We took about seven hours to drive to Banff from Kelowna. It was a very scenic drive and we took our time to stop too. Banff is in the Rockies and I always have problems pronouncing its name.
The hotel receptionist cheerfully told us that we came to Banff at a good time because it was warm that day: PLUS five degrees Celsius. "That's nice. So warm," I said, realizing that this is considered warm by Banff standards, where temperatures commonly go way below zero.
I notice that Canadians say Eh a lot. Singaporeans say Eh at the beginning of our sentences. Canadians say Eh at the end of theirs. Would a Singaporean in Canada say "Eh, this Rockies very nice, eh?"
It also took me a long time to realize what a Loonie is. I thought retail staff were calling me one. But it turns out that a Loonie is a Canadian dollar coin (because of the bird on the coin) and the two dollar coin is called a Toonie (or Twonie).
We brought our winter clothes in preparation for this leg. By the time we were dressed, we looked like Bak Chang.
Our first destination was the Banff Gondolas, that took us to the summit of Sulphur Mountain. I will let the photos speak for the views.
We also drove to Lake Louise and boy, that's a sight to behold. When sunlight hits those waters, the emerald colours are stunning. The shifting of Victoria Glacier causes rock particles in the waters to reflect the lovely blue and blue-green colours.
Needless to say, EVERYONE took photos here. It was like an auto-postcard. I bet many people drive here to do wedding photos, though I am not sure if the bride in her gown will be able to tahan the cold in winter.
At the edge of Lake Louise is the hotel with probably the best views in Canada, The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise. The wife and I looked longingly at the hotel. It looks expensive. Maybe we will stay here next time.
We spent longer than we expected at Lake Louise. The wife and I walked for quite a while on the snow-covered boardwalk (thank you, my hiking boots), just soaking in the breath-taking views. I am so glad we drove this far to see this.
