Our bus left early in the morning the next day, so we bade DC farewell, and began the long journey down south, stoppin' at... Lynchburrrrrrrrg, VA!!
We actually almost didn't make our connecting bus. Our Greyhound didn't leave from DC until half an hour after scheduled departure, so we were basically biting our nails from there to Charlottesville, where our connecting bus was. In Britain we would have just brushed this tiny inconvenience off, since in Europe there are loads of buses leaving practically every minute. Not so in the US of A, where everyone has a gas-guzzling SUV that can take you anywhere, anytime you please. Luckily the other bus waited for us and a few other passengers, and we were on our way, with MaryAnn's nails half-intact.
While the town name leaves a lot to be desired, Lynchburg is actually quite a pretty Southern town! One of the first things we noticed down South is that there are loads of churches. As in, one on every block. It's very interesting how while Dublin and London have a pub every block, the south has churches. Another thing you are struck by is the hospitality. When we were walking down the sidewalk people would say "good day" or "how're you doin'?", definitely something you don't find in the Northeast or in Europe! People were also more than helpful with helping a lost Brit and Yank find their way to the historic district, or recommend some good places to chow down on some grub. A word of advice to potential South-bound travelers: many shops and eateries close from 2-5:30 for siesta, so don't be too surprised or exasperated to find nothing open at 3:00! Not like we're speaking from experience of course...
As we had the afternoon free, we explored the historic downtown district, weaving our way through the main streets and avenues. Lots of Antique shops and cutesy boutiques. We were recommended by a local to a cafe called 'The White Hart' which does a mean Mac 'n' cheese, FYI. It bases its aesthetic around the Oxford University 'Inklings' society, and thus has a bookish, scholarly feel to it - a great contrast to the surrounding townscape it is situated in.
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| Downtown historic district, photo not our own |
After sitting down for the meal, we decided to hit the sidewalk en-route to the Amtrak station for our first long-leg train journey!! Our excitement was amusingly diluted in two ways. One: Lynchburg is built in a valley. Meaning when you walk to certain destinations, expect to either be walking downhill for 40 min, or uphill. Of course, we had to trekk up the steep streets. Word of advice: take a bus/car. Unless you're planning on working off 7/11 nachos with chili and cheese, which we got in desperation. So in hindsight, maybe it was for the best. Next, when we finally got to the train station, we found out that our train was delayed an hour.. Then an hour and a half.. Now two. Haha. Oh well, part of the Amtrak experience! We're actually waiting in the train station for our train as we type, at 11.30pm. What fun. Anyway, until New Orleans!
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Front of Lynchburg Amtrak train station
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| Raving it up at the station |
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