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[velata]

Thanks for all the congrats! For those who asked: It wasn't spur of the moment. We had been planning it a while but kept it under wraps. We are in Portland now, enjoying the free wireless at Powell's. Here are a bunch more pictures from Thursday:http://

Comments

[velata]

Yes, very good. We showed up at like 7:15 and there were no ticket agents around, either for Amtrak or for Via Rail (where we were directed by a sign on the amtrak desk). All we had was our confirmation number and were supposed to pick up tickets at the station. I called their 800 number and was able to get a so-called "boarding number" that would enable us to get on the bus. THEN we couldn't find the bus, because it wasn't in back with all the Greyhound bus bays, it was in front in the drop-off area.

So we finally got to the bus at 7:55, and the driver said he couldn't let us on without tickets. We were like, we don't have tickets, we have this boarding number. He said, well, you can buy tickets from me. $28 a piece, cash only. Except, we had studiously spent all our canadian cash and only had $40 american between the two of us. He sneeringly said, you are traveling across an international border and don't have cash? I said, well, we have $40. E went inside to find a cash machine, which turned out to be out of order. Then the driver said we could put a "non-refundable deposit" on tickets and buy tickets once we get to Seattle, which sounded vaguely like extortion to us. He said, well, you can take the next bus (AT NOON), and I said no, since you've been such a jerk I think we will take Greyhound.

The greyhound left at 9, got us to Portland only half an hour later than our original plans, and cost slightly less to boot. We are all better now but E can't wait to write an angry letter to Amtrak!

[misterroboto]

Oh man. How terrible! I thought my bus being like an hour late to Seattle was bad. You should call your credit card company, too, and try and undo the charge from Amtrak!