Canada > Playing curling in Clearwater

I slept very well last night and wake up at seven o’clock. We take the elevator down to the hotel basement for breakfast, where we meet up with everyone from the group again. Most of them had already been wide awake around two or three in the morning. Just before eight, we load the luggage into the minibuses. It’s raining heavily, and the city looks gloomy. Through the fogged-up windows of the buses, we say goodbye to Vancouver. We drive east out of the city on the highway. Traffic is heavy, especially in the lanes heading toward Vancouver, which are congested. Combined with the rain, it gives a rather bleak impression of the city. Fortunately, the heating is on in the bus, though it’s difficult to get a comfortable temperature both at the front and the back.

Canada - The town of Hope situated among the mountains

After about two hours, we reach the small town of Hope. Outside, it’s still drizzling lightly. We take a short break and have a coffee at a local café. From Hope, we leave Highway 1 and follow the Fraser River along the old highway, the Fraser Canyon Highway. This route also leads toward Kamloops but is more scenic (a shame about the rain). At the junction in Cache Creek, we stop at Subway for lunch. To avoid the rush inside, we walk to the next restaurant. At a typical roadside diner, we have a hamburger sandwich and a large cola.

Canada - The Olympic sport Curling

By now, the rain has stopped, and we walk through Cache Creek, though the village itself is not very impressive. It mainly caters to passing truck drivers, and the residential area behind it is quiet. From Cache Creek, we continue through Kamloops toward Clearwater, which is today’s final destination. Along the way, patches of snow begin to appear on the grass and trees—it’s looking promising. Just before Clearwater, the landscape turns white, and during the last half hour, it slowly begins to snow. This is, of course, what we came for. The hotel in Clearwater is just outside the center, along the main road. Before dinner, we drive a short distance to the local sports hall for a game of curling. After an explanation of the rules, we try sliding the special stones. After a few slips, we start to get the hang of sliding the stones over the ice. The trick is actually not to throw too hard. If the stone moves too slowly, it must be swept with a broom to make it glide further. After some practice, it’s time for the actual game. Four-on-four is played on three sheets. Curling is comparable to boules, and the goal is to get your stone as close as possible to the target—the “house”—45 meters away. After three rounds, we have to concede to the other team. With the help of the experienced Graham, they scored more points. After this sporty activity, we have dinner at the hotel at 7:30. In the evening, we try the outdoor hot tub. It’s a shock to walk through the freezing air to the tub, but the water at 39 degrees Celsius is wonderful—maybe even a little too warm.