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I'm waking up in a cold icy Dallas, once again in a room with a view. This time over looking other sky scrapers in the financial district here downtown. I can see the Deloitte, Chase and Marriott buildings.
I'm on the 16th floor, having taken the elevators in the North section of the hotel, fourth tower. It's a big hotel! Last night I checked-in at around 6pm. Most of my day was actually spent waiting for a delayed train. It arrived five hours late into Mineola. Apparently, they had to keep stopping to defrost the signals (all the way from Chicago). Anyhow, this gave me time to relax at the Munzesheimer, play with Franklin the cute playful new puppy the owners have adopted. He climbed on the chair at one point (see my flickr account) but I decided it was a step too far as he stepped across to walk on the glass top coffee table to come towards me. Bless the little guy. He then brought me some used polystyrene cups from the bin! I think they need to get a lid for the bin before he playfully wrecks the joint. I walked over to the Amtrak station at 11am, (Texas Eagle 21 was due at 9.25am). It was empty apart from one lady who had three pieces of heavy luggage. She'd been waiting since 9am, and little did we know we'd be still waiting for another few hours. The station is really charming with a museum one end. The Ladies is even set up boutique style, with flowers and a seat. I offered to get my travel kettle out to make the lady a cup of my Asda filter coffee, which she was glad to accept. I pre-warned her that the kettle is set for UK electricity and would therefore take up to 30 minutes to boil. I figured we had time! So I found an electrical point by what used to be the ticket counter and 20 minutes later I was able to make her a fresh coffee! Another lady came into the station. She was chatting to me...well it was more like the Spanish Inquisition, with questions on where I'm from, where I've been, what I think of US culture, politics, housing, UK royal family, etc. Glenda is a Jehovah's Witness as it turns out. She sometimes sits in the station to write letters when the library is closed and tries to convert a few people on the way, offering leaflets, etc. Soon other people started to arrive, so we were hopeful it was a sign the train might be due. We were wrong as the delay kept creeping up. Even when Martha the lovely Amtrak attendant arrived we still had a 45 minute wait. A former teacher (and her husband) chatted to me. They were on their way to Austin. Really nice people to pass the time of day with. Finally the train arrived and we were all aboard. The viewing wasn't so great. It was so murky and foggy out.
I got into an absolutely freezing Dallas at 5pm. You have to step down across the tracks to enter the station. It was really slippery and icy on the tracks. I helped a lady cross with her pushchair and then helped the lady I'd made coffee for at Amtrak Mineola. I thought there'd be a cab rank at Dallas, but myself and another chap discovered there isn't. After a long wait in the freezing cold I called up a number I had been given by Ashlee at the b&b. The cab drove me downtown to the Finance District where I'd booked into the Sheraton. I had dinner at Kitchen's. After a four day break from any drinks, I treated myself to a cocktail (mojito) to accompany my gluten free pasta with asparagus. The atmosphere was a little lacking so I went to my room early to get an early night.
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