A wonderful world: July 2010

I have been a big fan of Pink Martini since their 1st album, 'Sympathique', and I listen to them almost daily on my ipod! Now I am an even bigger fan after seeing them live at their only show in London this year!

The 12-member orchestra/ band was outstanding and mesmerizing! Multi-cultural, talented, witty, sophisticated but unpretentious... there is a kind of feel-good and nostalgic factor about them. Songs were sang in French, Portugese, Italian, Turkish and Arabic by China whose voice is amazing while pianist/ artistic director, Thomas is funny and skillful. I was surprised to see over half of the audiences being over 50 but very enthusiastic nonetheless, hence the atmosphere was fantastic!

I love the fact that there was no fancy fashion nor stage decoration, just a group of talented muscians who are passionate about music and different cultures. It probably was one of the most memerable concert I have ever been to!

My favourite album: 'Hang on little tomato' followed closely by 'Hey Eugene!'

My faourite songs: Hang on tomato, Hey Eugene!, Clementine, Ninna nanna, Una Notte A Napoli, Dosvedanya Mio Bombino, City of light, Sympathique

Unforgettable scenery

While I was planning my summer getaway in the US, I realised that it was hard to avoid flying because of the long distance between each place but then an idea came across... TRAIN. I love train journeys but have never taken a long journey in the US before, the longest I ever took on Amtrak was from Manhattan to Rhode Island, so I really didn't know what to expect! I was worried that I might end up like Carrie and Samantha (who took the train from Manhattan to L.A.) in 'Sex and the city'. Luckily, with the internet, I was able to find blogs and information about the route but was surprised by the amount of time... almost 30 hours from Los Angeles to Portland!

America is an odd place... Being the most powerful and richest country in the world, you would think that there would be some kind of high-speed railway across the country, it's surprising to see how behind they are with their railway system, I guess it's all due to their love for driving and flying!

I got quite excited after reading many positive reviews on line since this route is supposed to be the most scenic route of all (which I believed since I have been on Highway 1 before). However, I struggled to decide whether to go for standard or cabin because travelling on my own meant paying triple for a cabin which turned out to be more expensive than flying!

In the end, I decided to pay extra in order to get some privacy and sleep and was glad I did. Although I enjoyed chatting to different people at meal times, I also valued private time in the cabin. I read, listened to my ipod and took naps but most of time, I was glued to the window. I loved the fact that the scenery was never the same, from the sea to vineyards to mountains and forests... it was hard to pull myself away! It was while I was on the train that I realised how vast America really is esp. when we passed by the remote and isolated areas.

Cabin:

I thought the cabin was comfortable for one, but not sure if it would have been the case if there were 2 tall people sharing... At night, the attendant made the bed and I slept like a log until the morning! Waking up to see forests and mountains right in front of my eyes not only brought a smile to my face, it was also the most emotional moment during the enture journey. At breakfast, I heard people complaining about their lack of sleep and an elderly couple saying that they ended up sleeping together at the bottom because neither of them could climb up to the top bed!

Food:

The inclusive meals were not bad but after the first meal, there was an issue with the ventilation in the kitchen, so we had limited choices to choose from and the standard class had to eat take-outs from KFC! One of the passengers said that he has never NOT encountered a problem on the Amtrak trains which I thought was quite funny.

I enjoyed the wine and cheese tasting, (though we were constantly interrupted) but for $5, I thought it was a bargain!

Toilets:

Before my trip, my biggest concern was the toilets because I read that they could get pretty disgusting by the end of the journey. I was extremely lucky because my cabin was downstairs and I got to share 3 toilets amongst 4 people wheras people upstairs weren't so lucky... I thought the toilets were tolerable even at the end but wasn't sure about the ones upstairs!

People:

I didn't know what to expect but thought that most of the people I spoke to were friendly, interesting and well-travelled. However, there were some people who talked constantly and it really made me appreciate my private cabin! I also found the conductor quite annoying because he didn't stop making announcements or comments until bedtime.

Overall, I thought the journey was exciting, memorable, meditative and inspiring, and was surprised by how quick the 30 hours went! A couple on the train told me that they were changing at Portland to take the Empire builder route to Minnesota... I just couldn't imagine being on the train for that long! As much as I enjoyed the journey, I thought 30 hours were sufficient already!

A few years back, I travelled on the Orient Express from Paris to Venice, although it was luxurious and wonderful (esp. the food), somehow this journey gave me more joy and satisfaction... Preferring Amtrak over the Orient Express? I must be crazy...

Beginning...

Exterior and interior of Union station, Los Angeles

My cabin

Santa Barbara

Looks like the English countryside

Californian vineyard

Mini cinema/ theater

Wine and cheese tasting

Californian prison

Sunset and then bedtime...

The scenery near the California & Oregan border was probably the most scenic and beautiful part of the journey. Seeing the mountains, lakes and animals made me feel so calm and I realised that we must do our best to protect nature and animals from human activities or destructions.