Monday, 30 August 2010
I finally got up at 7:00pm to go catch the 8:40pm train. I double-checked with the front desk clerk about how to get to the Central Station. And it turns out, that's where I made the mistake. I should have been more specific and said that I needed to get to the CountryLink platform, because it's two very different sections of an enormous train station that apparently isn't well connected between floors. Nor are there signs saying what entrance to use.
The woman at the hotel told me to go down 2 blocks, cross the street, and go through the pedestrian tunnel to the train station. Well, that would have been perfect had I wanted the local train. The ticket guy at the local part of the station told me to go back the way I came, and go up a foot path, but the rest of what he was saying didn't make any sense at all.
Let me take a moment here to mention my POS suitcase. No, not Point of Sale. Piece of Shit. I decided to take the newer one because it's a bit bigger without being heavier, and it can expand a bit as well. Well, between two trips on planes, and apparently fantastic workmanship in China, the 5 wheels on the bottom can't make up their minds to let the suitcase travel in one direction. It wanders all over the place when you try and drag it by any of the 3 sets of handles (using one set of handles requires you to hunch over sideways to grab the suitcase in the middle). Or, it just falls over. So, at this point, I have walked 2 blocks, then about another 2 inside a tunnel, and another 2 blocks getting out of the tunnel, all while the frakking suitcase either wanders around like a drunk, falls over like the same, or bashes me in the backs of the ankles and yanks my shoes off, causing me to stop and put my shoes back on.. You guessed it, I'm having FUN! Not.
So, now I'm headed back out the long pedestrian tunnel, and headed down another tunnel, with the suitcase wobbling, falling over, and attacking me. Then I realize there aren't any signs saying anything about train stations, so I turn around and stop in at a book store. The girl behind the counter was from the US, and very kindly walked me outside and up to the corner where she pointed out the building I was headed for. As far as I can tell, the building has no signage whatsoever that it's a train station. Maybe there's signs you can see during daylight hours? Who knows. I thanked her repeatedly, and headed up the hill to the building, dragging the stubborn suitcase. About half-way up the hill two very nice people stopped and offered to help me with the suitcase, and at this point I gladly accepted. They were happy to talk to someone from the US, since they're planning a trip next year to New York and Las Vegas (because they are both famous places). I told them they aren't close, and both are quite expensive, and to plan for that.
Hurray! I finally made it to the train station! And the ticket office.
* * * * *
On the train to Melbourne: departed at 8:40pm as scheduled. So far the only people sitting in twos at because they are together. The second stop some guy comes and sits next to me. Ugh. I'd rather sit alone, thanks, so I can sleep in peace. The Ticket Checker came along 5 minutes later and moved him.
There is a girl who barely looks 20 sitting across from me with her 4-year-old daughter. The daughter is in a BAD mood and is screaming, crying, turning red, and demanding things from her mum, including her dummy (pacifier). Big points to the mom for not giving in to the kid just to shut her up, but the rest of us have to suffer the tantrum. It was nice when the kid finally fell asleep about 30 minutes later.
I grabbed some fish and chips for dinner in the buffet car, and ate while i worked writing all of this on the iPad. Then they turned the lights out on the train at about 10:30pm. Might as well sleep. Turns out there is a problem with the train tracks past the Albury station, where we will arrive at about 4:15am, that they haven't repaired, and we'll have to switch over to coaches (plain old buses) at that point for the remainder of the trip. If we were to take the train the whole way, we'd arrive in Melbourne at 7:35am. Not sure what our ETA is now.
I finally got up at 7:00pm to go catch the 8:40pm train. I double-checked with the front desk clerk about how to get to the Central Station. And it turns out, that's where I made the mistake. I should have been more specific and said that I needed to get to the CountryLink platform, because it's two very different sections of an enormous train station that apparently isn't well connected between floors. Nor are there signs saying what entrance to use.
The woman at the hotel told me to go down 2 blocks, cross the street, and go through the pedestrian tunnel to the train station. Well, that would have been perfect had I wanted the local train. The ticket guy at the local part of the station told me to go back the way I came, and go up a foot path, but the rest of what he was saying didn't make any sense at all.
Let me take a moment here to mention my POS suitcase. No, not Point of Sale. Piece of Shit. I decided to take the newer one because it's a bit bigger without being heavier, and it can expand a bit as well. Well, between two trips on planes, and apparently fantastic workmanship in China, the 5 wheels on the bottom can't make up their minds to let the suitcase travel in one direction. It wanders all over the place when you try and drag it by any of the 3 sets of handles (using one set of handles requires you to hunch over sideways to grab the suitcase in the middle). Or, it just falls over. So, at this point, I have walked 2 blocks, then about another 2 inside a tunnel, and another 2 blocks getting out of the tunnel, all while the frakking suitcase either wanders around like a drunk, falls over like the same, or bashes me in the backs of the ankles and yanks my shoes off, causing me to stop and put my shoes back on.. You guessed it, I'm having FUN! Not.
So, now I'm headed back out the long pedestrian tunnel, and headed down another tunnel, with the suitcase wobbling, falling over, and attacking me. Then I realize there aren't any signs saying anything about train stations, so I turn around and stop in at a book store. The girl behind the counter was from the US, and very kindly walked me outside and up to the corner where she pointed out the building I was headed for. As far as I can tell, the building has no signage whatsoever that it's a train station. Maybe there's signs you can see during daylight hours? Who knows. I thanked her repeatedly, and headed up the hill to the building, dragging the stubborn suitcase. About half-way up the hill two very nice people stopped and offered to help me with the suitcase, and at this point I gladly accepted. They were happy to talk to someone from the US, since they're planning a trip next year to New York and Las Vegas (because they are both famous places). I told them they aren't close, and both are quite expensive, and to plan for that.
Hurray! I finally made it to the train station! And the ticket office.
* * * * *
On the train to Melbourne: departed at 8:40pm as scheduled. So far the only people sitting in twos at because they are together. The second stop some guy comes and sits next to me. Ugh. I'd rather sit alone, thanks, so I can sleep in peace. The Ticket Checker came along 5 minutes later and moved him.
There is a girl who barely looks 20 sitting across from me with her 4-year-old daughter. The daughter is in a BAD mood and is screaming, crying, turning red, and demanding things from her mum, including her dummy (pacifier). Big points to the mom for not giving in to the kid just to shut her up, but the rest of us have to suffer the tantrum. It was nice when the kid finally fell asleep about 30 minutes later.
I grabbed some fish and chips for dinner in the buffet car, and ate while i worked writing all of this on the iPad. Then they turned the lights out on the train at about 10:30pm. Might as well sleep. Turns out there is a problem with the train tracks past the Albury station, where we will arrive at about 4:15am, that they haven't repaired, and we'll have to switch over to coaches (plain old buses) at that point for the remainder of the trip. If we were to take the train the whole way, we'd arrive in Melbourne at 7:35am. Not sure what our ETA is now.
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