Seat 2A

For most people, flying from South Africa to the United States is quite a challenge. The nonstop flight from Johannesburg across the Atlantic to either Atlanta or New York covers over 8000 miles and can take up to sixteen hours to fly. Traveling via Europe or South America totals out at nine to ten thousand miles with a total travel time of about twenty to twenty four hours depending upon the routing. One can also fly via the Orient or Australia, though due to the time and distance involved this tends to be the least utilized option. No matter how one goes about it, flying from South Africa to anywhere in the United States is one heck of a long trip – one that most people have no desire to make any more challenging than it already is.

Except for me. My ticket home is via the Orient - the long way. This is no accident. Rather, it is my preferred routing. The first flight will traverse six thousand six hundred and thirty miles of the Indian Ocean and Southeast Asia enroute from Johannesburg to Hong Kong. Flight time will be approximately twelve hours. Following a seven hour layover, I’ll continue on an eleven hour, six thousand eight hundred and seventy mile flight across the Pacific to San Francisco. Total travel time from Africa to the U.S. west coast will be thirty hours.

Many people faced with a journey of this length, especially those condemned to an Economy Class seat, may find themselves wrestling with a plethora of emotions ranging from apprehension to dread, depending upon which airline they’re flying. Even Business Class travelers have been known to blanch at the prospect of twenty some-odd hours in an airplane seat. One can hardly blame them, especially if they’re flying on an airline that offers anything less than a truly 180° lie flat seat.

Thankfully I’ll not be burdened with any such anxieties because I’ll be making this thirteen thousand five hundred mile journey whilst comfortably sat in First Class aboard a pair of Cathay Pacific 747s. Having logged a total of twenty-one flights and over 135000 miles aboard Cathay Pacific’s First Class, it’s been my experience that no matter what the routing or the distance to be flown, the prospect of a First Class trip aboard Cathay leaves one only with a sense of pleasant anticipation.

And yet… there’s something missing. At least, for the purposes of a more entertaining and well-rounded trip report, there is. You’d think that flying halfway around the world in First Class aboard one of the world’s finest airlines would be enough, but over the years I’ve set a standard with both my travels and especially my trip reports that demands at the minimum a variety of airlines to be flown and/or modes of transport to be utilized. Most of this comes about simply as a matter of course because unlike most people, I live for the journey. My man Robert Lewis Stevenson perhaps put it best with this now timeless quote from his book Travels with a Donkey:


For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake.
The great affair is to move.


Getting there really is half the fun – sometimes even more. As such, I generally put a lot more time and effort into figuring out how I’m going to get somewhere than I do planning what I’m going to do once I get there. Indeed, it’s been my experience that once I’m at a destination, pre-determined plans usually just get in the way of a good time. I much prefer to figure it out as I go. Impulsivity is and always has been my best travel companion.

By contrast, booking award seats and other types of travel within a certain time frame requires a bit more planning.

Putting together a good trip is like putting together a good meal. As with any good cook – I'll need quality ingredients. For this trip from South Africa back to the United States, I have a delicious main course in the form of those twin Cathay filets – er, flights. Now all I need is a nice side dish and some dessert.

It is of course important to work with fresh local ingredients. In South America for example, I’ve found that the luxurious inter-city busses from Argentina, Chile and Brazil pair quite nicely with premium class travel aboard LAN or TAM Airlines. Ferries in Finland, Alaska, New Zealand and Chile have provided distinctive local flavor to many of my past excursions. Trains are commonly found on most continents and can always be counted on to spice up most any itinerary. Regular readers of my reports know that I sprinkle train rides liberally throughout my travels.

At present the busses in both South Africa and the U.S. are not that fresh and alas, the ferries are either not available locally or they are out of season, so for this particular repast – er, report, I’ve selected a pair of train rides to bracket the two Cathay flights. We’ll open with an appetizer aboard Shosholoza Meyl’s Premier Classe service between Cape Town and Johannesburg. The main course will be 13000 miles of First Class service aboard Cathay Pacific from Johannesburg to Hong Kong and on to San Francisco. As a bit of a sorbet between courses, I’ve selected a First Class seat aboard Alaska Airlines’ 737 service up to Seattle. Finally, for dessert we’ll end with First Class accommodations aboard Amtrak’s Empire Builder on a two day ride from Seattle to Chicago.

Truth be known, I have no real reason to be in Chicago for either business or pleasure, but again, for the purposes of a well-rounded trip report, I like the symmetry of First Class train travel at both ends of my two Cathay Pacific flights. Besides, Amtrak just happened to be offering some very attractive fares on its First Class roomettes between Seattle and Chicago. As for getting from Chicago back home to Alaska, well, I’ll figure that out later on. In the meantime, I may very well be the only trip reporter who has ever tailored his travels toward the express purpose of better entertaining his readers. How’s that for dedication to craft?

So, in the hopes that I’ve whetted your appetites sufficiently, please, if you haven’t already done so, go fix yourselves something to drink and find a seat at the table. The first course is on its way out and there’s lots more to follow.

Bon apetite!

Seat 2A

March 17, 2012
Cape Town to Johannesburg
Shosholoza Meyl Premier Classe
Cape Town – Johannesburg
Car 9 Compartment C
915 – 1110a +1

After a quiet night in one of Cape Town’s many hostels, I awoke to the sound of men working in the street below. My bed by the window provided a cool breeze last night and an excellent view on the activities below this morning. The men appeared to be moving the contents of an entire restaurant into a waiting truck. Chairs, tables and lots of boxes were being carried out, all accompanied by an excess of boisterous talk and laughter. It was 5:45am.

Somehow I managed another hour of sleep before throwing off the sheets and padding down the hall to the showers. Coffee and breakfast followed downstairs in the lobby. Three of my fellow hostellers were also up and excited about their upcoming tour out to Robben Island, the prison where Nelson Mandela spent eighteen years of his life. I have taken that tour myself back in 2004 and it is a must for anyone spending a few days in Cape Town. My taxi arrived at 8:00am and off we went to Cape Town’s Railway Station.

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Back in the bad old days of apartheid, South African Railways operated an extensive network of passenger services throughout the country. Back then, flying anywhere was expensive and busses were old, slow and not climate controlled. As a result, passenger trains played a much larger role in the country’s transportation needs. These days, air travel is much more affordable while modern, air-conditioned busses provide efficient and affordable transport around the country. Meanwhile, much of South Africa’s railbed and rolling stock have deteriorated and, as demand for rail travel has dropped off, many train services have been discontinued. Today, only six long distance passenger trains remain, all of them operating to or from Johannesburg.

All passenger rail services in South Africa are overseen by the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa, otherwise known as "Shosholoza Meyl". Loosely translated, it means “Pleasant Journey”. In addition to its normally scheduled passenger operations, Shosholoza Meyl also operate another class of service known as Premier Classe. This is an all First Class train providing a higher level of comfort and amenities than one would receive aboard the normal Tourist Class trains. Premier Classe is Shosholoza Meyl’s answer to South Africa’s famous Blue Train, and while it is nowhere near as luxurious or by extension expensive, the service and facilities are much, much nicer than those found on the normal trains.

My journey today is aboard Shosholoza Meyl’s Premier Classe train to Johannesburg. At 960 miles, it is the second longest passenger rail service still being operated in South Africa. The Blue Train’s run from Cape Town to Johannesburg and beyond to Pretoria is only 60 miles longer. This will be my third trip aboard a Premier Classe train though as ever, I’m as excited as if it were my first. Let’s head on into the station and get checked in!

*** *** *** *** ***

Many railway stations, especially those in transportation hubs such as larger cities, are architecturally quite grand. Given the historic impact of railroads in transporting humanity around the planet and indeed their role in spreading civilization to the hinterlands, most older railway stations are essentially monuments to the importance of transportation and the thrill of travel. Walk into any big city terminal with its high ceilings, polished floors and throngs of people coming and going and even if you aren’t traveling anywhere that day, a part of you can’t help but wish you were.

Architecturally, the building serving as Cape Town’s railway station is no more remarkable than most post World War II Communist era buildings found throughout Eastern Europe. Large and not at all inspiring in design, the building is more functional than attractive. Like the stations at Durban and Johannesburg it also serves as the main long distance bus terminal, effectively making it the city’s ground transportation hub. A large central hall serves the city’s commuter rail trains as well as the thrice weekly Tourist and Economy Class trains to Johannesburg. White linoleum and bright overhead fluorescent lighting create a utilitarian ambience that makes me want to get on a train as much to leave this building as to go somewhere.



Cape Town Railway Station Exterior



Cape Town Railway Station


Premium class services such as South Africa’s famous Blue Train and Shosholoza Meyl’s Premier Classe train share a separate departure lounge located next to the track from which those trains depart. Passenger check-in is located there, and the taxi driver, knowing that I was departing on the Premier Classe train, was kind enough to drop me off right in front of the lounge entrance.

Check in was pretty casual. A uniformed representative of Shosholoza Meyl was sat at a desk near the lounge entrance. He greeted me, crossed my name off a manifest and then handed me my boarding card along with an envelope that contained a welcome letter as well as information about the schedule of services onboard the train. No identification was ever asked for. My suitcase was tagged for delivery to my compartment and I was invited to take a seat in the lounge. Boarding would be called at about 9:00am.

As lounges go, this one was nothing special. That is to say it was little more than a medium sized room with a collection of comfortable chairs and low coffee tables. A couple of lounge attendants made the rounds with coffee and tea but otherwise customary airline lounge amenities such as non-alcoholic beverages, light snacks, newspapers and magazines were nowhere to be seen. I wandered down to a nearby store to purchase that morning’s newspaper, and then returned to peruse it over a cup of coffee until boarding was called.

Because the lounge was located trackside directly next to our train, boarding was accomplished quickly and easily. I was assigned to Compartment C in Car 9 which was located just three cars down from the lounge. All of the train cars were painted a medium shade of purple, offset by flat black roofs. Embossed in gold lettering along the side of each car was the title “Premier Classe”. Railroad staffs were busy washing and squeegeeing the train’s windows as we walked by.



Boarding Premier Classe Train


My compartment, though no larger than a similar compartment on Shosholoza Meyl’s regular passenger train service, had undergone a number of modifications that had made it substantially nicer. The walls had been re-paneled with rich brown native wood, the couch had been reupholstered in similarly attractive fabric and the window now featured curtains and a solid wooden pull down shade. Where the upper bunk used to be was now a wooden cabinet and shelf fixture. Stacked on the shelf were two thick, fluffy towels, a terry cloth robe and a pair of sandals for use when heading into the shower. Complimentary bottled water along with shampoo and body wash had also been supplied. Perhaps best of all, the compartment was now blissfully air-conditioned whereas the regular train compartments were not.



Car 9 ~ Compartment C


At the end of my sleeper car was a toilet and a shower. Conveniently located the next car up from mine was one of three bar/lounges on this train. Continuing on toward the front of the train, I passed through a dining car, a kitchen car and then another dining/lounge car followed by three more sleeper cars. The last car forward, next to the engine, was another lounge car reserved specifically for smokers. I took pictures of them all except the sleepers and the smoking lounge. It’s worth noting here that when it comes to taking pictures of the inside of railroad cars, the best time to do so is when the train isn’t moving.



Premier Classe Lounge



Premier Classe Lounge Booth Seating



Premier Classe Kitchen

Soon enough we were moving, rolling slowly initially and then ever more rapidly out of Cape Town past the usual collection of inner city detritus – old abandoned buildings, broken down railroad cars and lots of improperly disposed of garbage. On the outskirts of the city were the shanty towns – some nicer than others, which is to say that some of the dwellings were of no better quality than the forts I used to construct out of scrap lumber when I was a kid.


Cape Town Shantytown

Shortly after departure a steward came through each car requesting that all passengers meet in the lounge car for welcome cocktails, snacks and information about the journey ahead. I arrived in the lounge to find each table set with a plate of mixed nuts, potato chips and biltong jerky. I took a seat in an empty booth and was soon joined at my table by two more couples.

Lounge attendants served Champagne or orange juice, after which a selection of sandwiches and muffins were presented. Soon, the dining car steward arrived, introduced himself and his staff and then explained the meal times as well as lounge car locations and operation. Because there were only forty-one passengers riding the train today, there would only be one seating per meal. Tables were assigned for the entire trip and given the small number of passengers aboard, each group or individual got their own table. When the existence and location of the dedicated smoker’s lounge was announced, a small group of smokers let out a raucous cheer.



Premier Classe Lounge ~ Welcome Aboard Snacks

After the welcome and announcements, we were free to do as we chose until lunch. My table mates and I spent the next couple of hours getting to know each other. Don & Barbara were a retired couple from Cape Town who had never ridden the Premier Classe train before. Don said his work used to have him driving between Cape Town and Johannesburg regularly and riding this train was a definite upgrade over the long drive across The Karoo – the large arid region that makes up most of the middle of South Africa. Jack and Judy were an American couple doing missionary work in Zambia half the year and working with Habitat for Humanity in their home state of New Mexico the other half of the year. They’d recently returned to Africa from the States and were visiting friends in Pretoria before heading up to Zambia later that week. We chatted for a good two hours and polished off all the biltong and nuts before finally heading back to our compartments to freshen up before lunch.



Scenery Out Of Cape Town



Scenery Out Of Cape Town

Seat 2A

Ah, lunch ~ the first meal of the trip and, like any meal service, a welcome break from the ennui of long distance travel. Perhaps because this was the first meal, we all sat at our assigned tables. That quickly changed as the journey continued but for this meal at least, I was sat all by myself at a table for two. A server stopped by to ask if I’d care for a drink. Sure ~ I’ll have a Windhoek Lager, please. Sorry, Sir, we have no Windhoek Lager available on this trip. What?! No Windhoek Lager, my favorite beer in all of Africa?! Well, I guess I’ll settle for an Amstel then.

Notably absent from this trip were the printed menus that accompanied each meal on my past journeys aboard the Premier Classe trains. Whether they had been discontinued or for whatever reason had not been loaded on this train I never did find out. In their place, Melli, our Dining Car Steward, announced the menu instead.



Premier Classe Diner ~ Table For Two



Premier Classe Diner ~ Table for Four

Luncheon commenced with a delicious and attractively presented Salmon Roulade. My table setting included a choice of three forks and three knives, so I paused a moment to consider the options before selecting one each of the smaller ones.



Luncheon Starter ~ Salmon Roulade

The main course of baked chicken and gravy was served individually from a large serving tray, after which the accompanying vegetables and rice were offered from separate serving trays. I liked the fact that everything was served individually rather than being delivered all on one plate, but I was a bit disappointed in the size of my chicken portion, a leg and thigh combo that appeared to have lost most of the leg. Melli took notice and said not to worry – just ask for more of anything when you’re ready. The chicken was quite good and so I did indeed take advantage of Melli’s offer which was delivered with more peas and rice as well. Dessert was a delightful chocolate mousse made decadent with the addition of a liqueur infused cake beneath it.



Luncheon Main ~ Baked Chicken with Veggies



Luncheon Dessert ~ Chocolate Mousse

We were just pulling into the town of Worcester as the last of the luncheon service was being cleared off. It was announced that we’d be here for about half an hour as the engines were being switched out. The reason for the switch is that the tracks from Cape Town are electrified but from Worcester on into Johannesburg they weren’t, forcing us to switch to pure diesel power. For me it was a good opportunity to step off the train and enjoy the beautiful day outside. The temperature was in the low eighties and the surrounding mountains and abundant sunshine had me thinking that I wouldn’t mind spending a bit more time in this town someday. It sits right on the edge of South Africa’s best wine country and I could easily envision a very nice three or four days here on a future trip.



Worcester Station as Seen From The Dining Car



Taking a Break Trainside at Worcester

All too soon the train whistle sounded and it was time to resume our journey. Stepping back into the air-conditioned ecstasy of my car, I decided to spend the next couple of hours in the comfort of my compartment where I’d have the option to open my window for better pictures as they arose. Additionally, I had an electric outlet allowing me to plug in my laptop and put in some work on this report.

One thing I noticed more on this train trip than on any others in South Africa was the amount of wildlife we were able to spot, generally without even trying. In just the first three hours out of Cape Town we saw ostriches, baboons, gazelles and a wildebeest. We also spotted a giraffe, though it appeared to be in a fenced in area.

Time flies or in this case really rolls along when you’re having fun, and if I’m moving, I’m having fun. It was approaching 4:00pm when a car attendant stopped by to inform me that afternoon high tea would be served in the lounge car shortly. Well now, that does sound good. High tea seems to be a uniquely British indulgence that I’ve never personally seen offered in America. The closest thing I can relate to it was our daily break for milk and cookies in elementary school. As if kids need more sugar energy! This practice ended as I moved into Middle School and was replaced by high times once I’d reached High School. Perhaps as adults a little mid-afternoon break for tea and coffee would do us good.

In the lounge car I joined Don and Barbara in one of the booths. We all opted for a cup of the railroad’s fairly decent coffee and then chose from a selection of cake and biscuits presented by the lounge car staff. Don had learned that there were only forty-one passengers onboard today, being served by fourteen staff. As such, the service was quite attentive given the favorable staff to passenger ratio.

Both Don and Barbara were mixed race and had some interesting tales to relate about life in South Africa during apartheid. They’d traveled widely and had once spent two weeks in South Carolina while visiting relatives. Interestingly, neither of them was particularly impressed with the quality of race relations or the overall education amongst the people both white and black that they’d met there. We were all agreed that while race relations in South Africa today were much improved over the days of old, there was still plenty of room for improvement on all sides.

Perhaps because the train was only about half full today, the traffic through the lounge was surprisingly light. As we rolled through the western edges of the Karoo and afternoon turned to evening, there was about an hour where the three of us were the only people in the lounge. The scenery was pretty though not so dramatic as during our first three hours out of Cape Town. I switched from hot coffee to Jack Daniels on the rocks as we watched the sun set over the distant mountains. I must say, being comfortably sat in a well-appointed lounge car whilst rolling through the African plains at sunset enjoying good company and fine drink – well, life doesn’t get a whole lot better as travel experiences go. Cheers!



Single Stools Along One Side of The Lounge



Late Afternoon Landscapes

Dinner was served at 7:00pm and we all shared a table. The first course was a bowl of cream of broccoli soup, nicely flavored with a hint of garlic. The bread however was a bit of a disappointment. Rather than dinner rolls, we were served half slices of white bread with the crust trimmed off. Who knows, perhaps this is considered a treat in South Africa but I’d still rather have had a proper roll.



Sunset Dinner Companions

The second course was a serving of fried hake, a light flavored fish that was nicely accented with a zesty lemon cream sauce. The service was polite and unhurried, allowing us enough time to enjoy each course yet still moving along at a timely pace. Plates were cleared and the main course was brought out. I’d missed Melli’s description of the menu as everyone was being seated, and so can’t tell you exactly what we were served other than calling it pork something or other. However it was prepared it was tasty enough, accompanied by potatoes, cauliflower au gratin and corn. Dessert was a simple but delicious cake with custard. A tray of cheese and crackers closed out the repast, after which most of us repaired to the lounge for another couple hours of drink and camaraderie.



Hake Appetizer



Pork Main



Cake and Custard Dessert



After Dinner Cheese



A Well Stocked Bar

I called it a night at about 11:00pm. By then most of the lounge had emptied out and I was looking forward to getting in an hour or so of reading before bed. Back in the day when I had more regular company in life and travels, I would say I had just as much fun socially but I would never have had as much time to read and certainly would have had no time for trip reports. Having time to write while traveling is an interesting proposition, though. A friend once pointed out that most all of the world’s great travel writers travel alone. That’s not to say that I consider myself in their company but rather that travel companions often demand attention – not overtly, per se, but in general when traveling with one or more people there’s usually less time for solo pursuits like reading and writing.

I’ve always considered one of life’s great travel experiences to be sleeping in a bed on a train. This is especially true after having spent so many nights in my younger days contorted into impossibly difficult positions atop or astride coach seats the world over. Now that my income has caught up with my standards, I’m ever so thankful to be able to sleep comfortably on most overnight trains that I book these days.

I arrived back at my compartment to find that my bed had already been made up with white cotton sheets and a warm wool blanket. In the classic manner, the top sheet had been folded back, though missing was the traditional chocolate mint normally placed on the pillow. Instead they’d thoughtfully left a piece of biltong jerky. No-no, just kidding! Jeez, I’ve clearly had enough beer. After brushing my teeth with the bottled water provided, I hopped into bed and reveled in the crisp coolness of the sheets. I read for about a half hour and then fell asleep easily to the rhythm of the rails.



Bedtime on the South African Rails

I awoke the next morning at about 6:30am. I’d slept surprisingly well, which is to say I don’t think I woke up once all night. Six and a half hours of solid sleep is definitely good enough for me, so I put on the robe and slippers provided by the railroad and padded on down to the shower room. To my good fortune it was open and available – the first time I haven’t had to wait in a good long while. The shower stall was quite spacious, there was plenty of hot water and the water pressure was also surprisingly good. By the time I’d gotten dressed and presented myself in the dining room, I was feeling pretty good about the day so far.

Breakfast is a casual affair on Premier Classe trains. It’s served between 7 and 9am and one need only show up and take a seat whenever you’re ready to eat. The dining car was surprisingly busy when I arrived at about 7:30, but with tables having been assigned the day before, I had a guaranteed seat at my table. Jack and Judy were just finishing their breakfast, so I swung over and joined them for coffee before returning to my table for a bowl of yogurt followed by a full English style breakfast. That meant two eggs, bacon, sausage and mashed potatoes with toast. I’d never had mashed potatoes with breakfast before and until the next time I ride this train, I probably won’t again. Still, it was a good and filling meal that with a couple more cups of coffee left me well energized for the day ahead.



Yogurt and Juice Starter



Classic South African Breakfast

Arrival at Johannesburg’s Park Station was five minutes early. As usual, my only real complaint with this and other similar train trips is that they aren’t longer. Twenty-six hours is just not enough time to get into the groove of a good train ride. Ideally, I’d prefer a three or four day journey at a minimum. There aren’t many of those however, so guys like me have to be thankful for small affordable treasures such as Shosholoza Meyl’s Premier Classe service. This is especially true given the favorable exchange rate between the US Dollar and South Africa’s Rand. This trip cost me just $295.00 USD all in. Maybe next time I’ll just buy a round trip and return immediately.

Seat 2A

JOHANNESBURG

I’d booked another night at Gandhi’s Backpackers (where I stayed upon my arrival in Africa) but due to their driver having had a prior commitment out at the airport, I was unable to get a ride back to the house until about 1:30pm. This was not a problem though as it provided me with an excellent opportunity to catch on some postcard writing which as usual I’d neglected until the last minute. The Park Station has a good variety of restaurants, most of them fast food operations specializing in chicken and burgers but there are also a couple of nicer table service places upstairs that sell things like steak, fish and curries. I started out purchasing a tall coffee from a take away place which allowed me a table for a good hour or so while I colored up my postcards and then applied stickers and stamps. That’s right – stickers and stamps. I’ve been sending postcards out for a lot of years to a lot of friends and those postcards are excellent vehicles for me to exercise my creative excesses, what of them there are. The thing is, I usually send out a lot of postcards that take a fair bit of time to write, especially since my writing tends to be on the small side. By applying all those stickers, stamps and artwork I’m left with a much smaller area to write in and yet, because of all the artwork on the cards, nobody feels put out by the shorter message.



Postcard Example One



Postcard Example Two



Postcard Example Three

Gandhi’s Backpackers and Guest House is located off a leafy street in the Johannesburg suburb of Kensington. It is so named because Gandhi himself once spent a few nights in the main house, which was built in 1889. I’ve only spent three nights so far and have yet to instigate any social change on a countrywide scale so they won’t be naming it after me any time soon. What sets this place apart from most backpacker type accommodations is that it is exceptionally clean and quiet. The bar notwithstanding, it is definitely not a party pad for crazed young backpackers drinking the night away. The rooms are large and airy and the overall vibe is comfortable and laid back.



Gandhi Backpackers Main House



Gandhi Backpackers Pool and Bar



My Room



The Bar

My usual room, located just off the pool, was ready and waiting for me. I dropped off my bag and then joined Heinz - the manager - and a couple from Canada in the thatched roof hut that serves as the bar. The Canucks were leaving by bus later that afternoon for Mozambique. After a few days there they’d then head north up to Zimbabwe. I told them about the old train from Bulawayo up to Victoria Falls and they sounded excited about the prospects of riding it. I’ve never personally ridden that train but I’ve done enough research on the possibility of doing so that I practically feel as if I have. Someday…

Later that night Heinz, his driver Chris and I split a large pizza while I loaded up Chris’s thumb drive with lots of good American Blues music. Five or six more guests filtered in later in the day, a couple of whom had just returned from a full day tour of the Apartheid Museum and Soweto. We all enjoyed hearing their enthusiastic description of their day. Herein lies the reason why even if the prices were equal I’d much rather stay in a place like Gandhi’s Backpackers than the local Starwood or InterContinental type property favored by so many traditional travelers. Chris is a local guy from Soweto and Heinz moved down to South Africa from Switzerland many years ago. The couple from Canada had just arrived in Africa from a month of backpacking through the Malaysian Highlands. Everyone had some great stories to tell. That’s not to say that people at the bar or poolside at any of the fancy hotels wouldn’t also have some entertaining stories to relate but I suspect that for me personally, I’d be much more likely to relate to the life and travels of the backpacker set since that’s pretty much what I’ve been all my life. It’s pretty unlikely I’d ever be sharing a pizza and trading music with any of the guests at a fancy hotel. Additionally, the beers I’d be drinking would probably cost three times more than the 14.00 Rand ($1.90 USD) I was paying for each of my Windhoek Lagers at Heinz’s bar. And finally, there’s no way I’d be sleeping on a king sized bed in a private room with ensuite facilities, satellite television and a continental breakfast included for just $38.00 USD per night. Gandhi’s is definitely my kind of place.

Seat 2A

March 19, 2012
Johannesburg – Hong Kong
Cathay Pacific First Class
Boeing 747-400 B-HOY Seat 2K
12:35pm – 7:35am Flight Time: 11:59

It was 9:30am when Chris dropped me off in front of Terminal A at Johannesburg’s O.R. Tambo International Airport. Although my flight to Hong Kong wasn’t scheduled to depart until 12:35pm, I’d planned to arrive a bit early in the hope that I’d have that much more time to enjoy Cathay’s First Class Lounge where I was looking forward to having breakfast as well.

My hopes and expectations of any extra pre-flight lounging were quickly dashed when I was informed that the check-in locations for all flights – even international flights – would not be posted until two hours before departure time. Sigh… Alright then, it’s off to find some breakfast in the terminal.

An hour later I’m standing in front of the departures board looking for CX 748 and not seeing any sign of it. The time was 10:39am. With nothing better to do I decided to walk down past the various check-in areas and have a look for myself. I’d made it all the way down to the far end of the terminal and found nothing when I stopped to check out another departures board. There it is! What the – check-in was over in the B Terminal! The B Terminal?! That’s the domestic departures terminal. Why the – ah screw it – better get walking. As I trudged down the considerable length of the A Terminal I saw three unused check-in areas that could have easily accommodated Cathay’s three class check-in needs. Grrrrr. By now any charitable views I may ever have held towards this airport’s operator, Airports Company South Africa, had dissolved into thoughts better suited for the darkest chapters of an Edgar Allan Poe novel. Morons. I’m amazed they even manage to get the lights turned on in this place. Oh well – consider the exercise benefits. I’m going to be sitting on my duff for the next thirteen hours – a little walk will do me good.

But still…

Idiots…

Once I finally reached the check-in area assigned to Cathay, things went about as smoothly as one would expect of First Class check-in. I was handed boarding passes and lounge invitations for both Johannesburg and Hong Kong, then issued instructions on how to get over to Cathay’s lounge which was located all the way over on the far side of the A Terminal by the International Departures Pier. Inexplicably however, CX 748 was departing from gate A-4, on the opposite side of Terminal A and about as far from the lounge as one could get. Later seeing three or four empty gates on the nearby International Pier did nothing to improve my mood.

Getting to the lounge meant walking through a gauntlet of strategically placed stores designed to pry any last Rands from our pockets in exchange for stuff we should have bought before we ever got to the airport or could easily purchase after we get home. I walked past a duty free place with a big prominently placed display of Amarula – Africa’s version of Bailey’s Irish Cream – and noted that the price was only about $4.00 less than I would buy it for back home. Even if I were only flying to Hong Kong, I’d gladly pay the $4.00 later just so I wouldn’t have to lug that bottle around with me. On the other hand, considering the cost of Amarula in say, Australia, I suppose it might be worthwhile for Australia bound passengers to buy it here.

I guess what galls me about the Duty Free gauntlet is that I have to go through it at all, as if there’s some expectation that simply by making me walk through all that stuff for sale I’m just going to cave in and buy something regardless of whether I need it or not. Not me, brother. On the other hand, there are a lot of people out there that will happily buy all sorts of useless stuff that they don’t need just because it’s attractively packaged or priced. For those of us who aren’t similarly afflicted, having to swim through all the dangling lures can be a bit maddening.

Man, between the blundering airport operations and the blatant attempts to lure me into mindless consumerism, I am just not in a good frame of mind at all this morning. Where the hell is that lounge?! I don’t care if it’s only 11:15am – I am ready for a beer - or something stronger.

The Shongololo Lounge serves the First and Business Class passengers of Cathay Pacific and about a dozen other airlines. It is located at the top of the International Departures Pier and is very conveniently located for travelers whose flights depart from those gates. All others must walk back through the phalanx of duty free shops to access their gates. It’s a fair walk, too, which ultimately limits one’s time in the lounge.



Shongololo Lounge Seating



Shongololo Lounge Buffet Area



Shongololo Lounge Self Service Bar

Ready though I may have been for a couple shots of whiskey – hell, just leave the bottle! – I instead opted for the more sensible choice of orange juice and then attempted to sign on to the wireless internet provided free of charge in the lounge. I was immediately informed that the provider had an invalid certificate and was subsequently warned of all manner of calamities that could befall my computer should I continue on. Not wanting to take a chance that some crazy Nigerians might gain access to my email account (and then in broken English send emails to all my friends pretending to be me while asking them to send large sums of money to help me out of some improbable situation - this has actually happened to a couple friends of mine), I instead finished writing the last of my postcards before a seat opened up on one of the lounge’s two computer terminals. At noon I began the long trudge back through the duty free jungle to my gate.

Seat 2A

Arriving at the boarding lounge, I found a large but surprisingly orderly crowd. They had actually formed a long line that was beginning to extend out beyond the gate area. There was no evidence of a separate queue or lane for premium class passengers, so I continued towards the podium, caught the eye of a uniformed employee and displayed my boarding pass. The response was immediate and gratifying as I was quickly waved forward and allowed to continue down the ramp towards the jetway. While I was most appreciative of this perk, the Economy Class traveler in me still can’t help but feel just a little bit guilty about casually striding past all those folks patiently waiting in line as I merely flash my boarding pass and easily stroll onboard the plane. Still, it’s one of the nice advantages of traveling in First Class, so why not enjoy it? Now get outta my way!



Jetway to Heaven

Upon entering the aircraft, the response to my presence was also immediate and gratifying. I was cordially greeted and then efficiently escorted through the comparatively crowded confines of Business Class and into the light and airy environs of the First Class cabin. Was that a harp glissando and a chorus from the heavens that I just heard? After a long morning of walking back and forth through the crowded airport, navigating my way through various sales displays and spending time in a busy airport lounge, the peace and quiet and spaciousness of Cathay’s First Class cabin was an extraordinary and welcome change. It was like entering into some higher plane of existence where all of your stresses and concerns just magically melt away, replaced by a blissful calm and relaxed anticipation of the wonderful service soon to come.



Cathay Pacific’s First Class Suite



Cathay Pacific’s First Class Seat

Although this is my eleventh flight on a Cathay aircraft outfitted with the new First Class suites, I still can’t help but marvel at how spacious, comfortable and private they are. The seat alone is almost three feet wide! While Cathay’s suites don’t offer the complete privacy of sliding doors such as those found aboard airlines like Emirates and Singapore, they nonetheless provide an outstanding level of privacy with their high, wrap around walls combined with the staggered seating arrangement. A spacious personal closet provided more than enough room for me to store my carry-on bag with room left over to hang my jacket as well. The television screen was huge, measuring approximately 16” diagonally. Although it appears to be mounted in the suite wall just right of center to the seat, it is actually attached to a hinged arm that allows it to be brought out and centered closer to the seat. In the sidewall next to the seat is a table that’s large enough to comfortably handle a full meal service or serve as a work desk with plenty of room for a laptop and papers. An electrical socket suitable to North American plugs was mounted just behind the table. In addition to an overhead light, two small swivel lamps were mounted at shoulder height on each side of the seat. Noise reducing headphones were located in their own compartment to the right of the seat, along with a handheld television controller that included a telephone on the back. Three windows allowed for an abundance of natural light. This would be my home for the next twelve hours.

The load was light in First Class this afternoon with just six of us set to enjoy Cathay’s award winning service on this 6,630 mile flight across the Indian Ocean over to Hong Kong. Whereas Economy and Business Class passengers have to wait until after takeoff for their service to begin, up here in First Class it commences the moment you enter the airplane. No sooner had I been shown to my seat than I was relieved of my jacket and assisted with storing my carry-on bag. May we bring you something to drink before takeoff?

Well now, what better way to celebrate moving into your new home than with a glass of Krug Grande Cuvée Champagne? My flight attendant was only too happy to bring me a glass, presented on a tray with the bottle and poured at my seat. She returned moments later with pajamas and an amenity kit. Newspapers and magazines were offered, followed by refills on the Champagne. The only thing missing was grapes and fans!



The Classic Champagne Starter

Over the next fifteen minutes, the rest of my First Class traveling companions filtered into the cabin. The flight attendants did a remarkable job of getting everyone settled in while also providing a gracious beverage service, all of this without ever seeming rushed or harried. As I sipped my exquisitely chilled Champagne, I offered a silent toast to Alaska Airlines’ Mileage Plan which made it possible for me to be sat in Cathay’s First Class today. With one way airfares to Hong Kong exceeding $10,000 each way, I would never be sitting here were it not for mileage awards. Thank you, Alaska Airlines!

The Captain came on over the PA with the usual pleasant greetings and informed us that our projected flight time to Hong Kong would be eleven hours and fifty-one minutes. This is a little shorter than I would have liked, but I suppose one can always hope for headwinds. It was a gorgeous day for flying, which only served to heighten my anticipation as we taxied out to the runway. Along the way we passed a beautiful Angola Airlines 777 looking quite attractive in its striking red, orange and black livery. Should my presently tepid desire to visit Angola ever someday match my high regard for the magnificent livery that aircraft wears, I’ll look forward to someday flying aboard it.



Ready For Takeoff on Runway 3L

Following a British Airways 737-400 out to runway 3L, we watched it take off and then lined up and commenced our own 47 second take off roll. Soaring into the warm autumn skies over Johannesburg, we climbed swiftly and smoothly toward our initial cruising altitude of 36000 feet. We were about fifteen minutes into the flight when the menu and wine list were presented. Drink orders were also taken at this time. Unlike on some airlines where the flight attendant roams the cabin passing out menus from a stack as if she were doling out bingo cards, Cathay’s flight attendants have been trained to a higher standard. The wine list was presented first, followed by the menu. The menu was even opened to its appropriate page before being bestowed upon us. It’s little touches like this that make flying on Cathay Pacific such a special and pleasurable experience.

Now then, here I am facing a twelve hour flight on a beautiful sunny afternoon. Given the circumstances, I simply cannot imagine a more pleasant endeavor than perusing Cathay’s impressive selection of wines and spirits while deciding upon a suitable libation to commence the festivities aboard what’s surely shaping up to be a superb flight. Let’s have a look at that wine list, shall we…


WINE LIST

Champagne
Krug Grande Cuvée Champagne

White Wines
Vincent Girardin Puligny-Montrachet Vieilles Vignes 2008
Chain of Ponds Corkscrew Road Adelaide Hills Chardonnay 2006

Red Wines
Sauvion Dilection Chinon 2010
Chateau Branaire-Ducru, 4eme Cru Classe 2007
Avondale Jonty’s Ducks 2009

Port
Ramos Pinto Quinta da Ervamoira 10 Year Old Tawny Port

Aperitifs and Cocktails
Campari, Martini Rosso, Martini Extra Dry, Tio Pepe Sherry,
Harvey’s Bristol Cream Sweet Sherry, Tanqueray Ten Gin, Bacardi Rum,
Belvedere Vodka, Bloody Mary, Screw Driver

Whiskies
Chivas Regal 12 Years Old, Johnnie Walker Blue Label, Canadian Club,
Gentleman Jack Bourbon, MaCallan 17 Fine Oak Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Cognac
Tesseron Lot 76 XO Tradition

Liqueurs
Cointreau, Drambuie, Kahlua, Bailey’s Irish Cream


While flying out here two weeks ago, it occurred to me that I’d yet to ever request a proper cocktail on Cathay. Oh sure, I’d had their non-alcoholic Signature Cocktails, but now I was looking for something more traditional. Comfortably reclined in a nicely cushioned seat whilst speeding toward the coast of the Indian Ocean, a Gin & Tonic seemed like the appropriate choice on this bright sunny afternoon. Now I’m a fairly recent drinker of Gin & Tonics, having only been introduced to them just four years ago by my summer employee housing roommate, a 67 year old ex-Marine named Texas Lee. An inveterate devotee of the after work cocktail, Texas Lee insists on nothing but the best – Bombay Sapphire gin with any old tonic and fresh cut limes. Having been thoroughly inculcated to those standards, I had some initial apprehensions about the use of Tanqueray Ten gin, but hey – I trust Cathay to stock a quality product and besides, Texas Lee will never know. So yes please, let’s start with a Gin and Tonic!



Gin & Tonic over Africa ~ Downright Decadent!

Well let me tell you, the ladies at Cathay Pacific mix a pretty good G&T, but I’ve still got to give the nod to Texas Lee. Whether it’s the amount of ice in the glass, or the amount of gin relative to tonic – the man’s got it down. I should send him to Hong Kong to give lessons! But as I say, Cathay’s crew make a perfectly good drink themselves and so while I was savoring the icy tang of my cocktail, I also took time to look over the menu. Here’s the transcript:


LUNCHEON
Johannesburg to Hong Kong

Caviar and Balik Salmon Delight
Oscietra Caviar and Balik Salmon “Tsar Nicolaj”
Served with Warm New Potatoes and Crème Fraiche

Soup
Cream of mushroom

Salad
Mixed lettuce with cocktail tomatoes, feta, toasted pine nuts, peppadew
and Balsamic Vinaigrette

Bread Basket
Assorted Bread and Rolls


** ***** **


INTERNATIONAL FAVOURITES

Chicken Breast
Corn-fed chicken breast stuffed with leek, feta cheese and olives, accented with red pepper sauce
Served with parsley mash and asparagus

Lamb Rogen Josh
With basmati rice, cauliflower and pea curry


CHINESE FAVOURITES

Starters
Chicken Soup with water chestnut, carrot and sweet corn
Cold Plate – Roasted duck breast with pickled ginger

Steamed King klip with ginger, garlic and spring onion soya sauce
or
Pan-Fried Beef Tenderloin with Black Pepper Sauce

Served with steamed jasmine rice, choy sum, black mushrooms and carrot


** ***** **


CHEESE AND DESSERT

Chevin Herb, Zevenwacht Cheddar, Camembert, Simonzola Blue Cheese

Strawberry with blueberry compote and chantilly cream

Blueberry and pecan pudding with vanilla ice cream

Black sesame soup

TEA and COFFEE

Pralines


Each time I’ve flown Cathay Pacific from Johannesburg to Hong Kong over the past three years, it’s been in late March and each time the menu has been essentially the same. Like most airlines, I’m sure Cathay’s menus are cyclical and unfortunately I’ve just had the misfortune of hitting the same menu three times in a row. If there’s any positive to come from this, it’s that Cathay does offer a good variety of foods up front and I now had an opportunity to try some of the dishes that I had bypassed on my past flights.

Two years ago I had the stuffed chicken breast. Last year I went with the pan-fried beef fillet with hot chilli bean sauce. This year my choices will be between the lamb Rogan Josh or the steamed King Klip, whatever that is. It sounds like a bird but it’s probably a fish. I’m not a big fish eater, so I think I’ll go with the lamb. But first let’s start with a plate of caviar and salmon. Now then… soup or salad? I remember that mushroom soup from years past. It’s really good. As for salads, Cathay’s are consistently excellent. Hmm… How about having both the soup and the salad? I know it’s a lot of food but I had a small breakfast this morning and besides, it’s not every day I ‘m faced with these decisions, especially down on terra firma. As always, we’ll see about cheese and/or dessert later in the flight.

We were about halfway across Mozambique when Naomi stopped by to refresh my drink and record my menu selections. I switched out the G&T for a glass of the Australian Chardonnay and then sat back and watched the proceedings as Jen stopped by to set up my luncheon table. Using the crisp white linen as her canvas, she artistically arranged a culinary assemblage that included gleaming cutlery, a salt and pepper shaker, a bread plate, a small butter dish, the bread basket, a small bottle of balsamic infused oil and vinegar and finally a glass each for water and wine. A little white card wishing me a delicious meal and a good flight completed the setting.

With just one exception, the only times I’ve ever eaten caviar have come onboard airplanes. And not just long distance international flights either. Once I was served caviar with all the trimmings aboard a Braniff 727 between New York and Dallas. Coincidentally, the only time I was served caviar when I wasn’t on an airplane occurred at Dulles International Airport at the pre-departure party celebrating the inaugural Concorde flight within the United States. That was on January 12th, 1979. Braniff International had entered into a promotional agreement with Air France and British Airways to fly their Concordes on a code share from Washington DC down to Dallas and back. Of course, flights within the US would have to be operated at subsonic speeds, but hey – it was the Concorde and a flight on it could be had for the very affordable domestic First Class fare rather than the exorbitant international Supersonic Class fare. I paid $156.00 for a Washington to Denver ticket routed through Dallas. Prior to the flight, I dined on caviar and other fine treats at the International Room restaurant in the main Dulles terminal building. A beautiful ice sculpture held chilled bottles of fine Russian vodka. It was the first time I had ever eaten caviar. I can tell you it was not love at first bite, but over the years I’ve definitely come to appreciate those little black eggs.

Today’s serving of caviar was attractively plated between two generous slices of Balik salmon. Accompanying this were Melba toast, sour cream, new potatoes and the traditional garnishments of eggs and onion. Mmmm! Delicious!



Caviar & Salmon a la Cathay Pacific

I have liked cream of mushroom soup ever since I was a kid. Mind you, I was eating Campbell’s back then – decent enough as soup goes but hardly of a gourmet standard. The soup I was served today was. It was thick and rich with good sized pieces of mushrooms –just heavenly. As for the salad, well, what collection of salad greens wouldn’t be improved with the addition of Feta cheese, pine nuts and those big, spicy cocktail tomatoes? Splash on a bit of balsamic vinaigrette and you’ve got a great salad.



Cream of Mushroom Soup



Great Salad!

The Lamb Rogan Josh was certainly flavorful but otherwise a bit overcooked. I shouldn’t have been surprised given that the recipe calls for the meat to be cut into smaller chunks, which don’t always fare so well in airline ovens. Still, what the meat had lost in moisture was made up for in the flavorful sauce. I especially liked the lightly curried pea and cauliflower accompaniment. So over all, not a bad main course but should I ever be presented this menu on a future flight, I’m going with the chicken.



Lamb Rogan Josh

We were just an hour and fifty minutes into the flight by the time the last of my plates were cleared off. As always, I’d decided to hold off on dessert until later in the afternoon. With ten hours of flying to look forward to until we were due to arrive in Hong Kong, I had a busy afternoon ahead of me. Meanwhile, most of my fellow passengers were beginning to get ready for bed in hopes of waking up refreshed and ready to go for the early morning arrival in Hong Kong. I on the other hand was implementing a new strategy toward defeating jetlag on this 13000 mile eastbound journey half way around the world. The plan was to stay awake for this entire twelve hour flight, then use my seven hour layover time in Hong Kong to get about four to five hours of sleep. That’s not very much sleep, and I expected that I would still be pretty tired by the time I boarded my connecting flight to San Francisco. So, the first thing I would do on that flight would be to catch another three or four hours of sleep, then wake up and enjoy the last seven or so hours of the flight. With a scheduled arrival time in San Francisco of 10:35am, if I could just stay awake another ten hours or so, I’d be going to bed at 8 or 9PM local time. A good sleep that night and I would be that much closer to jump starting my circadian rhythms to local time. At least, that was the plan...

So – what to do on an airplane with ten more hours of flying ahead and no plans to sleep? For a lot of people this would be a nightmarish scenario. It never fails to amaze me how many people complain of boredom on long flights. Have they no clue? Are they just dull? Or are they just needy types that require constant human companionship and attention? I mean, even if Cathay didn’t have one of the finest inflight entertainment systems in the industry with literally hundreds of hours of movies, television programs, music and games at one’s beck and call, there are plenty of things one can bring along to provide welcome diversion such as a laptop computer, a good book or a bunch of magazines. I even carry a collection of felt tip pens in my daypack for a little doodling. The point is, with a little advance planning there’s no reason to ever be bored inflight. If anything, ten mostly quiet and undisturbed hours is a great opportunity to catch up on a good book or work or even a trip report.



Strawberries with Chantilly Cream


It was such a pretty afternoon outside that the first thing I did was request an after dinner glass of MaCallan 17 Fine Oak Single Malt Scotch Whisky. Then I reclined me seat a bit, sat back and took in the beautiful view whilst savoring the complex and appealing flavors of this fine Scotch whisky. At this point, I cannae imagine a finer existence aloft, sitting here in this large, comfortable armchair, sipping some of Scotland’s finest export and marveling in the beauty of this beautiful planet whilst speeding along six miles above it. Here are some pictures from the moment(s).



The West Coast of Madagascar



Clouds over Madagascar



Indian Ocean Sunset



Nightfall over the Indian Ocean



Sitting in Comfort 38000 Feet Above The Indian Ocean


Over the next few hours I managed to get a good start on the preamble for this trip report, read that day’s International Herald Tribune, peruse the latest Business Traveler magazine and watch all of the remaining episodes from season 4 of the television series Breaking Bad (I’d started watching on the flights out to Africa). Along the way I also found time to enjoy a bowl of really good strawberries and Chantilly cream for dessert and later in the flight, a serving of Barbecued Pork with Noodles in Soup. This time I specifically asked for a side dish of the Guilin Chili Paste and was not disappointed. God, I love the burn from that stuff! You’ll note the proximity of the water glass in the photo below. That sauce is serious stuff! By the way, here’s the snacks menu:


SNACKS

Barbecued Pork with Noodle in Soup

Chicken Skewer with Satay Sauce
Served with grilled zucchini

Assorted Sandwiches
Mozzarella cheese with lettuce and tomato, roasted chicken and cucumber, air-dried ham rolled with date and cream cheese

Ice Cream




Barbecued Pork with Noodle in Soup


We were a little less than two hours out of Hong Kong when Naomi stopped by to ask if I’d be having any breakfast before our arrival. If so, she just wanted to advise me that the cutoff time for the full hot breakfast service was fast approaching. Hmm… breakfast. Yeah, that does sound good. Let’s have a look at that menu:


BREAKFAST

Orange or Apple Juice

Spinach, Kiwi and Mint Energizer

Fresh Seasonal Fruit

Natural or Low Fat Fruit Yogurt

Assorted Cereals

** ***** **

MAIN COURSES

Free Range Eggs ~ Freshly Scrambled, Fried or Boiled
Served with your choice of grilled back bacon, chicken sausage, bubble and squeak, cheese potato cake,
button mushrooms or grilled tomato

Seafood Congee
With ginger julienne and spring onion

Braised Udon Noodles
With beef strips and choy sum

Bread Basket
Assorted Breakfast Bread and Fresh Toast
Served with Mrs. Bridges Scottish Preserves, Tasmanian Meadow Honey and Butter

Tea and Coffee


The Spinach, Kiwi and Mint Energizer caught my eye immediately. My niece is a big fan of juicing and she makes a mean breakfast smoothie that contains all kinds of vegetables that I would never have imagined would taste good in a breakfast drink if I hadn’t had one (or more of them) myself. As such, I made sure to request a glass of this unique sounding if oddly colored smoothie. As for the rest of it, what the heck, let’s go for the Full Monte. Oh, sorry Naomi, that means I’ll have two fried eggs with all the trimmings.



Fruit Plate Starter with Mint Green Smoothie



Classic British Breakfast


All too soon we were descending through the clouds and rain that I’m convinced must perpetually surround Hong Kong. After a flight of eleven hours and fifty-nine minutes, we touched down lightly on runway 7L, braked smoothly and taxied into the terminal area. By the time we’d pulled into Gate 62 and shut down the engines it was 7:05am. We were 30 minutes early.

To me at least, a sure sign of an excellent flight is when you regret arriving early. This flight epitomized the standard of service for which Cathay Pacific is world renowned and it scored high marks in all the areas that are intrinsic to a superior air travel experience. The First Class Lounge in Johannesburg was comfortable and well stocked, the Flight Attendants were gracious and attentive, the food and beverages served aloft were of superior quality and the seat and Studio CX contributed greatly to a comfortable and entertaining flight. Time just flew by, making this eleven hour and fifty-nine minute flight feel like a much shorter one. Well done, Cathay Pacific!

Seat 2A

HONG KONG TRANSIT

Cathay Pacific operates a total of four departure lounges at Hong Kong International Airport – The Wing, The Pier, The Cabin and the G-16 lounge. The Wing and the Pier in particular are considered Premium lounges, offering dedicated First Class facilities that, in addition to the usual amenities such as a dining room, showers and a business center also include Day Break Rooms. These are small, private climate controlled rooms that provide a comfortable chair with ottoman, a television and even “room service” from the lounge staff should you require food or drink during your stay. All I required was their privacy and quiet so upon exiting the transit security checkpoint, I made my way back down to The Pier and asked for one.

I should note here that since the afternoon flight to San Francisco usually departs from one of the four gates nearest The Wing, that would have been my lounge of choice. Unfortunately, the First Class side of The Wing has been undergoing renovations for some time now and is closed until later this year. As such, if I wanted a private room I’d have to visit the Pier. This was hardly an imposition as I’ve always liked the Pier and after all, I’d be sleeping through most of my visit anyway.

One thing I was equipped with that probably no one else in this lounge had was a Thermarest pad and a full sized wool blanket. I also had a small pillow, eye shades and a headlamp. Though it doesn’t recline, the leather chair that Cathay provides in its Day Break rooms is quite comfortable for day use and perhaps even for a nap since its design is such that it’s already halfway reclined. However, I sleep best in a fully flat position and since I had all the accoutrements with me to do so comfortably, that’s precisely what I did.

My alarm woke me at 12:30pm, an hour and a half before my departure to San Francisco. Having slept only about four and a half hours, I was still pretty beat but then that was part of the plan. After breaking camp, I headed for the showers, conveniently located just around the corner from the Day Break rooms. I just love the showers in Cathay’s lounges! They have these giant sunflower style showerheads that unleash the most invigorating deluge of water! So long as Hong Kong doesn’t suffer any droughts in the years ahead, those showers will remain one of the highlights of my lounge visits at HKIA.

HKIA’s Terminal 1 is the third largest airport terminal building in the world and the walk from the Pier to gate 4 is certainly reflective of that. I would estimate it at a good third of a mile (or more). Thankfully the airport planners saw fit to install people mover sidewalks at regular intervals throughout the long concourse, and so I hobbled on down to my departure gate in about ten minutes.


March 20, 2011
Hong Kong – San Francisco
Cathay Pacific First Class
Boeing 747-400 B-HOP
205p – 1035a

Waiting at the gate was B-HOP, the oldest 747-400 in Cathay’s fleet and one of the oldest 747-400s still flying. This airplane and its sister ship B-HOO are notable in that they were the first 747-400s to be outfitted with Rolls Royce engines. Just how old is HOPPY? She was delivered to Cathay on June 8, 1989, almost twenty-three years ago. Sadly, her sister HOO has already met the scrapper’s torch. With continuing deliveries of new 777-300 ERs to Cathay, it won’t be long before this fine old jetliner gets converted to a freighter or is retired to a desert graveyard in the American Southwest. I am happy to have joined the thousands of satisfied passengers that she has transported safely around the globe over the past twenty-three years.

Not surprisingly, there was a full load booked into First Class on CX 870 this afternoon. Cathay does brisk business across the Pacific between Hong Kong and North America, especially into the west coast gateway cities of LAX, SFO and YVR. All nine First Class suites were occupied, including four by a family traveling with two children, each of whom got their own suite. I never got to fly First Class when I was younger, but I always found flying plenty exciting regardless of where we were sat on the plane. It was all I could do to sleep the night before a flight. I can hardly imagine how excited I would have been if as a child I’d been able to experience the luxury of First Class accommodations aboard a 747, much less while flying aboard an airline of Cathay’s caliber.

The pace of the pre-departure service was relaxed but efficient as pajamas, amenity kits and menus were distributed, followed by hot towels and refills on Champagne. Shortly before we were set to push back, Purser Janine stopped by to introduce herself and individually welcome us aboard Cathay Pacific’s First Class. Cocktails would be served shortly after takeoff, followed by dinner. Thank you so much for flying with Cathay Pacific and please don’t hesitate to ask if there’s anything we can do to make your flight more pleasant.

Soon we were climbing away from Hong Kong through multiple layers of cloud cover before emerging into the bright and sunny world of the troposphere.



Cruisin’ in the Troposphere

This is one of my favorite parts of any flight and one that I generally enjoy sitting back and enjoying with a good cocktail or glass of wine. Today however I was more interested in banking a few additional hours of sleep. So, while my fellow travelers were settling into the eleven hour trans-Pacific flight with cocktails and the prospect of a delicious six course dinner soon to follow, I was having my suite converted into a full length bed complete with mattress, duvet and a large firm pillow. I was sleeping soundly mere minutes later.



Bedtime in the Troposphere

When I awoke the Sky Map indicated we were speeding along at a tailwind assisted 642 mph, following a northwesterly routing just off the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido. There were just over seven hours left in the flight and here I was well rested and looking forward to each and every one of them. I had placed my dinner order with Suzi prior to going to bed and had been informed that it would take about a half hour to prepare the meal once I was ready. It had been about thirteen hours since I’d eaten breakfast on the flight into Hong Kong, so now I was definitely ready. But first, I needed coffee.



Coffee Cathay Style

This was my fourth and final flight of the trip on Cathay and I had yet to have ordered anything from the Chinese Favorites section of the menu. What better time to order Chinese than now, on a flight catered by Cathay’s main flight kitchen in their home base of Hong Kong. For those of you riding along with me across the cabin in 2K, here’s a transcript of the menu. What’ll you have?


DINNER
Hong Kong to San Francisco

Caviar and Balik Salmon Delight
Oscietra Caviar and Balik Salmon “Tsar Nicolaj”
Served with Warm New Potatoes and Crème Fraiche

Soup
Cream of onion soup

Salad
Traditional Caesar salad

Bread Basket
Assorted Bread and Rolls

** ***** **

INTERNATIONAL FAVOURITES

Grilled U.S. Striploin with Green Peppercorn Sauce
Served with mixed potatoes, herb roasted portabello mushroom and vine ripened tomato

Pan-fried Mediterranean Sea Bass with Garlic Butter
Presented with vegetable saffron rice, roasted Portobello mushroom and French beans

Spinach and Ricotta Cheese Tortellini
With tomato concasse and pine nuts


CHINESE FAVOURITES

Starters
Double boiled pork with lotus root and octopus soup
Cold Plate – beef tendon with mixed vegetables

Sautéed Pork Fillet in Chinese Black Vinegar Sauce
Served with steamed jasmine rice and braised baby Chinese cabbage

** ***** **

CHEESE AND DESSERT

Fourme d’Amert, Cheddar, Reblochon and Tomme

Fresh berries with rose syrup

Warm raspberry friend cake with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce

Double boiled papaya with snow fungus sweet soup

Tea and Coffee

Pralines


I have a tendency to overeat when flying international First Class and why not? I mean – for me at least – it’s not every day I get to enjoy such fine food and drink aloft, much less on the ground. To be sure, I never eat anywhere near this much food in a single meal at home, Thanksgiving being the one possible exception. Perhaps because I’ve always viewed a nicely prepared and presented inflight meal as the favorite form of inflight entertainment, I definitely try to take full advantage of all the various courses. Besides, a good meal, regardless of the class traveled in, is often the highlight of an otherwise unremarkable flight. And to anyone out there who discounts all of this because they feel airplane food can’t compare with food prepared in an earthbound restaurant; I advise them to go stick a fork in it. I think most readers and writers of trip reports in this forum would agree that when you’re talking about meals served in International First Class aboard the world’s finest airlines, the meals are generally quite good, often every bit the equal of meals we’ve eaten down on terra firma.

Following the traditional starter of caviar and salmon, I had an excellent Caesar salad made that much better with the addition of pine nuts and bacon. I want all my Caesar salads prepared this way from now on! Rather than go with the cream of onion soup from the western menu or the lotus root and octopus soup from the Chinese favorites, I instead selected the Taiwanese Braised Beef in Spicy Noodle Soup from the snack menu. All of the Asian soups I’ve had on Cathay have been simply outstanding, and this one was no different. Alright then, bring on the main course! That would be the Sautéed Pork Fillet in Chinese Black Vinegar Sauce. Served with steamed jasmine rice and braised baby Chinese cabbage, it was a magnificent feast, all of it washed down admirably with a couple glasses of the French Chardonnay.



Caviar and Salmon Starter



Hail Caesar Salad!



Taiwanese Braised Beef in Spicy Noodle Soup



Sautéed Pork Fillet in Chinese Black Vinegar Sauce
Served with steamed jasmine rice and braised baby Chinese cabbage


Oh yeah, here’s the wine list:


WINE LIST

Champagne
Krug Grande Cuvée Champagne

White Wines
Estancia Reserve Monterey Chardonnay 2007
Vincent Girardin Puligny-Montrachet Vieilles Vignes 2008

Red Wines
Sauvion Dilection Chinon 2010
Finca El Origen Gran Reserva Malbec 2009
Chateau Lynch Bages 2004, Grand Cru Classé Pauillac 5th Growth

Port
Ramos Pinto Quinta da Ervamoira 10 Year Old Tawny Port


Interestingly, our route of flight had us tracking much farther south of Alaska’s Aleutian Island chain than on the westbound flight from San Francisco to Hong Kong. I suspect this had everything to do with maximizing the benefits of the Jetstream as opposed to attempting to minimize it on the westbound flight. To that end, we were really movin’ along, at one point reaching a ground speed of 686 mph.



Early Morning Cruisin’ Over The Pacific

If there was any downside to this flight apart from the 150+ mph tailwinds, it’s that like most long intercontinental eastbound flights, it was flown mostly in darkness. Granted, I could always entertain myself with Studio CX or my laptop but even then I’ve always found it comforting to have a nice sunny day out my window. Having a view that you can see and appreciate is part of what makes having a window on the world at 38000 feet so alluring.

Before I get too much farther along, I do want to appraise you all of the snack options on this flight. The menu was a bit more extensive than most I’ve seen, with not one but two soups as well as two light meals and the egg tart. I’m doing my best to eat as much as I can but I can’t help but wonder what happens to all the uneaten food off a flight like this? Does it go to a local soup kitchen or shelter in San Francisco? Or do the ground handlers get to eat it between flights?


SNACKS

Hong Kong Style Egg Tart

Assorted Sandwiches
Beef pastrami with horseradish butter, mango cheddar cheese chutney,
Smoked salmon with lemon cream cheese

From our series of classic Signature dishes
Hot pot rice with minced pork patty and mui choy vegetable
Served with double boiled pork soup with kaza root and red beans

Taiwanese Braised Beef in Spicy Noodle Soup

Barbecued Roasted Duck in Noodle Soup

Ice Cream


Though I didn’t order anything off the snacks menu, I did finally get around to having dessert about two hours after finishing dinner. The sugar and carbs from the cake and ice cream combined nicely with the caffeine from a pot of coffee to power me through about two hours more work on this trip report.

I’ve said it before but it’s worth reiterating – these reports aren’t easy to write. Two hours of work on this report hardly translates into two hours of solid writing. I wish it did, but while I am a halfway decent writer I am certainly not a gifted writer. To be sure, I appreciate the positive comments on my past reports and I’m not saying they’re not without merit but for me at least, the amount of time and effort that go into presenting something I deem readable is considerable. Only on rare occasions do the words flow effortlessly. More often than not I spend a lot of time thinking about how I want to write something, and then I often end up going back and rewriting it – sometimes a little, sometimes a lot. By the time I finally submit a report to the trip report forum, it’s been written and rewritten, then proofread and occasionally fine-tuned during that process. All of that happens before I finally get around to inserting the Vb script and pictures. This is all nothing new to most of you. I’m just saying that for me the writing part takes longer than you might think.

Some people might ask why it even matters. After all, it’s just a trip report, not a Ph D thesis. The best answer I can give is that it’s personal. I’m submitting something for public appraisal and enjoyment; I want it to be good. At the heart of the matter is that I enjoy writing about flying because I have a passion for it. Not everyone does. Indeed, most people don’t. Sure, everyone enjoys flying in International First Class but most people are much more excited about their destination than they are about how they get there and it clearly shows in their reports. That’s not to say that as a result they don’t put out fabulously entertaining reports or that mine are any better. Indeed, I remember once providing a link at the BA Forum to a report that I’d written involving travel on BA. Let’s just say the overall response was less than enthusiastic. To this day I suspect that most of the BA Forum regulars may very well view me as something akin to the village idiot. My guess is a fair number of those folks simply see themselves as too mature or well-travelled to be bothered with something as trifling as writing about their flights, much less reading about someone else’s. Been there, done that you know. Stuffy old curmudgeons…

I’d like to think it’s not so much writing skills as it is passion that colors one’s writing to positive effect. Passion for the magic and excitement of hurdling across the skies in an amazing flying machine while being wined and dined like royalty in a style that only a fortunate few of us ever get to experience. Passion for the thrill of enjoying a life of ease and privilege whilst rolling across the countryside in a well-appointed railcar. For me at least this is seriously fun stuff to write about but I also want to get it right. And that takes time.

There were about two hours to go in the flight when I began to smell the beginnings of the breakfast preparation. Mmmmm! I love the smell of breakfast in the morning even more than the smell of jet fuel! Out my window the dawn of a new day was beginning to color the horizon. Let’s have a look at that breakfast menu. But first, let’s have another look out the window…



Dawn Over The Pacific


BREAKFAST

Orange, apple or grapefruit juice

Pink guava smoothie

Fresh Seasonal Fruit

Natural or Fruit Yogurt from la Ferme

Assorted Cereals


** ***** **


MAIN COURSES

Free Range Eggs ~ Freshly Scrambled, Fried or Boiled
Served with your choice of pan-fried potato cake with cheese and spring onion, broiled bacon, Cumberland sausage, Roma tomato with herbs or mushrooms

Fish with Gingko Nut Congee
With baked barbecued pork pie

Dim Sum served with Chilli Sauce
Scallop and fish egg dumpling, baby spinach with shrimp dumpling, chive and pork dumpling, mini-chicken glutinous rice wrapped in lotus leaf

Bread Basket
Assorted Breakfast Bread and Fresh Toast
Served with Mrs. Bridges Scottish Preserves, Tasmanian Meadow Honey and Butter

Tea and Coffee

Pralines


When it comes to eating breakfast at home, I’m pretty much a cereal, yogurt and toast guy. However, when at a restaurant or sat in the First Class cabin of a world class airline, I always go with the more sumptuous hot breakfast. I’ve never been much of a fish eater, at least not for breakfast, so the congee didn’t hold any appeal for me, although the baked barbecued pork pie that accompanied it did sound pretty good. I’ve had the dumplings before and they’re pretty good – for lunch. So that leaves the old tried and true – two eggs fried over medium with all the extras. Oh, and a fruit plate starter, please. As you can see from the photos below, Cathay serves up a pretty nice breakfast.



Fruit Plate Starter



Breakfast Over The Pacific

There were perhaps 45 minutes left in the flight by the time the last of my dishes were cleared away and hot towels were delivered. I was surprised at how many of my fellow passengers chose to sleep in, thereby depriving themselves of the most important meal of the day. Still, if any of them were disposed toward writing a trip report somewhere, I should imagine they’d rave over the comfort of their suites. I would be inclined to agree. Cathay’s beds are the best I’ve ever slept in aloft.

Our approach into San Francisco brought us down the coast to the west of the Marin Headlands and the Golden Gate Bridge. The views of the bridge, the bay and the city were absolutely spectacular for those sat on the left side of the airplane. We made a big U-turn over Palo Alto and, after gliding over the South Bay, the San Leandro Bridge and past Foster City, we touched down lightly on a beautiful sunny morning at San Francisco International. The carbon fiber brakes slowed us down smoothly and quietly and we then turned and headed into the terminal.

In summation, these two flights from Johannesburg to San Francisco embodied everything that a First Class flight aboard one of the world’s great airlines ought to. The service, food and comfort were all top notch. For better or worse depending upon your perspective, Cathay Pacific made a very long trip seem much shorter. As usual I found myself wishing I had a couple more flights worth of Cathay’s First Class to connect to. Before disembarking, I made it a point to stop by the galley and thank Purser Janine and her colleagues for providing such an excellent service. Well done, ladies!! Cathay Pacific is truly worthy of its ranking as one of the finest airlines in the world.

Seat 2A

March 21, 2012
San Francisco – Seattle
Alaska Airlines First Class
Boeing 737-800 N593AS
1010am - 1218pm

Thanks to Travelocity’s Secret Hotel feature, I was able to score a room at the Ramada Inn and Suites located just south of the airport. The guy working the front desk was originally from Durban and we had a good time talking about my travels and his before I was given a room that was large, nicely furnished and most importantly, quiet. In the morning I caught a taxi (provided by the hotel) back to the airport.

There really is no way to properly prepare oneself for the extreme difference between flying in Cathay Pacific’s First Class versus flying on the domestic version offered by most any U.S. airline. While the shock is not quite as extreme as plunging naked into the icy waters of the Arctic ocean, it’s pretty darned close.

Pre-departure beverage service consisted of a glass of water. Service on the one and a half hour flight up to Seattle consisted of drinks and a cheese plate. We landed ten minutes early and parked over on the North Satellite. Twenty minutes later I was stepping onto the light rail train and speeding from the airport into downtown Seattle.

With four hours to go until my train was due to depart for Chicago, I had plenty of time to catch a bus up to the University District where a hearty lunch awaited at my favorite Indian buffet. Before heading back downtown, I stopped in a nearby grocery store to purchase some beer for the trip. There’s no sense in paying $5.00 per domestic beer when with a little advance planning I can buy much better imported and micro brewed beer for much less.

Now properly fortified for the forty-seven hour ride to Chicago, I stepped onboard the #73 Express and returned to downtown Seattle. Alighting at the International District stop, I then walked two blocks down Jackson St. to the King Street Station.


Seattle – Chicago
Amtrak First Class
Empire Builder
Car 830 Room 11
4:40pm – 340pm +2

Once upon a time, Seattle’s King Street Station was as busy as it was grand. The same architects who created New York’s magnificent Grand Central Station also designed the King Street Station. On the walls are some archived photos showing what the station used to look like in its heyday. It was constructed of brick and granite from quarries up north at Index, WA. The interior of the building was white marble, and ornate plaster decorated the ceiling. Most of the floors were terrazzo and mosaic tiling, forming borders and dramatic designs. The building's most notable feature, the clock tower, was designed to mimic the bell tower at St. Mark's Church in Venice, Italy. The King Street Station truly looked like and indeed was a place where great rail journeys began. The Empire Builder, The North Coast Limited, The Western Star – they all departed from the King Street Station.



Beautiful Poster of Seattle’s King Street Station

For most of the past forty years, the high ornate ceiling was hidden behind dingy looking particleboard ceiling tiles, while the beautiful walls were covered with basic dry wall. This once grand station held all the ambience of a storage room. Thankfully an effort to restore the station to its past glory is finally starting to be realized. Quite a bit of the original ceiling has now been restored and future plans include:

• Replacing the existing roof with original terra cotta tile roof
• Repairing lighting and removing the microwave dish on the clock tower
• Fixing the four tower clocks to make them operational
• Restoring interior finishes and exterior building facade
• Completing seismic and structural upgrades

My trip to Chicago today is aboard the Empire Builder, one of the most famous passenger trains in America. Originally operated by the Great Northern Railway, the Empire Builder commenced service in 1929 and soon became the railroad’s flag bearer. The train is named in honor of James J. Hill, the president of the Great Northern Railway. Hill reorganized several failing railroads into the Great Northern and sparked a lot of early economic growth in the northern plains states, thus earning him the moniker “ The Empire Builder”.

The route of the Empire Builder runs 2,207 miles from Seattle to Chicago, though a separate section also starts out of Portland and joins the mainline at Spokane. Total travel time from either city is about forty-six hours. My journey, rolling east from Seattle to Chicago, will take me through Washington, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Illinois. For this trip I’ve booked a First Class roomette and am really looking forward to what ought to be a great trip!




Route of The Empire Builder

The Empire Builder pulled up to the platform at 4:00pm. Train arrivals are not at all like airplane arrivals. They’re much more impressive, like a parade. First come the big 4200 horsepower diesel locomotives; bells clanging, engines churning, their power almost tangible. They’re followed by the baggage car, then the bi-level transition sleeper (for crew rest), a couple of sleepers, the dining car, the Sightseer Lounge Car and two or three coach cars.

Boarding commenced about twenty minutes before our scheduled 4:40pm departure. As always, I was a good ten to twenty years younger than most of my fellow First Class passengers, many of whom grew up in an age when trains were still the best and most affordable means of getting around America. As they ambled their way down memory lane to their sleeper cars, I couldn’t help but wonder if I’ll still be doing Mileage Runs and trips like this when I’m sixty five years old. I sure hope so.



View of King Street Station & Tower from Trackside

When I booked this train, I specifically asked for a room downstairs. The reason for this is that the main traffic flow between cars is upstairs. The train’s occasional rocking motion can make normal walking a bit of a challenge and most people tend to ricochet their way down the narrow hallways, bouncing off walls and doors with equal abandon. As a result, the downstairs rooms are much quieter because there is so much less foot traffic passing by your door. Secondly, being lower in the train car means less tilt motion than is experienced on the upper levels.

Car attendants stood by the door of each sleeping car, ready to greet their passengers and offer assistance in storing baggage and directing people to their rooms. The man working my car was named Jeff and he’d worked for Amtrak since 1977. This is my 238th long distance train ride, of which 165 have come aboard Amtrak which I first rode back in 1978. I didn’t know it then, but over the next couple of days Jeff and I would trade a lot of fun stories about riding on Amtrak.



Boarding The Empire Builder at Seattle

Each Amtrak bi-level Superliner Sleeper car offers 14 Standard bedrooms, 5 Deluxe bedrooms, 1 Family bedroom and one Handicapped bedroom. Four Standard bedrooms along with the Family and Handicapped bedrooms are located downstairs. Opposite the stairway to the upstairs level is a shelf for baggage. I stowed my suitcase there and headed down the hall to my Roomette.

Amtrak’s roomettes measure 3’6” by 6’6” and are accessed via a sliding glass door. During the day they offer two wide opposite facing seats that fold together to become a bed at night. Above them is a fold-down upper berth. Other amenities include four separate lights, an electrical outlet, a tall mirror, a fold out table, a small open closet with hangers and even a thermostat which I immediately turned to its lowest level. Best of all, each compartment has its own huge window, approximately 2’ X 5’, through which to view the passing scenery. Toilet and shower facilities are down the hall. For a single traveler, I think these Roomettes are just perfect.



Amtrak’s Superliner Roomette

On each seat were big fluffy pillows and behind the center console where the table is stored were two bottles of water and a variety of pamphlets about the train. There was a route guide, a timetable, a safety card much like you’d see aboard an airliner and a brochure describing the train and its various services and attractions.
At the top of the stairway is the service area for each car. In the morning, juice and coffee are available from this area. Ice is available throughout the day. I immediately unloaded a few beers into my room’s personal trashcan and threw in a few cups of ice. It’s a long trip across the Cascades and Northern Plains to Chicago ~ cold beer is a must!



Sitting in Amtrak’s Superliner Roomette

At 4:45pm the all aboard call was made, the doors were closed, the twin 4,250 HP Genesis Model P42DC locomotives powered up and we commenced the journey, gliding slowly out of King Street Station past the northern Seattle suburbs. This was the first time I’d ridden eastbound out of Seattle aboard the Empire Builder and I was anxious to check out the scenery along the way, especially in the late afternoon sun.

Shortly after departure, Jeff arrived with individual bottles of chilled Champagne and plastic cups. I believe only the Empire Builder and the Coast Starlight offer this amenity. It’s a great way to start the trip but I do miss the nice glasses they used to provide with the service. I recall a trip between Denver and Seattle aboard the old Pioneer several years ago when we were given beautiful souvenir glasses specially made for that train. Alas, both the Pioneer and the glasses are now historic.



Champagne Starter Aboard The Empire Builder

The next knock on my door came from Annie, the Dining Car Manager. She was cheerful and enthusiastic, seemingly as excited about this trip as most of the passengers. She was taking dinner reservations and had a choice of four seatings to offer: 5:30, 6:15, 7:00 or 7:45pm. I don’t believe I’ve eaten dinner at 5:30pm since I was in elementary school and, still reasonably sated from my big lunch in the U-District, I opted for the 7:00pm sitting.

As we picked up speed north of the city, I guzzled Champagne straight from the bottle and watched as we hugged the coastline along the dark blue expanse of the Puget Sound. Visible to the west across the sound were the snow-capped mountains of Olympic National Park. The Empire Builder gets a lot of mention for its passage through the Rocky Mountains and Glacier National Park, but I think the initial journey north out of Seattle and thence across the Cascades is worthy of mention as well.



Rolling North Along The Puget Sound



Have we put out to sea?

At Everett we stopped to pick up a large number of passengers waiting expectantly outside the attractive brick and glass station. Included amongst them was a very large (obese) man travelling in my sleeper. He was assigned to a roomette at the top of the stairs, probably a good thing because he had quite a tough time getting up the narrow stairway from the lower entry level. Since roomettes don’t have bathrooms, I didn’t envy him having to use the small airline sized toilet across from his room. He looked a lot wider than the doorway and I briefly entertained a disturbing vision of the poor man having to be extracted from the bathroom with the Jaws of Life. I quickly refocused on the journey ahead with a small prayer that he gets to his destination with a minimum of discomfort.

Soon after leaving Everett, we adopted a more easterly tack as we headed east up into the Cascades. The forecast called for snow in the mountains this evening, with snow continuing through the day tomorrow in the Rocky Mountain region. As we continued higher into the mountains I began to see fresh snow dusting the tops of the surrounding peaks. Eventually that snow moved right down to track level as it became apparent that the northern Cascades had enjoyed a fairly snowy winter.



Climbing Through The Snowy Cascades

Perhaps it was the pretty scenery or more likely the Champagne and beer, but time passed quickly and I was a bit surprised when I heard the call over the PA system for those holding 7:00pm dinner reservations to come to the diner. I quickly drug a brush through my remaining hair and headed up the stairs and down the hallway toward the dining car. It was conveniently located just one car up from mine and I also noted that the big fellow I’d mentioned earlier was eating in his room. It should be noted here that room service has always been an option on Amtrak trains. As a single passenger I’ve never taken advantage of it but were I traveling with someone else I imagine it might be a nice change for one meal.



Dining Car on The Empire Builder



Dining Car Menu on The Empire Builder

Dining on Amtrak is a communal affair. Because people are seated with whoever shows up just before or after them, it’s quite possible that you’ll end up with a diverse and occasionally colorful collection of tablemates. Social elites who’ve strolled up from the sleepers can very easily be sat across from the outcasts of society who’ve lurched up from Coach. It can be fun to watch. Tonight I was seated across from a couple from Mankato, Minnesota who were returning home after visiting their daughter in Tacoma. We were joined by an oil worker heading back to his job at Williston, North Dakota. He looked like he’d just gotten off a four day shift but he was a lot of fun to talk with. As a smoker he was unhappy that smoking was no longer allowed on Amtrak trains and felt that there should be more stops long enough to accommodate a smoke break. As it was, the next smoke break wouldn’t be until Spokane, about five hours down the tracks. He wondered aloud whether he and his forty or so other smokers could take over the train and force some changes!

The dining car staff was friendly and energetic, taking orders and delivering food with smiles and aplomb. Our server Marty mentioned that she’d been with Amtrak for 23 years, having worked on the Sunset Limited, the Texas Eagle, the California Zephyr and now the Empire Builder. The menu was impressive, considering the limitations of working from a kitchen located in the bottom of a railroad car. Meals are included for Amtrak’s First Class passengers, so I ordered the steak, accompanied by a baked potato and a glass of iced tea. Salad, veggies and dinner rolls are all included and overall I was quite pleased with the meal as were my tablemates with theirs.

A view of the menu may be had by first pressing HERE and then selecting from the pdf. menu choices on the right side of the page.

The night was still young when dinner had concluded, and normally this would be an excellent time to visit the lounge car which is available for all passengers. Unfortunately the lounge car was part of the consist coming up from Portland and so we wouldn’t have access to it until after the two trains had been merged in Spokane. The rear half of the dining car was available until then but in my estimation it was sorely lacking in the convivial ambience of Amtrak’s dedicated Sightseer lounge cars. With all of my tablemates heading back to their respective cars, I decided to return to my roomette where cold beer and a 120V outlet would allow me to put in a little more work on this trip report.

It was close to 10:00pm when Jeff stopped by to convert my roomette into a sleeper for the night. He’d been lowering beds up and down the car since about 9:00pm and I was the last of his charges. His job has got to be the hardest on the train what with setting up and breaking down the various accommodations from day use to sleepers and back again, keeping the coffee, orange juice, water and ice stocked in his car’s service area, greeting and seeing passengers off at the various stops along the way and even delivering meals from the dining car as required. It’s a wonder he got any sleep at all and he admitted as much when he said that anything more than four or five hours a night was a real bonus.



Bedtime on The Empire Builder

I’ve said it before, but let me say it again ~ There is nothing like sleeping in a comfortable bed while speeding across the vast expanses of the planet on a train. I’ve been fortunate to have experienced this on every continent except Antarctica and if they should ever someday build a railroad across Antarctica in my lifetime, I reckon I’ll just have to get down there and take that ride in style.

Seat 2A

I slept well as we rolled across Washington, Idaho and into Montana. I was so comfortable that I didn’t even wake up during the long station stop in Whitefish, Montana. And hey – I know what you’re thinking but it’s not like I was unconscious! I only had four beers last night. The jolt from the train was what did finally roused me from my slumber as we powered out of Whitefish. From past experience I knew that we were now on Mountain Time, so I reset my watch, grabbed a quick shower and headed up to the diner.



Spacious Shower on The Empire Builder

Breakfast was handled at a leisurely pace, starting with coffee and orange juice followed by a good looking plate of sugar dusted French Toast with turkey sausage. My table companion was a man from Coeur d’Alene, Idaho who had boarded at Spokane the night before. He was heading for Pittsburgh and confided that he very much disliked flying. He then mentioned that the morning paper had an article about an air crash on some glacier in Sweden that killed all aboard. I was tempted to go fetch my laptop and show him some pictures of Cathay Pacific’s First Class.

Outside the train, low clouds and light snow was the order of the morning. Even so, the landscape was strikingly beautiful as we rolled past West Glacier station at Belton, Montana and began to traverse the southern edge of Glacier National Park. For those who’ve never done so, let me just say that going through the Rockies by rail is about as fine an experience as can be had on this planet. Whether it's through Colorado on the California Zephyr, Montana on the Empire Builder or Canada on ViaRail’s Canadian, it's an experience that everyone should get to have at least once in their lifetime. Those of you who’ve followed my trip reports over the years know that for me, it borders on an addiction, but a very pleasant one. Even on a snowy day like today with its limited visibility, the experience is still awe inspiring.

Since the weather wasn’t so great for photography, here are shots of some posters painted by noted railroad artist J. Craig Thorpe. He captures the Empire Builder and the land it rolls through better than anyone else I’ve ever seen. Additionally, I’ve included my own shot as we rolled through West Glacier at Belton, Montana.



Empire Builder Entering Glacier National Park



Empire Builder at Isaak Walton Inn



Glacier Morning



The West Glacier Station at Belton, Montana

An announcement was made when we passed over the top of Marias Pass, at 5,213 feet the highest point on the route, but the lowest Rocky Mountain rail crossing in the United States. From this point on, it was all down from here for the Empire Builder. To the north of us a prominent group of mountains known as the “Monarch Ridge" made for a grand exit from Glacier Park down into the High Plains of Eastern Montana.



Leaving Glacier along Monarch Ridge


Luncheon was a grilled Angus Steak Burger, made that much better with the addition of cheese and bacon at no additional cost. This was the only meal of the trip where I got a table to myself, perhaps because I’d come to the dining car from the lounge car in response to the “Last Call” announcement.

During a stop in Havre, Montana, I watched as police arrested a man in the parking lot outside the station. I don’t know if he’d been a passenger onboard this train, but if he were his trip was definitely over. My sleeping car attendant Jeff was standing nearby and we discussed the putting-off of passengers from the train. I’ve ridden a couple in years past where people’s aggressive or drunken behavior made their continued presence amongst us untenable. The last time I saw this happen was aboard an Australian train. As is usually the case in these instances, alcohol was a contributing factor. That and the fact that most of these people who drink to excess and then become abusive are generally jerks anyway, even when they aren’t drinking. Jeff told me that the conductors especially liked to put off unruly passengers in Browning, Montana because Browning is on the Blackfeet Reservation, and the tribal cops are not so delicate as regular cops, especially when the prisoner is not from the reservation.

Upon departure from Havre, sleeping car passengers were invited to the dining car where a wine tasting and trivia contest was being held. At each table was a plate of three different types of cheese and crackers. Jeff presided over the wine tasting and did a great job of presenting the four different wines as well as tossing out a few trivia questions. Those who answered them correctly would win a bottle of one of the wines. Anyone else could make arrangements to purchase any of the wines being tasted. Most of the trivia questions were related to the route or railroading and most of the passengers had no clue as to the answers, so wines were awarded to those who came the closest. One of the questions I do remember was “How many revolutions does one of the wheels on our passenger cars make in a mile?” Any rail fan knows a standard wheel is about 35” inches in diameter, but after all the wine my math was a bit fuzzy, so no more wine for me. Instead I went back to my roomette and retrieved a cold beer which I then took up to the lounge car.



Wine Tasting Table on The Empire Builder



High Plains of Montana from The Empire Builder



High Plains of Montana from The Empire Builder


Whoever designed Amtrak’s Sight Seer lounge cars did a great job of maximizing viewing. Adding to the nearly knee to ceiling windows on the sides of the lounge are another set of windows that wrap around up on to the ceiling. The result is unparalleled viewing whilst traveling through the mountains and canyons of the west. The interior of the lounge is divided with swivel couches and chairs on one side and booth style seating on the other. Next to each chair and couch were small tables with an oval ring fastened on top to hold drinks steady. This was an important feature because the train was really rockin’ and rollin’ across Montana. According to one of the dining room staff, springtime frost heaves can wreak havoc with the tracks – not so badly where trains are getting derailed but definitely to the point where the ride becomes a lot less smooth.

Speaking of rock and roll, a lively discussion was going on across from me regarding favorite female rockers. Melissa Ethridge, Blondie, Joan Jett, Madonna, Bonnie Raitt. Pat Benatar, all good choices. My vote goes to Shaun Murphy of Little Feat. The conversation continued on to a variety of topics, including why is it that the flared metal scoop at the front of trains is called a cattle catcher? What exactly does “catching” a cow entail? Are we supposed to believe that cows are gently scooped up and deposited safely beside the tracks? Hardly. I asked Jeff about this later. He laughed and said another name for it is the “Hereford Hammer”.

It was early evening when we pulled into Wolf Point, MT. The large crowd waiting to board provided ample evidence that this train offers far more than just Seattle to Chicago service. It means a lot to small communities like Wolf Point that are a long way from any airport. Often, the airports that are nearby offer only limited and very expensive flights compared to Amtrak’s fares which are not only lower but often substantially so.

An announcement was made that Wolf Point is also a “service stop”, that being a place where the train is serviced, i.e. trash is disposed of, toilets are pumped out and food and ice are restocked. Service stops average about fifteen minutes which was welcome news for smokers, most of whom were waiting at the doors like sprinters in the blocks, ever so anxious to refill their lungs with nicotine infused oxygen.

Shortly after leaving Wolf Point we entered North Dakota. A lot of people think North Dakota consists mainly of flat plains but I thought “rolling” farmland was a better description, occasionally even offset by an exciting gulch or two. Few humans were observed but Canadian geese, ducks, deer and cattle were plentiful.

The occasional oil derrick could be seen pumping away as we approached Williston. Away from the tracks were many more, and thanks to a process called “Fracking”, the oil industry has now become the number one employer in Williston. Although oil prices have skyrocketed over the few years, it doesn’t seem apparent that these Upper Midwest oil fields are pulling in sheik like profits. If in fact they are, they hide it well behind old brick buildings and mobile homes.

At dinner I was seated with three other people, including a young traveler from Australia who was exhilarated at having seen his first volcano upon visiting Mt. St. Helens National Monument while touring through the Pacific Northwest. He’d purchased a rail pass and had plans to visit Minneapolis, Chicago, Memphis and New Orleans before heading back to Los Angeles. The possibility of seeing more volcanoes was exciting for him until I pointed out that the Midwest and lower Mississippi Basin is hardly a hotbed of volcanic activity. But there is good barbecue in Memphis and all kinds of fun to be had in New Orleans…

The next morning I awoke while we were stopped at the station in St. Paul, Minnesota. My car attendant Jeff had mentioned that there was an old Milwaukee Road observation car parked here that lots of rail fans liked to see. I was initially excited but when the moment arrived I found that I was so comfortably tucked away in my bed that the greater pleasure would be derived from sleeping in.

After departing St. Paul we rolled south along the Mississippi River. The scenery through here consisted of beautiful farmland accented by attractive farm houses, large trees and the occasional hill. Unfortunately the weather was once again not conducive to capturing the beauty of this landscape at its best. We crossed the Mississippi at Lacrosse, Wisconsin and I determined that I would have to return and someday ride this train westbound in the spring or fall – hopefully on a sunny day. As for Wisconsin’s scenery, it really doesn't get proper credit for the landscape between Lacrosse and Milwaukee. It really was quite pretty as we rolled past lakes, marshes, cliffs, rolling hills and brief views of the Dells on the Wisconsin River. The train also passes through the only active railroad tunnel in Wisconsin at Tunnel City.



Rollin’ South Along The Mississippi River

After departing Milwaukee, Wisconsin we were less than two hours out of Chicago and I had a decision to make. Upon arrival at Chicago’s Union Station I needed to get over to O’Hare international Airport where I had a rental car waiting. I could either go all the way down to Chicago and catch the El back out to O’Hare – about an hour’s ride, or I could get off at Glenview and see if I could get to the airport a bit earlier. At the crux of the matter was avoiding or at least minimizing rush hour on I-294, a.k.a. the Tri-State Expressway, because I needed to drive south to Lafayette, Indiana that night while ultimately heading 700 miles south to Calhoun, Georgia.

Although most everyone I asked counseled me that my best bet would be to go down to Chicago and catch the train back to O’Hare, a little bit of research revealed that if I got off at Glenview I’d be able to catch the Metra train down to Mayfair, walk about three blocks over to the Montrose El station, and from there ride the train on into O’Hare, ultimately trimming almost forty-five minutes off my schedule.

And so it was that I alighted from the Empire Builder at Glenview, Illinois, bade farewell to my car attendant Jeff with a large but well-earned tip, and made my way as planned out to O’Hare. Having started out of Cape Town, South Africa six days and 17,130 miles ago, I can truly say that I’ve enjoyed every mile of this journey and can hardly wait to do another one just like it. In the meantime, it is my sincere hope that you’ve enjoyed reading about this it as much as I’ve enjoyed traveling and writing about it. Until next time, I bid you all safe and happy travels.

HawaiiTrvlr

2A, just reading another one of your outstanding trip reports I feel like I am making the same journey. Great job (again).

m4rcla

What an outstanding trip report! Enjoyed every bit of it!
I just got back from South Africa as well and had a wonderful time there.
I was really curious to read about your Premier class train travel since I considered taking that. Glad to live vicariously through you!

blackmamba

Very nice photos! These are some amazing train shots that you have

Seat 2A

Thanks! How'd you like the text? Just curious because with photo reports being so popular these days, I'm thinking that a majority of trip report "readers" might be more receptive to me doing photo reports from now on. For sure creating these reports would be a lot less time consuming if I didn't have to bother with actually writing about it in detail. Lemme know!

nicksair1

I'll comment on the text portion. Just one word. AMAZING. Your reports make my night when i see them pop up in the forum. I usually sit down with a plate of what i had for dinner, and just relax and read the report like, as you said, i'm sitting across from you in 2K. It really is that awesome.

Thank you again, and safe travels as always. Cant wait for the next report! :-)

'2NW.

Loose Cannon

Another masterpiece. What can I say?