Day 3 - Once a bellman . . .

The past two days have been a nice way to easy myself into the role of a traveler. From figuring my way around an unknown transit terminal, figuring out a strange cities bus system, to going on a schedual that is completely my own, I am learning just what kind of traveler I am.

I’m also learning just how waterproof my clothes are.

I had plans, when getting to Toronto, to use up my three hour wait to wander around outside. Sadly, when I got there, it was raining and I was too lazy to be bothered getting my rain cover out and seeing as there were no lockers around I just opted to wander around inside Union Station instead. It’s a big place! This is the way transit systems should be! Saskatoon only wishes it had ridership like this. This place was the hub for VIA Rail, the GO Train and bus transit systems, as well as the Toronto Transit Company.

But not Greyhound. After deciding not to wander outside, I figured I could be productive and buy my ticket from Ottawa to Toronto while I waited. No such luck. The Greyhound bus station is just over a kilometer from Union Station. And as we’ve already determined, I was lazy.

Luckily for me, the ‘layover’ in T.O. flew by and before I knew it I was on the train to Ottawa. I was all excited to be able to go online while traveling but that wasn’t to be as the wireless network was down. For that train. And only that train.

Seriously??

Whatever, I slept.

Got to Ottawa, and to more rain. Navigating the bus system was actually really easy. The bus driver announced what the next stop would be each and every time. Add that to the fact that each bus I saw was completely crowded. Another thing you do not see in Saskatoon. I was highly impressed. A kilometer walk to the hostel and I was there. After almost 50+ hours of traveling, I finally arrived at my home for the next few days. 

I settled in and immediately headed out to go to the nearby grocery store to grab some quick meals for the next few days. That was completely uneventful until walking back to the hostel. Literally two houses away from the hostel, and warmth and dryness, a small crowd were around a woman sitting on the ground in the middle of the intersection. I went up, concerned she might need some help.

She was drunk.

Cue in my bellman duties. I’ve ‘helped’ escort drunks numerous times at the hotel, so when I was asked by one of the gentlemen to help this lady to the nearby(read: 2 blocks away) homeless shelter, I agreed. Well, more I felt too bad to say no. I really wanted to get back to the hostel with my food, and my little feelers were out, wondering if this was a setup. Half pulling the lady, half keeping her standing up, and occassionally stopping to pull her pants back up(awkward!) we finally made it to the shelter where I bid the lady(Smooshy was her name apparantly. I think that’s what she said) and the gentleman a good night as my mom was waiting for me back at the hostel and she’d be worried for me if I didn’t get back soon.

Welcome to Ottawa indeed.