On the Road #2

The Via Train was scheduled to leave at 5:15 AM Friday morning. Last year it was 3-4 hours late. I assumed that it would be late again this time. I wasn't disappointed, although this time the train was only 40 or so minutes late. It was nice sitting in the train station , reading the paper, half listening to the conversations of the others waiting for the same train.

When people ask me why I travel, there are a number of answers as to why.... but one of the reasons - perhaps the one that I discuss the least is that I am endlessly fascinated by people and their interactions with others and with their environment. I guess that I am just nosy.; I think my observations skills are less than they use to be. I have less need to use them and I have gotten lazy.

For the first 3 or 4 trips that I made I could easily see in my mind each driver that drove me and each bit of highway that I had stood upon. But the years have blurred such memories. There are spots that I have stood on almost every year. I know the highway shoulders just outside of Winnipeg, Calgary, Medicine Hat, Brandon, Golden, Salmon Arms or Revelstoke as well as I know the sidewalks outside my house. But when I stood on those spot and who picked me up is sometimes at bit vague. I was looking forward to seeing those spots - to touch that ground, to stand there with my thumb out - totally free - totally without any control as to where or when I would get to where ever I was going .

I got in the first car. It was almost empty. I had lots of choices where to sit. My favourite seating is on the right side of the bus or train. Not too sure why except that it is easier for me to sleep leaning against that window. While I was glad to have a seat to myself, the near empty car meant that there were fewer people to look at and possibly have a conversation with.

The train when it arrived was configured a bit differently than last year. On previous trips there had been at least two dinning cars - one for the rich folks that had table cloths and vases for real flowers etc and another one that was, to say the least, less well decorated. However this train only had one dining car and thus I got to have breakfast at a table with a real table cloth.