In My Life

Must be getting used to train travel – I had heaps of sleep last night; but admittedly the carriage wasn’t full so we could stretch out. So far we have met many interesting people and gotten into long conversations. David from Washington DC has the same camera as mine so we started from there. We met on the train from L.A. and again on this one to Chicago.
Coming out of Portland and crossing into Washington state we were surprised to see so much water and ‘beachside’ houses. Further along we saw luxurious houses with manicured gardens closely to sawmills. Even saw three tepees at a building site – perhaps they’re camping out during the construction.
It’s hard to describe the forests – never seen so many trees. It was magical to wake up to a pink streaked sky over rocky mountains and down below – rushing water. Now we’re in high prairie plains in Montana. We’ll be staying here at Havre (pronounced hav-a as in hav-a-heart) a small town in the middle of nowhere – we wanted to experience small-town America.
Spent the morning with a Democrat-voting Christian couple who stand firmly on the centrality of the cross – Doug and Linda. You wouldn’t believe the sight out of our window – reminds me of an Andrew Wyeth painting. Bare fields but for clumps of muted colored grasses + some black cattle; and far off in the distance: low mountains. From time to time the train has to stop for freight trains to pass because they have priority on this line.
We’re in no hurry and all is well.

The last couple of hours we’ve been crossing Montana – a vast empty land of plains with the occasional cowboy hut, corralled wild horses, hay bales, and isolated houses.  We’re now at the Great Western Motel in Havre.  It may be a small town but there was a courtesy bus to pick us up and a warm welcome from the driver.

We’re waiting for the Empire Builder – the train that takes us across the north-west to Chicago and eventually to the east coast and Montreal.  This is such a lovely city it seems a shame to be leaving so soon – one day it would be worth another longer visit.

This morning we went exploring after first taking the Street Car – a smaller tram – from one end of the city to the other – from the riverside to the heights.  I can imagine the mountains in the background being snow-capped in winter – today they are still covered in green-leafed trees. 

On board we saw a drug-dazed couple flee when the conductor came through to check our tickets.  Once again, we can’t get over the number of homeless people and the number who seem completely beyond help.  All through the beautiful parks are the poor, sleeping on old mattresses or stretched out on park benches.  I asked our cab driver, “Why so many?” He thought it was because the social security here is better than elsewhere and the weather is milder.  Makes me think, these are ‘depression era’ days for many fallen-by-the sideway Americans.

Everywhere we go, everyone is ready to help – calling a taxi, looking up Google or Yelp on mobile phones to help us find places – like the Pearl Bakery and the Museum of Crafts.  Look at a map and people will ask if they can assist.  It is a positively friendly place – very up-market for the majority.

Today we returned to Powell’s City of Books for coffee and biscotti and found some children’s books at ‘ridiculous’ prices.  Our suitcases are feeling considerably heavier and I am thinking we will need to send home some things we won’t need.

I’ve also been on the Net seeing if we can change our itinerary so we can have a few more days in Montreal with Hannah and an extra day in NYC.  I’ve made the train changes, but will have to negotiate with the hotel in Boston.  I know that Glenys will be happier with this new arrangement.       

The three photos below are all from Portland.

I keep thinking we’re in Canada because this city is so different – very ‘cool’, very green – they even have compost bins for every household.  The trees are green, the grass too – unlike down south where the drought is intense.  They need rain here, but they seem to be hanging in better.  The shops are big – stretched out in old buildings.  We had our best American coffee this morning at the biggest bookstore we’ve ever seen, and we’ve been buying food supplies at a SUPER supermarket named Whole Foods.  It’s hard to believe the choices and the organic fruit, like our black seedless grapes, tastes better than anything else.  We are flat out not buying what we don’t need.  

I only took my old brown lace-up shoes but today we came across a great shop and I got sandals and casual shoes for half the price in Brisbane.  Also got a portable modem so we can stay online for the next 4+ weeks.  The guy in the shop was great in helping to set it all up – and even told us where to get another great coffee – this time a drip coffee – but very good.  People in the street and on the trams are keen to talk and full of advice.  A woman in the street chased up to us later to tell us to go see a park around the next corner – wonderfully cool and shady on this hot day.  

Despite the obvious prosperity, there are so many street people – begging on every corner – gathering in numbers, sitting together on the ground.  Tattoos are popular – even on the poor – never seen so many all-over markings.  

Our little apartment is just on the edge of downtown – up the road from the bookshop and Whole Foods.  We haven’t met the owners but we communicate by email which is how we found this place through Airbnb – a social network of people willing to lend you their home or a room.  It’s cute – it’s neat – it’s near everything.

Glenys was exhausted yesterday – but a good sleep last night has revived her – and she’s resting once again while I write this.  She’d love to watch the News but there is only a DVD player.  In a moment we’ll have dessert – a chocolate brownie with cherry yoghurt fresh peach ( the size of a grapefruit), and chopped cold bananas.  And perhaps some more grapes.      

Wow, America is vast and diverse!  We have seen some extraordinary sights on the west coast leg of the journey.  Deserts.  Endless forests.  Snow-capped mountains.  Vineyards!!!  Miles of broccoli and capsicums.  Running rivers.  Empty dams.  Parched lunar landscapes.  Rock formations like the ones in Ansel Adams b&w photographs.  There is never a dull moment.  And now we’ve just unpacked in beautiful Portland, Oregon.

On board we’ve met friendly and helpful people – and watched more mini-dramas unfolding all around – like the girl whose boyfriend got off the train but failed to return to his seat as we sped out of Eugene-Springfield.  He was in the ‘restroom’.  

Sleeping has been a challenge but I got four hours last night – Glenys less.  At San Francisco we were hoping the train would empty out and we could then stretch out – but it was full again before we left.  There’s plenty of space between rows of seats and fold-out leg rests – but they’re better suited to shorter legs.

It feels like a holiday – very relaxing.  We listen to music from time to time, but there’s too much to see to read for long.  My book is Gilead by Marrilynne Robinson – even better the second time round.  Still hot weather – even in Portland.