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Carolyn and Evan dropped me at Amtrak Minneapolis to pick up my late night train to Portland. The weekend was like a holiday in itself. We packed in loads of activities, but it was really relaxing and chilled. It was fun watching Evan and his friends rubber band, creating bracelets, anklets and necklaces in different colour combinations, seeing where Carolyn, Maya and Evan like to hang out, etc.
I spent an hour in the waiting room watching people arrive with their luggage, large bags, small bags, skis, etc, from all walks of life. I then caught sight of a couple going through a sliding door to another room. On investigation, I realised I could have been sitting in the sleeping car lounge. So, once I'd obtained a passcode from the station attendant I spent the last hour hanging out on a sofa, surrounded by pot plant, sipping chilled water (instead of hard seats in the main waiting room, sipping coffee from a vending machine).
We boarded the train at 2315 and I was shown to carriage 2730, room 3 (after the attendant made up my bed, as she hadn't got my booking on her list). My roomette was SMALL! But I really like it. I lined my luggage up on the steps (that go up the top bunk) and bedded down for the night, my first night of train accommodation luxury. I slept much better than in coach ( in that I did actually sleep!). I woke at 6am and headed down through 7 carriages to the dining car for my first at seat table service. I enjoyed my pancakes, syrup and side of potatoes, but could only eat one of the three pancakes.
I spent the morning looking out at the scenery from my room. We passed through North Dakota and Montana today. I found the prairie scenery really interesting. The lakes and land solid with ice. It was then time for lunch, so another trip to the diner for a salad this time. I sat at a table with a lovely older couple who had been visiting their daughter and a guy (David), who runs a trucking company and was on his way to rescue a vehicle. He'd also served in the army and was well travelled across US and internationally.
I spent an hour in the observation carriage. More iced water and frozen land. Bleak but beautiful. At around 3pm, a cheese and wine tasting was laid on for sleeper car passengers. We tasted 3 cheeses (cheddar, gruyere and one other) and 4 wines (Riesling, Gurverstreimener, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon) all from Washington State. Two of the people on my table were from my carriage (another David, who's an actor working with prisoners, and Lucinda, a scientist). David knocked on Lucinda and my doors and invited us to hear him read his latest play he's rehearsing. So for 45 minutes we listened to his one man play 'a most ridiculous man', an adaptation of a Daffeeofski play. It was very dark, but I was too polite to leave. I figure it's not often you get this kind of experience!
I chose a 6pm dinner sitting (we'd already gone through two time zones today, so in my mind it was 8pm). I had a surprisingly nice pasta dish with sun dried tomatoes and soft goats cheese. The rest of the evening I spent watching three movies on my iPad - the Sapphires, the Internship and the Best Marigold Hotel.
In the morning I woke at 5am and watched the sunrise from the observation room. We were in Washington State running alongside the Columbia River (Gorge). I was surprised at how industrial some sections were. Apparently it used to be a major logging area. The rain didn't dim the view and even made it seem eerie in places.
I arrived into Portland Oregon at 1040, just 30 minutes late, and jumped straight in a cab for the Benson, my home for the next two nights. Apparently the Rolling Stones have stayed here, so I'm in good company.
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