THE TOP TEN MOST LUXURIOUS TRAINS IN THE WORLD

From Worldometer (new  COVID-19 deaths yesterday):

        DAY   USA   WORLD   Brazil     India  South Africa

June     9    1093     4732         1185       246       82

July    22     1205     7128         1293      1120     572

Aug    12     1504     6556        1242        835     130

Sept     9     1208      6222       1136       1168       82

Oct     21     1225      6849         571        703       85

Nov    25      2304    12025        620        518     118

Dec    30      3880    14748       1224       299     465

Jan     14       4142     15512        1151         189     712              

Feb      3       4005    14265       1209       107     398

          25       2414    10578         1582        119     144

Mar     2        1989    9490         1726        110     194

          31         1115   12301          3950       458      58

April   6         906   11787           4211         631      37

May    4         853   13667          3025      3786     59 

           5         743    14567          2791       3982     46 

         26         668    12091         2198       4172     102

Summary:  Slowly improving, except for India.  South Africa?

This is part one of a two-day posting on fabulous trains.  I've traveled around the USA on Amtrak, been on several Eurail Pass trips, took the Eastern and Orient Express from Bangkok to Singapore and been all over Japan on their Rail Pass.  Here is one rating of the most luxurious trains in the world:

• 
  #10  Indian Pacific (Australia):  Beginning in 1970, this train connected Sydney and Perth, a one way journey of 2700 miles.  Takes 65 hours in four classes, cheapest being an advanced purchase of $1819, with Platinum as the premium at $3889, for a suite with shower.
• 
  #9  Palace on Wheels (India):  Relaunched in 2009, there are 23 gorgeous coaches for 104 guests.  Eight days from New Delhi through the country and back for a total cost of from $4000 to $7600 per person depending on type of cabin.  Expensive for singles, as the price doubles.

• 
  #8  Blue Train (South Africa):  Connects Cape Town and Pretoria, a distance of 994 miles. 27 hours, 52-80 guests, for $1300, but includes meals, wine and cigar.
• #7  Pride of Africa:  2000 miles from Pretoria to Zimbagwe, Zambia and Tanzania in nine days.  Takes 72 passengers, and between Capetown and Pretoria costs between $1776 and $3500.
• 
  #6  Rocky Mountaineer (Canada):  Was named the The World's Leading Luxury Train in 2020.  There are four rail routes connecting Alberta, British Columbia and the state of Washington.  The 12-night Grand Rail Circle costs between $8,106 and $12,299/person.

• 
  #5  Eastern and Oriental Express (Southeast Asia):  Four days connecting Singapore to Bangkok for a total cost of $3325 to $7575/person (singles more expensive).  The train is narrow rail, so walking around is a real hazard.  The route also extends from Bangkok to Chiang Mai at a cost from $2231 to $4717/person for two nights.
• 
  #4  Venice Simplon Orient Express (Europe):  Links London to Venice, but several times/year goes on to places like Istanbul via Budapest and other cities, like Rome, Berlin, Stockholm and Copenhagen.  Remember the book and film by Agatha Christie?  Cost of $3360 to $9640 on a London-Paris-Venice route, or $20,000 to $70,000 going between Paris-Bucharest-Istanbul.  Here is what you get for five nights.

• 

  #3  Royal Scotsman (Scotland):  Only 36 passengers, the four night Scotch Malt Whiskey Trail  from Edinburgh costs around $7500/person.  Great if you can find a way to golf at St. Andrews, as I have several times.
• 

  #2  Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian Express (Russia):  6800 miles from Moscow to Vladivostok, with a stop in Ulaan Bataar, takes 15 days at a cost from $20,000 to $46,000.  I remember reading in 2008 a book by Paul Theroux called Ghost Train to the Eastern Star, a particularly grimy and cheap trip, about as opposite as you can get from the luxurious GTT-SE.

• Theroux, who lives in Hawaii, just released his latest book, Under the Wave at Waimea:

• 
  #1 Maharajas Express (India):  Five rail journeys covering 12 destinations, voted The World's Leading Luxury Train five times in a row.  84 passengers starting at $2910 for the Treasures of India, going up to $23,700 for the Heritage of India in the presidential suite.

Another top ten, on You Tube.  A similar list as above, with the Maharajas Express also at #1.  At #3 is the Seven Stars Kyushu, which I will report on tomorrow.

A longer video showing a few other trains:

• There are several Australian trains that take you almost everywhere you might want to go.  Not all that outrageously expensive, so this would be a different way to see the country, although views might be a tad boring.

• 
  An interesting one is a 3-hour ride from Cusco to Machu Picchu on the Hiram Bingham.  The $1000 roundrip cost includes a welcome Pisco cocktail, open bar, music, gourmet lunch and dinner, entrance to Machu Picchu with tour guide.  Also, bus transfer and back to train station.
• This video concludes with Japan's Shika-Shima, which I will expand on tomorrow.

People send me these dancing mash-ups.  Here are a few for your viewing pleasure:

• Lionel Richie's Dancing on the Ceiling.  If you saw him on American Idol, can you believe he is 70 years old?
• Dancing in the Movies with Wham.
• Flashdancing at the Movies.

• 
  But about dancing, many, me included, say that the tap dancing performance of Eleanor Powell and Fred Astaire to Artie Shaw's Begin the Beguine was the best ever on the screen.  Few remember that they danced three times in Broadway Melody of 1940 (Rotten Tomatoes:  80/81).  The third star in that production was George Murphy, who went on to become a U.S. Senator.  The story is that Powell/Astaire never were filmed dancing together again because they were intimidated of each other.  Probably true, but they actually remained friends.  Here is Eleanor in tribute to Astaire in 1981.  She passed away the following year, but if alive today, would have been 109 years old.  Fred?  Went in 1987 at the age of 88 and would have just made 121 a few days ago if still around.

I slept right through the lunar eclipse last night, but here is a photo of the event sent to me by a friend using her iPhone (it was a cloudy night in Honolulu):

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