The flight to Toronto was uneventful, both Chuck and I tried to nap here and there, watched bits of different movies and played games on the iPad. Arrived on time in snowy Toronto, where it got a bit hectic. I don't know why, but the Toronto airport was packed and even with our 2-hour layover, we barely made it to our next connection. The snow was really coming down, and once we boarded our flight, we sat on the tarmac in a long line for the de-icing area before finally taking off. I think our flight was delayed at least one hour. I was super worried about getting to the Ice Hotel in time to enjoy things, but everything worked out perfectly. We taxied to the Sheraton Four Points, checked into our room and grabbed a quick dinner, then shuttled to the Hotel de Glacé, tired, but excited that we made it!
We quickly oriented ourselves and started taking advantage of the night's activities, namely, the Ice Bar, where our package included a bottle of sparkling cider that I didn't really like, but drank anyway (to help keep body temp up!), and the hot tubs and sauna. It was pretty crowded and we were both surprised that there were over 40 rooms built this year! We were under the impression that there would only be about 12 rooms, and we'd have a much more personalized experience. As it was, we were jostling a bit for space in a somewhat hostel-like environment - in the warm changing rooms and locker areas, in the hot tubs ( there were about five total and all were occupied). We decided we weren't going to be shy and miss our hot tubbing, so we politely invited ourselves in one with a much younger couple. A bit weird, but they were super friendly and gave us some tips on what to do in Quebec. We found all the other guests to be very friendly and talkative, everyone excited to be sharing this unique adventure! We had a short orientation from one of the staff on how to prepare to sleep and then we were off to bed after one more nightcap around midnight eastern time.
So here's how you "prepare to sleep" in a hotel made of ice:
1. Make sure you are completely dry! Any moisture will make you cold!
2. Take your arctic sleeping bag out of its cover, unroll it, take out the liner, then shake it to get its warming properties started.
3. Lay your sleeping bag on the mattress, unzip it so you can get inside quickly.
4. Undress as quickly as possible (it is 23 degrees!), and put on all new, dry pajamas and socks, and a hat if you need it.
5. Quickly put all of your day clothes inside the bag that the sleeping bag came from and stash it nearby on the floor. Note, all nonessential clothing and other items are stored in a private locker inside a dry, warm building nearby - this building is a refuge from the cold, where there are bathrooms and locker rooms and 24-hour staff in case of troubles.
6. Place your boots sideways to keep most of the cold air out.
7. Quickly get inside your sleeping bag liner, without touching the ice floor, then wriggle yourself into your sleeping bag and zip it up all around your head, till just a bit of your face is showing.
8. Ignore the candlelight that burns all night to keep humidity down, but also lights up your room.
9. Try not to let your thoughts of claustrophobia freak you out and tear open your sleeping bag which seems to be restraining and suffocating you!
10. Try to be happy for your husband that he apparently doesn't share your sense of claustrophobia and is already snoring inside his cocoon.
11. Really try hard not to let your claustrophobia ruin your entire experience! Focus on remaining calm and letting a little cool air into the sleeping bag. Try to breathe deep and relax, figuring out how much space you really don't have inside this smothering bag and see how hard it is to roll over onto your other side, then the other side, then in fetal position, and so on. Keep trying not to freak out and remember that your husband is doing such a good job of snoring that it can't be all that hard to just go to sleep.
12. Pray that you do not have to go to the bathroom during the night, because it would require you to leave the warmth of the suffocating sleeping bag, get your coat out of the duffel bag, put on your freezing boots, then scurry to the opposite end of the hotel, outdoors past the hot tubs where really weird things could be going on at that hour, and into the locker rooms to do your business, then back through the process again to get back to your room and into the suffocation chamber!
12. Eventually you wake up and realize that, hey! You actually fell asleep! And, thank goodness, you didn't have to go to the bathroom overnight (but now, you REALLY need to go)!
