Los Angeles to New Orleans!
Aug. 29.
Aug. 30.
I awoke around 6:30am to see a lovely sunrise over the desert just before Tucson.
The engine on one of our walk stops.
The metal fence between El Paso, USA, and Mexico.
Closer to the Mexican border, the poverty is shocking.
In the ‘Exploration’ panel France, England, and Spain compete to exploit the new world. The panels show men being lured to bloody deaths by phantom images of wealth, with Native American civilizations caught in-between, as threatening ships approach.
‘Colonization’ shows pioneers fighting Native Americans, while Franciscan friers teach others how to work in the fields. Chained slaves are imported, the Acadians are transported to Louisiana, and noblemen in masks bow to each other as New Orleans is traded back and forth between France and Spain and then finally becomes part of the USA.
‘Struggle’ starts with the newly American New Orleans becoming a battleground in the War of 1812. A growing American population divides the city and the civil war divides the country as skeletal figures, representing yellow fever epidemics, hover above. And cheerful, colorful carnival-goers parade through the streets.
‘The Modern Age’ starts with a hooded Klansman looming over citizens. Black sharecroppers work in fields, education and medicine advance, and scientists triumphantly work on the atom bomb.
Because of our hectic day, we had not really checked on the train tickets but we had booked a Roomette, as the journey from Los Angeles to New Orleans is 2 overnights and 2 days, arriving at 9:40pm on the 2nd day. We couldn't face the thought of sitting in reclining chairs for that length of time. It was a good decision as there were perks we were entitled to and didn't realize, not having read the small print. The first perk was to be told we were eligible for Amtrak Lounge. Yaay! Comfortable seats, wifi, sockets, snacks, drinks, newspapers, nice loos. Eventually, we were called to go to the train for a 10:00pm departure, and a red cap with a golf cart came to collect us and our luggage and drove us to our sleeping car. The roomette was very tight with the bunks down, there's a fair amount of agility needed to get up to the top bunk, not quite in the style of the Orient Express, but even with that one, space is minimal. We took it in turns - I slept on the bottom the first night, Louise on the second night. It turned out that during the day, we spent most of our time in the Observation car, as it had great views and tables for writing. The biggest perk was that all our meals were included! We had a great chef who with a very busy team, fed most of the passengers with fresh, well-cooked meals. So much better than the cafe on the Seattle-LA train. Outside our roomette, there was a coffee maker and a table with orange juice and ice all the time.
Aug. 30.
I awoke around 6:30am to see a lovely sunrise over the desert just before Tucson.
The engine on one of our walk stops.
Our chef for 6 meals.
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| I tried to photograph all the stations on the way, but couldn't. At El Paso and a couple of other stations, we were allowed to have a 15-minute stretch which I was glad of. All that food, and nowhere to walk it off. |
Trying to show more greenery on our way with trees and green fields, but too much reflection from the windows. Also, the train when moving at a good clip was quite bouncy, making it difficult to write or take photos!
Another lovely sunrise getting closer to New Orleans!
The train bridge across the Mississippi to New Orleans. Due to the number of freight trains also using the tracks, and having to stop so they could pass, we were delayed quite a bit and arrived nearly at midnight.
The outside of the station. Inside, you’ll find the history of New Orleans – in the form of a 2,166 square-foot mural that shows 400 years of life and death in the Crescent City. The work – in four sections, showing Exploration, Colonization, Struggle, and Modern Life – features colorful scenes that change from triumphant to macabre depending on how closely you examine them. A worm eats through a field of corn, leaving a trail of rot behind. Well-dressed men point accusing fingers as the capitol crumbles. Grinning, skeletal figures lurk in the corners. It’s beautiful. And awful. And perfect for New Orleans.
When you travel, it isn’t unusual to see murals depicting highlights of local history. But for most cities, those ‘highlights’ don’t include fantastic and nightmarish scenes where ghostly figures swoop down to carry away disease victims or the four horsemen of the apocalypse loom over dying soldiers on a Civil War battlefield. New Orleans isn’t most cities.
They were painted as part of a New Deal project by an artist named Conrad Albrizio, who taught at LSU and left murals that can still be seen across Louisiana. He specialized in frescos like these, where paint is applied directly to a wall’s wet plaster. And despite needing some restoration after Katrina, they’ve held up well for the past 60 or so years.
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