Rocky Mountaineer: Day 1 to Kamloops

Day 1: Vancouver to Kamloops.

I could weave a colourful narrative in words in an attempt to describe the experience of travelling the Rocky Mountaineer.

The landscape. Prehistoric. Snow. Landslides. Bushfires. Water marks of rising waters in seasons past.

The birds of prey. Huge nests, resembling an architectural masterpiece rather than a home.

The freight trains and train traffic. We waited yesterday as a 170 carriage long coal train passed. Black coal.

Freight trains. Long. As many as ten passed during the course of the day.

The buildings. Old huts and farming structures, weathered and perhaps no longer functional, taking on a beauty only years of weathering can produce.

The changing valley and turbulent rapids.

The rock. Ironstone. Sandstone. A kaleidoscope of thousands of years of wind, rain, snow and baking sun.

The Rocky Mountaineer. The gold leaf, first class experience.

The food. It just doesn't. End.

The full glass dome windows with panoramic views from our reclining, heated seats.

The wine and cocktails. The service.

I hope the pictures tell the story better than I can.

~ Melissa

Addit: Late Entry:
TL / DR: Melissa renders nursing assistance to fellow passenger (M-70's), 3 x collapse. Receives awesome gift bag from crew to say thanks.

Below ~ for my nursing friends.

Lunch day 1: Melissa selects her wine of choice (red, shiraz). 2 sips in. Member of staff runs past, with haste, walkie talkie, and first aid kit.
This scenario in the kitchen isn't the usual code for my hollandaise has split. A quick check in with self (how much have I had to drink?), and I follow her down the long galley kitchen.

Nursing progress note: 5/5/2023: AM / PM Shift:
Guest Mr Passenger, mid 70s, 3 x concurrent episodes of collapse at 1330 hours. First episode upon entry to bathroom, and subsequent syncopic episodes ccurring in seated area immediately adjacent.
Denies head strike and no apparent injuries. Alert and oriented to place and time. Reports NKA (no known allergies). Denies any pain.
▪︎IDDM (Insulin dependent diabetes mellitus), ▪︎hypercholesterolaemia, hypertension.
▪︎Diabetes pump in situ
▪︎Polypharmacy. Antihypertensives, Statins, Antihyperglycaemics ++

GCS / Obs / Neuro obs all within normal limits.

Mr Passenger reports nothing different to his diet today. He had cranberry juice x 2 at lunch. Upon further questioning, Mr Passenger reports to having this everyday and no impact to his diabetes management.

Mrs Passenger adds; But I buy you the diet cranberry.

Mr Passenger's mobile phone now enough charge to review insulin monitoring app, BGL spike confirmed. Mr Passenger handed over to paramedics, assessed and cleared to continue journey.

RN: MelissaRead more