slash fundas: Canadian Rockies: Day 8 (Jasper National Park, Spirit Island)

Sunday, September 24, 2017

Canadian Rockies: Day 8 (Jasper National Park, Spirit Island)

Jasper was cold. It was around 1 degree C in the night we were in the Jasper. The next morning felt very cold too, at about 5-6 degrees, and we had to put on layers while in the bus itself. But we were told it would warm up in the day. But if the first thing in such weather that you're going to do is to take a boat ride in a lake, you better warm up. We went past lush green forests and Athabasca river to reach our first stop of the day; the Medicine lake. It was cold and foggy and we couldn't see the lake shore from afar. Boats were lined up, all decked up and ready.

After a brief washroom and cafe stop- I wasn't the least bit hungry as we just had a heavy breakfast- we were in the boat and zipping. Two girls were in charge; one was driving the boat and the other was the guide explaining us the significance of the medicine lake and the Spirit Island. Medicine lake owes its popularity, to an extent, to Kodak. Peter Gales' image of the Spirit Island- which is at one end of the lake- and which was taken from a Kodak camera was hung at the Grand Central station in New York in August and September 1960. This island is held to be sacred by the First Nation people and hence we weren't allowed to step on it. But there were enough pathways on the shore to take pictures of it.

On the way back, was a hidden jewel that Robyn took us to. It was a canyon- called the Maligne Canyon- that appeared out of nowhere. It was quite deep, befitting a canyon, with only a narrow crevice from the ground level from where we could see the canyon and admire its depth.

Lunch was on our own back in Jasper town and my friend and I walked through the town, searching for the right place. We chose an A&W burger outlet.

A couple watering their plants at the community garden

In the evening, we took the Sawridge Inn shuttle car to bring us to town. Since this hotel is 2 kms away from the main town, it has a shuttle facility to take us to the town. But the return trip is on our own. Both my friend and I love to walk, so it was a pleasure to walk back after a very light dinner (soup only actually, as I wasn't hungry). On our way, we came across the Jasper community garden. It's a local municipality-owned place where tow residents cane take up plots and grow plants, flowers and fruits. We met this old couple who had a plot there; the wife was caring their large, white dog who she said came into their lives, the husband was watering the plants. Residents who don't have space in their houses to grow a garden can take up plots at a community garden. Indian cities would do well to have such community gardens; it's one idea I would like to import into India.