We went to see the Chute Montmorency (a waterfall) just outside Québec City - it's higher than Niagara Falls... not as wide, though (I think). The impressive thing about it was that more than half of it was frozen. We even so some people ice climbing up the waterfall!
Chute Montmorency. See the bridge at the top? We went up there, too.
By the way: this is our faithful little car.
Our second stop was at the Hôtel a Glace, the Ice Hotel. There are three real Ice Hotels in the world (made completely of ice, no metal posts or anything supporting them): The one in Québec, the one in Sweden (which is the first one ever built),.. and another one, but I can't remember where. Anyway, the idea is to build GIGANTIC blocks of ice (different densities, different kinds of snow used etc.), and build a whole hotel out of it! Inside, the beds, the tables, the bar, everything is made of snow and ice. Except for the washrooms and the hottubs outside. When they finish building the hotel, they build an ice sculpture garden next to it, as well. However, it wasn't finished yet when we went there. They had just had their first guests the night before - which was a good thing, though, because, although we didn't see the sculpture garden, we got to see the people at work and experience firsthand how they build the hotel and decorate the insides! Very impressive. Also very cold. I think our guide said that the inside temperature, no matter how cold it may be outside, is always -5°C. On the upside, they give you very warm sleeping bags if you stay there for a night. They can accomodate up to a little over 70 people in about 45 rooms. Apart from the rooms they have their hottubs, a bar, and a disco... and, since this year is the 400th anniversary of Québec, a whole wing of the hotel was decorated accordingly.
A sculpture in the entrance hall. I stuck my tongue to it... wouldn't stick. Our guide said that you can only freeze your tongue to metal (like a lamppost) if it's cold enough, not to ice itself... and of course I had to test that theory. Turns out he was right!
They actually have artists come in and decorate the different rooms - so no room looks like the other!
One of the beds. Made of ice, some sort of plastic or thermo springbox on top to keep the cold from coming through, and then a bunch of pieces of fur.
The bar/club. Even the alcohol is served in glasses made of ice.
The four of us, with an ice glas (in Anja's hands, on the right), inside the club... could be difficult for anyone to dress slutty (or avoid a red nose) with those temperatures!
And then we made our way back to Toronto. We got into some bad weather on our way back - a little test for my driving skills and nerve - but we got home okay, I dropped everyone off and was home just before midnight.
So that was our trip! I returned the car the next day, and was back to class on monday.
But there's more to come for january!!!
0 Kommentare:
Kommentar veröffentlichen