Where are all the sheep??

As we sat on the beach trying to eat our fish and chips while a giant sand storm swirled around us and the sea gulls edged ever closer I couldn’t stop smiling. Mackenzie teased the gulls, throwing imaginary chips for them while Skye sobbed about the sand in her chicken nuggets. The adults tried hastily to eat their food before it to became sand. Suddenly came a cry ‘I’VE GOT A PRICKLE’ and Skye cried even harder. As Nigel tried to comfort her we couldn’t help but giggle at her dramatic calls for help. The family picnic on the beach was fast descending into chaos and yet I was having a great time. This was a family holiday, the kind of holiday neither Ollie or I had been on for at least sixteen years and it was wonderful! After half an hour it was time to head back to the batch otherwise it would only a matter of time before Skye and Mac broke free and went for a swim, despite our attempts to explain that it was seven in the evening and the water would be freezing. They managed a paddle which was more than Ollie or I could! I’ve got to admit I was impressed at their ability to not feel the cold, if only I was four again!

The following day we took a walk around Whitanga (pronounce the Wh as a Ph). The wind had picked up again and was literally blowing us around the place. We watched as Skye and Mac finally got their swim. It was so lovely to see them splashing about and playing together. Oh and fighting ‘Uncle Ollie’, tripping him up and bundling on top of him! Charlotte and I sat and chatted, it was great to be finally really getting to know each other and I loved having another girl to talk to. After six weeks of mainly boys it was a great change! Later in the afternoon the kids, Ollie, Nigel and I went and picked ‘Pippies’ (I think they’re like mussels but I’m still not sure!) in the shallows as the tide went out. We managed to gather a bucket full, well they all did, I was more of the bucket holder! All around us tons of other children and parents were doing the same thing, it was great to be involved in an apparent New Zealand hobbie! 

Ollie had promised he would take Mac and Skye fishing while we were away, so after buying some frozen squid (eww) he found two rods in the garage and we headed down to the small pier. As the bait was torn and placed onto hooks Ollie got very serious and into explaining how we were going to fish. I’m not sure at that point if it was Ollie or the kids who were more excited about the prospect of catching something! Skye and Mac were fishing with a rod that had six hooks on the line while Nigel had a rod with only one hook. Within minutes Mackenzie was reeling in his first fish as Skye skipped beside him all smiles. It was her turn next and she managed to get a big fat one that flapped about on the pier as Ollie tried to grab it to throw it back. Skye was so funny fishing. She would stand with the rod patiently, but as soon as she got a bite she would start hopping up and down exclaiming ‘IT’S WIGGILING!’ until Ollie came and reeled the line in. As the kids caught fish after fish, Nige still hadn’t caught anything apart from an old rag and was fast becoming the subject of everyones jokes! He did get a go on the better rod though and redeemed himself by getting a catch too. After a successful fishing expedition we returned home for a BBQ and a game of cricket. Everyone was playing very nicely and keeping the ball in the garden. That was until I got up to bat. My first smack of the ball sent it across the fence and to the other side of the road. With my second I lost a ball. Despite my efforts it seems Dad and Jack are still right. I shouldn’t be allowed to have a turn at batting, I’m just to much of a risk!

On Sunday morning we packed up the car and decided to spend a few hours on a beach before driving home. We drove into the car park and searched for a space. There was one camper van that immediately caught our eye. On the roof lay an old torn up sofa and a large wooden ladder. We were all laughing about it when Nigel leaned out his window and shouted to the guy and girl standing in front of the van. ‘What you got a ladder on your roof for?!’ The couple stared blankly back as we all laughed louder. They must have been German judging by their accents but they replied that the ladder wasn’t theirs. That just made us laugh even more! We drove around trying to find a space but having no luck we found ourselves back where we’d started. Just as we were giving up the German couple came over and knocked on the window. ‘There’s a space down there which we’re moving to, so you can have ours if you like?’ Of course we agreed. Watching to see them back their sofa/ladder monstrosity out of its space we were aghast to see them get into a completely different mini van and move away. It hadn’t been their capper at all! They had only been standing by the ladder van! As we looked closer we saw the real owners of the old van still sitting in it. Needless to say we all fell about in hysterics while Nigel tried not to feel too silly!

Cathedral Cove is a magnificent sandy beach hidden away in the rocks. However to get it is an interesting walk! On the way down the sign said it would take forty five minutes to walk but Nige assured us it would only take twenty. He was right but it was twenty minutes of intense exercise! We didn’t just walk down a path to the beach. No. We were down steep steps, up steep steps, down hills, up hills, round bends, through bushes, across fields, past cows, past birds that sounded like mobile phones, in the baking sun, in the shade until finally the last decent of a million steps brought us to the cove. But it was totally worth it. After crossing a barrier and running through an arch in the rock that said beware of falling rocks we reached our destination. Stripping off Ollie, the kids, Nigel and I ran towards the water. Now, seeing as the sun was so hot I expected the water to be a decent temperature. This was not the case. It was absolutely bloody freezing! Even after five minutes in the water I was still cold, so much so that instead of acclimatizing to the water I just went numb! Even the guys couldn’t pretend they weren’t cold. Every time Ollie pushed Mac in, the poor boy would shoot back out shivering like he’d just fallen in ice! Perhaps refreshing isn’t quite the word to use but it was certainly a surprise! We have been promised the water will be warmer in the summer...I hope so!

Back on the sand the sun continued to beat down on us making it almost to hot to sun bathe. I made sure I had lots of sun cream on as I am determined not to burn out here. I am leaving my disastrous red days behind me in England! After a couple of hours it was time to head home. The walk back up to the top was far more grueling than on the way down and Ollie, Char and I were already dying by the time we’d made it up the first lot of steps! Usually walks back are supposed to feel quicker but I can’t say this was one of those. 

* * *

We have only been here a week but we both already agree, New Zealand is a very beautiful country. Of course we have only seen a small part of it so far but that only makes me excited to experience more. The countryside, and there is a lot of it (!), is much like England. Rolling fields, hay bails, cattle and yes some sheep! Surprisingly not as many sheep as I had anticipated but apparently there is more on the south island! The woodland and forests are dense and thick with huge ferns and trees that I’ve never seen before. The sea is a wonderful clear blue that has many little islands dotted through it. The coast that I’ve visited so far is a little like Cornwall but a hundred times more beautiful (if that’s possible!), and even more green! It’s easy to feel immediately at home here. Ollie has already used every adjective going while describing how magnificent the views have been. You can’t help but mutter ‘wow’ every time you take another corner and an even more wonderful sight than the last comes into view! I was expecting beauty but nothing on this scale. 

* * *

To be with family is the greatest treat we’ve had on our travels yet. We may be on the other side of the world (I keep having to remind myself that!) but it really doesn’t feel that way. In fact I couldn’t feel more at home. Being with Charlotte, Nigel, Mackenzie and Skye is just lovely. From the moment we all saw each other it has felt so natural and it’s already hard to believe Ollie and I only met Skye for the first time a week ago! Mackenzie and Skye are great kids and I am having so much fun with them. To be around children again is awesome, however my stamina on the trampoline is a little out of touch! It’s quite surreal to suddenly be ‘Auntie Amy’ and ‘Uncle Ollie’ but I love it. Char and Nige have been so welcoming and it’s awesome to see Ollie and Char together. This is the start of a fantastic new part of our trip and we couldn’t be more excited. There maybe some challenges but I’m definitely ready for them...I think!

‘Auntie Amy?’ Yes Skye. ‘Where do babies come from?’

26/11/11

Welcome to Hollywood...

The air is polluted, you can feel it in you constant loss of breath. There are a few ‘bright’ lights littered above the street. Nothing spectacular, just a lit up McDonalds, Hard Rock Cafe and a handful of theaters. The pavements are meant to be formed from star dust, but they’re just the same as the rest. Cracked and broken. Tacky shops selling awful costumes and tat nobody want make up the neighbourhood. A faint smell of pot is always present. A man with no hands stumbles down the sidewalk. Another guy with a palm full of torn shopping bags drags past. This place is run down, a crumpled postcard from another time. The sign on the hill says ‘Hollywood‘ but the word on the street is disillusion.

Everyone on the boulevard seems to be excited to be there except us. We were expecting glamour, glitz, the golden age, kept preserved in all its finest moments. Stars’ names can be found in the pavements just like you’ve seen on T.V but they’re not as amazing as they’d have you believe. Like I said, many have been cracked by over grown roots from the trees and some have been defaced by morons. We saw one guy all on his own with a toothbrush, taking the time to clean some of the slabs. How depressing. There are studios around nearly every corner and a couple of famous theaters, but nothing here feels special. Just another street in America. Badly maintained, home to the poor and mad. The only cool thing are the hand and footprints of movie stars outside the Chinese theater. Someone there at least has made an effort to preserve them.

IIf you take a right off Hollywood Boulevard and head to the end of Fuller you get to Runyon Canyon. An almighty hike up the steepest side will get you to the top, and an awesome view of the L.A bowl. Mostly hidden by thick smog, we could just make out the vastness of this city as it stretches as far as the eye can see. To the left, in the distance, is the famous white lettering. It beams down on the famous streets below, a relic of another time. We are so high up that my ears have popped. The climb has left me winded and jealous as other far fitter dog walkers jog past. Everyone looks on with disgust as one guy blatantly sees his dog poo but doesn’t clear it up.

So where’s the celebrity? The glamour? The famous palm tree littered roads drenched in sunshine? We take a walking tour with a local guy who stops by the hostel. He warns us we’ll stand out, to pretend we’re architecture students. Says he’s the only person who does a ‘walking tour’. We arrive in Bel Air by bus. Probably the only people to do so in quite a while. Immediately I understand what our guide was saying. There is nobody about. Cars whizz past with black out windows but there are no faces anywhere. A few gardeners and maintenance men drive past and give us the finger. I’m not sure why. As we walk along the corroded and beat up roads framed by eight foot tall bushes. This is supposed to be a rich area so why are the roads so bad? Our guide says they’re originals from 1923, like that means they’re relics. Why not repave them? Because they’re history. Oh please.

As we are shown house after house belonging to some famous or other person I realise all we’re going to see our iron gates. Privacy is the main priority here. Each house is basically an island. Shut off from the outside world, connected only when needs be by those crappy roads. The next road we turn down has candle wax melted into the curbside. We look up to a window with a balcony. ‘This is where Michael Jackson died’.

I thought I would enjoy the walking tour but instead I’m left feeling empty. I’ve entered a different world and feel completely alienated. I realise I’m not interested in where the stars live. I’m not a stalker. I wouldn’t go staring into my neighbour’s house so why am I trying to see these people’s? They’re only houses...well much, much bigger houses. The money these places cost. It’s enough to make anyone feel a little sick. As we wait for the bus out of ‘paradise’ cars drive past and people watch us from they’re Jags, Bentleys, Porshes, Mercs and Hummers. People at a bus stop must be a novelty for them. Wasn’t it supposed to be us staring?

We get off at Rodeo Drive and head towards the shops. Every house along this avenue is unique and as always, big. 30’s, 50’s, contemporary, villas, art deco, every style of building can be found here. These houses weren’t behind bars but the cars in the driveways still screamed super wealthy. After ten minutes we reached a crossing. In front of us large glass fronted shops loomed. As we walked past shop after shop we looked in with amusement. There was hardly anything on the shelves and too many staff crowded a single person in each shop. These weren’t the kind of stores you just walked in to. The air smelled of leather and perfume. Like when you walk into a department store yet more refined. The smell of money. I’ve never experienced anything quite like it. It was a smell I will never forget. Beautiful yet so far away from reality. Nothing in ‘real life’ can ever smell that good.

Again I thought I would be excited to be there but I wasn’t. I didn’t even take any pictures. We were out of place, showing ourselves up. It was clear we didn’t belong. No one walks onto Rodeo Drive. I needed the toilet anyway so Ollie and I decided to keep walking until we found a cafe or something. That was a mistake. We must have walked for over two miles and not once did we see a place we could have gone into. You might think that’s pathetic and that anyone should be able to go in anywhere but I can assure you that’s just not the way it’s done here. Even in my best clothes and make up on I wouldn’t have stopped for lunch at one of the restaurants. It’s not real life. No wonder famous people so often end up off the rails. Nothing they are surrounded by holds any semblance of normality. And the worst part? Go two or three blocks over and you’ll be back in the dirt with everyone else. Wealth surrounded by poverty is never a pleasant experience and yet here in Beverly Hills that’s exactly what’s going on. And it’s the same as always. That blind eye turning.

I’m not being disparaging on purpose to look ‘cool’ or ‘arty’ this is honestly how I feel about Los Angeles. Some people may love the fake tacky glamour and the rich cut off in a suburb but I certainly don’t. I have no problem with the famous and wealthy but it just doesn’t sit right with me that such different pay grades are living just meters from each other. That some people can accumulate such wealth while others can’t even afford to buy a pair of proper glasses. I sat on a bus next to a guy who had lenses half an inch thick in metal frame that looked like it had been made from a coat hanger. He lives in Hollywood. But you’d never believe it from the photos. It’s just not fair.

We wanted to feel like we were seeing a piece of history but it didn’t work out that way. Hollywood could be anywhere and anywhere could be Hollywood. Because all that’s really left is a name.

18/11/11

Disneyland anyone??

I only get up at 5.30 A.M if it’s for a very good reason. Well today was an exceptionally good reason! We were off to DISNEYLAND!! If I was to portray the state of pure excitement I was in all day properly, I would have to write this entire blog entry in capitals! Instead I’ll just write DISNEYLAND that way! The two hour bus journey and the moody bus driver couldn’t dampen my mood. Even the horrible, horrible shock we got at the entry gate didn’t manage to deter my more than jubilant mood. I was at DISNEYLAND and nothing could ruin my day! (Well our day but mine more!)

We had met a guy at the hostel back in Austin and he had been selling Disneyland tickets at half price because he said he was trying to get rid of them after not using them himself. Now before we left England, Mum and Dad had warned me not to fall for scams. They said we wouldn’t see them coming, that even nice people can be bad and that the best stories often turned out to be the biggest lies. So when Ollie came over and told me he had got two tickets for $100 my alarm system should have been going wild. Admittedly I was a more than a little wary but we hung out with the guy quite a lot at the tickets appeared genuine enough. Besides if Ollie trusted the guy I thought he must be o.k! Oopsy!

We reached the entrance gate and proudly handed over our tickets. ‘These tickets have already been used’ was not the next words we ever imagined we would be hearing but sure enough that’s what the lady was saying. Of course there was the proverbial you must be mistaken, how can that be and are you sure before she called her supervisor to help us. Turned out the tickets had been used, way back in June. Apparently we had been duped. How foolish did we feel saying ‘we got them off a guy we met, seemed genuine’. Furious we turned back towards the ticket booths. Angry at ourselves but definitely ready to kill Mr Idiot. Ollie got straight on the phone but there was no answer. Thankfully we did get a reply to our texts and there may be a check in the post but who knows?! The worst part is after we had hung out with Mr Idiot for a few days in Austin we had both realised what a liar he was about everything. If only that had made us think twice about the tickets we had purchased...

Anyway. Desperate not to let the damned tickets ruin our day we queued up and purchased new tickets. Yes they cost twice as much but at that point we didn’t care. We got tickets that would allow us into both parks (There is the main one and then a new park that is half completed). Jubilantly we ran back over to the entry gate and proudly produced our new tickets with broad smiles. The same lady looked at us...again. ‘These tickets aren’t valid until 10 A.M. Only hotel guests can enter early.’ Our faces fell. Was this not our day?! Then, realising it was us she had a think and then to our surprise said ‘Oh I feel so sorry for you guys, go on I’ll let you in.’ BONUS! We were finally inside DISNEYLAND and had an hour to play before the bloody kids arrived! (Only Joking!...Well....!)

Of course I dragged Ollie on all  the kiddie rides possible (they are my favourites) and he had to squish beside me into the small carts. I was a bit concerned because I couldn’t work out if the Snow White ride had a happy ending but I soon forgot this whizzing round at the Mad Hatters Tea Party in a cup!! My favourite place was Toon Town and I got to go round Mickey Mouse’s house and Minnie’s! I was a complete child for the whole time and I loved it! I didn’t care that we were two of the only ‘adults’ in the park without a child...a buggy would have only slowed me down! We went on an underwater submarine ride a bob slay mountain race and took a ride in Mr Toad’s car!

Lunch was Oliver’s choice. Naturally he chose an all you can eat ranch style BBQ. As always food at the park was expensive so I thought if we made the most of this meal we wouldn’t need to eat again. So we did. Four buckets of chicken wings and ribs, two bowls of ranch beans, coleslaw and corn bread (which tasted like Madeira cake?!) later we ordered desert. On the menu it said the pudding would be suitable for two people. In reality six could have eaten it! A giant, and I mean giant dish of baked cookie dough arrived with five balls of vanilla ice cream on top, finished with hot chocolate fudge sauce. Normally this would be my version of heaven. But after so much chicken, to be honest, I was panicking. Not because it looked to much but because I couldn’t stand the thought of not being able to eat it all. Desert is where I perform best after all! Well I tried hard but in the end I was defeated. Barely able to walk be stumbled away from the table. We had certainly eaten all we could eat!

Obviously after a big meal the sensible thing to do was head over to the other park and the more adult rides. Nothing like a roller coaster to settle that after dinner feeling?! The California Adventure park was far less busy which meant far less queueing yay! The park is currently being built but there is still plenty to do. It’s aimed at older people so there are some bigger rides there. We took a wild river ride and both got thoroughly soaked! It was great fun though and much better than the one at Alton Towers! We even had to wear seat belts!! Next we decided to ride the big roller coaster that had caught our eye. It looked like a traditional old fashioned pier side roller coaster. Nothing scary, just a bit of fun. How wrong could we have been?! Not only was it probably the fastest ride I’ve ever been on (maintaining the speed throughout), it also had a corkscrew twist and some mad ups and downs. Involuntarily I didn’t stop screaming throughout the whole ride and Ollie was constantly telling me to shut up. But I couldn’t help it. I just hadn’t been prepared! I felt like I was about to take off! We both said it was the best roller coaster we had ever been on but my stomach didn’t quite agree.

To calm down we went on the big Mickey Mouse ferris wheel. You could chose either a standard gondola to sit in or one that swang. Ollie chose the one that swang. Once seated he admitted that actually he would probably feel sick. I was no impressed. I had wanted a static gondola but had decided to keep quiet and not ‘be a baby’. Once we had moved off though we both regretted not being honest. Imagine that not only are you moving in a circle but you are also rolling back and forth as if you’re going to come off the rails and plummet into the lake below. it wouldn’t have been so bad if the wheel was constantly turning but because it had to load each new gondola the wheel continuously stopped. This meant we would start rolling and swinging until eventually our gondola settled itself. I’m not going to lie. It was a pretty traumatic experience! All I could think was that if Mum was with us she would have been sick ten times and have passed out before we’d even got half way round!

Again we thought we were choosing a calmer ride when we went on Goofy’s Flying Club ride. And again we were wrong. The little plane we were in jerked about wildly as it took the course. I’m sure I was sick in my mouth at that point!! Finally I told Ollie we had to slow down ‘cos I was by now feeling really dizzy. The California Adventure was definitely a big leap up from the other park! Especially seeing as I hadn’t psyched myself up for any big rides that morning! The only ride left that wasn’t for little kids was the Hollywood Tower ride. I thought it was just a haunted house style walk through ride so wasn’t worried at all. Even as the video story was setting the scene and showing people entering the ‘Twilight Zone’ through a plummeting lift I didn’t click on. But as we queued outside the elevator doors something inside me began to panic. ‘We aren’t going to plummet in a lift are we?’ I asked Ollie. Just going in some lifts normally is enough to make me feel sick. I really don’t care for them much. They are one of the only things that actually make me feel sick generally. Ollie assured me that, that wouldn’t make a very long ride and that they couldn’t do it because it would be too dangerous. People would fall all over the place.

When the elevator doors peeled back and revealed rows of seats I started to panic. Only slightly, but there was definite fear beginning to roam about my body. We sat down and fastened the belt. The ‘Bell Hop’ wished us good luck in a very theatrical and funny way, lulling me into false hope. The doors closed and we were in pitch black. The block of seats moved backwards. A video flashed to life. It warned us we were about to enter another dimension. ‘Maybe it still will be just a scary show’ I begged. Suddenly everything went black. My seat began to shake. Before I could grasp what was happening, wind was rushing past my face and we were shooting upwards at a huge pace. Stop. Then we fell downwards. My bum left the seat and I was screaming. My worst nightmare coming to life. And there was no escape. No time to think we were going up again, further this time. Then down. Stop. Down more. Where we back at the start? Then at an insane pace we were rushed up and up and up in the blackness. A shutter shot open and I could see the tops of trees. We were all the way at the top of the tower. By this time I was clinging to Ollie’s shoulder in terror, tugging his t-shirt, almost strangling him. From that moment I couldn’t tell you much of what happened. I closed my eyes and tried not to cry. I was absolutely petrified. We went up and down, up and down more times. Even when I thought it was over I only found we were back at the top. It was horrible! As we fell for the last time I thought my stomach would leave my mouth. I pushed my toes into the barrier in front and tried to hold my self static in the air. I don’t think my bum spent much time in the seat for the whole thing! I was too light to keep myself down! Shaking I managed to walk off the ride. Ollie was laughing and complaining that I had stretched his t-shirt. I couldn’t talk. The ordeal had been too much. I went into the restroom and sat down. Five minutes later I was ready for the world again. The Hollywood Tower was not my finest moment in life!

* * *

It was late afternoon when we headed back over to the first park. We had some shopping to do for the little ones in New Zealand and Ollie had promised me a Mickey Mouse too. Ever since he had found out my original Mickey from Disneyland Paris had been sent to the incinerator many years ago he had vowed to get me another one. I was very happy about this. The incinerator story is one of the more grievous parts of my childhood so I viewed a new Mickey Mouse as part of my recovery! (If anyone reading this wants to know the ‘incinerator story’ then please see my beloved father!)

It was now time for the Disney parade. And what a parade! It was a winter wonderland theme and I can’t describe how wonderful it was but I do have a video! Mickey, Minnie, Winnie The Pooh, The Seven Dwarfs and all my other Disney favourites marched through and gave us all big waves. I was at the front with all the kids waving wildly! After that it was time for the firework display that would end the day. Again. Wow! For the umpteenth time on this trip I am saying ‘I have never seen anything like it’! The show lasted a full ten minutes and was perfectly choreographed to music. Fireworks of all different shapes, colours, sizes and bangs launched around the very pretty castle. A perfect way to end my day at DISNEYLAND! 

As we walked back through the magnificent main street in all its Christmas decoration glory I couldn’t take the smile off my face. It had been a really wonderful day. I didn’t want to leave really, it had all gone too fast! I think really you need at least two days to do both the parks but in true Ollie and Amy style we managed to see just about everything in one day! 

17/11/11

In english please, you know I don't speak Spanish...

I don’t know what I was expecting from San Diego so to say I was slightly disappointed wouldn’t be right. But that’s how I feel. Our hostel was up on Pacific Beach and quite far out from the city centre. It was literally on the beach and provided fantastic views of the sunset. In the summer I’m sure it’s a great place with a real party atmosphere and loads of party nights on the beach. However at this time of year it’s not really like that. Most of the people there were still up for partying but if I’m honest they weren’t really my kind of people. Ollie got on with them well enough and so did I, but I never felt completely comfortable. I was having one of my reclusive moods anyway so I was very happy to be alone for a bit anyway! So many weeks of being sociable has finally got to me I think!

Pacific beach reminded me very much of Newquay. It catered for surfers and although it’s a very popular destination for visitors some parts are quite run down. I could tell it was definitely a place where loads of Spring Breakers would frequent; just like G.C.S.E graduates go to Newquay! Now there’s nothing wrong with Newquay but after two days I’ve usually had enough and this was the same for PB. If the weather had been sunnier I might have felt differently but as it was there was no chance for sunbathing and the water was freezing!

We did take a trolley ride to ‘Old San Diego Town’ and that was super fun. It’s a small fake town made up of buildings that recreate how the city would have been when it was first built. There’s a county jail, candle stick maker, baker, general store, saloon and all the other places that would make up a western town. I loved the strong mix of mexican and wild west and there was a museum displaying lots of old stage coaches and history. I say history but everything on display was only about a hundred years old or a little bit more! It was so weird for Ollie and I to think that most American history only goes back that far! We haven’t got used to it while being here at all. I’ve lived in a house that is older than amost anything in American history! We had some amazing roasted peanuts from a vendor, smelt wonderful olive oil, candle wax and sweets and all the little restaurants smelled delicious too! Every shop seemed to be selling our favourite things! There was even a beef jerky shop for Ollie to drool over!

Ollie’s favourite place though was the Cigar shop. The original shop had burnt down in the big fire of San Diego many years ago and this was a careful reconstruction of that exact old store. Inside was part museum and part tobacco shop. Antique pipes sat in old display cases, barber shop tools in a rack on top of the counter and ancient gambling chips and artifacts covered in dust sat in piles all about the place. Some pipes were wooden, some ivory and one that interested me in particular was made from Wedgewood Jasper. The blue and white china stood out boldly from the other pipes and actually looked a bit out of place. It was funny to see though! Ollie’s attention went immediately to the hundreds of cigars stacked on the counter. Flavoured, strong, mild, spicy, sweet, short, fat, stubby, thin, long, expensive, metal cased, every type you could imagine. Instead of going for the most ridiculous fattest, biggest cigar for the cheapest amount of money, this time Ollie asked some advice and took time to chose a cigar he would actually really enjoy. He also got all excited when he found a brass Jack Daniels zippo. Like a little boy he skipped out of the shop with his purchases and didn’t stop looking at them for the rest of the day!

Twilight sneaked around us as we stood on the trolley platform. I had one more stop I wanted to make before we went back to the hostel. No trip to San Diego could have been complete without getting a picture of Qualcomm stadium, home of The Chargers for Jack! It may have been practically dark by the time we got there and freezing but we did walk around the edge and get some photos. O.k they were only concrete pillar and fluorescent sign shots...but the thought was there!!!!

* * *

Travelling has finally managed to wipe me out and I honestly have never felt as tired as I have this past week. A constant headache, eyes involuntarily shutting, teeth aching, teasy tired that has a boer constrictor grip on me. So although Ollie managed to make it out for our last evening at the hostel I very sadly was in bed by eleven. Shame on me I know. I had been trying to read my book but it’s such a difficult read and had got to a very dodgy part, so falling a sleep was far too easy. However in the morning Ollie admitted he was just as tired and so instead of doing any other sight seeing we headed straight for the bus station.

We arrived at the Greyhound station to find it completely closed up. A security officer standing inside the door. According to him the station had moved today, although there had been no information to tell anyone this. We were told we could wait inside for a ‘shuttle’ that would take us to the new place. A few minutes later a woman and her family car turned up with a Greyhound sticker stuck on the boot. ‘I’m the shuttle’ she said. It was a pretty random moment as Ollie, a stranger who spoke little English and I sat in this woman’s car and hoped she really was taking us to the new station and not Columbia to be sold as drug mules. 

According to the woman, Greyhound had been kicked out of their previous abode; they were letting down the quality of the neighbourhood! A few weeks ago this might have surprised us but not anymore. Moving offices and not telling any travelers was just something Greyhound was more than capable of! Oh and their new station? An out door small triangle of seating in the middle of a car park. You stay classy Greyhound!

So that was San Diego. An interesting if slightly unimpressive visit. I suppose the main thing that upset me was finding out that ‘Anchorman’ my favourite San Diego based film was not actually filmed there at all! I was devastated to learn that the majority of filming took place in Long Beach and that the San Diego sky line was superimposed. Even the famous bridge poor Baxter was thrown off didn’t exist. I’m not angry. Just disappointed.

15/11/11

we left our ......'s in San Francisco

Please edit the title as you feel necessary...

For the past couple of days we have been partaking in the delights on San Francisco. And I have to say it has delighted very well! Ollie has dubbed it ‘The city that has everything’ and I think he is pretty much right. Although it is quite a large city it doesn’t feel like it and the apparent laid back nature made us feel right at home. Like most places, San Francisco is split up into different areas and each has its own unique feel.

We began our first day by taking a walk to Laguna street and the world’s most crooked road. Well I say we took a walk...more like a hike! The uneven nature of SF’s roads aren’t always apparent and one minute we would be walking along a perfectly flat road and the next it would shoot up at almost a ninety degree angle in front of us. These steep inclines were torture to walk up and then just as hard to walk down! I had to try and stop myself from breaking into a run which made me walk looking like I needed the toilet...not so cool! Anyway Crooked Street was pretty crazy and with all the flower decorations and perfectly pruned hedges decorating the sharp twists and turns, I assumed it was just a tourist stunt. However I was proved wrong when I learned it had been built like that in the 1920’s to help cars get down the super steep road. Today though it does just look giant a giant flower pot maze!

From there we moved on, up and down more shockers of streets, towards the north end of the city and Fisherman’s Warf. We both loved this part of the city. There were loads of piers with fishing boats, pleasure boats, day cruisers and some historic refurbished ships from the big trading years (most originally built in England yay!) mored up, as well as big factory warehouses for unloading and selling catches. On the other side of the street were the usual souvenir shops, family restaurants and amusements. It kind of felt a bit like a big Cornish fishing town. As it was Veterans Day there were lots of people about which gave the place a friendly feel. The most popular attraction here though is Pier 39. Built of wood and looking pretty fine, this is where the main hub of activity seems to take place. Here you can buy some more pricey keepsakes, eat out on the decking, buy amazing hot chocolate and get a great view of Alcatraz. Pier 39 is also the home of the local Sea Lions. We were fascinated for ages by the big fat lolloping lumps with their tiny back flippers (?) and wagging teeny tail nubs. Every so often they would all decide they’d had enough of one particular seal and start barking and pushing to try and get rid of him or her. Another two were quite happy taking in the sunset from the back of someone’s boat! They were all hilarious and they always had a crowd admiring them. 

On our second evening we visited the pier again and this time there was a juggler there doing a show. It was kind of for kids but lots of us adults were thoroughly entertained too! He was really funny and great at getting the audience involved. Well apart from the moment he got a woman volunteer on stage. She looked like she’d just come out of a truck in Alabama and spoke like it too. When the juggler asked if her belly button was an inny or a outty (not so funny now but at the time it was integral to the act I promise!) the woman just shook her head. ‘Do you have a belly button?’ was the obvious next question to which she again shook her head. ‘Are you an alien’ got a confused eyebrow. Anyway they completed the trick and when the juggler thanked the lady and said she could leave the stage, she took a huge bow and curtsey, in a most sincere way! So very odd...

I have not told you the greatest gift that Fisherman’s wharf had to offer us yet. From the moment we smelled it we knew it was going to be good. But tasting the delectable delicacy   was when the true wonder was revealed. The Calm Chowder the small market type servers were selling was THE BEST I have ever tasted (Yes better than Maine!). Served in the middle of a carved out freshly baked sour dough bun, the chowder was the perfect mix of, creamy, potato, clam and seasoning. The bread added even more splendor to the meal. Yum! It was so good we shared one the first day and then each had our own the second! Well Ollie had crab the second time but I think the Clam was best!

In the afternoon Ollie and I walked back towards Union Square in the centre of the city. Along the way we came across ‘City Lights Bookshop’, still independently owned (Woop) and dating back to 1953 where it provided one of the main meeting places for writers of the Beat Generation. Of course I had to go in and look around, it was a crime if I didn’t! The shelves were lined with some of my favourite books, ones I wanted to read and others that just simply fascinated. I was lost in books while Ollie sat patiently on a stool waiting. To think this was where some of my heroes had once met and talked was an awesome thought. Ollie relented and said I could chose one book to take away. Secretly I had been hoping he would agree to this and now I just needed to get my list of about fifty down to just one. It was hard! In the end I chose a book I had wanted to read at university but had never got round to. It was a collection of letters sent between Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg. Clutching my book I stepped back out into the drizzle with a smile. Across the street was another shop specializing in Beat literature and it had a number of signed first editions and rare covers. Unfortunately these were a little out of my travelling price range but I did enjoy looking, as did Ollie, but he was admiring the crumpled early editions of Playboy at the back of the shop!

Further up the street we found Chinatown. Much smaller than others we have visited but still just as colourful and wonderfully smelling. By now though I have got used to what tubs to look in and which ones not to if I don’t want to throw up over some chicken feet or pigs eyes! Through the gated entrance we passed onto Union Square and all the stores that make up SF’s fantastic shopping district. There we found all the major U.S departments stores, shopping malls and chains. As it gets closer to the end of our trip it becomes increasingly difficult to not give into my deep love of shopping! I held out though...well until we got to the Ghirardelli Chocolate shop! Seeing as this famous brand was founded in San Francisco it seemed rude not to take a look. On entering we were given a free piece of their special christmas edition which was wonderful and just made me want to buy the whole shop! Once more Ollie avoided disaster and said we could pick one bar to buy. As with the bookshop my choosing process took some time. It hadn’t been a good day for Ollie really, stumbling across my two strongest vices! 

The following day we decided to do some walking and see the rest of the city. We took a bus down to our starting point which was Haight and Ashbury. These streets had once been formed from a generation of hippies who had made this part of SF their home, including some of the surrounding parks. Summers of free love must have been spent on a many a grass knoll around here and the smell of pot brownies is still in the air! But today it is a slightly different kind of place. Still an eclectic mix of people, smells, thoughts and beliefs, to me it was beginning to look a little tired. Graffiti murals had begun to peel on walls and all the shops had dusty windows selling many unusual items of clothing. It felt as if the soul the mini village might of once had, had left long ago, only to leave ghosts for memories. Haight is still a living place for many a tie dyed pair of trousers though and hair that looks like a barber stopped half way through. Interesting as the place was it didn’t make us want to linger. Not that it felt dangerous, not at all, but like I said I just couldn’t grasp a sense of the place. 

Haight leads onto Golden Gate Park. A bit like Central Park but with far more of a lush green country way about it. You really could forget you were on the outskirts of a big city here. On entering we passed a group of kids (well older teenagers!) who were falling all about the place. They yelled at us that the best thing we could do today was ‘Get spun out on acid and smashed out of our faces drunk’. Apparently it’s awesome. I wanted to turn around and let rip at them but I held back. You see, on this trip I have had just about all I can take of ‘system rejectors’ that think they are so bloody cool walking around stinking and covered in mud with dogs on leads that look like they need a good home. Do they have a point?! Apparently they think they are giving the finger to the so called ‘system’ when really they are just being plain pathetic. Asking me ‘Do you want some of my lice I have lots’ and commenting that I’m ‘just another drone feeding the fascist state’ is not big or clever. All these kind of young people succeed in doing is giving a bad name to those people who genuinely have something to protest about. By all means don’t shower to make a point about getting clean water to Africa but don’t just not wash because you think it’s rebelling. It isn’t you just STINK! And then don’t be surprised when you aren’t allowed into a shop. No it’s not because people are apposed to your view point it’s because again YOU STINK!

I’ve always followed the view point that to make make a difference you have to have lived in and understand the situation you want to change. For example the Occupy protests. Most of the people protesting have been genuinely crippled by their governments and banks and are therefore rightly angered. But a young person who has never worked or tried to pay their own way wouldn’t have a clue. What do they know of hardship? Now I’m not talking about homeless people here. I’m talking about the type of young people I’ve seen hanging around, getting drunk and just being plain ridiculous. I’m sure many of them have very decent homes to go back to whenever they choose and parents who will give them any money they want. So for them ‘rebelling’ is just an infantile hobby that they can indulge in whenever they wish and then come twenty five or thirty decide to pack it in, put on a tie and go to work for Dad at the local law firm. In turn becoming what they once pretended to appose. This is how I see it. There are genuine people trying to make a difference and then there are a whole load of dirty stupid kids getting the meaning of ‘cool’ extremely wrong. But this is only my opinion...

Rant over and further into the park we took many wrong turns to finally come across Strawberry Hill. Surrounded by a moat of water the hill looks very pretty. Seeing that there were pedalos to hire, we couldn’t resist an hour floating around this lovely place. And I thought England was Health and Safety mad! Even just for an hours hire we had to fill out disclaimer forms! Oh and the part Ollie hated most? We had to wear life jackets! The water was only about two foot deep, if that (we know ‘cos we accidently got stuck half way round and dredged the moat for them a bit!) but still we had to wear the bright red jackets! Mortified, Ollie plonked onto the pedalo and we set off. The girl had told us it would take about an hour to complete the circuit but with mine and Ollie’s supreme cycling action and nautical knowledge we completed it in half the time! We had so much spare that we doubled back on ourselves! Other people were peddling so hard but not going anywhere. We had found however that by keeping to a consistent gentle pace the pedalo moved much better. What can I say. The English are clearly better on the water! 

We did have one small incident when Ollie wanted to take us on a ‘safari trail’ and we got stuck in some logs and had to reverse. A couple watching nearby even did the beep noises for us! (For Jack - the couple in question looked exactly like the male pair in modern family complete with baby!) I got us stuck on a giant log while trying to hunt down and grind a sea gull and Ollie drove us into a poo storm. We had been aiming for a small arch made by a branch and we wanted to see if we could peddle through it. However when we got there we were startled by dozens of small splashing sounds all around us. Looking up we saw hundreds of birds crowded into a couple of trees. Each bird had obviously decided that now was toilet time and so had unleashed a rain of white drops onto us. Thankfully Ollie’s quick and skillful pedalo maneuvers removed us unscathed from the drop zone!

We continued our walk towards the Golden Gate Bridge. I had caught a glimpse of it the day before through the rain but was looking forward to seeing it properly on this sunny day. An old man tried to give us directions and warned that it was ‘quite a hike’. The conversation was awkward for two reasons. One - we actually knew the way and so we knew the man was giving us incorrect instructions but had to pretend to take them in anyway and then proceed to walk in the direction he told us until he was out of sight and we could turn around. Two - What we think is quite a hike and what Americans often presume to be quite a hike are two very different things. Three or four miles to Ollie and I was not a long way but to some Americans we’ve met, to walk that far would be madness. Anyway we didn’t mind playing the foolish English couple for a bit if it gave amusement to an imminent octogenarian!

The walk turned out to be a great trek through some of a national park and a chance to get into some good conversation to enjoy along the way. The park ‘trail’ we were following was a bit odd as it would twist and turn for no reason. In the end we just looked ahead and found a straight path to take as the other was pretty pointless! Maybe they just made people feel good about themselves as if they’d walked further than they actually had! We reached the base of the bridge and it was a great surprise for me to see a beach beside it and a large open park. Of course I shouldn’t of been amazed. I should have learned by now that over here anything worth taking a look at is made into a very big deal! There was a little pier and kids and adults were fishing for crabs. Ollie was astounded that they could eat the crabs they caught because ‘when I fished off the wall back home we couldn’t eat those crabs’. Yes Ollie.

But the bridge. Ah the bridge. Just as magnificent as I had hoped and just as red! Or ‘Firey Orange’, whatever the colour they paint it! It stands out from the blue sea and sky and the green hills it connects so perfectly that you almost wonder if it isn’t a natural occurrence itself. The little white sails of boats passing beneath and the sun reflecting off the cables is a super sight. I couldn’t help but keep taking pictures! By this time Ollie’s mind had turned to food and he had spied a hot dog stand touting a ‘family farmed, organic, fresh, genetically unmodified, 100% beef’ sausage. We decided to share one (because Ollie still wanted his crab chowder back at the pier too) and joined the large queue. We chose a ‘mutt dog’ which was half pork/half beef, with onions of course. Then I added whole grain mustard, ketchup and pickle relish. Ollie said I could have the first half. Well. Ollie very nearly didn’t get his half! That hot dog was the most delicious I’ve ever tried. So meaty and so juicy that I didn’t want my bit to end. The condiments and relish only enhanced the dog further so that I had to muster all my decency to pass Ollie’s half over. Obviously after his first bite, Ollie shouted at me for only letting us share! I had to physically restrain him from spending another $5.75 and getting another one. Yes that hot dog was expensive but my life was it worth it!

San Francisco has been our favourite city to visit. It really does have everything you could possibly want all tied together with a great atmosphere and stunning scenic views. I’ve really enjoyed my time here and would definitely want to bring people back for a visit. Although maybe I’d take the tram around next time, walking fifteen miles in a day is probably only fun as a one time novelty!

12/11/11

Amy you forgot something!

Ollie was very mad at me because I forgot to add two important things we did in Las Vegas! One was that we went and saw a free screening of a new television program and were asked to rate and comment on it. Kind of like product testing. The pilot was called ‘Fatal Encounters’ and was one of those really crappy reality shows that you’d find on Investigation Discovery or Bravo or something! Copyright won’t allow me to disclose details but if my comments have any influence on the producer then it won’t be airing anytime soon! I was one of the last to finish my review and Ollie kept tugging and telling me to stop typing! A funny forty minutes of our life though!

The second and so vitally an important happening that I can’t believe I forgot to mention it in my initial blog was the fact that Ollie and I took part in the CSI: Las Vegas experience!! That’s right people. For one hour only we got to be CSI’s, wear their special jacket vests AND solve a murder case! We had to collect the evidence, process it AND deliver our final report to Grissom. O.K so it was easier than we’d expected (I guess not everyone is as sad as us and would know what to do so well!) but we still very much enjoyed ‘following the evidence!’ We were total geeks for an hour and I absolutely loved it!

There you go Ollie...happy? Well no he won’t be ‘cos he never reads the blogs anyway!

10/11/11

Viva Las Vegas!!

I am a complete hypocrite I know, but..........I LOVE VEGAS! It is so utterly opposite to my views, ideals, conscience and yet I can’t help but marvel at the place. It’s like the materialist in me has suddenly been let loose on a wild awe binge and I don’t know how to control it! 

We arrived in the dark. From over ten miles away we could already see the billions of  lights creating a glow that hovered beneath the black sky. There was one giant beam that shone out and moved around; like an air raid search lamp. Getting closer, the excitement began to build. I couldn’t quite believe I was so close to Las Vegas. Off the bus we caught a taxi down to our hotel. As we sped past the hotels, casinos and shops my mouth stayed firmly open. Everything was SO big! Each hotel went on for blocks and had sprawling entrances which were attractions in themselves. Ollie had warned me how vast the strip was but until you see it with your own eyes you can only imagine. The lights aren’t invasive or annoying. Instead I felt like a moth unable to tear myself away from staring at them.

Ollie and I stayed at the Luxor hotel. It is a giant black pyramid decked out as if it’s in Egypt with many statues of the Sphinx, Kings and Hieroglyphics. As we pulled up I let out a little shriek. It was our hotel that was flashing out the huge beam in the sky! The top of the pyramid was lit up bright white and was shooting out the light. We had definitely chosen a pretty awesome hotel for our stay!

Even though we had arrived pretty late we decided to make the most of our time. We took a shower and then headed straight onto the strip. I literally could not believe the size of each hotel. They had casinos, shopping malls, theaters, attractions, crazy architecture and every one had a different theme. Everywhere I looked there was something that caught my eye. From the Statue of Liberty, Eiffel Tower and Venetian river to huge pirate ships, fountains and even a Colosseum! Las Vegas is so ridiculous you can’t help but warm to it! The money these places must of cost to build, the time and attention to detail. The absurd at the absurdest end of the elephantine scale! 

Did we gamble? Yes. A little bit. But probably the least any couple has ever spent gambling in Vegas! At first I was excited to go on the slots and pulling the lever was a great novelty. But as I lost one dollar and then the next and then maybe two more I suddenly started to feel awkward. In the space of five minutes Ollie and I had put $10 into a machine and had nothing to show for it. Just like that the money had gone and to what purpose? We walked through lots of the casinos during our time there but nothing could get me to part with much money. Ollie was slightly more eager but even he couldn’t really see the point. We were both too scared to go and sit at a table because neither of us have ever really played in a Casino before. I was sure I would accidently touch something I wasn’t meant to or we’d annoy other players around by doing something wrong! As I heard the bills go into machines and the sounds of ‘Game Over’ I just wondered how much money people were losing at any moment. O.k. so there are some winners but there’s a reason the hotels are so amazing. Their casinos must be making billions. Eventually on our second night I admitted to Ollie that I just couldn’t gamble any more money. It depressed me too much. It seemed such a waste. When you’ve driven past miles of adverts for bankruptcy and loans to get to Vegas you kind of lose the ‘It could be me’ feeling. There are far better ways to use money I’m sure.

One annoying thing about the Casinos was that they weren’t non-smoking. Our eyes began to water each time we went into one and after about half an hour we were dying for some fresh air. I’m sure they would save a lot of money on refurbishment if they enforced a ban. However I wonder how much money they would lose out on if people had to leave their machine for a fag break.

I did love the amazing fronts to the hotels. We saw a great Volcano show outside the Mirage. Laver and fire flew everywhere! The fountains at the Bellagio are pretty spectacular too and we saw a super performance of them to the Pink Panther Theme. The power of the jets was incredible. Water shot so high and with a massive bang that sounded like fireworks. It was immense! The pirate show at Treasure Island was very odd, was very American. It was ‘Sirens vs Pirates’ and although the diving and ship sinking was cool, the acting and songs were terrible. I had to laugh. I think the girls were supposed to be provocative but they looked more like they had just raided some 90 year old French woman’s moth eaten dressing up box. Ollie said the show used to be better as far as he remembered!

One of my favourite moments in Vegas was seeing the Lion cubs at the MGM grand. After getting over the fact that they were in captivity in a blimin’ casino, I did manage to see a nicer side. The lions were so tame and the two handlers could play with them fearlessly. They stroked them, ruffled their fur and threw balls for the cubs to mess around with. One lion even wrapped his paws around a handlers arms like a hug. It was very sweet to see such trust. Like the two really were friends. I don’t agree at all with keeping cubs in a glass box surrounded by money slots but they looked happy...

The Fremont street experience was something we had heard about before we got to Las Vegas. Situated at the north end of the strip, quite far away from the main hotels, but near the Golden Nugget, is a street with a $70 million dollar light canopy above it. Every hour this canopy suddenly bursts to life in full colour and gives a ten minute incredible performance. We saw a Queen display which was fantastic. Lights, graphics and pictures exploded on the roof, all in time with the booming music. Total awesomeness!

After two days I am ready to live this city. Although I loved the crazy idea and nature of it, it definitely begins to strain after a couple of nights. There is no day or night here. Everything is 24hrs and the party literally never stops. It’s exhausting! I could get all moral and comment on what a money making scandal and over indulgent, greedy place Las Vegas is but there is another side to consider. Vegas gives employment to thousands of people. I couldn’t begin to guess how many staff worked at even just our hotel. There are so many jobs. And even though the sentiments the city is built on seem to me pretty bad, there’s no denying it keeps a roof over so many heads. Ollie and I did come up with a plan though of how Casinos could easily donate to charity (more than they may do already) without seeing a dent in their profits. We tried to add up how much a casino might make in a day but it proved impossible. Last year the Luxor paid out $750,000,000 in winnings. Perhaps that gives an indication of just how much it took itself!

Las Vegas is worth a visit for anyone. Even if you don’t agree with gambling, just the sight of that wonderful strip is enough to merit a look. Plus there’s so many other things to do...at a price of course! But I think the main thing that got me were the escalators in the street! It seemed so weird and yet after only an hour it became the most natural thing in the world. So if you don’t go for any other reason, go for the escalators!

9/11/11

ROAD TRIP!!! DAY 4

Ollie woke me at 5A.M and suggested we go and get in the car, eat some breakfast and wait by a view point for the sunrise. Wrapped in our sleeping bags we sat and ate our cereal in darkness. It was still snowing and the sky was lost to heavy clouds that consumed everything around them. We walked over to ‘see’ the sunrise but it was no use. Although it was getting lighter, we couldn’t see the sun at all. What we did see though was pretty spectacular. Below us in the canyon clouds were slithering along silently. I was so excited to be above the clouds! Ollie said it was like we were mythical Gods looking down on the world. I had to agree, it felt just like that from on top of the rock. O.k. so we didn’t see the amazing view some people get to experience but we did get quite a unique one. Apparently it’s never normally this cold at the South Rim! We stayed until a bus full of Japanese tourists turned up and started getting in the way of the rangers trying to shovel the snow. 

Back at our tent we packed up as quick as possible, folding it up in the mens toilets. Once again we were putting away a soggy plastic mess. Not wanting to get trapped up there we said goodbye to the English Cyclist and started our journey back to Flagstaff. Along the way we past even more new scenery including vast red dusty plains that looked like we were on Mars! I spent this time wondering what I would say to a Martian. It took us quite a while because of the driving conditions and then our fuel started to run out. We had been told to return the car empty as we had paid for the initial tank and I think we took them very literally! As we rolled into the airport, Ollie had his concerned face on. You know how he is with the petrol gauge! We cleaned up the car as best we could using wet wipes and the ‘smacking the seat’ technique. 

It was only 10 A.M and we had until 3.30P.M when we would catch the bus. We caught a taxi into the centre of town and went in search of a clothes shop. When packing to go away neither of us had considered taking anything smart at all. Travellers didn’t need to dress well. We had forgotten Vegas though and there was noway walking shoes or flip flops were going to cut it in a place that thrived on over indulgent night life. So Ollie found a pair of shoes and so did I. He at least had a shirt with him but I had nothing at all. Oh what a shame! A new outfit for me...how utterly troublesome for me!!

I must mention here Ollie’s top moments of our road trip : -

3. Getting taken over by a snow plough because the EW was so useless in the snow. 

2. Accidently driving into an exhibition at a small outdoor Navajo museum, having to do a u-turn in said museum and dragging dirt everywhere.

1. Driving up to a viewpoint with a sheer drop on the other side and shouting ‘Amy. The brakes!’. Then having to pull over so he could stop laughing while I tried tried to not cry.

At the bus station we were able to sit in the warm to wait and eat the leftovers of our three day road trip. A weird Macaroni salad and a tin of sweet corn it was then! But it didn’t matter, soon we would be on our way................VEGAS BABY!

7/10/11

ROAD TRIP!!! DAY 3: The Big Freeze

We didn’t want to get out of bed this morning! It was far too cosy and so much warmer than outside would be. However knowing we were going to be visiting Monument Valley was just about a big enough incentive to get us moving! There was a complimentary breakfast which we made very full use of; it was the best one we’ve seen in a while! There was a cooked buffet and a cold one. Ollie made himself a waffle which turned out not too bad while I very predictably pigged out on the mini muffins and croissants!

Feeling almost stuffed (because there’s always more room in Ollie’s belly!), Ollie and I got in the car and set off back up the 20mile crazily straight road to the valley. We arrived there not really knowing what we would be able to do. Not knowing that you could actually take a drive around the monuments was a big surprise. However there was one small problem. The road was extremely rough and only vehicles that had ‘high clearance’ were supposed to take on the 17 mile round trip. After 5 minutes of discussion, I convinced Ollie that our car was raised enough off the ground to make the drive plausible. We both knew it wasn’t really but it’s easy to convince yourselves when such wonder is at stake! Setting off, Ollie took it really slow and after a few hairy moments where I thought we would fall off the ridges and be lost forever, the road turned more to dust and things were looking up.

We’d seen many of the giant rock formation the previous day but seeing them for a second time wasn’t any less impressive. In fact the light was different today and presented the colours even more vividly for us. The camera snapped away in delight as the novice behind it tried to vaguely capture some representation of what it was actually like to be there. I was pretty good considering I was photographing while in a moving vehicle that bouncing around most of the time! There were view points dotted along the trail so we were able to stop, get out, take some proper photos and simply admire the awesomeness that was the view. Things were going well. We were having a great time. Granted Ollie’s mouth turned into a potty as we had some near misses with stranded boulders but the road was generally o.k. That was until the great divide of view point number 9. Before us the road split apart, the crack filled with water and the sides most uneven. Ollie brought the car to a standstill. We both knew. There was no way our little EW was going to make it over that. Of course I tried to argue the positives of at least trying but thankfully Ollie had his sensible had back on. Uttering a few last ‘Fs’ he backed up, turned around and began to take us back. I’m not going to lie, I was disappointed, but the threat of a big bill when we took the car back in two halves seemed too scary to be upset. The EW was already covered in red dust anyway which we weren’t sure how to explain!

By turning around we hadn’t missed too much, only a few extra close ups. Back at the visitor centre we stood out on the main viewing platform and took a few more pictures. Really, unless you have a super duper camera with one of those mega lenses, the pictures just aren’t going to be as good as the real thing. But I tried anyway! We visited the small museum to learn about the Navajo and had a look at all the wonderful jewlery they make. By this time massive clouds had filled the sky and it looked like snow. We decided to move on and see as much as we could on the way back to our final destination. Along the way we passed through ‘Tuba City’ which wasn’t anything exciting but the name amused me! None of the places here are anything like a ‘normal’ towns. They just appear out of nowhere and consist of a few dusty roads, a school, many fast food joints and some stray dogs running about!

About the dogs. There are so many up there in the reservations. Dogs that look like they’ve spent their entire lives outside with no one to give them a good hug or decent meal. Their coats are long and shaggy, their eyes empty. Most have problems with their legs and limp. It’s not a very happy sight. Ollie fed one dog because he felt so sorry for him. The dog couldn’t really walk and looked as if it was doggy heaven for him any day now. I wonder why no one is looking after them? If they are pets why aren’t they better cared for? It’s not something we’re used to and it was definitely an upsetting experience. Well except the part where I thought I saw a two headed dog but it turned out it was just two different dogs in a post coital stance!!

We carried on the next leg of our trip, making our way gradually back towards the Grand Canyon. I was desperate for another look and another chance to try and take in the view. As we got closer the roads began to become more snowy and the trees running along side were pretty covered. Ahead we saw two cars stopped in the road and assumed there had been a crash. But no, it was deer feeding right on the road side that had caught their attention. It was a beautiful sight and we got to see deer a few more times that evening. It’s amazing to think that human beings can be so cruel and horrible and yet the sight of wild animals still manages to melt our hearts!

We reached the canyon and got out to take a look. Just as the other day, there were clouds moving through the giant space. I stared out for along time but it wasn’t much use. The Grand Canyon is just too astounding for eyes to understand. It will stay set in our memories always though. By this time it was freezing. Faced with another night in the car we looked through our guide we had received a couple of days before and found there was a year round campsite in the park. Ollie looked at me. ‘How much fun would it be to camp in the snow?!’. And so that’s what we did!

While Ollie was organising a pitch for us, a cyclist turned up who also wanted to camp for the night. He was from England too and asked if he could share our pitch to make it cheaper. Of course we agreed. As we all made our way through the snowy site I was more than a little dubious about our latest decision! Our tent was still soaking from the Charleston saga. Perseverance and a little ‘Oh it will be alright’ got the tent up and just in time before it began to snow again. It was only about 6P.M so Ollie and I and our new acquaintance headed over to the massive lodge to partake in their wifi, huge open fire and hot chocolate. And it even came with cream. Lovely job!

The guy we were with suggested we go over and check out the talk a park ranger was giving later that evening on the Colorado river. I thought it sounded interesting so we agreed to go. However a little while later Ollie was already panicking about the looming sleep freeze and decided we had to go over to the big store in Grand Canyon village to find either a blanket or sleeping mats. Well. The only blankets they had were hand woven Navajo beats that cost in excess of $200! Not quite what we’d had in mind. We did find sleeping mats though and gritting my teeth I agreed to the expense. However thanks to Ollie noticing a sign informing him we could hire mats for the night we only had to spend $4 AND we got way better mats than we had intended to purchase. Get in!

By this time we were late for the talk. And I mean five minutes left of the talk late. Feeling guilty, Ollie told our cyclist buddy we’d still go over and try and catch some of what the ranger had to say. We arrived and snuck through the entrance. To our left a shortish man with grey hair was waving his hands wildly, trying to get something across to his audience in a very animated fashion. Before we entered that room, I noticed it was a church service and not our talk! In front of us was a large lecture hall and people were leaving past us. We had missed the talk. Not wanting to give in just yet, the three of us went in and sat down for a few minutes to enjoy the warm. Realising the talk was well and truly over, we made loud comments about how wonderful it had been, how informative and did some wild gesticulations to highlight our points. I don’t think anyone noticed we hadn’t been there the whole time!

We now had nothing to do. But we all knew for definite that we didn’t want to go back to our tents yet. Ollie mentioned that he had seen a common room at the lodge and so we decided to go back over and play some cards. We walked around the lodge for ten minutes until finally Ollie conceded that he must have imagined the common room! All was not lost though because there was a bar and I was quite happy to sit and drink more hot chocolate and eat some fries. We played cards and chatted. Our new friend had been in America since April and had already cycled over 7000 miles across states. Needless to say Ollie and I were both pretty impressed. The guy was extremely chatty. Which made sense considering he was on his own for most of the day, every day! After losing two games in a row and having to eat pepper sauce I decided that it was time for bed. The snow was really heavy now and the temperature way down.

Putting on two pairs of socks and leaving the rest of our clothes on we got into our tent. Ollie had shorts on under his trousers! As we tried to snuggle down it didn’t seem to cold. A few hours later though I was freezing! That cold where no matter how much you hide in your sleeping bag (which is only meant for summer months) or squeeze yourself tight you just can’t get warm. And once our feet had turned numb we knew we had lost the fight! We persevered though...

6/10/11

P.S Just found plug for dead mac, not proof read! Will do later...in the meantime sorry!