Tue 3/10 - Rocky Mountaineer (Day 1) - Vancouver to Kamloops

It was an early start today as we needed to be at the Rocky Mountaineer station in Vancouver by around 6:45am to check-in. Needless to say, the early start meant there wasn't much traffic around and the taxi ride was quick and easy and we arrived at the station with plenty of time to spare. Check-in completed (and suitcases whisked away, not to be seen until later on in the day at our hotel), we were pointed in the direction of the tea/coffee and told to listen out for an announcement when the RM train was ready to board.

As we drank our coffees, more and more people arrived by coach and taxi and the noise levels slowly increased as the concourse filled up. Then at around 7:30am, a tannoy announcement asked us to congregate at the front of the concourse. There was no need to rush as the train seating is reserved so we ambled over with everyone else. A couple of quick speeches by RM managers and then (as a bit of a gimmick), one couple who were celebrating their wedding anniversary were asked to give two hoots on a ceremonial train whistle while the rest of us (all on our best behaviour of course) did as instructed and shouted out "All Aboar-rrr-d" as we filed out of the concourse onto the platform following a bagpiper (nope .. me neither).

There were plenty of RM staff around to help us find our carriage and seats. We had opted for the Goldleaf Service for this train journey which meant we were in one of the double-height carriages with our seats (with huge observation windows) on the top deck, while the lower deck is where our meals would be taken and where we could access an outside vestibule for taking photos or just to get some fresh air (and having seen the normal carriages we were pleased we'd decided to upgrade). As the train pulled away from the station, RM staff were lined up to wave us on our way. There were some initial announcements about health & safety and housekeeping do's and don'ts. The most important of which was to always keep a napkin under your glass - with the rocking and rolling of the train it's all too easy for the glass to slide off of your tray! Anyway, formalities over, we were able to sit back and begin to enjoy the experience.

And to enjoy the first of many eating & drinking opportunities! We were on the second sitting for breakfast and were offered a scone (with jam & cream) to keep us going until breakfast itself. Breakfast happened a little later and we didn't seem to have been back in our seats for very long before they were calling the 1st sitting down for lunch. We were called back for lunch later on but not before we'd been offered cheese, crackers and wine (to keep us going!). Lunch over, they announced the bar was now open until the end of the day so you could watch the world go by (Well, British Columbia anyway) while enjoying your favourite tipple. And as a leaving present after Day 1, we were presented with a cookie before we disembarked.

All the while the eating and drinking was taking place, the countryside was passing by the windows ..

I was taking photos through the windows but also taking full advantage of the outside vestibule to take photos and going up and down the stairs on a regular basis. I had my GoPro with me on this holiday so was also taking footage of the countryside (which I will eventually edit and stitch together into a film). The terrain was lush and green at the start of the day but by the time we were approaching Kamloops, had become much more arid and desert-like.

One of the highlights of the day was Hell's Gate at the narrowest part of the Fraser Valley ..

.. but there were many photo-opportunities during the day including the Cisco Crossings ..

.. and the 25-mile long Kamloops Lake ..

You won't be surprised to discover there was merchandise available and I decided to order myself a RM t-shirt (actually reasonably understated and much less garish than you might imagine) which came with a RM baseball cap.

At the end of the day, coaches were alongside the train to whisk us away to our hotels. We were staying overnight at the Coast Kamloops Hotel which is a few miles from the centre on one of the many hills surrounding the town. The driver explained the large temperature difference between the centre and the surrounding hills - apparently you can have snow on the hills while down below, there can be no sign of it.

Arriving in our room, as promised, our cases were there ready and waiting for us. One thing they warn you about (and which I experienced) was 'train legs' - you get so used to the movement of the train during the day, when you are sitting still at the hotel, it feels like you are still moving - a very odd feeling. Needless to say, after all the food and drink on the train we were not in the least bit hungry and all we needed was a bowl of soup (courtesy of room service) before we headed to bed for an early night.