North Island

Friday was the start of the main tour of the North Island. The group for the start of this was Kerry (driver), Drew, Mark, Keely, Alice, Anita, Jane, Suzanne, Gemma, Jena, Lorraine. The first day was spent getting to and around the Coromandel Penisula to the east of Auckland. This is a very wooded area and is apparently popular as a Christmas retreat for the Kiwis. One of its other 'claims to fame' is that it is a area where a lot of marijuana was grown because of the density of the plant-life. The police used to cut it down and then helicopter out the hauls. However, what they didn't realise was that seeds used to drop out from under the helicopter and spread them even further! Hihei was the destination for the night and we did a walk up to Cathedral Cove before dinner. After dinner we went to the Hot Water beach (had to be visited when the tide was just coming in). There are hot vents (volcanic) under the beach which are normally too hot to do anything with. However, if you dig a hole as the tide is coming in, you can mix the hot water from the vents with the cold sea water to get a comfortable hot tub. No surprises - the girls did very little digging but were the first into the hole!

Next stop was Raglan on the west coast, just the other side of Hamilton. It is mostly famous as a surf area but when we got there it was dull, wet and the sea was very flat so we spent the time in the hostel which was actually a group of buildings built into a clearing in the rainforest. We also had a few sessions on the flying fox, made more interesting by the fact that we couldn't see a thing!

Then it was onto Rotorua, home of a great number of hot mud pools and hence a very strong rotten egg smell due to the sulphur. We attended a Maori cultural show in the evening in which we had to learn the haka as well as the use of some Maori weaponry. Then it was back to the hostel bar for a few drinks (well, quite a few actually).

The hangover the next morning was probably not the best preparation for what I was to do next. Unfortunately the zorbing was cancelled but was still able to do the Swoop (lifted up 40m in the air and then dropped to swing back and forth between two pylons) and a (small) Jet boat course. Didn't feel quite so hungover after that but I'm not sure I would recommend it as a standard cure! After that I took a leisurely walk around some of the hot mud pools in the park in the centre of the city before getting back on the bus to head up to Taupo via the Huka Falls. We were hoping to do our skydives in Taupo that afternoon but it was too cloudy and wet for many of us to get up. This meant a mixed evening for us as some people were able to celebrate having done the dive whilst the rest of us knew that we had a very early start.

The next morning was a very early start for all of us left to skydive. However, I think we had the better deal as the sky was a lot clearer (but there were still some clouds to dive through) and we could see both the lake and the mountains that we would be walking through a few hours later. The Tongariro crossing is meant to be one of the great one day walks in New Zealand, if not the world. Some of it is very familiar to anyone who has seen 'The Lord of the Rings' as it goes past Mount Doom from the film (although there wasn't enough time for us to climb it). The first half of the walk is very impressive, walking through lava plains, past steam vents and some very colourful lakes. The second half of the walk was less impressive as it was quite a long trek through a sub-alpine environment. The total walk is about 17km but it didn't really feel that bad - I'm not sure whether that was due to still being on a high from the skydive or having the chance to relax in a spa pool once we got back to the hostel (which was more like a hotel than a hostel).

Wednesday was very much a express journey down to Wellington with little to see along the way. I wonder if that is why we have such a big night out there and also - why did we bother getting beds - by the time we got back to the hostel it was time to catch the shuttle bus to the ferry for the South Island!

Northland

Tuesday was the start of a Stray tour of both islands, beginning with Northland (the long bit that sticks out the top of North Island). It is most famous for the Kauri forests (big trees!), the Bay of Islands and beaches. Most of Tuesday, however, was spent travelling up to Pihia, which is the main base for the Bay of Islands, stopping off at the occasional forest or park to look at the wildlife (mainly plants and birds) but included the Goat Island reserve for some sealife spotting.

The next day also involved a lot of travel but there was more to do along the way as we were taking a 4WD to the top end of the island and then back to Pihia. Along the way we drove along 90 mile beach which is actually only 64 miles long but the Kiwis wanted to have a bigger beach than the Aussies! It actually is classed as a national highway, with a 100 kph speed limit - not that there is much chance of exceeded that in most places! Along the side of the beach are a series on steep sand dunes so it was time for more sand boarding but the wipeouts were a little less spectacular. Following the boarding we continued up to Cape Reinga at the extreme north end to see the point at which the Tasman Sea meets the Pacific. Unfortunately it was a little overcast and flat and so the transition was not as obvious as it can apparantly be at times. The day ended with fish and chips at the 'world famous' Mangonui Fish Shop - world famous primarily for the fact that most overseas tourists are taken there!

Thursday morning was spent cruising in the Bay of Islands, including some dolphin watching. As there were babies in the pod no-one was allowed to go swimming with them which is probably just as well as the night before had gone on for quite a bit longer than expected! The rest of the day was spent continuing the hangover recovery before heading back to Auckland.

Auckland

I arrived in Auckland on a Monday and decided that I really ought to settle down for a little while and catch up on things like getting my blog up-to-date as it was already 2 months out-of-date and I'd only been travelling for 3! Caught up with a few friends whilst I was there (Mikey from the Feejee Experience tour and Jo from the time in New Orleans). I did spend some time around the city (visiting Victoria Market and Devonport and watching the firework display on Guy Fawkes Night - 5 November for those of you who don't know) but mostly it was a case of sorting myself out and getting ready for the next stage. The main thing that stuck out from that week was the fire alarm going off in the early hours of Saturday night - lots of people hanging around the hostel wondering what the do next - time for an early breakfast?

Fiji - Feejee Experience and Beachcomber

Saturday morning and the start of the Feejee Experience with a hangover! Quick set of introductions, so don't remember anyone's name! For the record they were: Kerry and Katie, Claire, Mike, Mikey, Sam, Baker (Kieran), Crispy (Kieran), Sarah, Victoria, Jane and Kelly (who actually didn't meet up with us until we got down to the Coral Coast). First main stop (not counting the supermarket stop in Nadi) was Natadola Beach for a bit of swimming and lunch before stopping in a local village for a half hour. Then it was off to Sigatoka and the sand dunes for some sand boarding. It was a bit tame for the first run down so Kaka (the driver) gave me a different board to try out. I'm sure if must have had turbos on it and so I managed a spectacular wipeout at the end - sand in every possible entry point! For the accomodation we were the first guests at Mango Bay Resort on the Coral Coast. It was still under construction but with probably be a very nice place when it's finished. However, they will then to work out their stocks a bit better - we drank the bar dry of everything other than a few spirits! As we were at the beach we watched the sunset (very nice) and then had a campfire after the meal (with music provided by the resorts own guitarist).

Sunday started with a 3-hour hike through the rainforest to the river - perfect hangover cure, if a little hot! It's not a standard hiker track as it has been made specially for Fiji Experience and hence is a bit more rugged which also makes it more fun - lots of walking through streams which was really refreshing after the heat of the first part of the hike. At the river we did some tube-ing in the rain (probably more fun than it would have been in the dry) and ended up by jumping off the waterfall (another test for the vertigo!). After an hour or so boating bakc up the river to the bus we drove into Suva for a night of pole dancing and more alcohol!

The next day started with a visit to a local village school where we were guided around by the pupils. They don't just guide the visitors either, there's a vegetable garden where they grow the ingredients for the meals they prepare. Whilst we were there a group of the older pupils were doing some practical wood and metal working - replacing the roof on one of the buildings - I can't see that happening in the UK somehow! We then headed for an inland village for a kava ceremony with the chief followed by Bilibili rafting (and racing) and volleyball (of a kind) with the both the chief and some of the guys from the village. However, heading from the village north to the coast was probably the most surreal part of my time in Fiji - we got caught in the middle of a hailstorm!! The hailstones were not like the small drops we get back in the UK, these things were more like ice cubes, able to crack the windscreen. A few of the guys also had to get out a couple of times to clear fallen trees from the road! Te (the guide) said that she had never seen anything like it before in her life. However, once we got to the coast you would think nothing had happened as it was bright sunshine there. At the coast we boarded a boat for our next destination - Nananu-I-Ra island. After going to the top of the hill to watch another sunset it was back for more drinking games, campfires and skinny dipping (thank good the sea around Fiji is warm!).

A few of us spent the next few days chilling out in Nananu-I-Ra before catching the boat back to the mainland on the Thursday. The highlights of the journey back to Nadi where the goat curry in Ba (populated primarily by ethnic Indians that had come over to Fiji in the mid-1800's to work on the sugar plantations), the hot springs and mud pools. The evening was spent back in the Horizon hostel in Nadi, drinking kava and listening to Tai and the Kavaholics. I have a signed CD so I can subject you to them when I get back!

On the Friday those of us still around headed off to Beachcomber Island for a Feejee Experience reunion. Needless to say it was another late one. Saturday involved lots of sleeping and lots of rain - when it rains here it really rains! It was a slow start to evening (which the band did not help) but we still managed to hang a few (understatement!) on. Sunday was also very chilled and we headed back to Nadi for a very wet evening of goodbyes. New Zeland tomorrow!

Fiji - Nadi and the Yasawas

Well, what happened to Monday? One of the disadvantages of travelling around the world westwards is that at some point you have to cross the international date line and so you lose an entire day. Still shouldn't really complain as the compensation is that every other time I fly I gain a few hours and I don't have to face winter for an entire year!

First day in Fiji was spent organising a week (well 6 days actually) up in the Yasawa Islands, which are meant to be really beautiful and relaxing. I also took a wander into Nadi town. They mustn't be used to people walking around here as I lost count of the number of taxi drivers stopping to give me a lift from the hostel into town - and it's only a half hour walk! The town itself is no better for being hassled, with virtually every shop owner wanting you to come in and have a look around. Still, it makes a change from the UK where you basically have to beat someone around the head a few times before they realise that you're there!

Wednesday was a fairly early start in order to catch a big yellow catamaran, the Yasawa Flyer, up to the islands. Also had my first experience of 'Fiji time' whilst waiting for breakfast - I thought I had plenty of time to grab something but ending up running out the door with a handful of toast and eggs. Nothing works fast out here! Of course, once I got out the door I discovered that the coach couldn't fit everyone and so we had to wait for another - which was plenty of time to finish off my breakfast!

The first two nights were spent on Tavewa Island in the Coral View resort. Not the resort (or even the island) I was expecting to be on but it seemed pretty nice and chilled out. After an afternoon of lazing on the beach and a bit of swimming in a really warm sea (bit like getting into a bath - I could get used to swimming in these sort of seas!), we had afternoon tea (including cake!) and then decided to go for a wander around the island. I mean, they're only small islands aren't they? So off we set in shorts and thongs (flip-flops, not G-strings!, for those of you who don't know) for a short stroll. There were 6 of us altogether - Mark & Lynn, Nicky, Louise and Jon (Boy). After we had been walking for a bit and getting towards the third of the resorts on the island, a couple on the beach said that we couln't actually walk all the way around. But then we got to the third resort and one of the people from there did say that we could get around so we carried on. I suppose we really ought to have started asking questions after spending the next hour or so clambering over rocks, a lot of which were damp and very slippy. Not even the snake (which we later found out was a poisonous sea snake!) put us off. However as it started to get darker we did really begin to wonder if it was possible to get around and after a short discussion we decided to had back the way we came, especially as the tide appeared to be coming in. By the time we got to a big clearing in the forest at the edge of the shore it was really quite dark and we wondered about finding a short cut or even stopping for the night there. That idea was soon abandoned when someone's foot went down a hole. Not too much of a problem you would think, but when a very pissed-off crab scrambles out on it's back legs, pincers in the air, it didn't seem such a good idea! We eventually made it back to the third resort and one of the locals offered to guide us back to our resort via a shortcut through the forest. We then tought we would be able to creep back into our resort as if nothing had happened. No chance of that! - some of the staff had formed a search party to come out and find us - very embarrassing! Still it gave us something to talk about!

This next morning we went to visit the Sawa-i-lau limestone caves, this time with a guide! In order to view them properly you have to get wet and swim underwater through a short tunnel. However, as it was high tide outside, it was low tide in the caves and so we didn't have to swim underwater that much. Whilst in there we were introduced to another creatures that likes biting - sea lice, as if the mossies weren't bad even on their own! In the afternoon we take a trip over to the Blue Lagoon, from the first two versions of that film. It is incredibly beautiful, with white sands and the bluest water I ever seen. Unfortunately the resort didn't have any snorkelling gear left so we thought we would only get to see a bit of the sealife that was near the surface, such as a royal blue starfish. Luckily we bumped into some Kiwi couples who had just anchored in the lagoon. They let use use their gear, which let us have a look at the reefs. Whilst these were mostly dead, there was still a lot of fish swimming around, mostly very brightly coloured (the most vivid memory is of a very swim blue fish which almost looked as if it was glowing). I even found Nemo! Unfortunately I did forgot one thing whilst swimming around the lagoon - sun cream! Time for the first lot of sunburn!

We weren't due to leave the resort until the afternoon so we spent the morning on Suntan beach, which was just across the reef from our island. To make a change we had a competition - guys vs. the girls to see who could build the best shelter. The guys won!

The next island was Naviti. Nicky, Louise and I stayed at the Korovou Eco Resort, with Mark and Lynn staying at the Coconut Bay, which was a few minutes walk along the beach. Korovou was a very nice resort, with a pool that had just been opened on that day. However, Coconut Bay was very quiet and so Mark and Lynn tended to spend most of their time in ours. The entertainment for the evening was a Fire Dance, performed by the staff. Pretty impressive apart from the times when some of the torches slipped out of the dancers hands and ended up under the tables! The next couple of days were spent not doing much, especially as we couldn't go fishing. We did go kayaking on the final morning, not realising quite how tiring it was!

The final night was spent on Kuata Island. This wasn't as interesting as the other two islands and so we spent the evening drinking and decided that we would try and wait for the sunrise but ended up giving in at 4:30am! Needless to say, the final day in the islands was a very quiet one!

The next few days were spent back in the hostels in Nadi, basically just chilling out by the pool. However we did have a reunion (including Lee & Helen) in Horizon on the Thursday (some of the others having gone to Beachcomber Island for a few days after the Yasawas). This was also my first chance to listen to Tai and the Kavaholics live (I would hearing them quite a bit of the next week or so). Friday was meant to be a quiet day before joining the Feejee Experience on Saturday. However, that was before we discovered Ed's Bar!

Hawaii

Eventually got to Honolulu on the Monday evening after being screwed over by the staff at LAX. I got there before the flight was due but there was already a massive queue. I heard a member of the airline staff telling people on the 8:30am flight to move to another queue in order to get on. However, when I went to speak to her she said I hadn't waited long enough and so had to continue in the main queue (so as not to jump ahead of other people). When she finally decided that I had waited long enough it was too late to board the plane with luggage and so I would have to wait for the next one! Luckily that was only a few hours later but I couldn't board it until the last minute as it was fully booked. Last time I bother obeying requests from airline staff!

Tuesday was spent in the Waikiki beach area. It is definately a tourist trap with very little space on the beach and loads of souvenir / gift shops dotted along the main road. Luckily I was booked in at a hostel on the North Shore for the next day and so only had the one day to put up with.

Headed up to the North Shore on the Wednesday in a free shuttle provided by the hostel. Took a walk along the beach, which was a lot different from Waikiki. Rather than being 2 inches of beach between people, you had to walk for a few minutes before spotting the next person. However, after heading back to the hostel for dinner (which was meant to be a BBQ), the first of the rains started. It was quite warm rain but still very wet and meant that the BBQ was cancelled and forced most people into their own huts, which cut down on any socialising.

On the Thursday I hired a bike to cycle up to Haleíwa, which was meant to be the main historical point of interest on the north shore. Well, it's quite a nice little village but that's as far as it goes. I then cycled back past the hostel to go further eastwards up the north shore. Lots more deserted beaches and a lots of pineapple stalls. However, as I headed back the rain started again and so I was drenched by the time I got back.

Friday was spent relaxing in the hostel as the rains were on and off again.

It was back to Waikiki the next day, mainly to ensure that I was in the area to catch the flight to Fiji on the Sunday. However I did manage to get onto a tour of the windward shore of the island on the Sunday as well. A lot more deserted beaches and some stunning (but very windy!) views over the Honolulu area. I also got to try some Lau Lau pork, which is pork wrapped and cooked in ti leaves (which, funnily enough, taste a lot like tea!). Very unusual!

Los Angeles

Arrived in LA on late Friday and met up with Susan, who is on secondment out here (actually in Santa Monica) and who had offered her spare room for me to stay in.

On the Saturday morning I took a walk along Venice Beach, not that I could see much of the beach as it was covered in fog! Very unusual mix of street sellers though, not the sort of combination you see everyday! I actually spent most of the day in Santa Monica, picking up things for later in the trip as this was my last real chance to do some shopping in the US proper (next stop was Hawaii but didn't think I would have the chance or inclination to do much shopping there). There's also a load of street entertainers in the 3rd Street Promenade as well, some better than others and some much wierder than others (psychic cat anyone!). Visited my first British pub of the trip as well, Ye Olde Kings Head. It's not quite as bad as the name implies, although the Fish and Chips were still not the real mccoy. It probably helped that I only had to pay for half my drinks at the bar, the barmaid buying the other half!

Sunday was spent at the Getty Museum, the buildings and grounds of which are almost as impressive as the collections. You are also meant to be able to get a good view of LA from here (the museum sits on top of a hill), however the smog prevented me from seeing it. Fairly quiet night in preparation for the flight to Hawaii the next day.

San Diego

Decided to fly down to San Diego from San Francisco as it cost about the same as the bus and took about an hour rather than half a day! This meant that I had a little time to have a look around the Gaslamp District when I arrived. It's very nice and a good place to go to for a night out, especially if you're not on a budget as there are loads of restaurants, some with live music (if you like jazz or blues).

Sunday was spent finding out when the next baseball game was (San Diego is probably the last chance I'll get to see a game) and then taking a walk up to Balboa Park. Balboa Park is massive (although not as big as it used to be due to some of it being used for a Naval Hospital). Joined a Ranger tour to get a bit more information and then sat down to listen to the free organ recital (the Spreckels Organ is the largest outdoor organ in the world). The organist is actually a Brit and she had just come back from visiting her mum back in the UK, so the first few tunes had a very British flavour. Kind of made me feel a little homesick for a few moments but then looked up at the sky and remembered what the weather would probably be like in the UK at that time which soon sorted that! The wierdest bit of the entire recital was when she played the US national anthem and hence everyone got up to sing along, apart from 3 people (me and 2 others who were obviously from overseas). Still I stood up out of respect, just not singing! I then had a look around some of the museums (which are quite small to be honest and only need an hour or two each) before heading back to the Gaslamp for dinner. The music must have had an effect as I went and had a traditional British meal - curry! It was a pretty good curry to be honest but I'm not used to being asked how hot I want it - isn't that what the names are for?

Monday was spent at the zoo. It's meant to be one of the biggest and best in the world. I used to have a CD-ROM about it at home (got it free), so was interested to see it for real. Unfortunately I think my expectations were a bit high and hence it didn't really knock me out. However I did see the pandas and a live wild cat show, which was held a few feet from the audience as the arena that it is normally held in was under reconstruction. The evening was spent at the Ballpark, watching a game between the San Diego Padres and the San Francisco Giants. It wasn't quite what I was expecting as everyone seems to get up to wander around (getting beer and snacks) whilst the game is on! Also wasn't expecting the '7th Innings Stretch' and the rendition of 'Let's Go Down To The Ballpark', but it's all part of the experience. As for the game, Sand Diego took the lead very early in the game but managed to throw it away in the 9th innings due to a mistake by one of the catchers - overhearing a few other people speaking after the game it is something they do a lot! The end of the game was a bit of an anti-climax as everyone filed out quietly - I was expecting a few chants from the Giants fans at least!

The first part of Tuesday was spent back in Balboa Park, going to some of the museums I had missed out on Sunday. The Museum of Man was quite good (partly due to my background interest in archaeology) - although I was a bit disappointed at first as the best bits were upstairs. The Museum of Natural History was a letdown, even more so than New York's. Obviously the museums in Washington and London are two of the best in the world and everywhere else is a pale imitation. Later in the day I headed up to Pacific Beach (or PB as it is known locally) to stay for a few days. Met up with an Irish guys and 3 Kiwi's on the first night and went to a local Kiwi bar (although apparently the only 'Kiwi' link, apart from the backpakcer staff, is the fact that the owners went on holiday to New Zealand a few years back). Then it was across the road to another bar, playing lots of cheesy 80's music - it was great! Can't remember much after that to be honest ;-)

Wednesday was very quiet - very hung-over! Didn't do much until the evening when I went for a wander to find out what else there was to do in the area other than chill-out on the beach. The big thing that stuck in my mind was the number of second-hand shops - it seemed like every other shop was a second-hand shop!

Thursday was a another chilled-out day. Did meet up with one of the guys from the Yosemite trip, which was good fun. Back up to LA tomorrow.

San Francisco and Yosemite

Well, at least I got here! At one point it looked as if the Greyhound bus would never leave Los Angeles - no-one in the terminal seemed to know what was happening. There were no buses for ages and then they all turned up at once! Luckily an American guy did some asking around and we eventually found the right bus. Finally got into San Francisco at about 8:00am and quickly made my way to the hostel. Was going to try and catch up on some sleep and then get a shower but my bed wasn't available yet so I ended up heading straight into the city. It is actually quite easy to get around here, especially once you figure out the one way systems (and hence don't wander around for ages looking for the bus stop - doh!). There are also the cable cars which are not the same as any cable cars I had seen before. They are basically street cars / trams (although you can't call them trolleys - they don't like that around here!) which are pulled along by cables which run under the roadway (and not overhead like the ones I'm used to). They get very busy because of their age (and hence photo opportunities) and are not particularly fast but you have to go on them at least once. I used one to get upto Fisherman's Wharf in the afternoon and then decided it would be quite good to take a walk over to the Golden Gate Bridge. About 4 miles later it didn't seem like such a good idea, especially as I still had to cross the bridge (and get back). Managed to do that whilst it was still light (and hadn't gotten too cold - the city is a lot cooler than you would expect - apparently Mark Twain wrote the the coldest winter he ever endured was the summer he spent in San Francisco). I then jumped onto the bus that I was expecting to take me back downtown. It was a very scenic route with no landmarks that I recognised - not surprising as it was the bus to the university in the southern outskirts! Apparently the bus stop at the bridge serves for both directions - I'll check the destination sign on the side of the bus next time, rather than just the route number on the front! Unsurprisingly I didn't do much else after that as I still had to get back to the hostel to sort myself out.

Saturday started slowly - more days seem to be starting slowly at the moment, must be due to constantly trying to do stuff - you don't get a weekend off with this travelling lark ;-) Took a walk back to Fisherman's Wharf to book a trip to Alcatraz, expecting to do this on the Sunday as it is normally booked out. However, travelling alone sometimes has it's advantages and hence got the last space on one of the afternoon tours. You probably all know about Alcatraz so I won't bore you here. Suffice to say that the tour (especially the audio tour) is well worth doing.

Sunday was spent doing a lot of hillwalking (kind of unavoidable in San Francisco to be honest). So took a look at Lombard Street, an incredibly twisty road due to the steepness of the hill slope. Cars have to be parked at 90 degrees to the slope here to prevent them rolling away! Then it was over to the Coit Tower which a bit like the end of a fire hose. The hill here overlooks most of the city and you can go up the tower itself if you want to get even better views (but you have to pay for them). I used the steps to get back down to the waterfront (there are still streets on these hill sides but no roads). I wandered along to waterfront to the ball park but there wasn't a game on so I took the streetcar over to Ocean Beach. This is meant to be a bit of a retreat for the locals but it looks a bit run down now, although it probably didn't help that the weather was overcast.

Monday was the day to meet up with the Green Tortoise tour of Yosemite but that wasn't until later in the evening. So I did some more aimless wandering around, basically chilling out. I did go and see the sea-lions at Fisherman's Wharf, having forgotten to do that when I was previously there. They're all wild and had turned up at the wharf following the earthquake in Loma Prieta in 1989 (actually arrived at K-Dock on Pier 39 in 1990) and have never left - in fact the group is growing in size. Spent an hour or so just watching them sunning themselves, with the males competing for the best sun spots. Met up with the Yosemite group at about 8:30pm, standing around the back of the Greyhound station, with everyone saying 'Is this the right place' as it had nothing to indicate it was the pick up point. Can't remember the names of everyone in the group but please step forward and take a bow: Jess, Leah, Manus, Emily, Chris (Kiwi), Carly, Siou-Yu. First stop on the first night was at a supermarket to stock up on the essentials: nibbles and more importantly, beer - and lots of it! There wasn't much to see on the first night's journey so we just concentrated on making an impact on the beer mountain.

Tuesday saw us arrive in Yosemite, going past El Capitan on the way to our first hike. If El Capitan sounds familiar, you've been playing too many videogames (it's one of the tracks in Gran Turismo 4)! The first hike wasn't too stressing, up to Vernal and Nevada falls. The falls weren't as impressive as they could have been due to it being the middle of summer, but at least they were still flowing (most of the falls having already dried up). We didn't actually realise until later, however, that we had taken the harder route up and the easier route down - maybe we should have taken that as an omen, but more on that later. The next stop was meant to be to see the sunset but we got caught in a downpour, which meant we spent the next 4-5 hours driving around Calfornia and in and out of Nevada in order to find somewhere to camp for the night. Still the campfire and singing (some better than others - Jess and Kiwi being the stand-outs) made up for it.

Wednesday was effectively the 'wet' day. The morning was spent in Mono Lake. I was about to say swimming but you can't actually do that as it is full of salt and minerals (a bit like the Dead Sea) so you spend most of your time floating amongst the tiny green shrimp, not quite freezing but not far off! By the time you get out and dry off in the sun everyone looks a bit like a zombie due to the salt. Not having a shower nearby we made do with a shower off the bus - a window is opened outwards and a couple of people pour a bucket of water over it! Lunch was spent in Mammouth, after we had managed to drag the girls away from the chocolate shop that is! The final stop for the day was at a hot springs. Now for most people this would conjure up an image of highly commercialised purpose-built pools with an entrance price to match. But this being a Green Tortoise trip there's none of that! The hot springs are basically on the side of a river so you get hot and cold running water - normally when you're least expecting it! Add in more beer and melon taken from a bowl that was left to float from person to person and a good time was had by all. All that was left to do was to head to the next camping spot and make a dent on the next batch of beer (collected in Mammouth)!

Now remember I mentioned about taking to hard route up a trail, well we did it again on Lembert Dome. We were told that it was quite an easy trek up to the top and there were great views of the surrounding areas once you got there. So we started heading around to dome looking for the trail. A few of the group started clambering straight up but that didn't look like the right path so the rest of us (separately to begin with) carried on looking for this easy path up. After a while we met up having not yet found the trail but we did find what looked like a fairly straightforward route up the dome so we headed off up it. After a while of climbing we finally had to admit that it wasn't a route up but it did have a very nasty looking slide to the bottom! Luckily we came across one of the Japanese members of the group and followed him down. However his definition of a simple way down kind of got lost in translation - in order to get down safely we basically had to wedge our backsides into a crevice in the rock (no double entendres intended!) in order to stop slipping down. How were we to know that the path was on the other side of the dome! That was followed by a cold dip in a lake before heading off to see the giant sequoias in Tuolumne Grove. The day was rounded off with karaoke (I did a very bad version of Satisfaction - not helped by the fact that the other 3 guys chickened out!) and very drunken journey home (well we had to finish off the beer!), topped off with the latch on top of bus blowing off, which effectively gave us a very cold air conditioning unit!

Friday was spent recovering from the hangover before heading back to the Green Tortoise hostel for a free meal and a night out in San Francisco with some of group. The only downer (apart from the fact that not all of the group could make it) was the fact that everything closed at 2:00am, just as we were getting started!

Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon

Well I finally convinced the Greyhound driver to let me on the early bus to Las Vegas at SLC - I didn't fancy waiting another 10 hours for the next one! He was basically just standing around but I was trying to get on less than 15 mintues before departure time - another one of those strange rules that I keep coming across. Had to take my backpack onto the bus itself though - not very comfortable when someone sat next to me with the pack jammed in between the seats (too big for the overhead or under seat spaces). Not helped when the person in front decided to recline his seat back! Got into Las Vegas mid-afternoon and took a stroll down the Fremont Street Experience (the original gambling / strip-club centre for the city)to the hostel. Used the rest of the day to catch up on the basic chores (email, laundry, etc.) as I was expecting to stay in Vegas until the Saturday in order to catch the Green Tortoise 'Hostel Hopper'.

The next day (Tuesday) was spent on a day tour to the Hoover Dam (quite impressive but not so much as the locals seemed to think), the Joshua Tree National Forest (lots of Joshua trees and not a lot else) and then the West (North) Rim of the Grand Canyon. The West Rim is a lot less commercialised than the South Rim (i.e. it hasn't got a MacDonalds!) and is actually owned by the Hualapai tribe. However, I suspect it won't stay that way for long as they are already starting construction of a 'glass skywalk' over the canyon. This and the other developments planned for the area will probably ruin this view of the canyon, which at the moment is pretty spectacular. It may not be as deep as the Colca Canyon that I saw in Peru but the vertical drops make it seem so much more impressive. Unfortunately by the time we had had lunch we only really had 30 mintues to look around. That was basically the problem with the whole day - a lot of time spent travelling and very little time spent in the places we were visiting. If I was to do it again I would probably look into staying overnight in the area and doing a 'Rim to River / Top to Bottom' hike. I was going to do a tour of the Bryce and Zion National Parks but the amount of travelling involved in this tour pretty much put me off and hence I decided to reduce the time I would spend in Vegas and head off to San Francisco earlier than expected.

Before heading off though I spent a whole day on the Strip so that I could get a day and night time view of it. It has to be said that it looks pretty impressive as well as pretty tacky - Blackpool on steriods! Most things are set up for viewing at night though, such as the battle at Treasure Island and the 'volcano eruptions' at The Mirage. I had a quick go on the slots but can't really see the attration and definately couldn't bring myself to spend all day pumping coins into them like some people were doing. Still the food was good but not quite as cheap as I think it used to be - I think the casinos have cottoned onto the fact that people were trying to have a low-cost holiday at their expense!

My bus on Thursday wasn't until the afternoon, so I spent the morning in Fremont Street. You can basically tell that most of the money is now spent in the Strip as the casinos here, whilst that run down, are a lot less lavish.

At the end of it all though I'm quite glad I went to Vegas but I'm also glad that I didn't spend as long there as I originally intended. There were a few things more I could have done but unless you are a gambler it gets quite boring after a couple of days.

Amtrak through the Rockies to Salt Lake City

On the Saturday morning I caught the Amtrak train over the Rockies to Salt Lake City. It is meant to be one of the most scenic train journeys in the world. What they don't talk you it that it is also one of the slowest! Thankfully the seats were a major relevance compared to bus seats. Each seat was almost as wide as a pair of bus seats, with space to stretch your legs. And I had a pair of seats to myself! Putting the armrest up almost gave enough space to sleep on properly - but not quite!

Having said that the first half of the journey was very spectacular as we wound our ways around the mountains sides, with the speed of movement giving plenty of time to take in the view as well. Unfortunately the train did not stop at any stations long enough to get out and wander around, basically just enough time for the smokers to get a quick cigarette break in. I would have liked to get out at Glenwood Springs (a location for hot springs) for a few hours but not for an entire day.

Unfortunately the second half of the journey (primarily through Utah) was far less dramatic. Whilst there were some rock formations, it was primarily desert so I tried to catch up of some sleep, not very successfully, but at least it was better than nothing. We eventually got into Salt Lake City (SLC) after midnight, about an hour or so behind schedule. Not so much of a problem normally, but the area around the Amtrak and Greyhound stations in SLC appear to close down at about 11:30pm. Meant a long walk to the hostel, especially as I wasn't totally sure where it was! Still I found it after about 45 minutes or so, the blocks in SLC are so much bigger than any I had come across to date.

The next day was spent just wandering around the Mormon Temple area. Very impressive but you do wonder where all the money comes from. Apart from that there wasn't a great deal to do in SLC, especially on a Sunday, so I decided to pick up some food and cook for a change. Nothing too spectacular but it made a change to has something fairly basic. I had also brought sufficient fresh food for the next few days (veggies, meat and cheese) but by the time I came to collect that in the morning, it had all been taken. So much for labelling your food so no-one uses it by accident. Not that it could be too much of a case of mistaken identity as I had made up some rolls for the journey to Las Vegas. This was the first time I had had anything taken, although I don't know if I had been lucky up to that point. If nothing else it put a real downer on SLC, not that it was high on my list of places to visit again anyway. Still, it's Las Vegas next!

(ASIDE: In some of the hostels I stayed at later, they had a rule that if anyone was caught taking someone else's food, they would be ejected immediately and would lose their deposit).

Denver, Boulder and back to Denver

Well the arrival in Denver was a blast of fresh air after New Orleans. The original plan was to travel from New Orleans to Austin and then onto Denver. The evacuation to Dallas kind of changed that as I would have had to backtrack to go to Austin (aside: we were originally going to be evacuated to Baton Rouge, Louisiana or Houston, Texas and so the original plan would have still worked and I was actually going to head to Austin with one the guys from New Orleans but Dallas changed all that). After flying into Denver (I couldn't face another 18-hour Greyhound) and catching the bus into the centre, I could hear what sounded like a jazz festival. This wasn't so much of a surprise after the previous festivals that I had been through since being ion the States. However, carrying on it turned out that this was not just any old festival but 'A Taste of Colorado'. Basically it is a combination of festival and funfair back home, so there was a variety of music stages, fairground rides and a whole assortment of food stalls. I can't think of anything that could have been more different from the scenes in New Orleans. In some ways it was good to see so many people enjoying themselves but in others all I could think about were the friends that had departed in Dallas.

The next day, which happened to be Labor Day (US spelling!), was very quiet with most of the public buildings closed. I spent most of my time replacing the stuff that I had had to give up in New Orleans. I also used my time to email everyone back home to tell them my story (most of which is now the previous post in this blog). Writing that email was a little emotional but I couldn't really show that I did it whilst sitting in a cafe / bar and would probably have got some very wierd looks. I also used the time to pick up some books to replace those that I had already read. Because they were cheap I picked up some classics: 'War of the Worlds' - just seen the recent film, 'A Picture of Dorian Gray' - just seen 'A League of Extraordinary Gentlemen' and was wondering what the background to the Dorian Gray character was, and 'Frankenstein' - having just read a book on science and gene therapy. Will probably do a bit of review of these as I read them.

On the Tuesday I headed up to Boulder - a whole $3.75 from Denver! Boulder is a university town and very laid back. The aim was to use this as a base for walking in the mountains (which were meant to be just a few blocks down from the hostel but were just a little further - major understatement - call that a 30 minute walk and you would be closer to the truth!). Having said that the first day was spent mostly in the library responding to the flood of emails that I got as a result of send out the New Orleans email - thanks you guys, you don't know how much I appreciated those mails, especially the ones which said that it had made you change your mind about the whole situation. Whilst we were in New Orleans we had said that we would do all we could to let people know about the good things that we saw in New Orleans and I hoped I did my little bit. I also rememebered that my cousin worked on a local newspaper back home and she used the basic text of the email in her story as well.

Well the next 2 days were spent hiking, the first up to (almost) Green Mountain and then next up to Royal Arch. There's not really a lot to say about them other than the solitude (the first time in a few days / weeks when I could hear nothing but nature). The other wierd thing was reading the warning signs about ticks, mountains lions and bears. I had just got out of a hurricane and now wild creatures wanted a go! Luckily (or otherwise), the wildest creature I saw was a very inquisitive squirrel (he did pose quite well for the camera though)!

On the Friday I headed back to Denver, with the intention of a quiet night before catching the train over the Rockies. However, I had forgotten about the Oktoberfest that was taking place in Larimer Square that night. Having been to a few in Germany I had to see one in the US. To be honest it was a bit quiet - probably something to do with having to buy coupons for the beer first!

New Orleans and Hurricane Katrina

Well a few people said that taking the year off to go travelling would change me, I just didn't expect the change to be so quick.

For those of you you are not aware of the route that I have been travelling, I arrived in New York on 15 August for a few days. I then moved onto Philadelphia, St. Louis and Memphis for a few days each before arriving in New Orleans on Friday 26 August. What I wasn't aware of at the time (having not seen the news, or been informed by Greyhound or the Hostel management) was that Hurricane Katrina was also planning on a visit. I only found this out on the Saturday afternoon, whilst having a coffee in one of the hotels just outside of the French Quarter. However, by that time all transportation out of New Orleans had been cancelled, leaving only the people with private cars able to evacuate.

With a group of others at the hostel, we decided (after advice - finally - from the hostel management) to try an sit out the storm in the hostel. However, after seeing the news in a local bar (just about the only place where we could still get food) we decided that the hurricane was going to be stronger that we felt the hostel buildings could stand and hence we headed off to the Superdome. Little did we know that the storm was going to be the least of our worries.

After several hours queueing up to get in and having to hand across any potential weapons (which included items from my first aid and sewing kits and my knife/fork/spoon), we settled in for what we hoped was a day or two. Later that evening I had my first experience of MRE's (Meals Ready to Eat, otherwise known as Meals Rejected by Ethiopians). In reality they're not that bad!

There were a couple of anxious moments during the storns (the roof leaking, a couple of holes appearing, the shutters getting blown off and then being moved into the corridor areas as a precaution in case the roof had been damaged sufficiently to leave it vulnerable to collapse). However, all in all, the first hours / days were relatively benign.

However, by Monday night / Tuesday morning, with the influx of more survivors which basically tripled the population in the dome (we think there were 8000 people in the dome on Sunday, rising to about 25000 by Tuesday), things started to deteriorate. The drains had already stopped working and hence the toilets were in a very bad state, overflowing and with an incredible stench (not helped by the fact that there was no lighting in them, and that some people seemed to be just using the floor to relieve themselves). Incredibly, some people still 'camped' out on the corridor areas just outside the toilets, it being some of the only free floor space.

By Tuesday, the food and water situation was also beginning to worsen. Luckily, within our group, we had been conserving rations anyway (and we had brought some food in with us). However, the water was really a problem with the heat and the fact that by Tuesday the daily ration had been reduced to 1 litre per person (anyone who has seen the Sphere handbook will known that the internationally agreed minimum standard is at least 2 litres per day).

Also by Tuesday, the international elements of the dome were slowly being consolidated into a single area (although still within the general dome population). This was done so that if our embassies wanted to get in touch with us we would be easy to find. It also meant that we started getting some clear information from the National Guard, regarding the situation both within the dome and outside. It was via this that we started to hear about the first of the rapes (of a little girl) and of a suicide. The posture of the military was also noticeably changing - at first no weapons were held, then shoulder-slung behind them, shoulder-slung in front of them and then, by Tuesday evening (when we could hear the first looting of a soft drinks machine) the weapons were held in the ready position. Considering this, the news that the generators were expected to fail (and hence leave us in darkness) late on that night was not good news and hence we tried to organise ourselves in a smaller area, with the men and the larger backpacks being used as an outer perimeter.

By Wednesday, rumours started to spread that the food had run out and the tension in the dome really started to deteriorate. Luckily by early afternoon, we had been moved to the nearby Arena which was also serving as a Medical Area. This was a source of great relief. It also gave us to chance to help out with the evacuation of the sick and infirm (chatting to them to keep them calm, helping them with food and keeping them cool by acting as a giant human air conditioning unit, fanning them with whatever came to hand - cardboard, fast food signs, etc.). The situation within the dome had deteriorated to the point that the miltary had moved out and held a security perimeter outside the dome itself (a Guardsman was brought in later that night with a gunshot wound). A ray of light however, was the sight of a young boy helping in the Medical Area, this being more incredible when you realise that he had lost his entire family.

On Thursday we were 'smuggled' to a 'safe area', which was the basement floor of a large hotel. What we didn't know, at first at least, was that this was still only a few hundred yards from the dome.

Finally, on Friday morning we were evacuated from New Orleans to Dallas, Texas. The sight of the volunteers who welcomed us at the state border with hot food, cold drinks, fruit (the thought of which had been one of many food fantasies over the course of the previous few days), first aid, clothes and clean (!) toilets was extremely emotional and many of our group were moved to tears.

Saturday was spent in a hotel in Dallas (provided by the British Embassy - amongst others), starting the recovery process through discussions with members of the American Red Cross, and the embassy staffs arranging transportation either back home or to our next destinations. Whilst everyone was happy to be moving on, the breaking up of the group was probably almost the most difficult thin that we all had to endure. I finally got to Denver, Colorado, yesterday (Sunday) and it is from there that I am writing this.

If you don't mind me preaching for a few moments I want to leave you with a couple of messages. Whilst the situations in New Orleans and the dome were very bad, the vast majority of the people are good people trying to get though a very stressing period. The vast majority of the people helping us (the National Guard, the medical staffs, etc.) were doing so knowing that they didn't have a home to go back to (and in some cases not knowing for definate that their families were safe. Also the international group (including me) have in the wider scheme of things only lost a few days of our lifes. For the people of New Orleans (which had a very large minority living in poverty), they have lost their homes, their jobs and, for some, friends and family. This is not something that the city is going to recover from in weeks, it is going to take months, if not years. Anything that you can do to help, either through direct donations or by arranging events, would be very much appreciated.

Memphis

Arrived in Memphis in the early afternoon. It's the warmest place so far - a quick glance at one to the signs showed that it was 100F and getting hotter! A major downer was the fact that there is no longer a hostel in Memphis, only hotels and motels. So it was to be another short stop here. Most of the first day was spent checking out Beale St, which is full of bars and restaurants, most of which have live music playing. Tried a local Gumbo at a bar which had won a prize of it previously. However, looking along the street later it appears that most of the bars have won a prize for their Gumbo at some point!

The next morning was spent wandering along the riverfront on Mud Island. One of the most impressive things their is a scale sculpture of the lower Mississippi - which is 1/4 mile long itself. Then it was off to Graceland, using the free Sun Studio shuttle. I'm not a great Elvis fan but you can't really come to Memphis and not go there. To be honest it is well worth the visit as it isn't too reverential or tacky - I think that has been left for the Heartbreak Hotel which is just outside. Catching the shuttle back to Sun Studio I was expecting to have to hang around there for a while - you're meant to stay at least an hour there and they do try a bit of a hard sell on the studio tour. However, 10 minutes later I was back on the shuttle into town - they don't seem to check how long you have been there which kind of defeats the object!

Next stop is New Orleans - as someone in the Visitor Centre pointed out I am doing a kind of musical tour of the US.

St Louis

Well, finally arrived in St. Louis at about 06:00am after an 18 hour bus journey. Wouldn't have been so bad if we didn't stop every couple of hours for toilet / cigarette breaks - the stops themselves weren't the problem, the driver switching on all the lights each time was! As everywhere was still closed I spent a couple of hours sitting in the park underneath the Arch. After breakfast, headed up to the hostel which was a little further than expected. Met up with a few guys in the hostel and did the Budweiser brewey tour (free beer - admittedly only Bud but when it's free you can't complain - the tour is free as well). In the afternoon a smaller group of us (trying to remember names: I think it was Matt and Tom from the UK, who are in a band 'Special Guests' and Craig from Australia) headed down to the City Museum. For those of you that went to Jackie's birthday do down in Plymouth - its a bit like to park we went to on the Monday but with recycled and scrap material - old cars, fire trucks, planes, dinosaur sculptures etc. etc. to crawl around in! Needs to be seen to be believed (will sort out some photos soon when I find a PC that will take USB or a memory card). After a bite to eat we headed back to the hostel to wait for a phone call to act as extras in a film. Unfortunately the call never came (although they did phone back a couple of days later when I was leaving).

The Tuesday was a bit quieter as the rest of the guys had already headed off to Memphis (which is my next destination) so spent some time wandering around the more traditional touristy bits. So had lunch in Laclede's Landing on the waterfront, spent some more time in the park and went up to the top of the Gateway Arch, which gave some good photos over the city. I then headed to the ball park to see if there was a game on. There wasn't so that will have to be one for another day.

Next destination needs an early start - heading off to Memphis.

Philadephia

Philadelphia is just a short bus ride (2 hours) from New York. For the history buffs amongst you, you'll already know that it was the original capital of the US (before Washington DC) and hence it has quite a bit of history. Visiting it would mean that I had covered all of the American 'capitals' having previously been to DC and Williamsburg (the old colonial capital). I had another more personal reason to visit as well, having talked to a girl from Philly whilst I was travelling around Australia a few years ago.

Unfortunately the city itself was a bit of a letdown, probably not helped by the guy trying to scam me as soon as I got off the Greyhound and the hostel being closed until 4:30pm and it being 1:00pm. This meant a trek back to the Visitor Centre to sit down for a bit (still carrying around my main pack and my day sack). Still it gave me a chance to have a wander around the Visitor Centre, pick up some maps and watch a couple of videos on the historical background of the area. I also grabbed a bite to eat - a Philly Cheesesteak, very very messy! Once I got to the hostel and dropped off my kit I have a wander around the riverfront, looking across at New Jersey. After a quick listen to the jazz concert that was going on, I had a look around 2nd Street. It's meant to be one of the centres for eating and drinking in Philly but was a bit of a let down. Still I expect anything after the New York nightlife is going to be a bit of a disappointment!

Saturday was spent taking a walk down the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, which is the main road through Philly. Most of it was closed off as they were setting up for a concert (there seems to be a lot of open air and free concerts over here). At the end of the Parkway is the Art Museum. If you've seen 'Rocky' then you already know about the steps leading up to the museum, so I did what everyone else does and ran up them. At the top there is a plaque commemorating the film. Apparently there used to be a statue as well but the mayor had that taken down after a couple of years because it was too tacky! I also had a look around the Water Works which are behind the museum after a tip off from a waitress earlier in the day. Unfortunately whilst it was OK, it wasn't what I was expecting (I was expecting to see loads of polished copper pipes and the like). I had wanted to have a look around the Eastern State Penitentary, which is shaped like the hub and spokes of a wheel. However, by the time I got there it was about to close so I decided to give it a miss.

That pretty much sums up my time in Philadelphia. I guess there was more that I could have done but I didn't really meet up with anyone in the hostel (which was a bit small and didn't have much of a communal area) so I kind of got bored quite quickly. So it's off to St. Louis next - nice 18 hour bus journey to look forward to!

New York

Well I finally made it to New York after countless visits to Washington DC, Virginia and Florida. I'm staying in the HI on Amsterdam Ave. It's a couple of blocks away from Central Park, about 2/3rds of the way up Manhattan from the Statue of Liberty. It's a massive hostel but they have some tours (mostly walking tours and free!) set up, so that will help with meeting up with some others.

Spent most of the first evening taking a walk along Riverside Park, all the way down to the Columbus Circle at the southern end of Central Park. Then took a walk through Central Park back to the hostel. The guidebooks seem to suggest staying away from the Park at night, but during the evening it is packed with runners, walkers, cyclists and people walking their dogs so its not so bad.

The next day was spent wandering around Central Park again before catching the subway down to the Staten Island Ferry (which is free!) to take a look at the Statue of Liberty. Unfortunately by the time the ferry left the dock, the fog had comein and so there wasn't a get deal to see, so I took the ferry straight back to Manhattan. From there I took a wander around Chinatown. Visually the place is pretty full-on, with lots of foods for sale, in little restaurants / cafes and normal food stores. What I wasn't expected so much was the smell that came from this mix of different aromas. At times it smelt wonderful, but then this was balanced with the times which smelt like an open sewer - not pleasant! I decided to give my nose a rest and headed to the UN building. To my surprise it didn't really stand out that much and seemed lost in the midst of a number of other buildings and from the look of it nothing much was happening there. After that I decided to head back to the hostel to join the first of the walking tours - the Empire State Building.

The Empire State Building tour wasn't just limited to the ESB but we were led around a number of the other sights as well, including the Columbus Circle (so a second visit in one day for me and a third in the space of 24 hours!), Union Station, FAO Schwartz (the toyshop with the big keyboard - if you've seen the film 'Big' then you've already seen the inside of this store), 5th Avenue and the Chrysler Building. By the time we got to the ESB it was already dark and we were all quite tired but we had to see the NY skyline by night so we all made the trip up to the top (luckily via a series of elevators rather than steps!). The overview of the city was stunning - once you made your way past the mass of people. After that a few of us (couple of English s and an Aussie ) headed off for something to eat. The original plan was to head off to Little India but by the time we got to street level we were all too knackered to head off there so we hit the nearest fast food place - the first of many on this trip I suspect.

The next day (Weds) was spent revisiting most of the places I had already seen the day before, but in daylight this time (including some shopping on 5th Ave - very minimal as I knew I would have to carry it along with the rest of my stuff for the next year). I also managed to fit in a number of more cultural places - the Public Library and the Natural History Museum. I was a bit disappointed by the museum as it doesn't match the standards set by the museums in London and the Smithsonian in Washington DC. The evening was spent on another walking tour - going back to the Statue of Liberty. This time the weather was much better and as it was evening we got to see both a daylight and nighttime view of both the statue and the Manhattan skyline from sea level. Whilst on Staten Island we also managed to get a quick look at a minor league game of baseball (featuring the Staten Island Rangers). I don't think they're very good - the only 3 batters (is that the correct term?) we saw from the home team didn't even make it to first base. Still we had managed to blag our way in for nothing so we hadn't lost anything! Before heading back to the hostel we took a walk around Times Square - lots of neon and lots of people looking upwards. Rather than call it quits there, a few of us decided to head back out for a few beers. Originally we were going to go to a bar near the hostel but after a recommendation from someone else, we headed back to the Times Square area. Funny old thing - we ended up in an Irish bar! A good night was had by all - I think (hic!).

After the night in the bar, Thursday started very slowly! Still I managed to make my way out to Brooklyn in order to walk back to Manhattan over the Brooklyn Bridge. It's a kind of wierd feeling crossing a bridge on a walkway with the traffic passing below you. After that I decided that I should just chill out for a bit and so headed for Greenwich Village to just sit and people watch in Washington Square. The square had a triumphal arch, a bit like the Arc d'Triomphe in Paris. Having been to Paris whilst I was at school, I could now say that I had seen 2 links between the 2 cities (the Statue of Liberty being the other).

Whilst I didn't have time to do everything that New York had to offer, I decided to head off on the Friday to my next stop - Philadelphia.

And so it begins ...

Well, I've finally started my year off and so I thought I really ought to get my blog started as well (although this is really a new start for the blog for those of you who have been paying attention!).

For those of you who haven't already heard, I made the decision to take a year off whilst travelling in Peru for a month last year (for you guys on the Budget Expeditions tour - it's all your fault!). Several people tried to talk me out of it but it's something I've been meaning to do for a long time and finally decided I ought to get on and do it. After lots of going back and forth, I finally decided on the following route:

USA (including Hawaii) - 2 months
Fiji - 3 weeks
New Zealand - 2 1/2 months
Australia - 3 months
China - 1 month
South East Asia (Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore) - 2 months

This will bring me back to the UK at the end of July 2006. It still leaves lots of places to visit (in particular Africa and a return visit to South America) but those will have to wait for another time. It's a bit of a simple start with only English-speaking countries but at least it gives me a chance to get used to travelling again without having to worry about whether I can get a room!

Spent the final few months sorting out what I was going to take (and what I would have to leave behind!). Also got fully jabbed up - not sure there are any more shots that I could take!

Also did the rounds of leaving meals and parties. Still not convinced that having a party on the Saturday night before travelling on the Monday was a particularly good idea (the hangover on the Sunday didn't help with the clearing up!). At least it gave me a chance to say goodbye to everyone though.

Made some last minute decisions about what to take, in particular my mobile phone. I originally was going to leave it at home to save on carrying it and the charger everywhere. However, as I was driving myself to the Heathrow, I decided to take it with me in case my car broke down. Including it turned out to be very fortunate (but you will have to read about that later).

As it was the journey to Heathrow was very uneventful (and so it should be at 6 o'clock in the morning!). Flight over the Atlantic was fine as well, apart from the fact that you had to sort yourself out with food beforehand (British Airways caterers were on strike).

Landed in New York, where I am planning to spend the first four days but that is going to be the subject of the next post.

I also have a photo site which will be updated whenever I can download the photos to it. It is at:
petesphotos.myphotoalbum.com