WINTER CARNIVAL IN QUEBEC

A group of very cold tourists are sitting in a cafe in old Quebec, drinking hot coffee to try to warm up. The temperature is 32 degrees below freezing. The windows are covered with steam from the heat inside. Outside, snow covers the streets and is piled up along the sidewalks. The music and lights of the Carnival continue, but after a whole day of watching parades, riding in horse carriages and listening to the music, their feet are freezing and their noses are red.

Every year, hundreds of thousands of people come to Quebec to take part in the week-long winter festival, the biggest in the world. Everyone who comes must be prepared to keep moving, as it is too cold to stand and watch for long.

Early in the morning, you can watch the snowboarding competitions on the hill overlooking the river. Competitors speed down the track and through the air as though they could fly.

     The more brave of heart may try the canoe races. Five or six men paddle each canoe across the partly-frozen St Lawrence River. The river is full of big pieces of ice, and if you were to fall in, you would freeze in less than two minutes.

One of the favourite events is the dog-sled race, in which teams of about six husky dogs pull long sleds at great speeds along a snowy track. One person runs behind the sled, shouting to the dogs to encourage them. The sound of the dogs barking, the calls of the drivers and the shouts of the crowd make an exciting Northern experience. The dogs are beautiful strong animals, with long, thick fur and many with blue eyes.

While admiring the ice sculptures everywhere in the city, much like those in Harbin in China, you can stop with other tourists in an igloo（圆顶冰屋）for hot tea or coffee. It is amazing how warm these ice houses can be!

Late in the evening, you can go to the snow palace, where Bonhomme the snowman is king, and join the crowd. You can dance outside to the music of a band, who are all dressed in heavy clothes – even some of their instruments are dressed up for winter.

Finally, you will probably want to sit down in a cafe to warm up and to plan tomorrow. You might join the snowmobile races – or maybe you should just sleep in!