Public transport issues number two today! On the convoluted way from Yosemite to Indianapolis there were a few mishaps. First bus - check. First train - running quite late. Turns out the electricity on the whole train is down. So ensues a four hour train ride through the hot drought plains with NO air conditioning, no power points, bathrooms in use, closed canteen, no wifi , lights etc. frustrating as it was, I coped fine. No point complaining, especially considering I am ok in heat. But pretty much no other passengers had this view. Lots of loud, consistent complaining and suffering in the heat (mind you, it was really stuffy and hot), not to mention hunger and busting for bathroom. Shit fight all round really!
Then it turns out that the train is no longer going to the final stop, where most of us were alighting. So we needed to get off early and catch a bus in peak hour traffic to the finL location. From where I still needed to get another bus, then another train to the airport.
Once at the airport, still a stupid number of hours early before my 1130pm flight, I checked in after some dramas and got comfy for the next few hours. At about 1000pm they decide to delay our flight by two hours. Which means I miss my connection in Chicago, so I went to get the next flight changed (from 6am to 11am. Another million hours to waste at two airports!!!
Chicago airport is massive!
And has automatic plastic toilet seat covers......
The entire of this state seems to be dead flat, spacious, spread out and green! Kinda like the suburbs you see in lots of American films. I'm now starting to realise that most of the east coast looks somewhat like this. Long flat lush front lawns and bit houses at the back. Squirrels running everywhere.
Another fun thing! Not only do they have drive through ATMs here, but also drive up banks - for cheque deposits. You speak to the guy and then put the cheques in this plastic canister, which is hydraulically transported over to the man in the building, who sends the receipt back the same way. Geeeeeeezzz.
The next day and a half I spent in the clinic with Charlie, observing all of his interesting patients, and treating a few aswell. He is a member of the FAAO (Fellowship of the American Academy of Osteopathy), an honour only held by about 80 osteopaths in the world. This is only gained by not only years of clinicl experience, but commitment to education and many years teaching and publishing research. So he's a pretty good Osteo! Extremely traditional in his approach to treating, which is not common anymore, and his results are uncanny! It was also nice visiting for we had some good lunches and finally some home cooked dinners - both by Charlie and his girlfriend.
After work on Friday we headed to one of Indianpolis' most famous sites - no not the race track - the children's museum!! It was reeeeallly cool, we were like kids for the whole arvo, especially in a section where you play with water and make current and dams etc. Honestly it was amazingly interactive!
And there were lots of real dinosaurs!!
And mummified cats!
And funnily enough, more stained glass from that guy we saw in Seattle!
An original merrigoround!
Raccoon dress ups!
A historical section on children who faced adversity in the 20th century. A black girl Ruby who stood up for racial equality, a white kid Ryan who had HIV in the 80s and helped erase stigma and Anne Frank!
The exhibitions included remakes of their settings, like this post segregation classroom
And then we got really lucky. Some of the Terracotta warriors were here on exhibition!
And there was a 'make your own section!'
The next morning we checked out the main city and had some Cajun food before buying practically every truffle at the chocolate shop! But I needed it, because what had been perfect balmy weather all week, took a turn today and it was super super super freezing cold! And I had a 4 hour bus ahead of me. That was delayed by two hours!! Oh god....
But eventually. I got to St. Louis! And finally met my friend Jen, whom I had been in regular contact with for years through email and Facebook, but had never actually met! We knew each other through work in India - I helped her with information and the likes when she went to do research at Niranjana (for her PhD) a few years ago.
On arrival Jen was hosting a little get together for a few friends, so got to drink Sangria, eat cheese and get to know a few locals which was nice. Some were academics like her, some teachers, mothers, etc.
The next morning we drove downtown to find some breakfast. It was really surreal there - lots of tall, wide, perfectly clean and classic buildings, really beautiful. But there seemed to be NO people there at all. It was the weekend, but still. It sounds like the 'dangerous' area of St Louis used to be there, so I wonder if that's why it's so empty. That was until we found the breakfast spot. Maybe it was the only one in town, cos it was packed! Which was still weird cos everywhere else was barren...
After brekky we walked around various local parks and down to the Mississippi to see the arch! The St. Louis arch is the tallest free standing arch in the world, sitting at 192m. It was constructed in the early 60s and represents St. Louis being the "gateway to the Midwest" which it is, the Main city once the river is crossed from Illinois. The arch is also deemed to always be the tallest structure in the city, so no building is allowed to be higher, which is pretty cool.
The structure itself though - really is one of the coolest things I've ever seen. It is absolutely mind blowing. Purely stainless steel, completely unclimbable, it sits like an alien monument. It felt just like I was in stargate or something. I can't imagine how freaky it would have been in the 60s... I mean that's pre Star Wars!!!
From here we drove into Illinois where we were to meet Jens mum and collect her kids who had been staying away for the weekend. They are pretty cluey for their ages, and we got along instantly. As an afternoon outing we had decided to visit the Cahokia mounds - a historical sight close by that Jen had me actually visited before.
The mounds are basically just that. Dirt mounds. They are remnants of an ancient city that existed here, with huts build atop the mounds by the main village people. Amazingly the sight is a UNESCO world heritage site, perhaps because it is considered the largest and most complex archaeological site north of the great pre-Columbian cities in Mexico. But still, for everyone of us it was pretty damn dull. The mounds were hardly that and the info centre and movie didn't actually inform much about the culture. I feel like it would be better if they rebuild a mock village nearby so you could at least imagine what it would have been like. Shame, but a special site nonetheless.
St Louis is celebrating its 250th year, so these decorated cakes lay all around the city!
Theres a mound!
View from atop the Great Mound
That's all it is.....
On returning back to town, we had the best of intentions to go home and cook, then sit down with an Aussie movie. But Mexican distracted us on the way so we ate there instead! But still went home to watch the castle with popcorn :)
Following morning, the kids went to school as Jen and I went exploring some more of the suburbs around town. There are some really wealthy areas, with enormous houses and some funky streets with greats cafes and book shops. We then went for lunch near her work, St. Louis University, and after met a friend of hers in a cafe. I really liked Amrita, so will have to add her to the list of overseas friends to meet again! She is from Varanasi, so there was lots to talk about - India is why these girls are friends.
It's amazing being in the US so close to Halloween time, it's kinda like Christmas. I've seen huge fields full of big round ripe pumpkins, stalls like this below, and every store has a whole aisle of decorations a nd many of the houses and streets are decorated as well. Can see the fun in it actually like this. Also pumpkin pies everywhere!! But turns out people here, although they think they're obsessed with pumpkin flavoured things, they ONLY eat it as a sweet. Jen hadn't even heard of boiling or roasting pumpkin??!! What the???
That evening with the kids we did a drive through the 'other' side of St Louis. It turns out that his town is really really divided. Half of the suburbs are wealthy white folk, and the other half are poor black people. It is literally that clear cut. There is NO intermingling or cross pollenisation! One main road has the wealthiest in town on one side, and in the streets behind it, yet on the other side poverty starts. The 'ghetto' street that we drove down was shocking, I've never sen living conditions like that. Every single house we drove past was run down, falling down and boarded up - even though the houses themselves were beautiful old Victorian houses, same as the rest of town. Really sad to see.
After dinner that evening I hit the hay early, having to get up bright and early for my next epic bus adventure.....
And so began my worst US public transport expedition yet.... Really long story. So here is the briefest summary. From check in there is a really rough annoying guy hassling the staff, seems like a meth addict. He continues near me on most of the journey, loudly complaining and not understanding what's going on. Other than that, first 12 hours are ok. Slowly get to profile some of the other people on board. I'm 100% certain that I am the only person I saw that day who doesn't do drugs and has a tertiary education (not that I would ever judge that, just strange to be the only one from that world). And then over the next few hours - bus brakes down in middle of Kansas, other bus stops to help, people on board get rowdy because the fumes we could smell on board and the driver had locked us in. They decide to put some of us on the other bus in order to make our connections in Denver, the rest will have to stay with the bus until it gets fixed - will take hours. Guy from before kicks up a stink and someone 'thinks' they see a knife. I get moved to the other bus but then it goes nowhere. Turns out the police have arrived and arrested the loud guy and now interviewing lots of other people. Honestly over nothing! Then the police don't let either bus leave until they are finished. So in the end both buses with all the passengers on board got to Denver too late for anyone to make their connections. Also there was incidence with another girl on board, conversations with a black guy who had never met a foreigner before - I swapped him an Aussie $20 for a US one and he says he will frame it! There was the lady next to me who gave me some home made southern fried chicken to eat while waiting and the really really really scarily smelly girl who made the whole bus reek. Causing all of the disrespectful people on board to abuse her. Oh god. And the commentary from the peg legged guy and Harley driver was funny.
Then we get to Denver. And I have to wait now 10 hours for my next bus. Try to sleep 2-6am, then line up for 2 hours to get ticket exchanged (staff obviously not ready for 60 people who now need a new bus)...... Absolutely brain and body dead!
Kansas City from the bus station (note - KC is still in Missouri! Not in Kansas for another few km's)
Pretty much the only view of Kansas I saw.... Endless fields as you would imagine. And some scrub. And the truck stops with wizard of oz and Jesus merchandise....
Denver!
As it happens, Denver is a big foody place. Thank god, cos I can't stand anymore bus station food! With. Few hours in tow and the bags stored in a locker, I ventured out of the bus station and made a beeline for the nearest restaurant. Which happened to be a gourmet pancake place! I pushed aside my typical urge for eggs and went with this. Buckwheat pancakes filled with blueberries AND crunchy granola, topped with banana with whipped butter and homemade vanilla maple syrup on the side. Holy shit they are the best pancakes I've had in my life. Totally what I needed to mend my soul!!!! And two cups of chai to boot.
Naturally, I over ate, so needed some walking to clear the head again! Found Denver to be quite clean and pretty - like all the other American cities of the last week or so!
I went on a free tour of the mint. Which in the end was not the mint at all, just a little tiny museum of money. Nothing specially interesting for me, just lots of different American bills to look at!
And some gold
The station is beautiful
The bus from Denver to Frisco was comparably heaven. Ran on time, good folks, and stunning scenery on the way as the last of the golden aspen leaves fell from the branches, mixed amongst the greenest of pines. Stunning to see Autumn in Colorado!
And then I arrive in Frisco to discover it is at 9000ft!! That's really high for a town!! I checked in to my lodge, went straight for a swim in the indoor pool and after a quick rest, convinced the Scottish girl on the front desk to take me for a drive to see the area. We met with a friend of hers for dinner as well as a scenic drive through he close by towns, lakes and passes. Turns out these two were almost as interesting as those on the bus! Drug habits and criminal convictions not withstanding.... But they were harmless, educated enough and we had a good enough time.
Next day it was cold and rainy so I just walked through the Main Street and caught a bus around to see more areas. Pretty place, but in that time I think I saw all that I could have without better weather or a car!
And the bus from town the next day also left like clockwork!
Grand Junction layover on the way to Utah
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