1st day and calgary and hostel

empty downtown is behind the rabbit. 
now why there are wild rabbits in center of city? - go figure

at first sight (and on second and third...) calgary downtown seemed empty, cars had no numberplates in front, and most of the cars were not cars at all but suv's or pickup trucks on steroids

poor mercedes can feel big in europe but here, compared to locals,
looks like a little girl

Streets/avs (sw and ew) are straight and numbered, altogether boring looking place.  there are still some nice things, like river (but in winter its also grey) or cbd panorama

calgary city panorama with river

So first day i was productive and got my sin number from services office, got my bank account (cbic - cause it’s big and has lotsa offfices /atm’s), got new phone&sim cause neither of my sony ericsson phones didnt work in canadian 3g networks (virgin, contract 25$ month, no registration fee, nationwide calls etc). changed my european cash to canadian$ 90eur->109,5 cad (1:1,2555)

hostel where i stay (hi-calgary) i like it, although its tad expensive by europen standards. then again backpackers hostel is fairly new phenomen in canada so hopefully it will get better/cheaper. Main subject in hostel is work, everybody here seems to be looking for job. Alberta province has low unemployment rate and everhappy oil industry providing jobs, so here are also many canadians who came from other provinces to find work. so many australians and brits are here. By the way i find canada and australia similar in many ways – huge countries with small populations, having vaste inhabited territories with harsh climate (too hot/dry/cold) but providing natural resources and hence very well paid jobs in certain places  (mines in oz / oilfields in canada).

my hostel in calgary (well recommended) & Kiki

Staying in hostel is not too much more expensive than renting a room, if lack of privacy is not a problem, then superb location and convenience of serviced rooms makes it pretty reasonable accommodation option even in long term. In hostels breakfast is usually included. Its buffet style and you can have juice/coffe/tea, toast, peanut butter, jam,  margarine, some fruit like banana or oranges and of course canadian special pancakes with maple syrup. There is big electric pan and jug with dough so everybody can create his own fresh pancake.