It turns out sleeping on a train is not the most comfortable
experience in the world.
Whether this is due to the incessant noise of both train and
passengers alike or solely the effect of the solid plastic divider just high
enough to be noticed in the middle of the seemingly ample bench, sleep came in
fits. I tried everything I could think of
in terms of shuffling my body, but very little helped. And so, on three hours of sleep, I trudge on.
Arriving in Sacramento 40 minutes late wasn't a big deal since I knew I had three hours to kill but I began to realize that I should probably get used to train stations. You see, little did I know that being late seems to be
the hallmark of Amtrak. I don’t
know if it is solely due to the increased freight traffic, incompetent traffic
control operators or lazy engineers, but I have a feeling I won't ride an on-time train this entire trip.
Disembarking I was struck by the length of the walk from platform to station and I realized that major hubs were quite a bit different than the tiny stations like Albany. Making my way the quarter mile to the station I plopped myself down on a bench and set my bags down beside me narrowly missing the bird poop on the bench's back. Looking up I noticed all of the scaffolding set high against the station's ceiling, it seems this was their deterrent for the pigeon population that loved to exist off of the trash left carelessly around by some of the station's less aware.
Disembarking I was struck by the length of the walk from platform to station and I realized that major hubs were quite a bit different than the tiny stations like Albany. Making my way the quarter mile to the station I plopped myself down on a bench and set my bags down beside me narrowly missing the bird poop on the bench's back. Looking up I noticed all of the scaffolding set high against the station's ceiling, it seems this was their deterrent for the pigeon population that loved to exist off of the trash left carelessly around by some of the station's less aware.
Having three hours to kill I did a little people watching and marveled at the wide
range of folks waiting to catch the train.
From elderly couples getting out to see the country for what could be
the last time to young kids whose parents may or may not know where they are,
the hodgepodge of transients, poor and middle class alike swarmed in and out of
the station. God thing too as it turns out that, even though it was only 80 miles away from
origination, the California Zephyr, my next ride, was already running an hour behind.
Finishing The Lost City of Z, I started in on Sophie's World, a philosophy book I hope can expand the way I think as it reinforces something I have always know about myself, my ideal job would be philosopher. I love to think about the world and the people within it, specifically how people interact with both the world and the people around them. Around 11:30 I made my way back the quarter mile to the same track to wait for the Zephyr to arrive to take me to Salt Lake City and a couple of good friends, Lewis and Kelley.
45 minutes late, the Zephyr pulled in and we boarded, neither conductor seemingly worried about things as they were in Albany. Finding the cabins to be packed much more than my first trip I made my way to the front of the car and settled into the very last seat. Being that I had no one in front of me, giving me even more leg room, I thought the seat was perfect until I realized I was right next to the doors between cars and would have to listen to people come and go all ride long. Settling in I pulled out my book and contemplated philosophy as we rolled through the poorer sections of Sacramento.
That is one great thing about the train, it gives you a great glimpse into many different aspects of life, both on board as well as in the landscape around the tracks. Most stations are set in the industrial sections of town so you get a great feel for how well a city is doing just by noting how run down everything is. As you pull out of the cities you get a glimpse into the lives of the working class as you roll past their houses. Seeing all of the broken down cars and pseudo projects scrapped due to a lack of time or money, I realize that I wish I was more knowledgable about cars so I could drive around and pay people to take away the cars sitting dead on their property. Being able to give them a shot in the arm financially as I fix up and sell the cars for profit would be a win/win for everyone.
As we rolled along into the beautiful desert mountains and tiny mountain towns of California, I couldn't help but reflect a little on my life. It probably didn't help that it was my birthday and I was purposefully spending it on a train but, being that I wanted to get away from Corvallis and have some time to truly work on things and contemplate life, I could think of few better gifts.
45 minutes late, the Zephyr pulled in and we boarded, neither conductor seemingly worried about things as they were in Albany. Finding the cabins to be packed much more than my first trip I made my way to the front of the car and settled into the very last seat. Being that I had no one in front of me, giving me even more leg room, I thought the seat was perfect until I realized I was right next to the doors between cars and would have to listen to people come and go all ride long. Settling in I pulled out my book and contemplated philosophy as we rolled through the poorer sections of Sacramento.
That is one great thing about the train, it gives you a great glimpse into many different aspects of life, both on board as well as in the landscape around the tracks. Most stations are set in the industrial sections of town so you get a great feel for how well a city is doing just by noting how run down everything is. As you pull out of the cities you get a glimpse into the lives of the working class as you roll past their houses. Seeing all of the broken down cars and pseudo projects scrapped due to a lack of time or money, I realize that I wish I was more knowledgable about cars so I could drive around and pay people to take away the cars sitting dead on their property. Being able to give them a shot in the arm financially as I fix up and sell the cars for profit would be a win/win for everyone.
As we rolled along into the beautiful desert mountains and tiny mountain towns of California, I couldn't help but reflect a little on my life. It probably didn't help that it was my birthday and I was purposefully spending it on a train but, being that I wanted to get away from Corvallis and have some time to truly work on things and contemplate life, I could think of few better gifts.
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