Victor’s account of Friday, June 11

Right now we’re in Syracuse on a “smoking break.” I know it’s meant for everyone to have a stretch break and breathe fresh air, but why do they need to call it a smoke break?

So far, this train isn’t as cool as the Texas Eagle. This one’s not a double decker, the seats aren’t as big, there’s no observation lounge with giant windows, they close the lounge car at certain times, and they lock the doors to other cars at night. This makes me appreciate the longer leg of the trip a lot more.

(Several hours later…)

We’re in New York City! FINALLY! I could have kissed the ground if we weren’t aggressively hailing a cab. Before we took off, someone from the curb rushed to our cab, bent down, and showed me my phone. OOPS! That would have been bad news for me.

After some confusion with our cab driver hearing “The Strand” instead of “The Standard,” we arrived at our beautiful hotel only to discover the showers offer ZERO privacy. There is a giant window that allows anyone on the bed to view the shower. WEIRD!

I believe we’re going to find a place to eat soon. James is watching “Men In Black” (set in NYC!) while I blog. I can’t wait to see what this city holds for us.