American dreams, and back in CA

Quite a relaxing few days to complete my American adventure, basically just wandering around and enjoying Boston. We took a look at the 'Cheers' pubs, which was a novelty, but for the most part Kate and I just drank coffee, took in the sunshine (!) and took advantage of the cheap American prices. I acquired some sunglasses for the equivalent of £2.50, while Kate fulfilled her shoe needs with a purchase of some new boots.

The bus back to Montreal, and then on to Quebec City, was a tough one for me. Again, the bus was pretty busy, and driving through the night was hell on earth. I couldn't get comfortable, didn't get any sleep, and then when I did shut my eyes we stopped for some reason or another which woke me.

Arriving in the capital of French Canada after about 11 hours was such a relief. Back in Canada, away from the craziness of the Yanks, and back to laid-back life.

Not so. We were greeted by metres of snow. The white stuff was smacking against our faces and we were freezing. Somehow, Quebec City still manages to remain beautiful. Its old buildings (it is one of the oldest cities in North America) are quaint and rickety, and the steep roads, battlements and Gothic architecture are all reminiscent of an Alpine village.

For the first day, we had our obligatory mooch around the downtown area. We saw the main buildings that we needed to see, such as some of the cathedrals, and the Chateau Frontenac. After a fantastic meal, we then retired back to the hostel- which is quaint and classy itself- for a beer (something Kate hasn't been legally able to consume for the past 15 days).

Today was a bit more energetic. We were up early for some skidooing (otherwise known as snowmobiling). It was quite nerve wracking, with a $1000 deposit on the line! Also, rather than be shown how to do anything, we were basically patted on the back and sent on our way! The tracks were confusing, we became stuck at least twice, took the wrong turn, and incessantly felt that we were going to tip the whole thing over. Other than that, the time spent on the machine was exhilarating! The course wasn't just a flat, easy track. There were turns, steep inclines and declines, and uneven terrain for us to manoeuvre over.

Thankfully, we didn't damage anything, so our bank balances weren't cleared out. We made our way back to the hostel, and now we have been recuperating back at the hostel. Quebec is a quiet city, and I think that both of us were ready for a less hectic place where we could gradually take in all the sights, rather than rush around trying to see everything.

So tomorrow it is back to Montreal, and then the worst bus journey of them all- three days to Vancouver.