Tocsin

Well, I was still reading your report Seat 2A, while your post #45 was submitted - my excuse was that I've been spending the last three hours reading the whole of your trip report... I can only repeat that much used 'epic'! Thank you.

millionsandmillions

Seat2A you've accomplished your mission!
"I strive to write in a style that allows you the reader to feel as if you’ve come along for the journey. Hopefully, as you’re reading this report into the wee hours of the night you’re right there with me in seat 2B as we enjoy cocktails and savories while climbing away from Sao Paulo enroute to Johannesburg, eight hours distant. Care for a refill on that Champagne? How about some more canapés…"
Your consistency in style and tone and description, paired with thoughtful photography as well as historical facts and images... this is a HOLY COW trip report.
I will re-read this in the coming months as I plan a trip to Cape Town for August. At one point I had 10 web browsers open looking at Alaska Air mile redemption, Amex point redemption, maps of South Africa, etc., while reading this. Your report is inspiring in many ways. Thank you for all your work and tenacity on this report.

AKCuisine

As a fellow writer, I always enjoy reading your trip reports, Seat 2A. They're well written with fine attention to detail - and they're informative, to boot. All in all, delightful.

And your description and commentary, yourturns of phrases, often tickle me. A prime example from this report was your (figurative) "dressing down" of many of today's travelers:

Well said, my fine sir. Well said.

Jagboi

I have spent most of the day getting sucked into this trip report, so I blame you for nothing else getting done today

I really like the combination of first class to the very humble travel (bus) and accomidations, it's nice to see that variety instead of everything being 5 star. The contrast is striking and makes for a more enjoyable reading experience.

I also really liked the inclusion of the rail sectors, those are a nice balance to the flights. Have you ever done Via Rail's Canadian between Vancouver and Toronto? I have done it twice and really like riding in the 1950's Budd cars. There is no better way to see a country than from a Budd dome

Gatwick Alan

Thank you for another stunning report. I particularly enjoyed the Amtrak section as I am recently back from a trip on the Southwest Chief and was lucky to see Chicago Union Station decked out for Christmas.

Our sleeper attendant also decked out our sleeper car with decorations and stayed up most of the first night on board doing it. It was the only car on the entire train decorated, she earned and got a good tip.

As you like train travel I thought you might like this picture of the train from Hamburg to Copenhagen which drives onto the ferry between Germany and Denmark, this is the train perked up on the ferry. I took this train before setting off to Chicago from Copenhagen. Here is a picture of Hamburg Station too.

Seat 2A

Wind and snow flurries here in The Great White North make for a good time to address final comments. And then, I've got a plane and a train to catch to start the new year...

No excuses necessary, Tocsin. Thanks for stopping by!

Thank you M&M! I hope you got some good ideas and that you'll have a great trip!

Compliments could hardly come any higher. Thank you, AKCuisine! I always hope that my occasional forays down memory lane aren't a distraction for most folks. Not that this ever stopped me from including them, for per my style of writing they are like an essential spice in a recipe. It's nice to hear that they are appreciated!

Thanks. I think...

I grew up hitchhiking around America, sleeping out of site behind any old bush. The real adventure was in the travel, not the accommodations, so I never felt put out. To be honest I feel out of place staying at properties that are ostentatiously luxurious. Many of the places I've stayed - such as the Santos Express Railroad Hotel in Mossel Bay, South Africa ($34.00/nt) or any number of 1950s era motels along lonely western highways would be my accommodations of choice even if I were a billionaire. They're as comfortable as a favorite old pair of jeans as opposed to a stiff tuxedo.

I agree, and of course The Canadian is the only railroad still offering those 1955 built cars as part of a regularly scheduled service. Back in 2004 I rode it from Edmonton to Vancouver. If you click the link at the bottom of this post you'll find links to quite a few other Canadian train reports.

Thank you, Alan. Good to hear you had a nice ride in the Southwest Chief - a good car attendant can really make a difference. Not to mention a comfortable roomette or bedroom.

I got off the phone just minutes ago with an Amtrak rep who informed me of substantial changes to my upcoming trip due to historically high flooding along the Mississippi River. Here I was ready to leave tomorrow but now I'm thinking of putting it off for a few days...

ss278

Whenever you leave, safe travels, sir. Happy New Year!

Duke787

Still have a long ways to go but just want to commend you on yet another great TR. I'm still in the US at this point but looking forward to the trip down to SA and then on to South Africa!

Happy New Year!

Loose Cannon

Thanks for another excellent Trip Report.

Gardyloo

Thanks so much. Where to this time?

I think we should nominate places for you to go so we can journey with you. My vote is Up-Helly-Aa in Shetland.

(I had the pleasure of bringing a bunch of Shetlanders over to the Aleutians years ago so they could share notes with the locals about how to deal with the oily folk (with prospects of offshore oil in the Bering.) A couple of the local fisher folk - who are mainly Aleut-Russian-Norwegians ethnically - actually went to Lerwick for Up Helly Aa even though it was during crab season.)

I think a 2A review of the horny-hat guizer parade would be a real treat.

Tocsin

Hi, Gardyloo - I went to the Shetlands on holiday as a teenager (early '70s before the oil boom really hit).

I have two abiding memories: a) an almost complete absence of trees, and b) a poster in a shop window in Lerwick proudly highlighting the nightlife - "Friday Night is Music Night at the Salvation Army"

Unfortunately, it was summer and nowhere near Up-Hella-Aa!

FLYGVA

Thank you very much for this wonderful trip report.

As usual with your reports, I print them and read them offline (this one was 155 pages). It took me some time to finally read it but I enjoyed every single page. Your descriptions and informations are very helpful and informative, especially the reports of your train trips, that there is not really a need for pictures.

To me, a picture just show an image. But I want to hear the additional information, how it was served, the quality among other things. In your reports, I not only get these kind of information, it is also compared with your experience onboard other airlines and also comparted to the time in the past (which is also interesting to read [my first flight was only 1993]).

And like you, I like to track, on which planes I have been and how old a plane is. Quite often, the plane has its history or story to tell. And the registration as well as the Boeing customer code can tell quite a few things about a plane.

I should only blame you, that I did not update my own reports in the time while I read your report .

Anyway, reading your report was more entertaining than any travel magazine, newspaper or book ... Looking forward to your next reports.

Safe travels in 2016 with many more nice and many enjoyable trips to come, Seat 2A

Crampedin13A

Thanks Seat 2A for an absolutely fantastic TR. Livened up this whole dreary January morning in Toronto reading it and hoping at sometime in the near future I'll be able to have the time to do something similar. Especially the train parts in North America which would be for me a totally new experience.

AKDan

Thank you for taking the time to share yet another trip with us. I always look forward to your reports and a unique view point on trips that you don't often see, such as sleeping in airports as opposed to always staying in hotels etc. I also feel like one of these days I need to hit you up with tips on how to use my AS miles for the best redemption value, as you have certainly perfected that art.

One other thanks is for the Alaska sections of this report down in southeast. Although I am a lifelong Alaskan that has mostly lived on the Kenai Peninsula, I have truly seen very little of this state and appreciate seeing some of it through your eyes. Sadly, I must admit that I have not yet made it up to your neck of the woods near Fairbanks.

Thanks again.

WhisperjetYYZ

Another stellar report Seat 2A ! And one that in addition to being a great read over the first weekend of the new year, helped answer two questions I was pondering: what to expect on my SA flight this February (albeit I am on the late departure) from GRU to JNB and where to stay in JNB. The later was solved easily after your comments and I have just exchanged emails with Heinz confirming 4 nights at Ghandis Backpackers! Now any accommodation suggestions for Perth WA? Cheers!