When last I took the Amtrak train form LA to San Diego a couple of years back it was a wonderful experience once I got on board the train. Battling my way through Union Station with several bags in tow and waiting, waiting and more waiting in the general waiting room proved stressful. However, once I boarded as a Business Class passenger life was great. Business class only costs about $15 more so was very worthwhile. On board there were nice comfy seats in a nice quiet carriage with stewards bringing tea/coffee and various munchies and newspapers. This time I was very excited about recreating the experience however it started off great and went from bad to worse.
This time when I arrived at Union Station I was bustled into the Business Class lounge by a lovely steward and given coffee and muffins and a promise to notify me when the train arrived. I had previously received an email advising that there was track work in progress so the train would only go to Irvine where we would be taken by bus into San Diego (2 hour ride). All was going well until the train arrived. We were herded towards a two level train and because we were going only a portion of the way on the train they wouldn't check our bags. This meant we had to carry our own luggage onto the train - up narrow stairs to the TOP level. I have two large bags and then a carryon bag plus handbag. This was quite a task with people pushing and shoving for no sensible reason. Finally we all got on, my heart pounding from the stressful exercise. There was no business class service.
Repeat all this in reverse when we got to Irvine. Again pushing and shoving. WHY?? The buses were lined up but they weren't marked as to their destination and the staff seemed clueless. Finally I got on the bus with the hope my bags were on the same bus.
The bus had no working air-conditioning and was full. The driver then, at the request of a young "lady" in the front seat (I use the term loosely) put the radio on. We had rap music on full volume. It was too loud to read or listen to your own music. People yelled for it to be turned off so the driver changed it to a religious talk show. Next minute the young "lady" was sitting on the steps next to the driver fiddling with the radio knobs to change the channel. She chose something louder and equally unacceptable and people started yelling again. If the driver had braked suddenly she would have been through the windscreen. Finally, after half an hour he capitulated and turned it off to the thunderous clapping of all on board.
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| The troublemaker - great place to sit at 65 MPH on the freeway. |
We were finally let off the bus at the wrong station which meant my friends who were waiting at the OTHER station had to try and track me down because I had no idea where we were.
By the time we got to Susanne's house I was fairly frazzled and very disappointed in my much anticipated train trip. I will be returning to LA by Amtrak in a few days and the up track has no maintenance happening so I'm hoping for a far pleasanter trip.
It was great to see Susanne again. We met in Adelaide SA when I was taking boxing classes and she subsequently married a US Navy man and relocated eventually to San Diego.
Another celebratory cake was had - the biggest chocolate cake ever and its taste matched it's size.
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| Enormous and very tasty |
14 October 2018
The plan was to go for a drive to get pumpkins for Halloween from a Pumpkin Patch in a town called Julian - about an hours drive away through very hilly terrain. This was delayed when it appeared I may have lost my purse - something that I seem to make a habit of doing when I come to the USA. I wasn't too concerned as I had duplicate cards this time kept in a separate area but it meant putting a stop on all the cards that were in the purse. Time consuming and frustrating - especially when the purse reappeared in a different suitcase. My handbag was obviously sitting on top of it when I went to bed last night and it has tumbled in. At this end of the day I've got back on line and reinstated them all again. What a pain!!
Today however was lovely. Gorgeous weather and lots of pumpkins, a hayride, a petting zoo and a nice lunch. Could hardly stay awake on the ride home. Sorting out my card dilemma took second place to more chocolate cake and coffee.
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| Susanne, Lachlan and Madison at the Pumpkin Patch |
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| The Hayride |
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| On the hayride waiting to go |
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| The Petting Zoo |
I will sleep well tonight!
The trials and tribulations of travelling. It only hurts when you move!!
ReplyDeleteLol. You be right!
DeleteHi Lesley, I thought I'd cheer you up with the news that train and bus travel is not just problematic in the USA. I'm travelling from Termoli on the coast of Molise to Campobasso, the capital of the region, less than 100 Kms away. I went to Trenitalia on-line and discovered that a train would take nearly a six hours and involve 3 changes. However, they offer a bus which only takes 21/2 hours with no changes, which was my choice. As usual, Trenitalia sent me an email with my ticket; but nowhere on the ticket does it say where the bus leaves from. I tried on-line to no avail, so I asked my AirBnB host who more or less said: 'Where do you think buses leave from: the bus station of course!'. He indicated it was only 1.5 Kms away and I should walk there with my 4 bags. In the event, it was pissing with rain; so I rang a taxi - no easy feat in Italian for foreigners! After 20 minutes the taxi took me to the bus station for 13 euros. When I asked the ticket office which bay the bus was leaving from, they told me it leaves from the railway station. Where else would a bus provided by a train company leave from? So, I called the taxi again and it returned with the driver looking at me as if I'm a cretin. It drove me to the bus station for another 10 euros. The cost of the bus ticket from Termoli to Campobasso is 4.40 euros!!!!!! Oh, Dio.
ReplyDeleteWell it was bad enough dealing with in English lol. Would be a nightmare in Italian. We both made our destinations so I guess all’s we’ll that end well 🙄
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