Well it's Wednesday morning, not a bad sleep overall but woke up at around 3:00 a.m. with nothing to do but look out the window as we crossed the prairies at a much higher speed than through the mountains. I ended up missing Edmonton as my Wi-Fi download spot given that we left Jasper late and arrived into Edmonton well after midnight.

Saskatoon didn’t have or maybe didn’t know what Wi-Fi was so the blog update is now scheduled for Winnipeg, with a tentative for about 8:00 p.m. tonight.

We’ve been crossing the prairies, making our way through Saskatchewan with very little opportunities for pictures. The flatness combined with the speed of the train is kicking up quite a bit of snow, after all there’s no wheat so what is there to really take pictures of.

It’s a quiet day today, but I suspect that’s the reason people take the train vs. the airplane. Given our arrival time into Winnipeg, today is Brunch (Crab Benedict was exceptional) with our dinner reservations set for the 2nd seating due to our arrival time in Winnipeg.

We’ve played some Gin, and even tried to give Deb some Euchre lessons without any luck. We’ve met some couples from the U.S Beamsville and even Australia here on the train so there’s a pretty diverse crowd.

Not much more today going on today other than the regular train whistles that announce our approach to the level railway crossings spread across this vast, flat part of the country.

We’ve decided that there needs to be some hints for those who come after us. People who take this once-in-a-lifetime trip across this great nation on VIA’s Canadian.

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10. Getting into the Upper Bunk.

This should be performed with extreme caution. You should have the muscles and balance of a Cirque de Soleil gymnast before attempting this feat. Make sure that you use the head BEFORE ascending into penthouse suite as you will just have to repeat the entire process. Once you’re in – stay there until daybreak – any attempts to do this in the middle of the night are definitely not recommended.

09. Putting on Makeup (For Women travelers)

Due to the constant rock and roll of train cars precision is required, especially with the mascara wand and you could end up with black eyes without much issue. Deborah has found that the best way to apply her makeup is to wedge one foot against the lower bunk, put her stomach against the edge of the sink, wedge her left elbow into the corner of the mirror, thrust her head as close to the other mirror as possible, hold her breath and proceed with caution. The same procedure can be used to apply lipstick.

08. Negotiating the Hallways

Prior to leaving your accommodation, it recommended that you wear as much clothing or padding to protect your arms and shoulders while negotiating these very narrow hallways. It is also recommended that you have both hands free wherever possible to assist with these difficult maneuvers. Upon approaching other fellow passengers, either retreat to the nearest corner or be prepared to be up close and personal. As a cautionary note, any weight loss program that can be implemented prior to departure can be to your advantage in so many different ways.

07. Travel Between the Trains

Normally this can be a fun event while traveling on the train, it’s a little like the kiddies fun house at the local fair, but in winter this takes on a whole perspective. The floors move, the walls move and at high speeds it’s somewhat reminiscent of a wind tunnel test. This is particularly true during winter periods as there is significant buildup of snow between the rail cars so either hiking boots or spikes would be recommended.

06. Having a Shower.

Dieting is again recommended for this process. There is one shower located in each of the cars, and up this point, we have not yet seen the door closed any time we pass by. Due to fact that you have to travel the public hallways to access these showers, any kind disguise is recommended in order to protect your identify from other passengers. Have your toiletries ready for the sprint to the shower and don’t forget to take a robe for the return trip.

05. Small Containers Are Best for Luggage

As was indicated in my previous postings, space is limited in any type of the VIA sleeping cars. We’re thankful that VIA provided us with Bedrooms for our trip rather than the Upper/Lower Berth accommodation, as this seems particularly inhuman, particularly for 4 days of train travel. It is highly recommended that when booking your trip, make sure that you pay special attention to the overall packaging dimensions – there is very little room in a bedroom and can only accommodate two very small pieces of luggage so get your measuring tapes out. If your very proficient with puzzels/Rubic’s Cube you could be ok as there is a definite art to fitting things into one of these very small rooms.

04. Bring Music and Cards

With this cross-country trip totaling 83 hours give or take, boredom could set in quite easily, so be prepared. Bring your movies, DVD’s, iphones, ipads, laptops, ipods or you’ll end up taking one of the exciting classes in knitting in the dome car. From my perspective, I had Deb pack both cars and money – she’s down $83.78.. As a side note, don’t drop one of the cards down between the wall and bed, they’ll be done until you can locate your room steward and dismantle your room.

03. Don’t Expect Wi-Fi on the Train

At the time writing there are only five stations across the country that have Wi-Fi, a few more that know what it is, but do not have it available and a host of other smaller stations that think you’re trying to communicate with them in their native tongue. You can expect Wi-Fi in Vancouver, Jasper, Edmonton, Winnipeg and Toronto, beyond that you’ll have to deal with a Rogers upgrade for your cellular.

02. How to Interact with Other VIA Rail Passengers

The rule here is to BE NICE., as you will see these people over and over and over again. You just can’t get away. Enough said.

01. Using the Toilet (For Male Passengers Only)



This last tip is likely only applicable to male passengers as

women have the benefit of sitting. It is recommended that you position your feet against the back wall of the toilet, fall forward so that you at least at a 45 degree angle. Remember to put out both your arms as fall forward which will brace you for this activity. This of course is all relative to the speed of the train and the bladder status. From my perspective, the larger you are, the easier it is to perform this function as body is used to brace yourself within this 2’ c 2’ cubicle.

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Hopefully these hints will help to assist you should you decide to book one of these incredible trips across our country on VIA Rail’s CANADIAN. We have elected not to include photographs for any of these hints because it would be highly likely that it would scare the hell out of most people.

Having just crossed out of Saskatchewan at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday evening. With a planned 4-hour stop in Winterpeg it will allow us get things posted and maybe do a little shopping in Winnipeg’s downtown core. We’re scheduled to stop at Sioux Lookout at 5:00 Thursday morning, so I’ll have to be up and get on the platform just to say that I was back in VanDeventer country maybe for one last time.

That’s all for today – apparently it’s Prime Rib for dinner and maybe Bingo in the Park Car with a little warm Grand Marnier to help me get over the shake, rattle and roll.

Stay tuned for the next update.