The Overland, Day 18/24
Ye Gods! It’s July 1st, I am in a very rainy Houston in Texas; fifteen days from now, I shall be in Harpur Hill! Yesterday, we changed time zones twice, once around midday from Pacific to Mountain Time, and again, at around 9pm to 10 pm CentralTime .
Again, I slept well on the train, but in the morning, perhaps my coffee at breakfast should not have been decaffeinated; I felt tired for a period, nothing more than I may have expected. I opened my curtains to reveal a less inspiring view from the train, and a grey sky. “It must be very humid outside” I thought to myself. Just before midday, the train slowed as we entered a kind of suburban built-up area, and then a cluster of spectacular high-rises, the tops of which were obscured by cloud cover. I would soon ascertain that this was Houston, Texas.
The coffee available at the end of the sleeping car seems to have brought me round a little, and I feel rejuvenated once again. These Amtrak trains rattle along at respectable speeds over very long distances. But, they are not the smoothest of ride. As a former colleague once described a rough riding locomotive at home, “It’s like being on a rodeo horse!” However, when at home, I am going to be yearning for the shake rattle and roll of long distance U.S. rail travel, and the mournful cry of the locomotive’s whistle as trackworkers, trespassers and level crossings are approached. All this still accessible without flying!
Lunch has just been announced (12.30 hrs) and I will go along shortly, then adjourn to the Observation Car for a while. I would have liked to seen more of Houston, but on a better day than today. Leaving Houston, we reversed for perhaps a mile before a slow and intricate continuance towards New Orleans. I have no idea how late we might be, even if at all. We have stopped on what appears to be part of a triangle, useful when enabling trains to change direction without the locomotive needing to run round its train. Now, it seems we were waiting for a triple headed Union Pacific freight working of hopper wagons to clear. 12 49, and we are on our way.
This part of Texas seems much greener than where we passed through yesterday. And as suburbia and industry thins out, and we cross Lake Houston, wooded green plains stretch as far as the eye can see on both sides of the train. As in the U.K., lineside tree growth obscures the views at times. However, that’s much better for the planet. Perhaps I can’t see the wood for the trees….Actually this is already very pleasant to look at, even in a persisting shower of rain.
I did make it to the Observation Car after lunch, and soon got into conversation with a young passenger hoping to live and work abroad. As ever, she was impressed with my itinerary and I conceded that the Grand Canyon was probably the highlight of my entire tour. But although only a very few days ago, even that experience had partially merged with other memories. I shall have fun selecting photographs and writing an account of this journey, when at home, hopefully in preparation for a fundraising presentation. I shall need help with the PowerPoint side of things, ‘though.
Written the following morning
My river view accommodation at the DoubleTree Hotel in New Orleans was not forthcoming and I would have to negotiate the next day if I wanted to change rooms…which I still might. Nevertheless, I slept soundly and look forward to an interesting day.
We had arrived at the outskirts of New Orleans in very good time, and had we had an uninterrupted road into the station, we might well have been early. But, needless to say, a freight working took priority and eventually, we backed into the terminal station an hour and twenty minutes late, by which time, despite the excellent and filling Amtrak dinner, I was beginning to feel hungry again. I shared a taxi with another couple, going to a posher Hilton Hotel than mine.
Many thanks for reading, David 09.17hrs at the Doubletree Hotel on Canal Street, New Orleans La.
David's Cruise 