{"@context":{"rdf":"http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns#","rdfs":"http://www.w3.org/2000/01/rdf-schema#","owl":"http://www.w3.org/2002/07/owl#","foaf":"http://xmlns.com/foaf/0.1/","dc":"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/","dct":"http://purl.org/dc/terms/","sioc":"http://rdfs.org/sioc/types#","blog":"http://vocab.amy.so/blog#","as":"https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams#","mf2":"http://microformats.org/profile/","ldp":"http://www.w3.org/ns/ldp#","solid":"http://www.w3.org/ns/solid#","view":"https://terms.rhiaro.co.uk/view#","asext":"https://terms.rhiaro.co.uk/as#","dbp":"http://dbpedia.org/property/","geo":"http://www.w3.org/2003/01/geo/wgs84_pos#","doap":"http://usefulinc.com/ns/doap#","time":"http://www.w3.org/2006/time#"},"@graph":[{"@id":"https://rhiaro.co.uk/2015/12/mini-amtrak","@type":"as:Article","blog:tmpcontent":"# Mini Amtrak Adventure\r\n\r\nI just took a 17 hour train (Starlight 14) from San Francisco to Portland, right up the west coast of the USA. At 9 last night, a connecting bus (the Thruway) took me from SF to Emeryville, Oakland, where I boarded the train at 10. I bought my ticket in advance online ($132, which includes the bus and also a Portland to Seattle stretch for later this week) and was assigned a seat upon boarding via the sophisticated system of a lady with a handdrawn grid and a pen.\r\n\r\nTotally different from any other train I've been on, which is why I'm writing about it. The train is *huge*. I didn't manage to count the carriages, but there are many. The cheapest Coach seats are wide - probably the same as the Caledonian Sleeper - but recline further with more legroom, and have an extra leg rest bit that pops out underneath, so it's a totally viable bed. The whole train is two storey, with most seats above, and loads of bathrooms below.\r\n\r\nOvernight I pretty much slept through, waking at Sacramento to close the curtain as the station lights were *bright*. There were many stops, and people came and went from the seat beside me. At one point there was some kerfuffle from someone who thought her phone had been stolen, and also the seat assignment system resulting in people being assigned to the same place, but mostly I wasn't really disturbed. At one point I woke up to nobody, and rotated to lie across the two seats. I woke again at 0730 when the sun was up and we arrived in Klamath Falls. Plenty of empty seats in my carridge.\r\n\r\nFrom my vantage point it was largely dilapidated sheds situated amongst unkempt scrubland. Some tourist-looking people disembarked here, so there must be something to do. There are both a restaurant and a cafe car, the latter of which serves decent coffee with a smile for $2, and there is at least one vegan option on the menu (a burger, unsampled). The restaurant took reservations for breakfast and lunch, with a member of staff passing through the train to offer this. Above the cafe is an 'observation lounge', with seats clustered around tables, and reclining armchair-types, all with power outlets, but the special feature is double-sized windows. So really light, great vantage. I considered relocating, but wasn't sure about the etiquette of permanently occupying space here, and couldn't be bothered dragging my stuff back and forth.\r\n\r\nWe proceeded and the scenery picked up with lakes and mountains, gradually becoming more epic, peaking at alpine-esque snow-covered pine forests. Scenery became less interesting after Eugene. Flat, industrial-farmland-y. Some stops are long enough for 'smoke breaks', with passengers allowed to disembark to stretch their legs for around half an hour.\r\n\r\nWay more interaction with fellow passengers than I'm used to in the UK. Always takes me by surprise. A bunch of friendly (I think?) comments on my hair, plus a few people who wander through the train rambling good wishes at everyone. Someone giving out homebaked cookies. An old couple dressed as Santa Claus. Most people - in great variety - seem consistently intimdating when silent, and friendly when they open their mouths. Maybe I just don't know how to read Americans yet. The expectation/demand of interaction with strangers here is something I'm still figuring out, and I think I unintentionally offend people when I'm not very good at making conversation.\r\n\r\nAt 1430 there was a wine tasting. Who boards a train and goes to a wine tasting?\r\n\r\nArrived in Portland over 30 minutes early. No data connection here. Not even 2G. Wilf's Wine Bar just beside Union Station let me use their wifi.","as:actor":{"@id":"https://rhiaro.co.uk/about#me"},"as:content":"
I just took a 17 hour train (Starlight 14) from San Francisco to Portland, right up the west coast of the USA. At 9 last night, a connecting bus (the Thruway) took me from SF to Emeryville, Oakland, where I boarded the train at 10. I bought my ticket in advance online ($132, which includes the bus and also a Portland to Seattle stretch for later this week) and was assigned a seat upon boarding via the sophisticated system of a lady with a handdrawn grid and a pen.
\r\nTotally different from any other train I've been on, which is why I'm writing about it. The train is huge. I didn't manage to count the carriages, but there are many. The cheapest Coach seats are wide - probably the same as the Caledonian Sleeper - but recline further with more legroom, and have an extra leg rest bit that pops out underneath, so it's a totally viable bed. The whole train is two storey, with most seats above, and loads of bathrooms below.
\r\nOvernight I pretty much slept through, waking at Sacramento to close the curtain as the station lights were bright. There were many stops, and people came and went from the seat beside me. At one point there was some kerfuffle from someone who thought her phone had been stolen, and also the seat assignment system resulting in people being assigned to the same place, but mostly I wasn't really disturbed. At one point I woke up to nobody, and rotated to lie across the two seats. I woke again at 0730 when the sun was up and we arrived in Klamath Falls. Plenty of empty seats in my carridge.
\r\nFrom my vantage point it was largely dilapidated sheds situated amongst unkempt scrubland. Some tourist-looking people disembarked here, so there must be something to do. There are both a restaurant and a cafe car, the latter of which serves decent coffee with a smile for $2, and there is at least one vegan option on the menu (a burger, unsampled). The restaurant took reservations for breakfast and lunch, with a member of staff passing through the train to offer this. Above the cafe is an 'observation lounge', with seats clustered around tables, and reclining armchair-types, all with power outlets, but the special feature is double-sized windows. So really light, great vantage. I considered relocating, but wasn't sure about the etiquette of permanently occupying space here, and couldn't be bothered dragging my stuff back and forth.
\r\nWe proceeded and the scenery picked up with lakes and mountains, gradually becoming more epic, peaking at alpine-esque snow-covered pine forests. Scenery became less interesting after Eugene. Flat, industrial-farmland-y. Some stops are long enough for 'smoke breaks', with passengers allowed to disembark to stretch their legs for around half an hour.
\r\nWay more interaction with fellow passengers than I'm used to in the UK. Always takes me by surprise. A bunch of friendly (I think?) comments on my hair, plus a few people who wander through the train rambling good wishes at everyone. Someone giving out homebaked cookies. An old couple dressed as Santa Claus. Most people - in great variety - seem consistently intimdating when silent, and friendly when they open their mouths. Maybe I just don't know how to read Americans yet. The expectation/demand of interaction with strangers here is something I'm still figuring out, and I think I unintentionally offend people when I'm not very good at making conversation.
\r\nAt 1430 there was a wine tasting. Who boards a train and goes to a wine tasting?
\r\nArrived in Portland over 30 minutes early. No data connection here. Not even 2G. Wilf's Wine Bar just beside Union Station let me use their wifi.
","as:name":"Mini Amtrak Adventure","as:published":{"@type":"http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#datetime","@value":"2015-12-06T00:00:00+0000"},"as:tag":[{"@id":"https://rhiaro.co.uk/tags/amtrak"},{"@id":"https://rhiaro.co.uk/tags/california"},{"@id":"https://rhiaro.co.uk/tags/culture"},{"@id":"https://rhiaro.co.uk/tags/oregon"},{"@id":"https://rhiaro.co.uk/tags/train"},{"@id":"https://rhiaro.co.uk/tags/travel"},{"@id":"https://rhiaro.co.uk/tags/usa"}]},{"@id":"https://rhiaro.co.uk/2016/05/572b9650c5308","@type":"as:Travel","asext:cost":"$15.50","as:endTime":"2016-05-19T18:45:00-08:00","as:origin":{"@id":"https://rhiaro.co.uk/location/los-angeles"},"as:published":["2016-05-05T14:49:45-04:00",{"@type":"http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime","@value":"2016-05-05T14:49:45-04:00"}],"as:startTime":"2016-05-19T16:00:00-08:00","as:summary":"Amy planned a trip from Los_Angeles to San_Diego","as:tag":[{"@id":"https://rhiaro.co.uk/tags/bus"},{"@id":"https://rhiaro.co.uk/tags/ca2016"},{"@id":"https://rhiaro.co.uk/tags/california"},{"@id":"https://rhiaro.co.uk/tags/coach"},{"@id":"https://rhiaro.co.uk/tags/greyhound"},{"@id":"https://rhiaro.co.uk/tags/journey"},{"@id":"https://rhiaro.co.uk/tags/los+angeles"},{"@id":"https://rhiaro.co.uk/tags/san+diego"},{"@id":"https://rhiaro.co.uk/tags/travel"},{"@id":"https://rhiaro.co.uk/tags/usa"}],"as:target":{"@id":"https://rhiaro.co.uk/location/san-diego"}},{"@id":"https://rhiaro.co.uk/2016/05/san-diego-01","@type":"as:Article","as:content":"I arrived in San Diego on the Greyhound, struggled to figure out how to top up a public transit card with anything other than a $7 day pass, gave up and jumped on an approaching bus because they're infrequent, didn't have the right change so resigned myself to giving up $5, and a nice lady supplied my missing $1 so I could make the correct fare after all. So that was a welcoming start.
\r\nThe bus announcement voices have a kind of lisp... "stop requischtid"
\r\nTurns out San Diego is one of those US cities where I can't get a data connection on my phone.
\r\nMy CouchSurfing host had been held up, so she let me know where to find the spare key, and I let myself into her house, and hung out with her beautiful fluffy cat, Kafka. Kafka wanted all of the cuddles.
\r\nMy host came home and we drank tea and chatted. I went to Sprouts grocery store (very similar to Wholefoods) for a quick instant-noodle dinner, then eventually crashed. I had a mattress on the floor in a private room. The next morning my host left for work before I woke up, and I enjoyed a reasonably productive morning on her couch catching up on life and administrative tasks. Kafka helped with my CHI expense report by sitting on all of my receipts as I tried to sort them out.
\r\nEventually I ventured out. I walked through University Heights and Hillcrest, cool districts with lots of lively restaurants and thrift shops. I found the Spruce Street suspension bridge, which is where a normal neighbourhood is suddenly a canyon full of trees with a massive bridge across. It was stable, but moved just enough underfoot to be unnerving.
\r\nI proceeded to Balboa Park, which I've heard was worth going to, but imagined like a park, not massive canyons and hills. It felt wild and had groundhogs darting around but it's also sliced through by freeways, so had that special USAmerican kind of nature vibe. There were pretty good views of downtown San Diego from some points. By accident I ended up in the central part of the park which is suddenly civilised and full of museums (none of which were free). There's a botanical 'building' that looks like it's made from massive bamboo straws or something. Lots of people around and I walked through the background of at least one wedding and one graduation ceremony. I saw cable cars overhead and looked for them, but figured eventually they must be in the zoo. I wandered more, aiming for where HappyCow told me would be a vegan restaurant. I found the WorldBeat Cultural Center, which it turns out is where the restaurant was, and hung out there for a couple of hours eating Jamaican curry and a big cinnamon roll. Food was good and cheap, and atmosphere was quiet and friendly and hippie. Stuff going on in the background like business meetings and dance classes; was a nice backdrop to get my laptop out for a bit.
\r\nMy legs were aching by that point. Not from the 7 mile walk I'd just done surely... but perhaps from the fact I'd walked about an average of ten miles every day for over a week. My CS host offered to pick me up! Which she did, and then gave me a driving tour of downtown San Diego, and Coronado island. Coronado is an upscale neighbourhood on an island, surrounding a military base, reachable across a massive road bridge. We parked and took a walk along the front; mostly fancy hotels, beaches, posh people..
\r\nWe ate at Muzita Ethiopian restaurant (yum!) and my host dropped me at a transit station where I caught a bus to my next CS destination.
\r\nMy new host picked me up from the bus stop! (Americans and cars! Not complaining..). I met her kitties and we talked about pets and breakfast and plans for the weekend. Then I went to sleep in a lovely room of my own with a real bed in it.
","as:name":"San Diego 01","as:published":{"@type":"http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime","@value":"2016-05-20T11:59:16-07:00"},"as:tag":[{"@id":"https://rhiaro.co.uk/tags/balboa"},{"@id":"https://rhiaro.co.uk/tags/ca2016"},{"@id":"https://rhiaro.co.uk/tags/california"},{"@id":"https://rhiaro.co.uk/tags/couchsurfing"},{"@id":"https://rhiaro.co.uk/tags/diego"},{"@id":"https://rhiaro.co.uk/tags/san"},{"@id":"https://rhiaro.co.uk/tags/travel"},{"@id":"https://rhiaro.co.uk/tags/usa"},{"@id":"https://rhiaro.co.uk/tags/vegan"}]},{"@id":"https://rhiaro.co.uk/2016/05/san-diego-02","@type":"as:Article","as:content":"Sitting on the sofa in my host's lovely home after a fun evening with her family. Fiona, the timid cat, was eyeing me up like she wants to be on the sofa but is too shy to ask. She eventually elected for the top of a big cat toy across the room, from where she continues to watch me resentfully. Yoshi, the less timid cat, is content in a little basket.
\r\nI got up lateish this morning and after coffee and breakfast and talking about pets, my host and I drove to La Jolla, an upscale seaside neighbourhood in the north of San Diego. We walked along the coast, enjoying the sun, watching the waves crash and baby seals play in the surf.
\r\nWe drove back to pick up supplies and make lentil and black bean chilli, cilantro and almond pesto (who knew pesto goes with chilli) in time for her nieces and their families to arrive for dinner. A nice evening talking about travel, tech, and life in general. A four year old instructed me on stirring the chilli, ate copious amounts of my homemade coconut oil+cocoa+coconut sugar chocolate, and made me draw snowflakes and build a helicopter from blocks. Once I was on the floor amongst the child chaos it was hard to get up again.
","as:name":"San Diego 02","as:published":{"@type":"http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime","@value":"2016-05-21T23:11:08-07:00"},"as:tag":[{"@id":"https://rhiaro.co.uk/tags/ca2016"},{"@id":"https://rhiaro.co.uk/tags/california"},{"@id":"https://rhiaro.co.uk/tags/couchsurfing"},{"@id":"https://rhiaro.co.uk/tags/diego"},{"@id":"https://rhiaro.co.uk/tags/lajolla"},{"@id":"https://rhiaro.co.uk/tags/san"},{"@id":"https://rhiaro.co.uk/tags/travel"},{"@id":"https://rhiaro.co.uk/tags/usa"},{"@id":"https://rhiaro.co.uk/tags/vegan"}]},{"@id":"https://rhiaro.co.uk/tags/california","@type":"as:Collection","as:totalItems":{"@type":"http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#nonNegativeInteger","@value":"4"}},{"@id":"https://rhiaro.co.uk/tags/california?before=https://rhiaro.co.uk/2016/05/san-diego-02&limit=16","@type":"as:CollectionPage","as:items":[{"@id":"https://rhiaro.co.uk/2016/05/san-diego-02"},{"@id":"https://rhiaro.co.uk/2016/05/san-diego-01"},{"@id":"https://rhiaro.co.uk/2016/05/572b9650c5308"},{"@id":"https://rhiaro.co.uk/2015/12/mini-amtrak"}],"as:name":"california","as:partOf":{"@id":"https://rhiaro.co.uk/tags/california"}}]}