I woke slightly earlier than Maggi, around 6 am although neither of us felt refreshed from our nights sleep. The train continued to speed along. Overnight we had passed through North Dakota and had now entered Minnesota.
We ate our breakfast with our next door couple. Our two cells are divided by a door which can’t be locked. Apparently during the night the door had opened and some of our bags had fallen into their room. They pushed them back into our room.
The scenery changes as we proceed. A great deal more signs of human habitation, industry and wealthier homes. The wrecked cars that we do see are now in junk yards rather than part of people’s backyards.
We now look at much larger towns with blocks of flats, suburbs as well as town centres and motorways. At last we stop and can dismount from the train at St Paul Minnesota over 24 hours since last allowed out of the train.
Of course Minnesota has its countryside which is generally flat. We have also passed lots of lakes and wetlands.
Maggi and I waited until 12:30 to go to the dining car only to find that lunch not available. Apparently an announcement had been made declaring that the train will stop at La Crosse to pick up lunch. The lunch will be severely restricted (nothing new there). I also found out after a great deal of pressing that the journey to La Crosse would take another 2 hours.
Boredom, regret and disappointment merge as we sit waiting for this nightmare journey come to a conclusion. We momentarily stopped at La Crosse. I didn’t see them pick up further supplies.
I told Donald our room steward that we would give him a tip but we didn’t have cash. The way round this was to buy a drink and then add a tip to that. Donald pulled me along to the restaurant car to do this before the La Crosse stop.
I planned to do the same thing with the waitresses but one of the women showed her surly side once too often and I decided tipping would reward bad service and failure. Food quality remained poo throughout. The very limited menu shortened on a whim. The final straw came when Maggi and I turned up for the late lunch and the waitress rudely forced us back out the dining car. That was the point where I said enough is enough and I didn’t bother go and get the rubbish lunch they had provided. Maggi went and came back with a couple of cold slices of cheap pizza and an apple juice.
Out of the station and into the taxi to our nearby Citizen M hotel. The hotel begins on the 4th floor so the entrance is empty except for a few false plants and a lift.
We ride to the proper reception area and are confronted by a series of screens where we can register. Fortunately we are also greeted by a receptionist who helps aid through the process.
We dump our bags down and descend, walk across the road to the steakhouse. Neither of us want steak and we order salads and bake potato. Of course both salad and potato are covered in cheese and other crap, but it fills a whole for $110.
Back for shower and sleep.