Return Trip

The afternoon entertainment was a banjo picker who was actually pretty good. The return trip, however, was not so good.

We were so hot and worn out after the 1.65 uphill hike, that we just sat at the bus stop under the cover until it was time to get on the train. We got to the bus stop at 2:00, and the train didn't leave until 3:00. Relentless told us he absolutely could NOT let anyone on the train until 2:45, so don't even think about lining up before then. Around 2:30 we noticed that other people were getting in their cabins, so we decided to head over. Sure enough, there he was, letting people on the train. Since Relentless was already on my list for the whole "eat, walk, ride" episode, this did not bode well with me.


One thing I forgot to mention earlier was the that Relentless had been called in at the last minute (hence the story about the water - he was supposed to drive over and get some that day), and he had to take care of our cabin and the one in front of us (thank goodness, because this was the only breaks we got from the incessant talking). So, every time someone headed into our cabin, he would make a mad dash to get to the microphone before them and announce them. Like as if, when we saw the guy with the guitar, we didn't know this would be the afternoon entertainer.


During the morning trip, a photographer took everyone's picture (another $20, but we did look cute). In the afternoon, she came to our cabin, picked up the microphone and announced that she would hand out the pictures first then come back through the cabin to collect the money. After she handed out about 5 or 6 photos, Relentless saw her from the other cabin, and goes running for the microphone to announce that she is here. He is really living up to his name.


Then about an hour into the train ride, Relentless gets back onto the microphone and announces that in a little while we will see some cowboys on horse back, and the train is going to stop, and the cowboys are going to get on the train to rob it. He goes into great detail about how they are going to come through each cabin and "rob" us. Then afterwards he tells out how they drive the horses out to that point and wait for them to be done with the robbery. He would also later tell us that the cowboys get off the train at the end and ride in an SUV back to the robbery point for the second train. I'm thinking, wouldn't this whole "robbery" be much more exciting if we didn't know every detail beforehand? I decide that I WAS robbed, not of money, but of the true experience.

Then he says, "Parents, get out some dollars for your kids to give up during the robbery, and make sure you realize that they will not give the dollars back. But don't give them everything you have - make sure that you save some for your hardworking PSA." Once again, living up to his name.


He even makes us start screaming before the robbers arrive - see that here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RaAlIj_OBnk


See part of the "robbery" here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEJH5TCCTtc