Winnipeg

Winnipeg, Manitoba

We are sitting in the Place Louis Riel Hotel in Winnipeg.  The weather has been so hot and muggy that we decided to spoil ourselves a bit.   This is quite a fancy hotel, but, for some reason we got it very cheap.  Maybe because no one comes to Winnipeg voluntarily.  We walked around downtown Winnipeg for a while.  The city seems to lack energy somehow.   The office buildings downtown do not have shops on the ground floor like we see in Victoria or Vancouver.   Telen thinks that is because it gets so cold in the winter that people won’t go outside to shop – they would only got to enclosed spaces.   There is an area near here called “The Forks” which is kind of like a version of Granville Island in an old train station.  There weren’t too many people there either.  

Winnipeg: it sounds like a cheap contest for pirates.

The weather has been very hot.   I am not used to these kind of temperatures and I find them quite debilitating. 

At this point I can also say that I am tired of the prairies.   Granted the riding has not been difficult because there are few up-hills.  The flip side of that is that there are no down-hills.   You cannot coast.  The wind makes sure that you are pedaling constantly – it is a bit like being on a trainer.  With the scenery changing as rapidly as it does it is a like being on a trainer in the basement without a video to watch or music to listen to.   I am getting to be quite the expert on that canola plant…

Two nights ago we stayed in Moosomin, Saskatchewan.   Such an interesting name.  That made me think of some of towns that we visited and their mottos.   The one that really sticks in my mind was Medicine Hat: “the gas capital of the prairies”.  I think they are putting their medicine in the wrong place.  Such interesting names, though:  Moose Jaw, Medicine Hat, Moosomin.  Not conventional names like we have in BC: Spuzzum, Salmon Arm, Surrey…

Interestingly when we passed through a small bend in the road called Qu’Appelle (NOT Ft. Qu’appelle) we found that it had quite a number of garages and car repair places and only one restaurant.  One of the garages was called Ass-Hole’s garage.   I am not kidding!  The restaurant was called Grouch’s café.   I think I don’t want to live there.

Telen writes:

On our way to Winnipeg today, we paid homage to Portage La Prairie.  I have heard of this place from a number of friends who used to live there, e.g. Dr. Ford and his wife Eileen, and Cathy Dexter.  Now I understand why they would want to leave Portage La Prairie!  Before we arrived, I googled Wikipedia about this town.  It apparently has a population of 15,000 and has the World’s Largest Coca Cola can.  This monument is made from a very large wooden barrel.  We found this attraction and I have the photo to prove it.  This is a bit tacky I know.

As I am writing this, a wonderful fireworks display happened a few blocks away from our 15^th floor hotel window.  I am not sure what the occasion is but, hey, the display was spectacular nevertheless.

I have decided that I will not attempt to ride on the highways.  The speed limit is 110 km/hr and the air draught is great.  I feel very nervous hearing these cars and trucks zooming by.  I have persuaded Rand to join a supported cycling tour in PEI later where traffic would be more manageable.