Hiking, cycling & reviews
  • Home
  • The adventurers
    • Guestbook
    • Contact us
  • Hiking
  • World cycle trip
    • Blog
    • Travel journal
    • Equipment list
    • Visa info
    • Frequently asked questions
    • Videos
  • Tough Mudder
  • Gear reviews
    • Black Diamond Hilight Tent Review 2020
    • Black Diamond Bibler Ahwahnee tent
    • Thermarest Neoair Medium
    • Down Under Travel Insurance
    • Southern Cross Travel Insurance
  • Other sites
  • Home
  • The adventurers
    • Guestbook
    • Contact us
  • Hiking
  • World cycle trip
    • Blog
    • Travel journal
    • Equipment list
    • Visa info
    • Frequently asked questions
    • Videos
  • Tough Mudder
  • Gear reviews
    • Black Diamond Hilight Tent Review 2020
    • Black Diamond Bibler Ahwahnee tent
    • Thermarest Neoair Medium
    • Down Under Travel Insurance
    • Southern Cross Travel Insurance
  • Other sites

Train part 1 - Boston to Chicago

9/30/2010

1 Comment

 

Water on the windows. 


We pass a town, it looks a shell of its former self, the former self I imagine for it.

The station looks deserted, as though men were once here, in some other time, but no longer.
 
It isn’t.
 
A man gets on the train, wheezing, desperate, lunges forward, smells of smoke, disarray.
 
The train draws alongside a building, ghostly, dark, windows smashed, long ago, haunting. Vines are growing through, trying to possess it.
 
Trees, deciduous, slowly turning shades of red and orange with the seasons. Some relent the change, desperate to avoid decay they hold on to there green foliage.
 
A woman coughs. At first a slow and steady hackle, then a wheeze, whine, until it builds, from some unseen force it gathers momentum, and then it takes on a life of its own. She can’t stop. And when it seems she has, the moment has passed and the coughing begins again. 
 
Rushing, panicking, arguing, seats are reserved, but there are no seats, it seems, for the eclectic bunch of passengers, gathered in the isle.
 
Eventually, somehow, people disperse, find their places, the argument gone, and all that remains is silence and air, the noise of the train, rolling along on the tracks, foliage, bushes, grasses, trees, shades of greens, red’s, orange. 

A man coughs, the woman starts again.
 
I walk into the next carriage, and look around me. I’m surrounded by empty chairs. Empty chairs? Why I’m still asking myself this question I don’t know, after eight months and twenty one countries I should know by now that there are no answers, or that the question is not worth worrying about.
 
Air blows through the train, I can hear it, circling above me.
 
Shanna tries to take a photo, nothing but a blur, we’re going too fast, ‘I’ll just have to remember it with my eyes.’ She says. And I’m wondering, what do we remember things with? A tap on the back, I turn around, she’s gesturing wildly, pointing outside with her eyes.
 
We’ll just have to remember it with our eyes.
 
‘It’d be good if we had our bikes…’
‘How come’
‘Because it’s really pretty out there.’
‘Do you wanna be back on the bike?”
Nods.


We will be soon.

1 Comment
kory vinck
10/1/2010 06:04:42 pm

protein bar, possibly the haven of a man once known as sam, strong, defined, courageous, fiersome, but no more as only the shadow of this once enormous man remains. the sam of the old world disappeared and is replaced by a man whose solace and refuge most likely rests in a salad bar of some discription, possibly tofu shop hahahahahahaha.
just kidding man the trip must be sweet as. too bad u didnt get to see a game at the garden. hope ur staying well. cant wait till ur bak. r u guys planning to come bak when uve finished in the states or r u gonna go south or something? hope ur enjoying it bak on the bike, kory.

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Sam and Shanna Evans are from Melbourne, Australia

    Archives

    September 2012
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010
    June 2010
    May 2010
    April 2010
    March 2010
    February 2010
    January 2010

    Categories

    All
    Albania
    Bali
    Beach
    Belgium
    Brisbane
    Camping
    China
    Croatia
    England
    Flights
    France
    Gold Coast
    Greece
    Indonesia
    Ireland
    Italy
    Java
    Laos
    Malaysia
    Mexico
    Montenegro
    Netherlands
    Nsw Coast
    Pacific Highway
    Preparation
    Repairs
    Scotland
    Singapore
    Switzerland
    Thailand
    Transport
    Turkey
    Usa
    Wales
    Welcome

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.