Day 16

Looking back at fifty, I realize that staying in the University of Calgary dorms was a sensory time machine—the hard beds and cafeteria breakfast made it feel like we were students again, even if we were exhausted cyclists. We spent the day walking downtown, which turned out to be a much longer trek than we anticipated—about an hour and a half of pavement-pounding.

Calgary was buzzing with the energy of the World Petroleum Conference, and the security presence was everywhere. I remember dragging the guys into every western store I could find, hunting for the perfect pair of cowboy boots and a hat to fit the local vibe. We split up for a bit, with our friend and me trying to navigate the city's unique above-ground tunnel system while the others took the street level.

The highlight of the evening was pure youthful indulgence: seeing Gone in 60 Seconds at the cinema and then spending a frantic fifteen minutes blowing fifteen dollars at the arcade. It was the kind of fun you only have when you're young and carefree, even if our bodies were already starting to protest the distance we'd covered. By the time we realized we could have taken the LRT back to the university, we were already at the dorm gates, exhausted and ready for those 'rock' beds.

Despite good intentions to sleep in, I cannot. While waiting for the others to wake up, I spend my time reading in the dormitory lounge. Once the others rise, we go down to the cafeteria to get ourselves breakfast. This suddenly feels all too much like university again.

Calgary has a very efficient grid-like structure. Once we reach the river, we follow a path along it and cross over onto Prince Island, which has incredibly rich, red soil. Wendy and I split up from Blue and our friend who want to try and take the above ground tunnel system to get to Stephen Avenue. We regroup and have lunch before wandering around some of the local stores.

While the others have decided to go to the Glenbow Museum, I have chosen to go up the Calgary Tower. Because of the World Petroleum Conference, security officers are visible everywhere. As I walk into the tower, security guards eye me suspiciously, but like the other tourists, I just take a few pictures and admire the view. You can clearly see a long line of mountains poking over the horizon, but in every other direction it appears almost completely flat.

We again regroup to go see a movie. We return to the market we were at earlier and have supper on a rooftop patio at a pub. While the others decide to go to an arcade, I choose to walk back to the university and catch up on the sleep I lost this morning.