To be honest, I’m really tired. It’s partly due to having a terrible seatmate last night who was trying to take over my seat as well as his own. I managed to stake my ground a couple of times. After he got off to stretch his legs in the middle of the night, I put the armrest down so there would be a boundary between the two of us and I could get all of my seat back, not just most of it. Just because you’re big and I’m tiny, doesn’t mean you get to steal part of the seat I paid for! He later started encroaching on my space again, so I pushed his leg to get it out of my way. Plus, the driver kept announcing the stops over the PA system in the middle of the night, so I couldn’t sleep for very long chunks at a time even if I could get comfortable.
This morning, the only place I stayed awake to watch pass by was Portage la Prairie because I knew there was family history in this little place. Mom reminded me this morning that this is where my grandma went to work when she was younger. The ‘big city’ to someone from High Bluff, Manitoba (which you can miss if you blink as you drive through it).
I also woke up very unhappy when I discovered that my ankle had swollen up again. I got a few mosquito bites on my feet and ankles while in Jasper and ended up scratching one open. The result has been that my ankle has been swollen for days, but it had finally gone down. I was really not impressed to have it swell up again when the wound looks like it’s finally starting to heal. Then, after collecting my bags, I noticed that my suitcase was darker…and wet. While still in the bus depot, I grabbed one article of clothing to check if the suitcase had soaked through. It appears it had. Yet, when I got to the hostel and was able to check my things more thoroughly, everything is mostly just cold and some things a bit damp. Not quite as big of a problem as I had initially believed. Also, after walking around for a bit today, my ankle seems to have mostly returned to normal again. Apparently lack of movement is not good for it at the moment. I shudder to think what will happen on my day and a half journey to Ottawa starting tomorrow.
I am now in Winnipeg and boy is it ever hot. I’m pretty sure it was 20 degrees before noon. Quite a rapid change to all the rain, rain, rain I’ve had everywhere else it seems.
Arriving at my hostel around 9:30am, I was just hoping to store my bags because check-in time is not typically until 2pm. However, I was in luck and have my room key and everything. There doesn’t seem to be a whole lot to see or do here. I’ve mostly taken pictures of old churches spread throughout downtown and then visited The Forks down by the water. It reminded me of Granville Island in Vancouver… but not as cool.
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| Riel Esplanade going across Red River |
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| statue of a constellation... I'm not quite sure |
I stopped to find somewhere to get out of the heat outside and managed to find a bench in the shade and was promptly joined by two older men seeking to do the same. One fairly quickly got busy with a phone call and the other decided to be friendly and chat. I was a bit nervous when he first asked if they could join me, but he really did seem nice enough. He also didn’t want to be spending time with his friend in the park. An introvert, ex-alcoholic and self-proclaimed Jesus freak, he said he’d rather be fishing. He left and then so did I… to escape all the bugs. I still feel like they’re landing on me.
After a couple of hours at The Forks, I was pretty much bored. There is very little of interest in Winnipeg. Now I know why everyone kept telling me as much. I don't forsee returning again anytime soon.
For more photos of Winnipeg
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