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Published: April 21st 2011
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The Southwest Chief is a train that runs from Los Angeles (LA) to Chicago and visa versa. Since I'm into my train trips and as Amtrak is apparently a good comfortable service, I decided to leave LA using it but to break the forty hour journey to Chicago into three bits by making a couple of stops along the way. It was part of my provisional plan to do at least part of the USA by rail so worked perfecty for me :-)
It was easy to obtain the reservations online in advance but had to collect the tickets from one of the automated ticket machines at Union station, LA. An easy process but I had to queue again for a seat allocation and boarding pass. I reminiced over the British rail system because upon queuing for my seat allocation and boarding pass just before departure, the guy came around and said that the train was not here yet and 'god knows where it is' then started mumbling to himself lol. Somehow though, not only did we leave on time, but we arrived in Albuquerque an hour early.
I stayed at a hostel on Central Avenue in Albuquerque, and
met a great bunch of people. It was a small place with loads of character and very homely. Albuquerque has to be the sleepiest place I've ever been to. Even though there are supposed to be half a million people here, there doesn't seem to be anyone around. Central Avenue is the main road through the city and is an 18 mile stretch of the old Route 66. As I didn't have a car, I thought a good way to explore the city would be to get a bus to the Central Avenue and I40 interstate junction, an outermost suburb, and walk back. Route 66 is decomissioned these days, replaced by interstates, but the idea lives on. People are really friendly and keen to simply say hello with a smile and have a chat. It was a walk of about nine or ten miles and with stops along the way took me all afternoon. It was an excellent walk through the stereotypical American urban sprawl that is fast food diners, used car and RV lots, stores, motels and even the University of New Mexico. It was a long hot day and finished up with a good wander around the old
town, the old Spanish city, where they finish their buildings in adobe, a clay render. It goes perfectly with the cactus and really sets the Mexican scene. I think these days with the newer buildings, they just use a cement based render?!... My god I'm starting to sound like Alan Partridge!
Santa Fe is the capital of New Mexico and only an hour and a half away on the Rail Runner train... a play on 'road runner', I think :-). They have largely replaced the line and the trains and seems to be a god send for the community. Santa Fe is about 60 miles north of Albuquerque and the capital of New Mexico. There isn't much there but a population of about fifty thousand people and a tourist hot spot, mostly middle aged and retired Americans!
All in all, the area is a nice quiet place but I only spent four days here and that was long enough.
The only disappointment so far is that no one gets my 'Chili would be a cool place to visit' joke :-(
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