Transportation

Avatamsak Monastery 30th Anniversary Invitation

30th Anniversary of Avatamsaka Monastery

Hoa Nghiêm Tự Lịch Trình Năm 2017

2017 – 30 Năm Kỷ Niệm Thành Lập Hoa Nghiêm Tự
Lễ Khánh Thành Đại Hùng Bảo Điện, Hoa Nghiêm Tam Thánh, và 10,000 Vị Phật

Avatamsaka Monastery 30th Anniversary Participation Form

Volunteers Needed

Transportation

The temple is about 15km from the airport, which is about 25 minutes driving time depending on traffic.

A taxi ride is around CAD$53 (including tax and tips, October 2016 rate).
You can also request transportation arranged by us in the participation form. Charges per trip: CAD$35 for one person, $46 for two and $50 for three, there is a $15 surcharge for flights before 8am and after 10pm
If you are coming in a big group, we will make special arrangement and inform you the cost when you confirm the number of people in the group.
You can also take the bus route 300 from airport to downtown. Check online https://www.calgarytransit.com/schedules-maps/airport-service-routes. The bus fare is $9.50 per person. But it takes a few minutes walk at the airport, and the downtown bus stop is 6 blocks away from temple (which is 10 minutes walk, unless you change to another bus or the C-train, where the transfer is free). Check further at the Calgary Transit website if you want to explore this option.

Accommodation

We are expecting hundreds of visitors to attend the event, which exceeds the monastery’s capacity. Hence we are providing information on near-by facilities for guests to consider. Limited accommodation in temple will be reserved for volunteers who have applied to DRBA sangha and approved by the Manager of Avatamsaka Monastery.

In temple: $40/day. Please note that volunteers staying in temple should follow the temple schedule of activities including the morning and evening recitation sessions, unless they have assigned duties otherwise. They should also inform the temple manager and the front desk staff if they are going out of the temple.
Airbnb: one to two bedroom apartments units within 10-20 minutes walking distance; some have 2 bathrooms. Charge rate: $80 to 200 per night plus misc charge, weekly/monthly discount available for some. Some owners indicate no charge for extra person.

Please check airbnb website yourself for Calgary, or a list of selected addresses in wishlist below:
https://www.airbnb.ca/users/50488022/wishlists

Above map from airbnb.ca. Yellow star locates the temple. For reference only, booking conditions change quickly.

Another hotel alternative: http://www.ohotelsuites.com/ Please check online..

Hotels: (online price check with expedia for Sept 8 to 11, 2017, check date August 2016, for reference only)

Sandman Hotel Calgary City Centre – 888 7Ave SW, 550m 7 minutes walk ~$105(2ppl) to 125(4ppl 2dbed)+tax per day
Holiday Inn Express – 1020 8Ave SW, 600m 8 minutes walk $141 + tax per day (2016)
Regency Suite Calgary – 610 4Ave SW, 750m 9 minutes walk $135 to $203(4 ppl 2bedroom) +tax per day (2016)
Ramada Plaza Calgary Downtown – 708 8Ave SW, 950m 12 minutes walk $109(2ppl) to $144(4ppl) +tax (2016)
International Hotel Calgary - 220 4Ave SW, 1.2km 7 blocks away 15 minutes walk $169+tax per day

Others: Sheraton Suites Eau Clare $340, Hyatt Regency $440, Westin $519 (higher price hotels. Discount online booking)
We will check for better rate soon. The above prices are for your reference only.

Rocky Mountain two-day tour

The two day one night tour will depart temple Sept 11, 2017 Monday 7am.
The trip will include a day-hike at Castle Mountain, or points of interest close by if the hike is too physically demanding.
Also the tour will visit a few more points of interest in Banff National Park, such as Lake Louise.
We will also visit the town of Golden, and then the DRBA property in the vicinity.
The group will spend a night in a hotel near Golden.

The tour is estimated to cost about CAD$200. It will include the tour bus, one night hotel, and meals for the two days. Tips for bus driver will be collected at the end of the trip.

Castle Mountain Hike

There are two lakes that we can go to: the first and lower one is called Tower Lake, the fit and strong can ascend further to the second and higher Rockbound Lake. It is a full-day hike of 6 to 8 hours depending on your strength and speed. A long, steady climb through a mixed forest leads behind the distinctive cliffs of Castle Mountain to open meadows and flower-fringed Tower Lake, 7.7 km from the trailhead. It takes at least 3 to 4 hours to get to Tower Lake. The trail then takes another 20 minutes to climb a low cliff band but very steep switchback, and emerges in a glacial cirque filled by Rockbound Lake. The total elevation gain is 760m (about the height of a 250 storey building) and 8.4km one way, 16.8km round trip.

Calgary Weather

Daily high temperatures in September fall from 20°C to 15°C over the month. Daily low temperatures range from 3°C to 7°C. We have dry air, big temperature change throughout the day, and high altitude. Consider the following items when you pack your luggage:

A warm jacket
Moisturiser

If you are going to Castle Mountain/Golden tour:

Good walking shoes; better to have hiking shoes
A small backpack
A hat
A water bottle or a traveling mug
Poncho or a raincoat
A hiking stick is optional but can be quite useful

Cost Estimate

The cost estimate below is for budgeting purpose only ($ referring to Canadian Dollars):
suggest $ your own estimate
Air fare depends ________________
Airport transfer 20 to 60 (2-way) ________________
Accommodation 260 to 300 per week ________________
Trip to Golden 200 ________________
others ________________
Please note that the monastery does not accept debit cards nor credit cards, and we do not provide financial services such as currency exchange. If you would like to pay US dollars, we will accept it as Canadian Dollars, dollar to dollar with no conversion factor. There are banks close by where you may do the exchange if needed.