressive as McIntyre Bluff we passed a few days ago. More inviting is the thought of lunch so we head for Sicamous, which apparently is the Houseboat capital of Canada, who knew such a place existed? Just let that fact pass through your brain as I don’t think it is not worth remembering. We certainly won’t come back for lunch as we sat waiting for half an hour for our food, only to be told “it has been on the counter for the last 15 minutes” but they had not been bothered to tell us!!
We continue our railway theme with a stop at Craigellachie, which is where the last spike of the Canadian Pacific Railway was driven on 7th November 1885 so that the east and west coasts of Canada were joined by the railway. The KVR we were on yesterday was a spur off the mainline. We learn more about the railway when we arrive in Revelstoke and visit the Railway Museum. We do like to seek out Railway Museums but have yet to find one to beat Bulawayo Museum in Zimbabwe. That memory lives on as I still have an image from there as my Facebook icon.
As ever reading about the building of the railway and the problems they had to overcome is fascinating, from avalanches to passing through mountains. We also discovered that the Rocky Mountaineer tourist train comes through Revelstoke every day, once in either direction. The timing of its passing through varies due to freight trains having priority, and as we have seen those working trains are enormous and slow moving. We had wanted to go on the Rocky Mountaineer but it would have meant a one-way car hire and also it just did not fit with everywhere else we want to see.
We have certainly had a railway theme going so far on this trip and although the Canadian train has a good reputation, I still have great memories of other train journeys. Favourites being the Shosholoza Meyl train in South Africa where we were the only guests in First Class due to a misunderstanding with our booking and The Ghan in Australia where the service was outstanding and I had a goodie bag for my significant birthday treat. I have said that my next posh train will be The Orient Express and given the price of that I don’t think it will ever happen.