Blogs we like

As is now usual, at half 4 (at least I think it’s half 4, I’ve crossed more time zones than your average Dr. Who on this train journey) my regular early morning scenic awakening occurred. It was all very fleeting but there were giant steaming rivers and pools everywhere. It was like being on a volcanoe, in fact it was more like Jurassic Park than the Jurassic Park ride at Universal Studios. No sooner were they seen than it was back to standard wide open billboard America; Jack’s biscuits 1 mile. It was a fine wake-up call though.

Throughout my adventures I’ve noticed that there is an almost overwelming amount of water in USA and I’ve not even beheld The Great Lakes yet. It’s all very impressive.

Right, I’m now going to attempt to reassemble my spinal cord and get a tad more kip. Zzzzzzz, ouch, zzzzzzz, ouch, zzzzzzz, ouch … and so forth.

I feel like I’ve aged 6 months for every week on this trip and though sometimes the rewards have been scant, there have been some great ones. America sure is a mighty pertty Country. God bless eh.

So I’m 4 or 5 hours away from Chicago now and am currently in the State of Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Dales should be coming up shortly and they are supposed to be scenic so I’ll keep an eye out.

I must have missed them. Crivens.

There’s a hotdog from Portillo’s (a World famous dog seller that has been recommended to me by several people, I even think Stephen Fry went there on the Illinois leg of his State by State tour) with my name on it when I get there. Though I shouldn’t really as I’ve ate $40 worth of rubbish in the past couple of days on this here train. Monday tomorrow, health kick I reckon.

Frost Nixon, just watched it I did. I find Watergate a fascinating period of recent American history so it’s of no shock to myself that I thouroughly enjoyed this flick. There’s a great dark comic undertone running through the whole thing that I appreciated and while Michael Sheen just offers a ever so slightly modified rehash of his Tony Blair performance, it works. I can’t believe David Frost was a playboy though, who’d have thought it.

I just overheard a charasmatic Amtrak employ who decided to randomly share a story with some equally random passengers to my right. It made me laugh as though it was a simple tale he told it in an entertaining and charming manner with snakeoil salesman like efficiency. I may be substituting the odd word but the sentiment is the same, here goes:

“Wanna know what happens to a man who has been on a train for 3 days without the sanctuary of sleep? He picks up a broken rogue pen lying on the floor of the viewing gallery cabin. He then proceeds to carefully push out the plastic ink repository with a paperclip he has just produced and dilligently unwound with his own hands. This act complete, he next purposely strides to the nearest rest room and tears what is deemed adequate ammunition from the paper towel tray. Finally he goes in search of his fellow crew members”.

BTW I slept through Fargo, drat 100 times fold say I.

I’m in Chicago now, my first impressions are good. The hostel is huge. Time to catch up with the World I reckon, see ya tomorrow.