Well, this damned computer has done it again.... It's seriously ill, and I just paid a man a handsome sum of money to fix it, but that didn't happen!!!!!
So, I lost another Blog post.........Will try again......
We've travelled East, many kilometres, through several Provincial parks - all amazing and different. The Prairies are brilliant, and seem to go on forever, and at one stage there are literally hundreds of wind turbines churning away - what a fantastic sight.
We visited a place called "Head Smashed In Buffalo Jump"..... Yep, it was just what it was called. The native Indians used to herd the Buffalo along a track, and over this very tall cliff. Waiting at the bottom were some more fellas who finished off any Buffalo who had survived the fall, and cut them up into managable portions, which apparently did the tribe for months at a time. Predictably, once the white fella came, it was not long before the Buffalo had all but been wiped out. Hideous story really.
We stayed at a little country motel which you could swear was straight off the set of a bad American Western. But, the sheets and towels were clean, and that was about all which could be said for it. We all sat out in the carpark having a drink, which was hilarious, before wandering down to the local pizza joint for what turned out to be an excellent Pizza - that was the surprise of the day!
We next went to Waterton Park, which again is a brilliant provincial park, and there, perched on the cliff, , overlooking the lovely lake, was another one of the Fairmount Group of Hotels, famous in Canada for being in absolute prime positions. This was a gorgeous old thing, built in the 1920s, and still looking very trim. Staff wandered about in kilts for some reason, but it was lovely. Actually the hotel is called the Prince of Wales, so that's probably the reason for the kilts, although there seems to be a mix up between Wales and Kilts!! Walked along one side of Cameron Lake (which is a bit like Lake Louise in B.C.), but saw not one wild creature, although there are rumoured to be black bears in there! The track comes to an abrupt end, with the warning that "there are bears in there" so do not pass this point. But I'm sure another reason is that the far end of the lake is actually in US territory, and it would be a pain having to have a border crossing manned there!
Some sheep (not the domestic variety) were wandering about in the car park, apparently not concerned by visitors - wildlife at last!!
Next on to Red Rock Canyon which was magnificent. The mountains are really breathtaking, and the scenery second to none in Canada. Here, a small stream flows through an amazing Red mini canyon made up of red and grey cliffs, and on the floor of the river are spectacularly coloured bright orange and yellow stones as well. Very lovely indeed!
We stayed the night in Cardston which was a very seriously Morman town. At least two "normal" Morman churches in town, as well as an ENORMOUS Citadel (or whatever they call it). Apparently you need to be a Really Good Mormon to even be allowed inside....... Good Chinese meal though!
On to yet another fantastic canyon (Writing on Stone Provincial Park), through which runs a small river called The Milk River - with many white chalky outcrops and little "fairy chimneys" reminiscent of those in Goreme in Turkey. There was a "big barney" around about this area about 150 years ago between the Indians and the white folk, and there are native Indian Petroglyphs (drawings) depicting the scent scratched into the chalk cliffs.
We saw some white tailed deer along the road, which was very exciting for us Aussies!!! We have also seen some Mule Deer, Elk, Coyote (which also sing to us from across the Valley, here at June's house), and of course the little ground squirrells. One night along the way, when we visited friends of June and Harvey, we smelled a visit from a skunk outside, but didn't catch sight of it.
When we got to Elkwater Lake, we decided to put down stakes for the night, and took a 2 1/'2 hour tour around the lake and Park, in the hope of seeing some more wildlife - namely a Moose!!! Yeah, right......
We saw some more deer, and a coyote, a couple of albatross, and not much else..... We had been bumped around on corrugated gravel roads in a rickety bus for hours, and I'm sure any wild life would have been frightened off by our noise.
Onwards and ever upwards to Cypress Hills Provincial Park. Another lovely park, and apparently there are cougars in here!!! Yeah, right, again.........
However a brilliant park again, and a place called Conglomerate Cliffs was star of the show. An incredible valley and beautiful cliffs, right in the middle of the Prairie, which seemed to go on forever either side.
On to an abandoned Police Outpost called Fort Walsh, which was established in the 1870s to finally make peace between the Indians and the white settlers. Deliberately not Army, but Police. There are still guides there, and it's open for inspection. Photo of the lovely, charming, Queen Victoria still on the wall, as she was the boss in those days!!!
More prairies to cross - honestly it's never-ending, but at the same time endlessly fascinating - if you like driving in Central Australia (which we do), it's just brilliant to be there.
Arrived at June's lovely house in Eastend on Friday and had a nice home-cooked meal, threw some washing in a machine (hand-washing is not ideal), and had a good sleep. Nice quiet day on Saturday, sat around having a good chat, and a quiet time. Cocktails at Harvey's in the evening, and back to Junes for dinner.
Arthur and I went to the local T-Rex Dinosaur park this morning. Very interesting, and exciting for this small town that the big fella was discovered right here a few years ago, along with the fossils of several other dinosaurs.
I'm determined to publish this post today, because if I try to save it for later, it never appears again!!! There has been SOME foul lanaguage!!!!!
We're off, driving to Great Falls, Montana, tomorrow, and on Tuesday we fly down to Las Vegas.
When I'm brave, I'll try to publish some photo's.
Cheers,
Ann and Arthur
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