Frigid Edmonton

We arrived in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada on Monday to the coldest temperatures I have ever experienced. The low Tuesday morning was a -52 Fahrenheit. The high Tuesday was a -22F. Today it was 42 Fahrenheit. That is a 90 degree swing in two days. There is no way to describe how cold -52 is. Let me just say that frostbite can begin in just a few minutes in weather that cold. You can literally feel your skin freezing as you step outside. The pain is very real. Fortunately we didn't have to get out in it much as our hotel is attached via the "pedway" to a mall with food courts and restaurants and even the subway is accessible without having to venture outside.

The performance venue is an exact duplicate of the one in Calgary. The names are even the same. The one in Calgary is the Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium and the one here in Edmonton is the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium. They were built for a visit by the Queen I think and the people of Calgary and Edmonton wanted equal presentations so they built them exactly the same. Two years ago they did renovations and even the renovations were the same.

I find that my sleep schedule is completely out of whack. The last three weeks we have been bouncing between time zones and my body is stuck on Pacific time so I keep going to bed later and later and getting up later and later. I hope to get back on schedule in time to go to Anchorage and get all messed up again.

The big attraction here has been the West Edmonton Mall. It is a huge indoor mall with an indoor amusement park, water park, aquarium, casino, 3 hotels, life size replica of the Santa Maria that Christopher Columbus sailed in, and over 300 stores and an IMAX Theatre. It was a very interesting place but still felt like a mall. Great for a place like this though were it is so cold so much of the year.

It is strange, it doesn't snow that much here but what snow they do get stays with them all season as it is so cold. The river that runs through town is almost completely frozen over. Imagine being able to walk across the Cumberland River. That is what it reminds me of.

Other than that all is well. As is usual with these week long stays, now it is Friday and I am ready to move on. Can't wait to get to Alaska and see the Northern Lights and walk on glaciers. Well, have to catch the bus to the theatre. Will post again soon.

Peace.