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Published: December 2nd 2011
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This morning (Friday 2nd December) I was awoken by my phone ringing at 4.05am. It was a recorded message from Amtrak to say that my train had been cancelled!! Yup, I was wide awake.
First things first, get a coffee!
Second, think things through, yeah right, at 4.00am in the morning? I'm a morning person but 4.00am is pushing even my boundries.
Thirdly make the call to the number provided, yeah good idea, find out what is really happenning.
Phew!!! The woman on the phone (a real woman that talked to me) tells me that the train is running late and just go to the station a couple of hours later that scheduled.
Hmmm, that's good news but now I'm really awake. OK more coffee, rebook the shuttle. I'm thinking that I'll sleep later... after dark.... on the train. I was due to arrive in Sal Lake City at 11.00pm. Now... we will just have to wait and see.
Denver City. (Wednesday, 30th Nov) What a lovely city. I arrived here on Wednesday afternoon and found that between the hotel and downtown Denver was spagetti junction and there was no chance of walking into
the City. Taxi!!!
Walked around the "LoDo" area which is short for the "Lower Downtown" where there are heaps of restored buildings, restaurants, bars and cool little shops.
I find that how I feel about a place I visit is closely linked to the people I meet. Well Denver is a lovely town. Met a lovely woman at the bar in athis new restaurant called Lauren Pittenger who was waiting for her sister (who works there) to go to a concert. Then a friend, Brad Polly, joins us and we proceed to have a jolly old chat. Great people who are now friends on Facebook. The world is shrinking you know.
Denver City. (Thursday, 1st Dec) OMG! It's snowing. No I don't just mean snow for a bit and then clear up. It's snowing seriously and it is settling on the ground even. In fact about 6 inches of it settled throughout the day.
Walking around in the central city in the falling snow requires frequent interludes indoors due to a numb face mostly. So I found plenty of REAL COFFEE. Found all sorts of stuff. The piles and piles of "stuff" on the sidewalk,
some of it covered with light tarpaulins and 4 inches of snow,
that moved had me a bit phased. Yup, someone was living under there.
I'm never prepared for the people who walk up to me and ask for money. I'm too friendly or something (maybe I look like a soft touch). Well, I have now quickly developed the technique of not looking at people and smiling or saying "gidday". I noticed that by late afternoon I was meeting less and less homeless people and I still have my money in my pocket. Saw a woman sitting on the side of the off ramp of the I-25 in the driving snow with a sign that said "I Need a Miricale". That hurt.
Found this most fabulous book shop, The Tattered Cover Bookstore,
http://www.tatteredcover.com/. So cool.... an historic rustic building with nooks and crannies everywhere... wide creaking stairs to the next level ...lots of chairs with people buried in their books... students talking and studying..and REAL COFFEE! Go and have a look. I also heard some real brainy people talking intelligently too. Just what a book store needs aye.
Waiting for the Shuttle to pick me up was
My Hotel, Denver
Thursday morning the coldest part of the day for me. An hour standing and waiting renderred my glove covered fingers numb, and my feet beyond feeling but the upside was that I was transfixed watching a group of young people ice skating. In particular there was a young woman who at first glance I thought was my step daughter Stephanie Gates. All I can say is that "Stephie, you have a double!" Everything about this woman was as I remember Stephie, the clothes, the eyes, the smile, the build, the actions and movements and her voice.
They left the skating rink and thank goodness I got picked up before more of my body lost all feeling. The temperature at that time was 17 deg F (-9 deg C)
So last night in my hotel room I learnt how to take a night shot with my Canon EOS 60D. You can see the result in one of the photos posted.
By for now
Nigel
PS Just had breakfast (6.30am) and the temerature outside is 11 deg F (-12 deg C). Hi for the day? 32 deg F (0 deg C)!
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penny
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Brrrrr
Great photos!! :-)