Woke before the two alarms, thankfully. Even with the nice piano music option, waking to an alarm is never as good as waking up naturally. Got organised and then downstairs to walk over from the guesthouse to the main building to wait for the taxi. Have to say, it's not nice walking in the dark in the most haunted town in America! The wheels in the suitcase are rattling over the cobblestones, it's dark and misty... Anyway, the taxi is waiting and we're off. I take a last look at the Inn and notice they have put a dressed mannequin in the window of the room that's supposed to be haunted. It does catch you out for a second!
It's quite a drive to the station. Having arrived in Charleston in the dark morning and now departing Savannah in the dark morning, I reckon it's not the best time of day to be arriving or leaving anywhere!
Arrive at the station and there's a few people here, waiting. Plus the lovely lady behind the counter who said, "Yes, ma'am" to everything I asked - is this the right track for Miami? Is it on time? Etc. And this day is so quiet, I'm putting a picture of the Amtrak station - note the accurate clock. It's 6:30.
The train pulls in and we all walk up to the one carriage that is letting people on and off. Wait for those getting off, thinking there will be more free seats the more people that get off. Climb up onto the carriage via the plastic stool. The guy hands you your bag and allocates you a seat. Thankfully, there's enough people that we all have our own seat. Hopefully it stays that way all the way down.
There's one loony on the train - really? You have to put him next to me? He's only going to Jacksonville and, after playing with the chair controls in frustration and ranting to them a bit, has now fallen asleep - hopefully to stay that way.
So here I will sit for the next 12 hours! I'm guessing this may well be a short entry to the trip annals.
Just went up to get a bagel and coffee (Amtrak coffee - not so great, but it'll do the job) and noticed all the sleeping passengers. Realised that this is the same train I got from Washington but I had a sleeper car for that journey. These people have slept all night in their chairs. I could have got a sleeper for this trip, cos it is a long one, but decided it wasn't worth it. I can sit here just as good as in one of them.
While waiting in line for the coffee, I was standing next to a guy who was looking suspiciously around. He got up and passed something surreptitiously to another guy just up a couple of seats. I'm guessing drugs, though it could quite well have been gum.
It's a good day to be on a train - still a bit rainy and stormy out there.
Loony next to me is not so much a loony but possibly a player. As we were coming in to Jacksonville, he made a call to "Hello, sweetheart. I'm coming in to Jacksonville now..." And sorted out details to meet up. Then, "hang on, sweetheart. I got another call. Hello, sweetheart, I'll be there this afternoon..." So he's got a good day ahead.
He gets off, mother and daughter on her first train ride get on. Mother apologises because daughter is excited and looking around. Don't apologise for that. It's sweet. Daughter is eight or nine.
The announcement now for DeLand. "Last call, DeLand. (Singsong voice) Don't miss it!" These porters are funny.
The announcement now for Orlando. "Next stop, Orlando. This is your last smoke stop. If you want to smoke one last cigarette, hop off at Orlando. Last chance smoke break."
Just went up to the dining car for lunch. They pack you all in, even though there are empty seats further up. Don't know why this bothers me here when it didn't bother me at the B&B's - probably cos there were other seats available. iPad again is the friend here - I'm put at a table with a guy who is reading the menu, even though he has ordered. I think he's hungry cos he opens a packet of butter and eats that - yuck! Our meals arrive at the same time (veggie burger - it's pretty good). He is either really hungry or wants to get away from me cos he's double handing the chips (potato chips, not cooked fries) to get them in as quickly as possible, and as loudly as possible. Scoffs his sandwich and he's gone, leaving me in peace with my burger.
This was pretty much the day. It's a 6:50am to 7:00pm train ride. Besides not having to fly, I thought at this stage, it would be good to have nothing to do but sit and do nothing. So it's a combination of looking out the window, playing a variety of games and reading Bag of Bones (Stephen King).
Here's the carriage...
And my seat...
Suitcase, satchel with lifeline, camera, iPad, coffee. What else is there in the traveller's life?
People get on and off the train at the various stations. At the end, there's pretty much me and a lot of African Americans. The guards come through at the end saying, "Last stop, Key West!" And they all laugh lots (cos the train stops in Miami.)
We arrive pretty much on time.
It feels a lot more tropical here - lots of palm trees, sunset. I hop in a taxi with Jacqueline, the driver. She's listening to an evangelical radio program with lots of preaching about marriage. Just as the preacher gets to the crux of his story it goes to a station break with an ad for "if you want to hear more of this program, send money..."
Drive last Miami, which looks pretty at night all lit up, to Miami Beach and the hotel.
The street looks cool - lots of Art Deco neon signs. Will explore tomorrow. Into my room - for three whole nights! What luxury - three nights!
Still swaying from the train. Will have more tomorrow, it was a quiet day.
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