1st of October 2007: Back on Amtrak
I wake feeling tired and ill and angry at myself yet again for my inability to stay away from the drink for a few days. There's something going on in my head lately that I keep gravitating to alcohol when it's about...a kind of longing for something I can't really figure out. I feel lost in a way I haven't felt before, maybe even beginning to be tired of the nomadic life.
All the same the familiar excitement builds as I get my equipment together and prepare to head out for the train, say goodbye to everyone functioning at this time of the morning and walk out to the streetcar. At the car I meet yet more hostel folks, an Irish boy and English girl who are travelling together - we've only exchanged a few words up to now but it's nice to have some familiar company, and they're taking the same train.
On the ride down the streetcar picks up Molly who is walking with her luggage, and when we get to the station it turns out that Ellie and Laura, James and Molly, an Australian called Mick who I've chatted with a bit before and another Aussie called Brad are all taking the same train with us - several of them are going to Austin, funnily enough, and are changing in San Antonio.
It makes for a very sociable day on the train - once we've all got our seats and stowed our gear we convene in the observation car, a lounge car with windows from the floor up, wrapping round to go almost all the way across the ceiling. The end third of the car becomes a mini hostel get-together and we hang out there pretty much all the day, chatting, playing silly games and watching the countryside go by.
All the same the familiar excitement builds as I get my equipment together and prepare to head out for the train, say goodbye to everyone functioning at this time of the morning and walk out to the streetcar. At the car I meet yet more hostel folks, an Irish boy and English girl who are travelling together - we've only exchanged a few words up to now but it's nice to have some familiar company, and they're taking the same train.
On the ride down the streetcar picks up Molly who is walking with her luggage, and when we get to the station it turns out that Ellie and Laura, James and Molly, an Australian called Mick who I've chatted with a bit before and another Aussie called Brad are all taking the same train with us - several of them are going to Austin, funnily enough, and are changing in San Antonio.
It makes for a very sociable day on the train - once we've all got our seats and stowed our gear we convene in the observation car, a lounge car with windows from the floor up, wrapping round to go almost all the way across the ceiling. The end third of the car becomes a mini hostel get-together and we hang out there pretty much all the day, chatting, playing silly games and watching the countryside go by.
Labels: amtrak, austin, New Orleans, san antonio
posted by Mark at
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