Wait a minute - or an hour or a day

Monday

It's all over and today we are heading in various directions at various times. It seems 10 of us have flights around 9pm so we'll share cabs to the airport but many goodbyes have already been said.

I headed out around 9-30 to find a post office and buy batteries for my mouse. The cost of sending our folder with the agenda was to high to make it worthwhile but I found some batteries. Calgary downtown is interesting in that there are glass tunnels linking most office buildings at the first flow level. you can walk blocks without ever going outside.

After yesterday's rain and snow, today was again sunny and would have been a good day to go to Banff. I was quite warm by the time I got back and i was glad to take off my jacket. I packed up and checked out about noon, leaving my cases etc in the storeroom.

A  group of 8 of us walked back to 8th Ave which is a pedestrian mall lined with numerous restaurants and other buildings. We ate at a steakhouse and later another group also came to the restaurant.

I have spent the rest of the time just sitting in the hotel lobby, doing stuff on the internet and chatting to others from Mensa who are likewise waiting for time to head to the airport. The internet is quite fast here, much faster than at home even though it is wireless.

Here are some photos I have taken around Calgary.

Gondolas in Helsinki?

Sunday

Today's meeting was only a half day we we finished more or less on time at noon.

I was meeting David, a former boyfriend of my daughter at that time but he was running a bit late. That gave me time to put my stuff ion the room and have a quick lunch before he arrived. He has only been here a few weeks and is not yet in his permanent apartment. He was offered a chance to join us on the trip to Banff but had to go to Ikea so he had a bed organised for when he moves in. It was nice to see him again.

I was in too minds about going on the tour, since it was back to Banff and included the gondola ride to the top of Sulfur Mountain again. In the end, I decided I really didn't have anything else to do in particular so at least I'd be with my friends.

They had a large bus similar to the one we used for the road trip and a smaller one as well. I lead a contingent over to the smaller bus since it was getting packed in the large one. There were 9 of us, so we had plenty of room and a chance to have conversations that included everybody.

Our first stop was at the Banff Springs Hotel (again) but i was quite glad to have a toilet break there, since the next stop was the Bow Falls again and there are no facilities there. It had started to drizzle by then so I didn't bother to get out.

From there it was straight to the gondola station and with smaller queues than on Thursday, we were soon at the top. Unfortunately it was very cloudy with sleet/snow/rain and high winds. Occasionally it clear in patches to give a bit of a view but never the 360 views we had earlier. I helpfully showed some of my photos from that day so the newbies could see what they were missing. I never left the building, but a few of the guys walked to the weather station on the next summit. They were pretty cold and wet by the time they got back.

We then had several hours in the town to look around and have dinner. Ironically, the weather cleared in that time.We finished up in a bar that had a special on pizzas and steins. There were 8 of us having $10 pizzas and none of us could finish them They were boxed up for the party later. The $9 stein was a litre and Millie decided she couldn't drink it herself, so we got some extra straws.

We got back to the hotel around 9-30 and the "Helsinki" wind up party started starlight away in the hospitality suite we'd been using all weekend. At 10 we move down a floor to the Sanctuary Lounge which was much bigger. About 11-30 the management came to tell us we couldn't "serve" alcohol but it was apparently OK to bring your own glass with a single drink into the room. The drinks were moved to a member's room on the same floor and people wandered down there for their next beer or glass of wine/spirits. About 12-30 we were kicked out since we'd only booked it till midnight and the party continued back in the  hospitality suite. I left about 2 and there was still a dozen or so partying on at that time.

Saturday Night Groovy - The powers that be

Saturday

The business meeting contained a number of presentations but we also had a number of motions to consider. It is surprising how often some of these take ages to decide on with several amendments before being put to a final vote while others get passed quite quickly.

There was a break in routine when the hotel fire alarm when off (falsely as it turned out). There continuing hooting of sirens and message that it was being investigated sent us to a slightly early tea break. It was turned off by the time we were back in session.

Saturday night was the gala dinner. The them was Spy wear and it was good to see the guys doing James Bond impersonations in tuxedoes and trench coats. They had hired a comedian who did a great Austin Powers (Ka-Ching) impressions and we were all members of the international spy agency IBD (Grunt).

Part of his act, was getting us all to response as above when either of the 2 words were mentioned.
 He also did a Pavarrotti impression where he had 2 guys up singing "opera" with him. The young Italian chairman Vincenzo was surprisingly good and even sang part of "baa-Baa Black Sheep" in Italian, since he claimed all opera was in that language.

He also had each table building a weapons and protection system - out of balloons - and had 2 guys up doing a dance with him and the Chairman and Ombudsman imitating the king and queen. It was a brilliant idea and he was great. Definitely had everyone laughing throughout the night.

I spent some time in the hospitality suite after the dinner and was in bed relatively early around 1-30.

Saddled with a Presentation

Friday

The IBD meeting started today and will run for 3 days in total. It was presentations and a get to know you session today.

The exec officer talked about licensing the Mensa name and logo. This was supposedly the 4th most profitable commodity after Cocaine, soda and popcorn. There were talks on the magazine, social media and my own presentation on how we ran on-line voting. There were a surprising number of questions afterwards and I was told by a number of people that it went well.

The eveing's activity was a visit to Ranchmans, a cowboy bar some distance away. They sent a bus that took 40 or so of us and there were 3 cars that took the rest.

They had a line dancing class that some of our members joined, but I gave it a miss. the food was a buffet with roast beef. $ of us had some games of 9-ball and after blitzing the boys in the first game Karin and I lost to Sherman and Nick in the other 2.

Some of the guys wanted to ride the mechanical bull, but it wasn't starting till much later in the evening.

We left about 9pm, just as the locals were coming in with a short queue already forming at the door. The same bus took us back to the hotel.

Hell's Mensans

Thursday

After I'd unpacked I went for a walk around the nearby area. I travelled 4 or 5 blocks in both directions.

 I finished up Passing through Olympic Plaza where the black squirrel was photographed, The municipal centre and than back to the hotel. A t the same time I was texting David, my daughter's old boyfriend, who moved here a few week's ago.

We were going to meet but decided there wasn't enough time.

The first IBD event was the icebreaker/cocktail party. As well as the food and drink, we had some challenges. The first was to identify the participants who had submitted some unusual fact about themselves. These included swimming with Charlton Heston and Princess Diana  (2 different people) and appearing in a calvalcade with the President of Bolivia and being arrested by the Russians in the invasion of Poland. The second was of a geographical nature -  3 pages of questions and then 2 maps, where we had to name African countries and European capital cities.

Later we moved to the hospitality room opn the 25th floor for a Hell's Mensans party. I had my T-shirt from last year @the dark side but the ones on sale were @ the sunny side. This continued to around midnight.

Snow place like home

Thursday

Today was again sunny, with the added bonus of snow capped peaks to add to the already picturesque scenery.

Our first stop was Surprise corner where we had a view of the Banff Springs hotel, Tunnel mountain and the falls. We also managed to get in 18 different versions of the group photo. Well done to High the guide who took them all.

From there we headed further around the mountain to a view point for the Hoo Doos, sort of like the pinnacles. Rocky outcrops. Again stunning views.

However the final stop was the best of all. We took our gondola ride to the top of Mount Sulfur, where we had 360 views of the mountains and Banff itself. The snow just added that final touch. It rivals the Grand Canyon as the best view while eating, as I had some chips in the cafe there. On the top floor of the facilities you have the 360 view and ararnge the fence are flags with directions and distances to various cities. There was a weather station on the next peak but the climb did not seem to be worth the effort.

We had over an hour for lunch and whatever last minute shopping was required before heading back to Calgary and the end of the Road Trip.

It certainly has been full of incredible views and experiences. Going on a bus tour with other Mensans and with a guide was probably the best way to see these stunning mountains, lakes and rivers. I expect a self drive tour of the same area would have missed many of the sites we saw.

I have also had first hand experience of the effect of altitude, often getting quite short of breath after climbing stairs or up a slope, which would not normally bother me.

As we arrived back the group started to fragment with Robert catching a bus to Edmonton and Patrick and Gail heading for the airport. The rest of us checked into the IBD hotel where we met some of the locals who were at the Regional Gathering.

My room is quite large with a view over the river. I have finally unpacked my suitcase and found some things that I was sure were there but couldn't locate easily.

Where the wild things aren't

Wednesday

Our plans for the 2 days in Jasper were swapped about after we awoke to rain, fog and, at the higher altitudes, some snow. We were supposed to go on the  to the top of Sulfur Mountain but we would not have seen anything.

Instead we were driven around the back roads surrounding Banff, looking for wild animals. This is supposed to be a feature of visiting these parks, but so far we hadn't seens anything otehr than the 2 elk on our way in to Jasper and a few small animals like chipmonks and squirrels. Plus a bald eagle at Lake Maligne.

Unfortunately we weren't much more successful this time either. We saw 4 female elf and 3 mule deer, one a stag with small antlers.

We did travel to the dam on one of the rivers and then over the causeway to Two Jack Lake. I realised later that we had ben along "the pretty way" we took on our original journey to Lake Louise.

We then visited the falls on the bow river and the Cascade Gardens and finally were dropped off at the Banff Springs hotel which looks more like a castle than your average Hilton. We visited afew places and then I headed back to our hotel with one other. A group stayed most of the afternoon.

However I needed to use the hotel laundry and at last I have clean clothes again. Probably last till I get home.

The hotel is a real rabbit warren of a place. To go to the breakfast room or Laundry from the lobby requires you to first go up afllorthen to the end of the rooms before yoiu can go down again.

The sun came out late in the afternoon and we could see that a layer of snow was covering the mountain tops. Should be some great views tomorrow.

We ate at the Grizzly Restaurant, a fondue place.  There was an allowance of $100 per person but I don't think we used it. Their 4 course meal was $50 to $63 depending on the meat. I opted for beef and lobster but a number on our table had the exotioc option with shrk, crocodile, frog, snake, bison, kangaroo etc.

There was alo soup or salad for starters, a cheese and a vegetable fondue were shared and a fruit and chocolate fondue for dessert. Not dieting today either.

I went looking for an ATM, without success and it appears the otehrs may have stayed a while at the restaurant. At least, there was no sign of anybody in the designated party room at 11pm. I was tired anyway so just went to bed.