Many Mini Adventures

showing Nik blogspot

2012-02-12T10:12:00.001Z

this is just quick post to show Nik how its done.

here's a picture of lynton from yesterday

IGNORE THIS BLOG !

2012-01-09T22:51:00.002Z

It's a mess. I accidentally deleted most of the photos during an episode of over zealous web 'housekeeping'.

Still, it gives me a chance to tidy it up a bit when I get a chance.

Searching for a studio space.......

2012-01-08T22:53:00.000Z

We probably shouldn't be starting this before I've finished the Ilfracombe house but Nigel and I have finally agreed on a few locations for his new studio/workspace so we've started the search in earnest.

I'm not worried about taking on another project already. I'm sure the Ilfracombe house will be finished long before we find a suitable site and it will be great for us to have this to work on together. I haven't even let him see the Ilfracombe house since the first week when we were tearing everything down - I'm just looking forward to him saying 'wow!' when he sees it all finished.

Ilfracombe - The Big Devon House

2012-01-07T19:02:00.000Z

I bought an old wreck of a house in Ilfracombe back in February 2011.

It's a Victorian terraced house built around 1895 and is near the harbour and seafront.

I had this idea that I'd spend 12 weeks fixing it up and then enjoy a Summer on the beach, set up one room in the house as an office and then just make the occassional trip back to London for work. WRONG!!

I completely underestimated the work needed plus I failed to factor in Devon Time (especially Devon Surf Time - where only half the work force turns up if it's sunny or the surf's high).

So here I am, 10 months or so later, still living on a building site in Devon and having to spend a lot more time than planned back working in London to pay for the ever increasing build costs.

The house is nearly sorted, maybe another couple of months. I'll post proper "before and after" photos then but in the meantime here's what I've had to put up with.......

I don't believe in bad luck but..........

2009-12-12T14:04:00.000Z

Here I am laid up with a broken leg and I get a call from the the yard manager saying Tucker's cut his foot in the field and she needs to call the vet out.

I'm not panicking, could be the pain killers keeping me calm but I've told myself that if this 'cut' was a total disaster she'd have called the vet first THEN me. Therefore, must just be only a minor nightmare.

Of course there's nothing I can do myself, leg not allowed to weight bare for at least 8 weeks plus with the risk of infection in the bone the last place I'm allowed is the yard. Thank heavens for Liz.

So that's 2 bad things - I'm not paranoid but I do wonder what else the universe has in store ???

I broke my leg - Urghhhhhhh !!!!

2009-12-09T13:10:00.003Z

Not so much of a fall, as a failure to mount safely! Mostly my fault, in too much of a hurry as usual but Tucker's off my christmas list for his part in my downfall - don't suppose he'll care much as he'll be on easy street for the next 5 months.

Was in hospital for 5 days. Discharged now but have to go back to have a screw taken out (and no, I don't have one loose).

At least the weather's awful so I'm not missing out on too much riding.

Look away now if you don't want to be grossed out.

2009-03-21T19:05:00.002Z

Stockland Lovell Cross Country

Another trip outside my comfort zone but so worth the ticket !

2009-03-19T12:07:00.001Z

Quantock Hills

Wish I'd taken a better camera

2009-03-18T12:11:00.001Z

On the beach at Breen

What a lovely day.

2009-03-06T18:11:00.005Z

Tucker and I learning to jump at a clinic at Holt Farm 31.01.09

2008-10-12T01:58:00.002+01:00

Team jumping at BCL Summer 2008

Our first attempt at jumping.

2008-04-28T18:24:00.003+01:00

So after a long search I found my new horse in Wiltshire. I first saw him in January and finally bought him up to London a month ago. Didn't want to say anything until he'd had a chance to settle in but I think it's safe to say "this one's a keeper!"

Meet Kentucky (Tucker to his friends). 7/8 year old 16hh gelding of unknown breeding. A bit green but has a fab temperement.

Spent the Winter working too much so this is my only news.

Best wishes

Michelle

2007-11-03T23:26:00.001Z

I'M LOOKING FOR A NEW HORSE

Connemara or ID X. 15.3hh - 16.1hh approx.
Must be Golden Dun. Can have some white markings though.
Gelding definitely preferred.
To be used as an allrounder but will be of showing quality i.e. very correct conformation and good paces. Forward going but not a 'nutter'.
Aged 4-8.
I've just sold my warmblood because I found him a bit 'stuffy' compared to the connemara cross I'd owned before. Also, he'd grown too big for me at 16.3hh. I'm only 5ft2 but I weigh over 12st so I can't have anything too fine.

Email any suggestions to pony_girlie@hotmail.com

Here's a picture of my first horse, Mulder, he was perfect and what I'm looking for again this time (perhaps an inch or two bigger).

2007-09-22T19:32:00.000+01:00

To anyone who's found their way here from Horsemart I have uploaded some more pictures and video of my horse to photobucket. They can be viewed via the following link

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v46/burtondog1/bronski/

Email me pony_girlie@hotmail.com if you want more info about Bronski

2004-07-14T10:14:00.000+01:00

THE TRAVEL BLOG HAS ENDED !

I've tried keeping the blog up since my return but it simply isn't working. It was quite a good way of keeping track of stuff and a few friends even commented on my lack of recent postings.

The trouble is I'm just not a good writer. I hardly ever write more than the bare facts of an event, rarely my interpretation of it. When the facts aren't interesting in themselves I struggle to write anything at all. This morning I reviewed my own blog to remind myself how great the trip was - withdrawal symptoms are kicking in. Some excellent pictures notwithstanding the only entries I thought stood out were the Badly Drawn Boy Texas tour experience, the NZ racehorse training and possibly the Arizona dude ranch (although even this entry doesn't do justice to an experience which included what was probably the most enjoyable event of the tour, Team Penning). The rest of the entries, sadly, didn't reflect the amazing time I had.

So I'm giving the blog up ! Immediate future entries would have basically consisted of the following :- finding new job, working, the odd museum and day trip, walking the dog, playing tennis, the occasional horse ride, finding new flatmate(s), the odd movie, the weekly curry, commuting, bad weather....you get the picture. On any given day simply select 1 or more of the above and the chances are that's what I'll be doing. Oh, except for the first week in August when I'm off to Austria for 10 days in the mountains, but other than that....

I may, from time to time, post the odd picture but essentially "that's all folks !".

2004-07-04T16:44:00.000+01:00

LONDON - The journey's end

Touched down safely at Heathrow at about 5pm on Friday, couldn't wait to get through arrivals. Was met by Nigel, Mum & Dad and even Burton (dog) had been allowed in. Was an amazing feeling to finally be home after 9 months on the road. Had a coffee at the airport with my parents then Nigel took me home.

One thing I have decided while travelling is that I need to make better use of my weekends. Before I quit my job I was always exhausted by Friday night and so spent too much time just 'vegging out' at the weekend. Am definately going to make more of an effort to do 'stuff' in future.

Jet lag caused me to wake up at 3am on Saturday I couldn't get back to sleep, which meant neither could Nigel so we decided to go out for a drive. Ended up in Whitstable where we took the dog for a stroll on the beach and had breakfast.

Drove up to my parents that night for a proper reunion. I'd been away since last September so I'd missed Christmas, my birthday and Easter, my mum decided to do all 3 in one go so we had a christmas dinner with Turkey and crackers, they had saved me an Easter egg and we even had a few pressies to open. Visited my sister and one of my brother's while I was up there and finally headed back to London after the football on Sunday night.

In summary : London 10 out of 10 (is good to be back)

Burton Dog

2004-06-10T09:57:00.000+01:00

KYOTO, JAPAN

Caught the bullet train from Tokyo to Kyoto. Was quite expensive, about GBP135 for a return trip, but very fast and comfortable.

My hotel was very nice but I was hardly there as I had only one day to do all my sightseeing. Only really managed to get as far as Maruyama Park with it's temples and shrines. Wandered back through the Gion District, lots of shops and bars.

Got talking to another English girl (well Swedish but living in England) while I was in the park. While we were chating a group of Japanese school boys came up and asked if they could take a picture with us. Then another group came up and asked us some general questions and wanted a photo. Then more groups same again. It turned out they were all on a assignment to practice their english on a tourist!

Faster than a speeding bullet

Not sure what it all means but looks pretty

2004-06-07T09:55:00.000+01:00

TOKYO, JAPAN

Flew overnight and arrived Monday morning. My hotel's in the Ginza District which means 24 hour shopping. Spent my first afternoon in the Sony showroom and some v.big departments stores because it was raining so much. Bought a couple of things I needed but didn't go mad.

Next morning my new friend, Naomi (I met her in NZ), met me at my hotel and we went sightseeing for the day. Started with a walk to and around the Imperial Gardens. We then got the train to Asakasa where we had lunch, checked out the market and a temple. We then met with Naomi's friend Hizuru and together we caught a couple of ferries down to Odaiba. Finally we caught the subway up to Shinjuku where we had dinner and went to the top of the government building to lookout over the Tokyo skyline at night. Big thanks to Naomi & Hizuru for being such good guides.

Naomi & Hizuru

Shinjuku at night

2004-06-07T06:45:00.000+01:00

PERTH, WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Had booked into the YHA but it really wasn't up to standard so cancelled my booking and moved to a nicer hostel.

Weather is not great but my roommate and I managed to walk to the river front without getting too wet. Did a bit off sightseeing but rain started to come down hard so slipped into cinema and watched "The Punisher" not sure if I liked it or not.

Next day visited Freemantle which is a lovely little town but again loads of rain so that put a dampener on things literally.

Still haven't taken one photo ! Am just wait for the sun to stay out long enough to keep my camera dry.

Perth is very flat !

2004-06-03T06:36:00.000+01:00

BRISBANE, QUEENSLAND

Stayed at another YHA, not quite as good as the others but okay.

First evening met up with Nadine (German girl I met in Christchurch) and made sightseeing plans for next day.

Next morning Stuart arrived in Brisbane. Stuart, Nadine and Kathryn (girl I met previous night in hostel) set of for the Lone Pine Koala sanctuary. We got to hug Koalas and feed Kangaroos - was brilliant. That evening Stuart & I went for Pizza on the south bank.

Next day, Stuart and I headed off to Steve Irwin's Australia Zoo. It's very well done possibly one of the best landscaped zoo I've visited. I paid a little extra and got to play with the newly arrived tiger cubs - was worth every cent. More kangaroo feeding plus we got to feed the elephants - those trunks are pretty rough and muddy.

More sightseeing and then Stu and I went to see "Evelyn" at the cinema. was OK but seemed a bit laboured

Can I keep it ?

2004-06-01T09:30:00.000+01:00

SOUTH PACIFIC - ITINERARY TO DATE

Sun Feb 15 Honolulu, Hawaii to Nadi, Fiji (flight 6hrs - across International Date Line)
Mon Feb 16 Fiji (Island Cruise)
Tue Feb 17 Fiji (Island Cruise)
Wed Feb 18 Fiji (Island Cruise)
Thu Feb 19 Fiji (Resort)
Fri Feb 20 Fiji (Resort)
Sat Feb 21 Nadi, Fiji to Auckland, New Zealand (Flight 4hrs) Transfer to Matamata (bus 2 hrs)
Sun Feb 22 Matamata
Mon Feb 23 Matamata
Tue Feb 24 Matamata
Wed Feb 25 Matamata
Thu Feb 26 Matamata
Fri Feb 27 Matamata
Sat Feb 28 Matamata
Sun Feb 29 Matamata / Cambridge
Mon Mar 01 Matamata / Rotarua / Tirau
Tue Mar 02 Matamata
Wed Mar 03 Matamata
Thu Mar 04 Matamata to Auckland (Coach 2hrs from Cambridge)
Fri Mar 05 Auckland
Sat Mar 06 Auckland to LOTR - Takapuna
Sun Mar 07 LOTR - Roturua
Mon Mar 08 LOTR - Ohakune
Tue Mar 09 LOTR - Wellington
Wed Mar 10 LOTR - Wellington
Thu Mar 11 LOTR - Christchurch
Fri Mar 12 LOTR - Twizel
Sat Mar 13 LOTR - Cromwell
Sun Mar 14 LOTR - Te Anau
Mon Mar 15 LOTR - Te Anau - Millford Sound
Tue Mar 16 LOTR - Queenstown
Wed Mar 17 LOTR - Queenstown - White Water Rafting
Thu Mar 18 LOTR Ends - Queenstown
Fri Mar 19 Queenstown
Sat Mar 20 Queenstown
Sun Mar 21 Quenstown to Dunedin (Bus 5hrs)
Mon Mar 22 Dunedin
Tue Mar 23 Dunedin
Wed Mar 24 Dunedin to Timaru (Bus 4hrs via Oamaru)
Thu Mar 25 Timaru
Fri Mar 26 Timaru to Christchurch
Sat Mar 27 Christchurch
Sun Mar 28 Christchurch
Mon Mar 29 Christchurch to Kaikoura (Bus 3hrs)
Tue Mar 30 Kaikoura
Wed Mar 31 Kaikoura
Thu Apr 01 Kaikoura to Nelson (Bus 4hrs)
Fri Apr 02 Nelson
Sat Apr 03 Nelson
Sun Apr 04 Nelson
Mon Apr 05 Nelson to Picton (Bus ? hrs)
Tue Apr 06 Picton
Wed Apr 07 Picton
Thu Apr 08 Picton
Fri Apr 09 Picton to Wellington (Ferry 3hrs)
Sat Apr 10 Wellington
Sun Apr 11 Wellington to Napier (Bus 5hrs)
Mon Apr 12 Napier
Tue Apr 13 Napier
Wed Apr 14 Napier
Thu Apr 15 Napier
Fri Apr 16 Napier to Mt Mauganui
Sat Apr 17 Mt Mauganui
Sun Apr 18 Mt Mauganui to Coromandel
Mon Apr 19 Coromandel
Tue Apr 20 Coromandel
Wed Apr 21 Coromandel
Thu Apr 22 Coromandel
Fri Apr 23 Coromandel
Sat Apr 24 Coromandel to Matamata
Sun Apr 25 Matamata (Racing yard)
Mon Apr 26 Matamata (Racing yard)
Tue Apr 27 Matamata (Racing yard)
Wed Apr 28 Matamata (Racing yard)
Thu Apr 29 Matamata (Racing yard)
Fri Apr 30 Matamata (Racing yard)
Sat May 01 Matamata (Racing yard)
Sun May 02 Matamata (Racing yard)
Mon May 03 Matamata (Racing yard)
Tue May 04 Matamata to Auckland (bus 4hrs)
Wed May 05 Auckland (to meet Saffron)
Thu May 06 Auckland
Fri May 07 Auckland to Paihia (bus 5hrs)
Sat May 08 Paihia
Sun May 09 Paihia
Mon May 10 Paihia to Auckland (bus 5hrs) then car onwards
Tue May 11 Auckland
Wed May 12 Auckland to Wellington (train 12hrs)
Thu May 13 Wellington
Fri May 14 Wellington
Sat May 15 Wellington to Picton to Kiakoura (Ferry / Bus )
Sun May 16 Kiakoura to Christchurch (via Hamner Springs)
Mon May 17 Christchurch / Aokora
Tue May 18 Christchurch
Wed May 19 Christchurch to Melbourne (Flight ? hrs)
Thu May 20 Melbourne
Fri May 21 Melbourne
Sat May 22 Melbourne to Alice Springs (Flight ?hrs)
Sun May 23 Alice Springs to Ayers Rock (4wd Xcountry)
Mon May 24 Ayers Rock
Tue May 25 Ayers Rock to Sydney (Flight
Wed May 26 Sydney
Thu May 27 Sydney
Fri May 28 Sydney to Cairns (Flight 3hrs)
Sat May 29 Cairns
Sun May 30 Cairns
Mon May 31 Cairns to Brisbane (Flight 3hrs)
Tue Jun 01 Brisbane
Wed Jun 02 Brisbane
Thu Jun 03 Brisbane to Perth (Flight 5hrs)
Fri Jun 04 Perth
Sat Jun 05 Perth
Sun Jun 06 Perth to Tokyo (o/n flight 10hrs)
Mon Jun 07 Perth to Tokyo (o/n)
Tue Jun 08 Tokyo
Wed Jun 09 Tokyo to Kyoto (Bullet train 3hrs)
Thu Jun 10 Kyoto to Tokyo (Bullet train 3hrs)
Fri Jun 11 Tokyo to London (Flight 12hrs)

(HOME - THE END)

2004-05-31T06:26:00.000+01:00

CAIRNS, QUEENSLAND

Stayed at the YHA Central which was very nice.

First day sailed out to the Great Barrier Reef and Green Island on the Ocean Free. Snorkled on the reef which was lovely and had lunch on the tiny island. The crossing was rough especially on the homeward journey - most people were very ill but fortunately not me. Had dinner with Saffron and her friend Marcel at a lovely cafe called Driftin

Second day took a coach trip up to Cape Tribulation. A few stops on the way including Port Douglas, a boat ride on the Daintree River and a walk around through the Daintree rainforest also took canopy walk above it. Dinner with Saffron and Marcel again v.nice.

Cairns was a pretty lively place, loads to do and lots to see. They have a lot of pubs with live music, all cover bands my personal favourite was the White Strips tribute band !

Saw loads of pretty fish but not this one

2004-05-28T07:14:00.000+01:00

SYDNEY, NSW, AUSTRALIA (click here for photos)

Got in a day early thanks to a smart change of flights. Had arranged to stay at the house of a new friend, Hannah, I'd met in Hawaii. Wasn't expect by her family until the next day so splashed out on a night in the lovely 5 star hotel, Shangri-La, the 'anti-swag'. Very nice and just what I needed after a nights camping. Had a bath and a shower, I was that dirty, and still didn't manage to get out all the red desert dirt! Ordered room service, watched crap TV and slept for 12 hours. Next morning went to the pool for an hour and saw a kookaboura (lovely). Did a city sights open bus tour and then caught the ferry to Hannah's house where her parents picked me up from the Quay.

Next day caught the ferry back to Circular Quay and spent the day sightseeing. Visited the botanical gardens, parliment buildings, St Mary's cathedral, the mint, Hyde Park, Queen Victoria Building and a couple of other landmarks.

I spent a large part of the day after in Darling Harbour visiting the Maritime Museum.

2004-05-24T06:50:00.000+01:00

THE RED CENTRE, NORTHERN TERRITORY, AUSTRALIA (click here for photos)

Fly into Alice Springs then transferred to the YHA there for one night.

Alice is a little bigger than I imagined, quite nice with a few lovely cafes & shops.

Saw loads of proper aboriginals and a digerydoo shop - v.Oz.

Got an early night and set off at 5am the next morning with Adventure Tour for my 2 day dash around the Red Centre.

Lots of driving through the desert. Had been raining the last few days so was quite lush. Saw wild camels, kangaroos, horses, cows and emus.

First stop on tour, Kings Canyon, where we did the 3 1/2 hour rim walk. This was probably my favourite part of the trip. The canyon's not very deep but the formations are quite varied.

We headed on to Ayers Rock, caught a lovely red sunset before reaching our campsite. That night we toasted marshmallows over an open fire and slept under the stars in a 'Swag'. Was only a little scary plus it rained a bit. I liked it but didn;t really get much sleep.

Next morning up again at 5am in time to make sunrise at the Rock. Did the base walk which took just over an hour. I was really impressed with Ayers Rock, which I didn't think I would be, I'm really glad I took the time to see it.

We then drove to the cultural centre. I had originally planned to stay that night in Ayers Rock at the YHA but there really isn't much to do there other than the Rock so I rearranged my flight to leave that afternoon and headed off to the airport.

Unfortunately, this meant I missed the Olgas (although I saw them at a distance) but I was a 'rocked' out anyway and couldn't wait to get to Sydney.

In summary : Red Centre 8 out of 10 (2 points deducted for the giant spider in the shower!)

2004-05-22T08:37:00.000+01:00

MELBOURNE, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA (click here for photos)

Finally reached Oz for the start of my reduced visit.

Melbourne was a good start. I liked the city. It's a 'proper' size after those 'towns' in NZ (only Auckland counts as a city in my books!).

Stayed at the YHA Queensbury St which was very smart.

First day spent wandering around taking a few pictures. Organised my Alice Springs/Ayers Rock trip which took an hour or so. Went to the Caravaggio exhibition at the Art Gallery. Met up with Saffron for dinner.

Next day more wandering about taking pictures plus took the free City Circle Tram around the city. Walked all the way to St Kilda's in the afternoon, took ages, almost didn't make it in time for the sunset but just caught it. Caught a tram back to meet Saffron for dinner again.

Next morning up v.early to catch flight to Alice Springs.

In summary : Melbourne 8 out of 10 (very smart place)

Almost missed it

2004-05-18T00:07:00.000+01:00

CHRISTCHURCH (again) (click here for photos)

My last few days in New Zealand I can't believe how fast the time's gone.

Christchurch is lovely but I've already seen many of the sights on my previous visits.

Got in quite late on Sunday so grab a bite and a movie. Saw "Shattered Glass", as recommended by Fiona, at least I think it's the movie she recommended because she described it but couldn't remember the title. It was based on a true story of a journalist who fabricates a number of stories (who'd have thought it!) and was actually a pretty good film at that. Am relieved to see that Hayden Christianssen can actually act - Star Wars scripts make a ham of almost all actors !

Visited Akaroa for a day trip. Is a supposedly 'french' settlement about 2 hours from Christchurch. Only things French about it was that the streets are all called 'Rue' whatever and there are a couple of restuarants with french sounding names like 'Chez Eiffel' although the menus looked quite Kiwi ! Was quite a pretty village though and the drive over had some lovely views so all in all not a bad way to spend a day.

Went to dinner with Saffron, who had just got into Christchurch that night, and Dawn, a girl I met on the bus to Akaroa.

Last full day today so not sure what I'm going to do yet. Might visit the art gallery.

Up above the streets and houses.......

2004-05-17T23:51:00.000+01:00

KAIKOURA (again!)(Click here for photos)

Just a brief stop to see the Sperm Whales because I didn't get a chance last time I was here.

Stayed at the Sleepy Whale Backpackers which was actually much better inside than it looked from the outside. I choose it for location and was lucky to get in because the next day the owners were off on holiday and the hostel was closing for 2 weeks.

Went out with Whale Watch Kaikoura. Excellent tour. Very professional and they really knew how to find the whales (less hit & miss than Hawaii). Again a bit of luck because the tours had been cancelled the previous 2 days due to rough conditions. The sea was still pretty bumpy. We saw loads of Dusky dolphins, a few albatross and 2 huge Sperm whales. Incredible, amazing, spectacular. Am very happy girl.

Added bonus of the day. Met Fiona, recently relocated from Edinburgh to Christchurch, who, after the whale watch, gave me a lift to Christchurch via Hamner Springs. This was particularly fortuatus because I had orginally planned to go to Hamner but the buses didn't go that way on a Sunday so was resigned to missing it altogether. Fiona & I both had our swim suits so we took a little time out in Hamner to visit the hot sulphur springs. We sat in the lovely hot pools on a cold day with a fantastic view of the mountains. Big thanks to Fiona for being such good company and good luck in your new land.

Another Moby

2004-05-13T07:44:00.000+01:00

WELLINGTON (again!) (Click here for photos)

Caught the Trans Scenic train from Auckland to Wellington. The journey took 12 hours through lots of green fields and over the occassional bridge.

Last time I was here I had the worst cold and spent 2 days in a hotel room sneezing and watching TV.

This time I was determined to make it to the Te Papa museum and today I did.

The museum is lovely and free - I might even go back tomorrow just in case I missed anything. The exhibits are a bit of a mixed bag but there's plenty to feast your eyes on.

Took the cable car up and walked down through the botanical gardens it was lovely despite the weather. I think Wellington Botanica Gardens are my favourite, they're not as formal as the others I visited and there's a greater variety of plants than I've seen before, plus, unlike other gardens this one's on a very steep hill.

Went to see a movie a which hunky men wear black leather mini skirts and still manage to look cool (Troy) was quite good. Worth a look. I've been thinking a little recently about what path my career should take when I eventually get back home and it occurred to me, while watching Troy, that somebody's job actually envolved rubbing oil on Brad's pecks ! Hollywood here I come !

Dead As......

2004-05-13T07:36:00.000+01:00

AUCKLAND (again!)

Well the plan was that Saffron and I would hire a car and drive down the North island to Wellington together but instead we've decided to make our way South seperately. No big bust up - I hope ! It's just that Saffron has to squeeze in so much during her 2 weeks here and she can probably travel quicker alone - well that's the theory.

I was a bit disappointed but am taking the opportunity to have a couple more days in Auckland before heading South.

Auckland is currently hosting a comedy festival so I went to see another British comedian, Lee Mack. He was really funny and his support, Russell Howard wasn't half bad either.

Wondered around some more, spent 4-5 hours in Parnell and also saw the movie 'Van Helsing' which I thought was pretty good.

Auckland Train Station

2004-05-09T10:56:00.000+01:00

PAIHIA (Click here for photos)

Checked into the Peppertree Backpackers for 2 nights but had to extend for an extra night to squeeze in all the activities.

First morning went Horsetrekking on a nearby farm. Scenery was lovely and we started early enough to catch the morning mist.

Highlight was that afternoon when we swam with the dolphins - it was AWESOME !!!!! Our pod was a fair number of bottlenosed dolphins and I can tell you they're much bigger than I thought they'd be. It was a little scary at first but then totally exilerating. Wonderful, amazing, spiritual creatures - I love them !!!

Next day we went on a day trip to Cape Reinga. The trip included a Kauri forest, body boarding on the sand dudes and a drive along the 90 Mile Beach. A long 12 hour day but worth it I think.

In summary : Paihia 8 out of 10 (I wish I could stay here longer but Saffron and I still have a few things to see)

aaaaaaah

aaaaaaaaah

2004-05-04T08:21:00.000+01:00

AUCKLAND (Click here for photos)

Met up with Saffron at the airport - was of course v.lovely to see her after all this time.

I'd booked us into the Hyatt for one night but we decided we'd stay an extra night.

The first night we had tickets to see the british comedian, Ross Noble at the Sky City Theatre. He was there as part of the Auckland Comedy Festival. I thought he was ok but wished I'd got tickets to see Lee Mack instead as he looked funnier on the TV.

The next day Saffron went off to a museum in the morning while I had a wonder around town. We met up at lunchtime and caught the ferry across to Waiheke Island. On the island we did a scenic tour which took in a number of great beaches and a lovely winery called Mudbrick. Later we had dinner at a restaurant called Vino Vinos which was recommended by the Lonely Planet guide - it was very nice. Got the 8.30pm ferry back to Auckland in time to catch a movie, "Taking Lives" with Angelina Jolie (quite good I thought).

Spent the next morning in the Hyatt spa before catching bus to Paihia in the Bay Of Islands/Northland.

In summary : Auckland 8 out of 10 (still like it even 2nd time around)

Bright City Lights

2004-05-03T04:59:00.000+01:00

MATAMATA - RACEHORSE TRAINING YARD (click here for photos)

This week I am doing work experience for top NZ racehorse trainer, Katrina Alexander, in return for room & board and use of a "Ut" (utility vehicle).

Arrived on Sunday and was very pleased to find that I would be staying with Katrina's parents, Peter & Noeline. It was a lovely surprise because I was expecting some dodgy grooms quarters whereas their home and hospitality is delightful.

My typical day consists of a 4.30am Start - Urgh! Getting horses ready and down to the track for the jockeys, hosing the horses down after they've been exercised, bringing them back to yard, turning them out. There are almost 40 horses so this takes us up to about 8.30am. We then have a brief stop for breakfast (tea & toast). Next the horses get their breakfast in the fields - this is my favourite part of the day because I get to drive/ride on the quad bike and trailer plus the horses are very pleased to see their feed. A quick tidy up and sweep of the yard and our morning is finished at about 10.30-11am.

We can then go home for the next 3-4 hours. I wish I could sleep during this break because I must admit the 4.30am starts are a killer but unfortunately I just can't seem to sleep at all during the day. Back to the yard for 2.30pm to bring the horses in, give them a quick groom - although not so quick in my case it takes me a least twice as long to do this as the professionals and my horses never look as tidy. We feed them again before going home at 5pm. It's a long/hard day and everyone says it gets better after the first week - which is little comfort to me as this is my only week !

On Thursday in addition to the usual routine we took 2 horses to the "trials" (practice races) at Waipa. I took a horse called Sandy's Lad (stable name Popeye) he came 5th in his heat but showed a promising finish and will probably do better over a longer distance. One of the other stable girls, Kelly, took a horse called Calamante (stable name Carol) she won her heat.

If it rained too hard, which it did on a couple of the days I was working, it wasn't practical to exercise the horses on the track so instead they got 30mins on the walker in the morning and the same again in the afternoon. They also couldn't really be turned out so this meant we had to 'skip out' the stables in the afternoon - I didn't really mind this because the stables at Katrina's yard were much easier to do than the ones at my old yard back home.

I had Friday afternoon off which is just as well because I REALLY needed it ! Peter & Noeline took me to a lovely lakeside cafe and then onto a funny pub.

Another 4.30am start on Saturday but once the morning's tasks were completed I was allowed to go to the races at Te Rapa Racecourse in Hamilton. Only one of our horses was running, Pindiose (stable name Peewee) and Kelly was taking care of him so I had plenty of time to watch the races and take a few snaps. It rained all day and our horse finished 5th but I had a lovely time anyway. Back to work in the afternoon but by now I was starting to find things a little easier.

Got a lay in on Sunday but only until 6.30am ! There's less to do on a Sunday, most of the horses have a restday. Only the horses that are racing on Monday have to be exercised. Kelly and I took the 3 horses that needed work down to the swimming pool for a few laps each. Once they were finished we gave the rest of the horses a couple of sessions on the walker because they couldn't really be turned out due to the bad weather.

Last day, Monday. Arranged with Katrina just to work the first 4 hours because I needed time to get sorted before my journey to Auckland the next day. The rain had finally stopped so it was business as usual with all the horses going down to the track for a proper workout. Typically as it was my last day, actually during my last hour, I had a bit of an accident ! I was leading 2 horses to the stalls when another was unloaded from a nearby lorry, unfortunately, this spooked the mare I had in one hand, which in turn set off the gelding I had in the other ! Result - I fell over backwards and was briefly dragged along the ground by the pair of them. I hung on for a few seconds but one of the lead ropes was caught across my neck so I decided I should probably let go but sadly not before I managed to get a lovely rope burn under my chin (very attractive!!).

Monday night I cooked dinner for Mel & Kelly and we watched a compilation video of a number of Katrina's recent winners including the 2003 Sydney cup win for their horse, Honor Babe. So all in all a very horsey week !

I enjoyed this week and by the end I was actually coming to terms with the physicallity of it all, even the 4.30am starts weren't really a problem. Katrina and her husband Simon always seem to find the time to answer all my questions. I've learnt tonnes about horse management and quite a bit about horse racing in NZ.

In summary : working at Hilton Lodge racing yard 8 out of 10 (points deducted for early start!)

I feel the need, the need for speed !

2004-04-25T04:21:00.000+01:00

COROMANDEL (click here for photos)

Had booked into top hostel in Coromandel town for just 3 nights but have just extended until Saturday because it's so pretty.

On Tuesday I got a lift from Nicky (new backpacker friend from London) to Stony Bay near the top of the Coromandel peninsula. We then walked 3hrs+ (with a climb of 1500 ft+) to Fletcher Bay. We had just sat down to eat our packed lunches when 2 Killer Whales came right into the bay and proceeded to fish there for the next 1/2 hr. They came in really close, it was fantastic. We then had to do another 3hr+ walk back to the car in Stony Bay but at least it was a coastal walk and not so steep.

Thursday I wanted to go to the Driving Creek Railway but it was a little too far to walk so the hostel owners kindly gave me a lift. Rode the railway all the way up to the "Eye Full Tower" for some spectacular views. Got a lift back from John from Seattle and we even managed to stop off at the Whaimia Waterworks which was another thing on my list of things to do.

In summary : Coromandel 8 out of 10 (just beautiful)

View from a hill

2004-04-18T04:18:00.000+01:00

MT MAUNGANUI (click here for photos)

Just 2 nights here enroute to the Coromandel.

Visited the Mt before on day trip with Terry & Mary so knew what to expect, lovely beach, cool beachside cafes, nice walk around the Mt and some hot spa pools.

Weather was lovely, really sunny but with a cool breeze.

Stayed at the Mount Backpackers which was pretty grotty but cheap, central and served it's purpose.

In summary : Mt Mauganui 7 out of 10 (great but nice time I'll find a smarter place to stay)

More of a hill really

2004-04-16T04:40:00.000+01:00

NAPIER (click here for photos)

Still ill but the fog is clearing.

Arrived Napier last night, went off in search of drugs (just neurofen) but everywhere was closed so had to wait till monring to get medicated. Feeling soooo much better as a result.

Napier seems nice and unlike Wellington, I haven't been here before so this is my only chance to see the sights. Had planned to stay 3 nights but think it will take most time to get back on the road to healthy so will probably have to extend for a couple of nights. Stayed at Archie's Bunker Hostel which was great and very cheap (single room NZ$23 BBH).

Really liked Napier. Loads to do, cool cafes and arty cinemas etc. Art deco buildings interesting. V.Large peeble beach but sadly no cafes along it.

In summary : Napier 7 out of 10 (they need to make more of the seafront)

Example of Napier Art Deco Buildings

2004-04-10T04:19:00.000+01:00

WELLINGTON (click here for photos)

I have a dreadful cold and am sulking in my hotel room.

Not in the mood to blog cos my head is all fogged in !

Will do this properly later.

Will say that this is my second visit to Wellington and it's one of my favourite NZ towns/cities even with a stinking cold.

Bit of a wash out due to illness only managed to make it to the eeeevil Starbucks and a little walk to the civic centre.

Very disappointed because I really wanted to visit the Te Papa museum this time but I really wasn't up to it.

In summary : Wellington ? out of 10 (my head hurt !)

Civic Square

2004-04-08T00:41:00.000+01:00

PICTON (click here for photos)

The weather's turning pretty chilly but luckily I had one day of sunshine to explore Picton. The other few days sadly were a washout. All plans cancelled due to rain.

Stayed at The Villa which was quite a nice hostel but unfortuantely each night when everybody put on their electric heaters the power would cut out and it would take a couple of hours to get it back on.

Managed to squeeze in a tour of several Blenheim wineries between showers.

Picton is a tiny port town it was nice but would have been nicer in the sunshine.

In summary : Picton 6 out of 10 (I don't know why)

First we pick the grapes, then we crush them

2004-04-03T04:28:00.000+01:00

NELSON (click here for photos)

Here for 4 nights which is probably a little long but is a nice enough place. Am staying at the Paradiso which is another v.nice hostel.

Yesterday went tramping and kayaking in the Abel Tasman National Park, really interesting coastline but once again I failed to capture the true beauty with my camera.

Spent the next couple of days just hanging out in town.

In summary : Nelson 7 out of 10 (nice little town - geographical centre point of New Zealand)

Back Bay, Abel Tasman

2004-03-31T06:29:00.000+01:00

KAIKOURA (click here for photos)

Stayed at the Topspot Hostel which was nice. Chose it mainly because they arrange daily seal swims but sadly these were cancelled both of my days there because the seas were too rough.

Did lots of walking included a cliff top walk to the seal colony (twice). Hung out, drank lots of coffee and watched a few videos.

Developed a bad habit of walking to places then being too lazy to walk back from them ! Thankfully there were plenty of lovely fellow travellers kind enough to give me a lift back into town. Thank you, Marc and Gary, from Sheffield area and also cool couple from London whose names I sadly forgot.

Have come to the conclusion that everyone in New Zealand is nice. I know it’s a sweeping generalisation but it is in fact basically true. You can just hang out here, strangers smile and greet you, conversations with recent acquaintances flow easily. It’s relax but things get done. I like it a lot.

In summary : Kaikoura 7 out of 10 (cool seaside town)

Too close ?

2004-03-29T06:28:00.000+01:00

CHRISTCHURCH (click here for photos)

Second time in Christchurch. This time stayed at the Frauenreisenhaus Hostel, which as the name suggests is women only hostel . The hostel came highly recommended and didn’t disappoint, this is definitely the nicest place I’ve stayed.

Saturday night went to the rugby, Christchurch Crusaders vs. Otago Highlanders. Was supposed to go with Stu and Liz but they blew me out at the last minute with some lame excuse about breaking up ! Went on my own anyway and really enjoyed it. Don’t actually know much about rugby so I had been counting on Stu to explain the rules. Basically, big men with enormous thighs ran very fast hugging the funny shaped ball and in the end Christchurch triumphed - it was all very exciting ! Sat next to a nice bunch from Rochdale and went for quick drink with them after then back to the hostel to watch ‘chick flicks’.

Went for a walk around the botanical gardens and the nearby arts centre - great place to hang out - lots of live music and free exhibits.

In summary : Christchurch 7 out of 10 (another lovely university town)

Fountain in Botanical Gardens

2004-03-26T06:28:00.000Z

TIMARU (click here for photos)

Messed up stopping here but never mind. Just thought it would be a break enroute to Christchurch. Not much to do here, a couple of average walks and a few nice buildings.

Stayed in clean but bland accommodations at the Anchor Motel/hostel only thing interesting here was that my room was infact a shed ! Well more of a beach hut actually but it was called the ’cycle shed’ so you get the idea.

Wandered about a lot. Highlight, I watched Cold Mountain at the cinema which I thought was brilliant.

Interesting horsey fact : in birth place ‘ish’ of great racehorse Phar Lap.

In summary : Timaru 4 out of 10 (good for a coffee break but probably not to stay overnight)

Pretty Lighthouse

2004-03-24T18:48:00.000Z

DUNEDIN (click here for photos)

Staying in another hostel, Adventure Backpackers, again is really nice - either the hostels in New Zealand are nicer than the ones in the US or my shortage of cash is making me more receptive to these places !

Had a wander around the town centre which is quite big by NZ standards, visited the Cadbury factory and then went to the cinema and watched "Hidalgo" which I thought was great.

Did an eco tour of the peninsula saw seals, sea lions and penguins but sadly no albatross .

Went for a 2hr scenic/beach horse trek. Was particularly good because there was only myself, the guide, Keren and her friend - usually you get a lot on non riders on these things which really slow you down but not this time. I was riding a Standardbreds (ex racing trotters) called Smoothy (definitely named by somebody with a sense of humour!). With some persuasion he actually went in the sea which was fun but the waves came in quicker and further than expected so I got a little wetter than planned. Had a nice little canter along the beach. Walked over the dunes and through some native bush. Sun was shining so all in all a good day. After the ride Keren invited me for a coffee and a chance to see their young stock. I fell in love with a gorgeous colour colt called Tuffy - could this be a replacement for Mulder ? If only it wasn’t so far from home !

In summary : Dunedin 7 out of 10 (had a good feel to the place)

Dunedin Railway Station

2004-03-21T10:44:00.000Z

QUEENSTOWN (click here for photos)

Believe it or not am actually staying in a hostel, Resort Lodge Backpacker, is really nice one in fact (details to follow).

Queenstown is great - adventure capital of the world, you know. Did white water rafting on first day which was fun but not as scarey as I thought it would be. Have decided that I definately will NOT be bungy jumping - if anyone out there feels like calling me 'chicken' please bare in mind that jumping off a bridge tied to an elastic band is not nearly as fightening as quiting the security of home, family and career to travel around the world on my own for a year !

The town itself is quite pretty and is set around a beautiful lake - only difference here is that throughout the day when you look up the sky is filled with Paragliders dropping into the car parks.

Have done a 'Duck Tour' on a WWII amphibious vehicle and made a number of Skyline luge runs. Have seens 2 movies, In The Cut (basically stylised porn disquised as a thriller - costs a lot to make a film look this cheap) and Mona Lisa Smile (Dead Poets Society for woman - great costume design and easy viewing). Had v.good mexican meal with new friend, Jenny from Townsville, Australia.

In summary : Queenstown 7 out of 10 (need to be crazy or just plain dangerous to get the most out of this place)

White Water Rafting

2004-03-05T10:46:00.000Z

LORD OF THE RINGS TOUR, NORTH & SOUTH ISLANDS

DAY 1 March 6 : Picked up at the Hyatt by Vic (our North Island tour guide) and transferred to Spencer on Byron Hotel in Takapuna just north of Auckland. This was just a day to get everyone together so had the afternoon to myself. Checked out the shops and the beach and then went to a lovely little arty cinema, watched 'Lost In Translation' which was very good even though nothing actually happens. That evening met with the other tour guests, 3 Americans and 1 Australian all of whom seem very nice. Keith, Kris and Chris are real LOTR fans (or 'Ringers' as they're commonly know), Darlene is Keith's wife, she and I both enjoyed the movies but we're just honourary Ringers for the duration of this trip!

DAY 2 March 7 (click here for photos): Early start to Rotorua via Hobbiton. Hobbiton is actually in Matamata, which, for those of you who've been following my blog will know, is where I've been staying with the Tanner for the past two weeks ! Almost all of the set has been removed but the shells of many of the hobbit houses remain - it doesn't take too much imagination to see it as it must have been during filming. Was surpised to see 'The Party Tree' was actually there had assumed they'd 'borrowed' it. Had my photo taken in the remains of Bag End (well had to be done). On to Rotorua where we checked into the .......tba..... The evening was spent at the Tamaki Maori village enjoying a traditional Maori concert and meal.

DAY 3 March 8 (click here for photos) : In the morning enroute from Rotorua to Ohakune we stopped at the geothermal park to check out the bubbling mud and the gyser. In the afternoon visited Mt. Ruapehu which was used for Mordor and Emyn Muil (is where Sam and Frodo were lost amid volcanic lava flows and where they first met Gollum). Later visited ............Falls (used for Gollum's fishing pool, where he was careful not to plunge over the waterfall). Spent the night at the Powderhorn lodge (is where a number of the cast etc stayed during filming).

DAY 4 March 9 (click here for photos) : Ohakune to Wellington via Mokai Canyon, a gorge on the Rangitikei River (part of the River Anduin in the movie) these days is the home of Gravity Canyon extreme sports. Keith, Darlene & Chris did the fox flyer (they harness you to a cable along the canyon, one kilometer long, 180 meters high and you reach speeds in excess of 160kph). Kris and I chose something a little gentler and were instead lowered 'slowly' into the gorge in a bucket seat. Onwards to Wellington where following a quick quided tour (including the 'Get off the road' site) we checked into the West Plaza hotel.

DAY 5 March 10 (click here for photos) : Spent the day on a highlights tour of Wellywood. This basically involved tresspassing in one of the Weta studio lots (yes tresspassing ! we wondered onto the lot and were fairly soon escorted off by security), a visit to the Chocolate Fish Cafe (yummy!), standing outside a quarry (Helms Deep) and visiting a public park, Harcourt (Isengard gardens). Later, a drive over over the Rimutaka Ranges took us to Fernside house in Featherston (the gardens of which were used as the 'Leaving Lothlorien' site - very pretty). That night I had a wonder round Wellington while the others went to see Return of the King at the Embassy cinema (where the premiere was held)

DAY 6 March 11 (click here for photos) : Another early start to catch a flight to Chistchurch. We met our South Island guide, Anwen (she was an extra in the Two Towers). Check into our hotel Copthorne, Durham St before having the rest of the day to ourselves to do some non LOTR sightseeing. I met up with Stu (travel chum) and Liz (his new girlfriend) for a coffee then wondered around the town centre for a while before meeting up with the others for dinner.

DAY 7 March 12 (click here for photos) : Onwards to Mt Potts Station (the site of Edoras). This is a remote area we had to cross three streams and then climb to the summit where we had are picnic lunch and dicovered the delights of not only the gorgeous scenery but of 'Action Figure Theatre' (more about this later). Later made scenic stops at Lakes Tekapo (clear day gave us a lovely view of Mt Cook) and Lake Pukaki enroute to Twizel where we stayed at the ...............................

DAY 8 March 13 (click here for photos) : Twizel to Alexandra and Cromwell. Yet another early start to catch the site of the 'Pelennor Fields' at their best - it was worth it, the early morning mist was just starting to burn off and the orange sky was stunning. I was really interested in the logistics of filming almost 300 horses and riders etc on the charge and luckily the landowner, Simon, was kind enough to take the time to answer all my boring horsey questions. For example, I learnt that even though there were probably only 250 horses in a charge at a time they actually had to have about 750 horses on the site so that they could keep changing them over take after take - obvious . .....to be edited.... Later we shall check out the scene of The Great Chase and then the Rohan village that was burned. Can you find the canyon where the leaf brooch was dropped? What about Aragorn's rock

DAY 9 March 14 (click here for photos) : Grabbed a picnic lunch and headed for The Mavora Lakes (four LOTR sites- The Orc funeral pile, Fangorn Forest, the log which concealed Merry and Pippen before Frodo left the Fellowship, and where Sam and Frodo paddled away on the next stage of their journey).

DAY 10 March 15 (click here for photos) : Day trip from Te Anau to Milford Sound where we took a scenic boat ride. That evening nice meal in Redcliffs Cafe (where the LOTRs cast ate apparently).

DAY 11 March 16 (click here for photos) : Stopped at Kelvin Heights Deer Park (6 sites to view including where Aragorn fell over the cliff) enroute to Queenstown. Plus had lunch in picturesque Arrowtown (riverside sites of Ithilien and Amon Hen).

DAY 12 March 17: Morning to ourselves then in afternoon Extreme Green white water rafting trip along Kawarau River (past LOTRs site for The Pillars of Argonath). That night we had our farewell dinner at the Skyline Restaurant.

DAY 13 March 18: We reach our journey's end. Keith, Darlene & I have breakfast and sort our photos. I begin the next phase of my own long journey home........

Return of the King

2004-03-04T10:04:00.000Z

AUCKLAND (click here for photos)

Just a 2 day visit before I set off on LOTR Tour.

Booked into a hotel from my favourite chain and got a free upgrade to a residential suite so am happy as Larry.

Weather is great, checked out the city & harbour area. to be continued.......

River Taxi in Viaduct Harbour

2004-02-23T09:35:00.000Z

MATAMATA and there abouts (click here for photos)

Flew into Auckland and then eventually made my way down to my friend Eric's home just outside the small town of Matamata (a.k.a. Hobbiton!)

Was so good to see Eric and to finally meet his lovely family. I will be staying for about 10 nights so am resting up for the first couple of days but will soon get out and about.

Have been here a week now. Weather is bad .... so much rain. Between showers I have so far visited Hamilton (riverside town), The Bay Of Plenty (great beaches) & Mt Manganui (more of a hill really).

Today visited Briggsy at the Trelawney Stud where she works and was treated to a full tour which was very great - especially impressed by the fact that last year the stud stood "Van Nistolroy" the racehorse not the footballer!

Another days went to Cambridge (pretty racing town), Roturoa (volcanic lake) and Tirau (little artistic town).

Have organised a week or two's work experience with a local racing trainer - will be starting mid April stopping off enroute from the South Island to meet my friend Saffron in Auckland at the beginning of May.

Have bought my bus pass now and my rest at Eric's will be over on Thursday when I head to Auckland for a couple of days before joining a Lord Of The Rings Tour.

Wednesday, last day here Terry & Mary (Eric's in-laws) took me on another road trip - this time to Katikati (where I found perfect birthday pressy for Nigel babes), Waihi Beach (windswept) and Owharoa Falls.

In summary : Matamata 7 out 10 (but 10 out of 10 for the Tanners who made me very much at home)

Maori Art in Hamilton

2004-02-21T23:56:00.000Z

FIJI (click here for photos)

Stu and I flew to Fiji together. Is raining big time when we get there - hardly surprising as February the highlight of their rainy season. Doesn't really bother me though because this week is just a pit stop on the road to New Zealand as far as I'm concerned. Stu however has decided to explore Fiji properly and has extended his stay.

One night in a tacky resort hotel across from the airport, hung out with Dean from Southend which passed the time quite nicely.

Next day joined the Blue Lagoon flagship Mystic Princess at Lautoka harbour for a 4 day cruise around the Yasawa Islands. During the cruise I visited Omba Beach, Nacula Island, Savuti Point, and another beach, the name of which I cannot remember.

When the cruise finished I had 2 nights before my flight to New Zealand which I spent rained in at a beach bura at the First Landing Resort which was ok but not really as nice as it looks of their website. Rarely left my room on account of the weather but did finish 2 trashy novels.

In summary : Fiji 5 out of 10 (snorkeling was great but I didn't really like the place - just too basic for me)

The Transport

The Destination

2004-02-14T16:00:00.000Z

FINAL USA & CANADA ITINERARY
Sun Sep 14 London to New York (7hrs Flight)
Mon Sep 15 New York
Tue Sep 16 New York
Wed Sep 17 New York
Thu Sep 18 New York to Boston (5hrs Greyhound)
Fri Sep 19 Boston
Sat Sep 20 Boston / Salem
Sun Sep 21 Boston / Cape Cod (Overnight 8hrs Greyhound to Montreal)
Mon Sep 22 Montreal
Tue Sep 23 Montreal
Wed Sep 24 Montreal to Toronto (8hrs Greyhound)
Thu Sep 25 Toronto
Fri Sep 26 Toronto to Niagara (2hrs Greyhound)
Sat Sep 27 Niagara On The Lake / Niagara Falls
Sun Sep 28 Niagara to Cleveland (7hrs Greyhound via Buffalo, NY)
Mon Sep 29 Cleveland to Detroit (4hrs Greyhound)
Tue Sep 30 Detroit
Wed Oct 1 Detroit to Chicago (5hrs Amtrak via Ann Arbour & Battle Creek)
Thu Oct 2 Chicago
Fri Oct 3 Chicago
Sat Oct 4 Chicago
Sun Oct 5 Chicago to Memphis (Overnight 10hrs Greyhound)
Mon Oct 6 Memphis / Graceland
Tue Oct 7 Memphis
Wed Oct 8 Memphis to Winchester VA (Overnight 20hrs Greyhound via Nashville & Knoxville TN)
Thu Oct 9 Winchester
Fri Oct 10 Washington DC
Sat Oct 11 Winchester VA
Sun Oct 12 Charlottesville Virginia (Monticello)
Mon Oct 13 Washington DC
Tue Oct 14 Washington DC
Wed Oct 15 Winchester (Stuart off)
Thu Oct 16 Winchester VA
Fri Oct 17 Winchester VA
Sat Oct 18 Winchester VA
Sun Oct 19 Winchester to Savannah GA (overnight 18hrs Greyhound)
Mon Oct 20 Savannah
Tue Oct 21 Savannah
Wed Oct 22 Savannah to Charleston (3hrs Greyhound)
Thu Oct 23 Charleston
Fri Oct 24 Charleston to Kissimmee FL (overnight 15hrs Greyhound)
Sat Oct 25 Kissimmee / Orlando FL
Sun Oct 26 Kissimmee / Orlando FL
Mon Oct 27 Kissimmee / Orlando FL
Tue Oct 28 Kissimmee / Orlando FL
Wed Oct 29 Kissimmee to Miami (6hrs Greyhound)
Thu Oct 30 Miami Beach
Fri Oct 31 Miami to Key West (5hrs Greyhound)
Sat Nov 1 Key West
Sun Nov 2 Key West to Homestead/Everglades (5hrs Greyhound)
Mon Nov 3 Homestead/Everglades
Tue Nov 4 Homestead/Everglades
Wed Nov 5 Homestead/Everglades to Miami (Ghound 2hrs) to New Orleans (Flight 2hrs)
Thu Nov 6 New Orleans
Fri Nov 7 New Orleans
Sat Nov 8 New Orleans to San Antonio (overnight 12hrs Greyhound)
Sun Nov 9 San Antonio
Mon Nov 10 San Antonio
Tue Nov 11 San Antonio
Wed Nov 12 San Antonio
Thu Nov 13 San Antonio to San Angelo (Greyhound 5hrs)
Fri Nov 14 San Angelo (weekend with Andy & Jayne)
Sat Nov 15 San Angelo
Sun Nov 16 San Angelo to Austin (Greyhound 7hrs)
Mon Nov 17 Austin (BDB playing Austin TX) then Austin to Dallas (overnight tour bus)
Tue Nov 18 Dallas (Greyhound 3hrs) (BDB playing Dallas TX)
Wed Nov 19 Dallas
Thu Nov 20 Dallas
Fri Nov 21 Dallas to Tuscon AZ (Flight 2hrs) (Dude Ranch)
Sat Nov 22 Tuscon (Dude Ranch)
Sun Nov 23 Tuscon (Dude Ranch)
Mon Nov 24 Tuscon (Dude Ranch)
Tue Nov 25 Tuscon (Dude Ranch)
Wed Nov 26 Tuscon (Dude Ranch)
Thu Nov 27 Tuscon (Dude Ranch)
Fri Nov 28 Tuscon (Dude Ranch)
Sat Nov 29 Tuscon (Dude Ranch)
Sun Nov 30 Tuscon (Dude Ranch)
Mon Dec 1 Tuscon to Phoenix (Greyhound 2hrs)
Tue Dec 2 Phoenix
Wed Dec 3 Phoenix
Thu Dec 4 Phoenix to San Diego (Flight 2hrs)
Fri Dec 5 San Diego
Sat Dec 6 San Diego
Sun Dec 7 San Diego
Mon Dec 8 San Diego to Las Vegas (Flight 2hrs)
Tue Dec 9 Las Vegas
Wed Dec 10 Las Vegas
Thu Dec 11 Las Vegas
Fri Dec 12 Las Vegas to Los Angeles
Sat Dec 13 Los Angeles
Sun Dec 14 Los Angeles
Mon Dec 15 Los Angeles
Tue Dec 16 Los Angeles
Wed Dec 17 Los Angeles (out by route 1)
Thu Dec 18 Pacific Coast Highway/Big Sur (by car)
Fri Dec 19 Pacific Coast Highway/Woodside (by car)
Sat Dec 20 Woodside to San Francisco (by car)
Sun Dec 21 San Francisco
Mon Dec 22 San Francisco
Tue Dec 23 San Francisco
Wed Dec 24 San Francisco
Thu Dec 25 San Francisco
Fri Dec 26 San Francisco
Sat Dec 27 San Francisco
Sun Dec 28 San Francisco
Mon Dec 29 San Francisco
Tue Dec 30 San Francisco
Wed Dec 31 San Francisco
Thu Jan 1 San Francisco
Fri Jan 2 San Francisco
Sat Jan 3 San Francisco to Portland (Overnight Amtrak18hrs*)
Sun Jan 4 Portland
Mon Jan 5 Portland
Tue Jan 6 Portland to Seattle (4hrs Amtrak)
Wed Jan 7 Seattle
Thu Jan 8 Seattle
Fri Jan 9 Seattle to Victoria (Seaplane 30mins)
Sat Jan 10 Victoria to Vancouver (Seaplane 30mins)
Sun Jan 11 Vancouver (NHL)
Mon Jan 12 Vancouver to Whistler / Blackcombe (transfer 2hrs)
Tue Jan 13 Whistler / Blackcomb
Wed Jan 14 Whistler / Blackcomb
Thu Jan 15 Whistler / Blackcomb
Fri Jan 16 Whistler / Blackcomb
Sat Jan 17 Whistler / Blackcomb
Sun Jan 18 Whistler / Blackcomb
Mon Jan 19 Whistler / Blackcomb
Tue Jan 20 Whistler / Blackcomb
Wed Jan 21 Whistler / Blackcomb
Thu Jan 22 Whistler / Blackcomb
Fri Jan 23 Whistler / Blackcomb
Sat Jan 24 Whistler / Blackcomb
Sun Jan 25 Whistler / Blackcomb
Mon Jan 26 Whistler to Vancouver (transfer 2hrs)
Tue Jan 27 Vancouver (NHL)
Wed Jan 28 Vancouver
Thu Jan 29 Vancouver
Fri Jan 30 Vancouver to Honolulu, Hawaii (Flight 7hrs)
Sat Jan 31 Honolulu to Kahului, Maui (flight 35mins)
Sun Feb 01 Wailuku
Mon Feb 02 Wailuku
Tue Feb 03 Wailuku to Lahaina
Wed Feb 04 Lahaina
Thu Feb 05 Lahaina
Fri Feb 06 Lahaina to Kahului to Lihu'e, Kauai (bus then flight 45mins)
Sat Feb 07 Kapa'a
Sun Feb 08 Kapa'a
Mon Feb 09 Kapa'a to Lihu'e to Hilo, Big Island (bus then flight 50mins)
Tue Feb 10 Hilo
Wed Feb 11 Hilo
Thu Feb 12 Hilo, Big Island to Honolulu, Oahu (flight 40mins)
Fri Feb 13 Honolulu
Sat Feb 14 Honolulu to Fiji

2004-02-13T03:09:00.000Z

OAHU, HAWAII (click here for photos)

4th time flying into Honolulu airport due to all my island hops going via here. Messed up this time, had planned to stay at Hostel International where Stuart was already staying but didn't prebook and when I turned up it was sold out completely. Tried a couple of cheap hotels near Wakiki beach but 'no room at the inn'. Got bored of wandering around with my backpack so checked myself into the Marriott !

Am a little depressed about my constant inability to stick to my 'budget' but at the same time am very happy with the my luxurious room with amazing view of Diamond Head Crater. Suspect I am worst 'backpacker' on planet - still at least I'm very comfortable.

This morning got up early to meet Stu and backpacker friend Liz at the beach in time for surfing lesson but there weren't many waves so instead we went straight to Pearl Harbour. You have to hang around a while, then you watch a short documentary about the attack, then you get the launch over to the USS Arizona. I thought it was very interesting but was a little freaked out by the thought of all the dead sailors entombed on ship beneath us. I would say it was very respectfully done though.

Hiked up Diamond Head Crater which had some lovely views but the battery on my camera had run down so no snaps this time.

Hung out again with Hannah (nice Aussie Girl) quite a bit, mostly on the seafront and by the pool. Just took it easy really and so didn't do much sightseeing.

In summary : Oahu 7 out of 10 (only really visited Wakiki though)

USS Arizona Memorial

2004-02-13T02:55:00.000Z

HAWAI'I (BIG ISLAND), HAWAII (click here for photos)

A very speedy visit. Flew in, crashed at Arnotts Hostel, did day trip to Volcano National Park, crashed another night, then flew out next day back to Honolulu, Oahu.

Hostel very nice once you get your head round not having a key to the door, in fact not having door at all in some cases ! They organise good trips and lots of them. Is a little out of town, about 30mins walk to nearest cafe but they can organise shuttles for a small fee. I liked it partly because it was a superior hostel but mostly because when I got there I happened to meet up with nice Aussie girl, Hannah, who I already knew from Maui hostel.

Volcano National Park pretty spectacular and we did some good walks with our tour guide Steve. Sadly no fresh lava so no 'fiery' photos. Walked through Tungstan Lava Tube which was very cool.

Only visited South/South East side of island so can't really form an impression of the island as a whole - the other side is supposed to be very different.

In summary : Big Island 7 out of 10 (only really saw one side though)

Tungstan Lava Tube

2004-02-09T05:56:00.000Z

KAUAI, HAWAII (click here for photos)

Known as the Garden Island it is definately one of the prettiest places I've ever seen.

Hired a car and headed up the east coast to Ka'apa where I had intended to stay at a hostel on the beach - the hostel looked like a dump so I headed further up to Hanalei where I found a lovely guesthouse where I stayed for 2 nights. Found some amazing beaches, trails Na'apuli coast) and the waterfall from Fantasy Island (Wailua Falls).

Drove to the Wiamia Canyon, returned the hire car and spent last night spent at resort hotel nearer to the airport.

FYI I know I have mispelt almost every place name but I'll correct everything once I have a little more time and my guide book !

In summary : Kauai 9 out of 10 (my favourite island in one of the nicest states)

View From The Guest House

Surf's Up

2004-02-06T19:09:00.000Z

MAUI, HAWAII (click here for photos)

Flew into Honolulu at about 1am and as the flight out to Maui was at 5.30am Stu and I slept in the airport lobby for a few hours before flying to Kahului, Maui.

Stayed at the Banana Bungalow in Wailuku, it was a bit out of the way but to make up for the location the hostel organised daily tours. Spent one day at Makena Big Beach another hiking in the mountains.

Then headed over to Lahaina for a few days and on the way stopped at Ma’alaea Habour. I just missed my connecting bus and had an hour or so until the next one so I decided to take a whale watching cruise - great decision !

For an hour all we saw was the occasion blow. I was beginning to think the trip was a bust when suddenly 3 large male humpbacks surfaced within 50 metres of the boat. They were amazing and put on quite a show. I got some amazing pictures and some priceless memories.

Got a lift into Lahaina with new friend, Linda (I met her on whale watch), she showed me round the town and we had dinner together.

Another day of sightseeing around Lahaina habour including a submarine ride around the reefs which was lovely - the sub went down to about 148ft. Met with Stu briefly for a drink that evening.

Last full day in Maui spent sailing and snorkling off the reefs around Molokini Crater and then at the 'turtle' beach where I got to swim with the lovely green turtles.

One thing about Maui (and I think Hawaii in general) public transport a bit lacking - luckily I got a lot of lifts (rides) from some lovely people. Big thanks to the following people in this respect Linda from Utah, Irlene & Bill from West Virginia, Dan and Elena from Arizona (I think) and finally Gary & Denise from either Wyoming or Oklahoma (I think) - if you read this and I got your States wrong please let me know so I can correct my diary.

In summary : Maui 8 out of 10 (there's something for everyone here).

The 'Money' Shot

See How Close They Got !

2004-01-30T03:07:00.000Z

VANCOUVER (no photos this time - I lost my camera!)

Back to Vancouver for a few more days. Nigel and I met up with Stu a few times.

Went to another hockey game this time Vancouver Canucks vs Chicago Blackhawks. Was a good game and our adopted team the Canucks where playing very well deservedly won think it was 4-2 but can't actually remember so will check with Nigel.

Rained a lot, and coming from a Brit that's really saying something. Did a trolley tour which was fun although one of the tour guides couldn't seem to move past her obsession with the 'Eeeeevil Starbucks' as she called them. I did get some nice photos but sadly I don't have them now because I stupidly left my camera on my chair in a restaurant and when I went back to get it someone had taken it.

The camera incident put a bit of a downer on my last day in Vancouver. I treated myself to a snazzier new camera but I was mad at myself for leaving the old one and even more mad at whoever had taken it - BTW to whoever that person is "Much big bad karma coming your way - sent with love from me!" - see even now I'm not over it.

In summary : Vancouver 7 out of 10 (this time downgraded due to loss/theft of camera)

2004-01-26T03:17:00.000Z

WHISTLER (click here for photos)

Checked into our hotel, The Pan Pacific, and were impressed immediately. Could we BE any closer to the lifts !!!! Have a lovely little studio room with it's own kitchen so doesn't feel quite so much like a hotel, which is great for me after 4 months of traveling.

The resort is splendid, lots of nice restaurants and shops. Conditions could been better, we need more snow and at time the visibility is very poor.

Yesterday Nigel and I splashed out on a day with one of the Whistler Snowboard Pro instructors, Corey. It was hard work but we both picked up some great tips and our riding definately improved by the end of the day. We covered at least 20kms and discovered loads of runs we'd probably have missed on our own. We even managed to spend some time in the boardpark where Nigel rode the 'rails' - I bottled it ! I'm taking the day off today because my knees are shot but Nigel couldn't wait to get the first lift up again.

We waited for snow and at length it came - two days before we had to leave !!!! Typical. Best conditions on last days of our stay ! Still good time was had by all with no serious injuries so I'd say the holiday was a good one.

In summary : Whistler 8 out of 10 (wish I lived closer so I could just pop up whenever conditions are at their best)

Me 'n' Nigel

2004-01-12T03:17:00.000Z

VANCOUVER (click here for photos)

Caught 2nd seaplane in as many days. This time from Victoria to Vancouver.

Checked into the St Regis which was very central then raced off to Vancouver airport to meet the lovely Nigel. Hadn't seen him for 4 months so was very excited.

We had just 2 days in Vancouver before heading up to Whistler but managed to do a bit of sightseeing including Stanley Park (impressive) the Vancouver Aquarium (best I've seen this trip) the West End (nice residential area) and English Bay (small but pretty coastline).

Watched to the Ice Hockey at the GM Stadium - Vancouver Canucks vs Florida Panthers. I booked the tickets for this and another match ages ago for Nigel as a special treat - he's a BIG ice hockey fan - We were supporting the Cunucks ! They drew 2-2.

In summary : Vancouver 8 out of 10 (lovely city just a little too much rain this visit)

Vancouver Canuck vs Florida Panthers

2004-01-10T03:16:00.000Z

VICTORIA (click here for photos)

This place was a bit of a find and by taking just 2 x 30 mins seaplane journeys it was actually a good way of getting to Vancouver even if I hadn't decided to spend the night.

Never been on a seaplane before so a new experience plus the pilot very kindly let me sit in the co-pilot seat so got some great views (and photos).

Victoria is the main town on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada - among other things it's famed for having the mildest weather in Canada. Some people claim it's more British than Britain and I might have to agree. Until this trip I'd never heard of the place but I'm so glad I took the detour to check it out.

I stayed for just one night at The Empress where I enjoyed High (cream) Tea and lovely views of the harbour. A film was being shot there during my stay, 'White Chicks', the new Waynan brothers movie (Scary Movie guys I think). Didn't see a great deal of it as they were wraping up just as I arrived but met some nice members of the crew who were mostly from Vancouver.

Spent an hour or so watching some glass blowing at 'Starfish Glass' (I think that's right name) before catching another seaplane to Vancouver.

In summary : Victoria 9 out of 10 (lovely place for a couple of days)

Seaplane to Victoria

2004-01-09T03:16:00.000Z

SEATTLE (click here for photos)

Caught the Amtrak Cascades train from Portland to Seattle, it was unsurprisingly delayed by the weather but I must say it was the nicest 'commuter' train I've ridden. They had a movie, power points for my PC and a better than usual dining car. The train tracks run up the glorious Oregon, then Washington coastline which includes the Puget Sound so the scenery was stunning (even under piles of snow!).

Arrived in Seattle 4 hours late ! Which was particularly bad because I was being met by Kay (another new friend I met at the dude ranch) - luckily she had a few things to do in Seattle so hadn't been sitting round the whole time but I still felt bad. The drive from the station was a bit hairy, Kay did well to cope with the attrocious conditions (Seattle was also having their worst weather in 10 years) and when we reached her house the car couldn't make it up the drive.

The power went out that night but at least when we woke up the weather was a little better so we decided to brave a drive back to Seattle to do some sightseeing. Visited Pike Market, Pioneer Square and of course the Space Needle, where we had lunch. Then went to the science centre for a couple of hours.

When we got back to Kay's that night the power was still out so we went round to Kay's daughter Noelle's boyfriend's house to watch TV for a couple of hours before returning to a candlelit house to sleep.

By the next morning the power had returned. Kay and I drove to Tacoma where we visited the glass museum, which was great. We then returned to Seattle and visited the Museum Of Flight (lots of photos of planes including Concorde). Then Kay took me to Alki Point which was a lovely waterside area and we went for dinner at a quaint old restuarant called 'Homestead' (I think).

The next morning I had to leave. Kay's son Jeremy was kind even to drop me at the Kenmore Air seaplane on Lake Union. I had a lovely time in Seattle and thanks to Kay, despite the extreme weather, got to see loads.

In summary : Seattle 7 out of 10 (lots to do)

Chihuly Glass - Strange and Beautiful

2004-01-06T21:02:00.000Z

PORTLAND (click here for photos)

Should have managed a whole day's sightseeing but they had their coldest weather in 10 years and I'm literally froze after just 3 hours walking around.

All I could really tell about the city is that it seemed quite nice and clean and has more coffee houses than anywhere else I've visited (including Seattle).

Even the rough guide doesn't list a huge number of tourist traps but I did try to go to the '24 hour Church of Elvis' but is was closed - completely I think !

Am sorry to say I spend the rest of the afternoon and evening in my hotel thawing out.

In summary : Portland 6 out of 10 (a fairly average score, but only because it was too cold to explore properly)

Just a bit chilly then

2004-01-04T20:58:00.000Z

STARLIGHT COAST RAIL TRIP (click here for photos)

Got off to a bad start because although I'd booked on to a sleeper from San Francisco ther were problems with the rolling stock and we had to travel on an ordinary train from San Fran to Sacramento where we were able to join the 'proper' train.

From here on things were great. My cabin was ready so when I boarded at 1am I crashed out immediately. Slept like a log until the intercom woke me at 8am annoucing breakfast in the dining car. I went into 'cruise' mentality basically planned my day around meal times and watched the gorgeous scenery go by.

Met lots of lovely people while admiring the Californian then Oregon coastal landscape.

In summary : Amtrak Starlight Coastal 8 out 10 (would have been 10 if I'd got my cabin from San Fran)

View from a Train

2004-01-03T01:14:00.000Z

SAN FRANCISCO (click here for photos)

Stu and I picked up his parents on the way into San Fran. I stayed a couple of night in the same house as them in the China Town area before moving on to Union Square for the rest of my stay. Was here thoughout the holiday period.

Sites I saw included China Town (obviously), Fisherman's Wharf (lovely but touristy), Union Square (lots of shops), Mission District (great murals) Nob Hil (lovely old houses and the crookedest road Lombard Street), Napa Valley (lovely but being winter the vines were bare), Old Faithful Geyser (CA), Pertifued Forest (just a few trees actually), John Muir Redwood National Park (lovely).

Had Christmas Dinner with Stu and his parents which was nice (crackers and silly hats). Spent New Years Eve on my own (which was ok cos at least I was in San Fran).

Met up with friends Jackie (from old job) and her boyfriend Mark and spent couple of days sightseeing with them which was great. We kept laughing about how weird it was to meet up 5,000+ miles from home.

I like San Francisco a lot, there's plenty to do and it's very 'walkable' which cannot be said for many US cities of it's size.

In summary : San Francisco 9 out 10 (even though I spent 14 nights here I'd still come back another day)

Pretty View

Mural in the Mission District

2003-12-20T01:14:00.000Z

ROAD TRIP - LA to San Francisco via Pacific Coast Highway (Route 1) and the Big Sur (click here for photos)

Left LA via Beverly Hills. Joined the Pacific Coast Highway at Santa Monica then on to Malibu and up the coast. The beaches were awsome and there where loads of 'vista points' signed up (too many to stop at them all). Stopped at Zima Beach which was lovely and completely empty then onwards to Oxnard for the obligatory IHOP. Lost our road occasionally due to diversions and poor signing.

Stopped for a while in Santa Barbara just time for a walk on the pier didn't go into town. Then through San Luis Obispo to a very small seaside town called Caycuos where we stayed overnight at the lovely little The Dolphin Inn Motel. Thursday 18th December 2003, Day 96/273 - Caycuos, California to Monterey, California.

Next day we took a short drive up the coast to Hearst Castle in San Simeon. The 'Castle' is set 1000 foot up in the hills and has a spectacular view of the pacific coast. W R Hearst came from a very wealthy family and made a further fortune from his media companies. He definately knew how to spend. 90000 acre Hearst Castle estate is only one of several houses/estates he own and in a mediteranean villa style. All the rooms are designed around interiors and antiques from around Europe. Built in the 1920/30s I thought it more that a little tacky and derivative especially when you consider what was going on architecherally in the rest of the world during the same period.

Northwards the coastline changed dramatically as we hit the Big Sur. Had planned to stop in Carmel but overshot it and instead took the 17 Mile Drive and stopped for lunch at the world class golf course of Pebble Beach. Then a short drive on to Monterrey where we stopped overnight at the Holiday Inn.

Next morning headed up the coast again first stop of the day, Santa Cruz where we took time out to wonder along the boardwalk. Mainly stopped here because it's the town where the film 'The Lost Boys' was set. I like seaside resorts in the winter when everythings closed theres a very strange vibe.

Next stop unplanned in a little place called Half Moon Bay where we spotted a British Pub called 'Cameron's'. Stopped for a 'pub' lunch of proper (well almost) Fish 'n' Chips. This place was a fun find they had double decker london buses, london black cabs and the old red phone boxes outside. Inside they had a little shop which sold lots of goodies from home so I treated myself to a box maltesers.

We headed on to Woodside, just south of San Francisco where we had arranged to stay with a new friend I'd made at the dude ranch, Amanda and her children Logan & Lili. We got there a little before Amanda had finished work so killed soem time at the cinema watching Lord Of The Rings - the Return of the King.

The next morning Amanda gave us the grand tour around Woodside which is an old mining town set in the mountains with many great old buildings. Had a little time left so Amanda took us to visit Stamford University and then we for a brief drive up the mountains. Big thanks to Amanda and family for being such great hosts.

Next Stu and I drove the 20 mins or so to San Francisco airport to collect his parents who were visiting from the UK.

In summary : Pacific Coast Highway 10 out of 10 (we got to see some great scenery)

Somewhere on the California Coast

Hearst Castle

2003-12-17T03:00:00.000Z

LOS ANGELES (click here for photos)

Was hoping to spend some time in the mountains with my new friend Brent and his family (and their ponies) but was not to be - the kids caught flu. Instead I checked into the USAhostel in Hollywood where Stu was already staying.

So far have done...Venice Beach, Santa Monica Beach, Beverly Hills, Rodeo Drive & Wiltshire Blvd, Mann's Chinese Theatre & the walk of stars, the Hollywood sign and Universal Studios.

Got tickets for the filming on an episode of the TV series Becker which was fun and an appropriate way to spend my last night in Hollywood.

In summary : LA 6 out of 10 (great weather but the place is just too big)

Arghhhhhh!

Top Pony

2003-12-12T19:31:00.000Z

LAS VEGAS (click here for photos)

Staying at the Stratosphere which is cooool although at far end of the Strip.

On bus from airport blagged a ticket to National Finals Rodeo which was great - see photos

Had to get up early on Tuesday 5am to catch my helicopter flight over/into Grand Canyon. Was amazing ! Too awesome to catch on camera so my pictures don't do justice.

Met up with new friend Astrid and we went down the strip and gambled all of $10 each on the slots. When we got back to hotel room at 2am we discovered the toilet had been removed from the ensuite ! Apparently there'd been some plumbing emergency in our absence.....so the hotel upgraded us to a suite gratis which I am currently staying in...is v.nice.

Next day Astrid and I headed back to the strip to take daytime snaps plus we went to the MGM Grand where the Billboard Music Awards were being held because Astrid was hoping to bump into Dave Grohl - no sign of him but we did see some lions. Later headed back up the strip to the Hilton where they have the Star Trek Experience. Ate in themed restaurant, 'Quarks Bar' where we got our photos taken with scary Klingons and had among other things 'Isolinear Chips (and dip)'. Astrid had to catch a plane to New York but I'm going back today to do full Star Trek Experience Ride etc.

Last full day it poured down so I went to internet cafe for morning and then went back to the Star Trek Experience to do the ride which was ok but not great. Wanted to do the Stratosphere roller coasters but they were closed due to bad weather.

In summary : Las Vegas 7 out of 10 (this place is surreal but fun with it)

Fly By

Close Encounter!

2003-12-08T05:22:00.000Z

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA (click here for photos)

USA Hostel in good location very central (on edge of 'Gas Lamp District') plus is quite nice.

Stu arrived here a few days earlier so we met up and went to a movie 'Love Actually' and had dinner together first night.

Next day went to Tijana on a hostel organised trip is probably best you check Stu's diary to find out more about this as I had a strange day to say the least .

Following day visited San Diego Zoo which was impressive favourite animals were of course the Panda bears.

Sunday went out with new friends Kathleen & Doug (met at Tanque Verde) on boat round San Diego harbour to watch the parade of boats all decked out in christmas lights. Was very pretty.

Left on Monday to fly to Las Vegas

In summary : San Diego 7 out of 10 (there's a lot of urban rejuvenation going on so will be even nicer in a couple of years)

Cheers!

2003-12-04T18:00:00.000Z

PHOENIX & SEDONA, ARIZONA (click here for photos)

Staying at the Ramada Inn which has seen better days (Marilyn Monroe stayed there while filming Bus Stop) but is clean, cheap and in excellent location.

First impressions of Phoenix, good. Is quite pretty, has easy bus service around well defined 'downtown' area. Not a huge amount to do but enough for the few days I'm here.

First day, lunch at TGI's overlooking the ball park then on to the mining museum (lots of pretty rocks etc). Spent lovely evening having dinner at my new friend Michele and her family's house (met at dude ranch).

Next day headed off to Sedona to see the famous red rocks (got a million pictures!). Also took in Montezuma Castle (an ancient Indian cliff dwelling) and the Chapel of the Holy Cross (a 50's church cut into the red rock).

Met up with Michele, Zak & Katy again in the evening to watch a basketball game (Arizona Suns vs Minnisota Timberwolves). Was fun and during one of the many breaks they threw t-shirts into the audience, Zak caught one and was kind enough to let me keep it as a souvenier (just as well because I was running out of clean clothes!).

In summary : Phoenix 8 out of 10 (is always nicer being in cities where you have friends)

Red Rocks of Sedona

2003-12-01T04:20:00.000Z

TUCSON, ARIZONA (click here for photos)

Actually above should just read Tanque Verde Ranch, which is where I've been holed up for 10 days so haven't actually seen much of Tucson proper.

The ranch is lovely and I've met the best bunch of people (most of them were staying here for the Thanksgiving holidays).

Have had a great time but my absolute favourite day (of the whole tour in fact) was yesterday when we did the 'Team Penning' ... that's a bunch of horses and riders vs a bunch of cows (calfs really). Riders split into 2 teams of 3 then have to get assorted number of cows (as directed by wranglers) into small cattle pen in the fastest time (if at all!). I was a top cowgirl for the day and my team generally had quick times. The cows were slippery little buggers but once the wranglers taught us the 'cowboy stare' they were soon doing as they were bid (well some of the time anyway). I wish I had some pictures - my face still aches where I was smiling/laughing so hard.

I spent most of my time here trail riding, taking western riding lesson, playing tennis, swimming and eating ! Evening entertainments included horsey lectures, a rope trick show, nature talks (including a falconery display), a lecture about Indian rugs, Bingo and so many other things.

The food here is amazing and in addition to the meals in the lovely restaurant, a couple of times a week we had breakfast rides (see photos) and cowboy cook outs (BBQ with a singing cowboy in the Cottonwood Grove).

Rode at least 10 different horses, a few favorites including Midnight (the boy racer of the bunch) and Goldie (a mini Mulder) but they were all pretty good.

There was loads of other stuff to do, mountain biking, hiking but I just didn't have the time. Wish I could stay another couple of weeks but California calls plus is a tad pricey here.

Only tourist sight was airplane 'graveyard' ala 'con air' - you know the giant airfield in desert where they have all the decommissioned planes - there were literally thousands of them. Was pretty cool to see.

In summary : Tanque Verde Ranch 10 out of 10 (I made the best new friends and the people were nice too!)

The Desert "Verde"

2003-11-21T20:43:00.000Z

DALLAS (click here for photos)

There are many conspiracy theories surrounding the death of JFK, who shot him and why. I would like to add my own little theory to them.......I believe it was the Dallas Tourist Office did it ! Why ? Because if he hadn't been shot here there'd be nothing to see ! Sounds crazy ? Well I bet if you checked visitor figures pre and post assasination you'd notice a vast improvement.

Skyline quite impressive but downtown area just a sprawl plus they have a area called the Historic district which isn't. Did all the usual sites including JFK memorial, book depository and grassy knoll in less than an hour.

Is okay though cos I'm just killing a couple of days here until I fly to the Tucson dude ranch - pleasure overload ! Plus hotel v.cheap and have free unlimited internet access so I can sort my blog and upload photos to my hearts content.

In summary : Dallas average 6 out of 10 (excluding top BDB gig that is)

Book Depository or Grassy Knoll ?

2003-11-19T10:30:00.000Z

BADLY DRAWN BOY GIGS (click here for photos)

"Sean here... I am a spy for badly drawn boy, and we have been infiltrating michelle's blog site to tell you the real truth. she kicked ass today on the merchandising stall, and at the moment she's partying on dude on the tour bus.(at 4.30 am in austin, tx).mixing drinks 4 us"

Michelle back in control of blog - and in case you're wondering who Sean is, he's the bass player for Badly Drawn Boy. For those of you who don't already know, a few weeks ago I got an email from a friend at my old company, Big Life, telling me that one of the bands I used to work with, Badly Drawn Boy, was playing in Texas about the same time I'd be there and did I want tickets for any of the gigs ? Ended up not only going to both the Austin and Dallas gigs but also travelled on the tour bus in between.

Here's what happened.....Met up with the tour bus on Monday night in Austin outside the Parish Club. Watched the sound check etc then volunteer my services on the merchandising stand cos their t-shirt seller hadn't turned up. Sold tonnes of stuff which was fun. I didn't really see much of the performance from the stand but I heard it all and it definately rocked. A good time was had be all and spurred on by the audience's enthusiasum Badly Drawn Boy continued playing until well past 1am.

Gig over we loaded back on the tour bus and headed to hotel car park where tour bus would park overnight with the band, crew, me and a handful of guests onboard. Stayed up until about 5.30am just drinking, chatting and playing some music. Found my way to my bunk, it was a bit clastrophobic but I managed to get about 3 hours sleep before the bus started it's journey towards Dallas. Everyone else managed to carry on sleeping while the bus was moving (except the driver of course!) but I wasn't used to it so made myself at home in the kitchen/Living area while the bus rolled on.

By the time we arrived in Dallas I was desperate to get a bath (no shower facilities on bus) so jumped off the bus and went straight to my hotel. No time to sleep - just time enough to wash and change before heading over to the next venue, The Gypsy Tea Room. Thought I might have to sell stuff again but luckily the venue took care of that so I got to watch the entire gig. Big crowd and they loved Damon. Great night got some good snaps backstage but the ones on stage a bit poor cos my camera couldn't cope with lighting. Hung around for about 1/2 hour afterwards to says goodbye to new friends and Damon but had to get back to hotel cos was dead on my feet. I don't know how bands/crew cope with this night after night - I was knackered after just 2 nights.

Everyone made me feel welcome. It was a whole new experience, a great couple of days and probably the most interesting part of my tour so far. The gigs were great and I know everyone enjoyed them - haven't seen the reviews yet but if anyone says anything bad they obviously weren't there ! It was bloody brilliant.

Big hugs and thanks to : Damon, Steve, Yug, Sean, Alex, Sterling and Will. xxxxMichelle

In summary : Badly Drawn Boy 10 out of 10 (need I say more)

Damon finds time to do a little housework

2003-11-18T15:54:00.000Z

AUSTIN (click here for photos)

So sad to leave Andy's but needed to be in Austin in time to meet up with Badly Drawn Boy tour.

Another historical hotel, The Driskill, very posh - well was for one night only ! This is my favourite hotel so far really beautiful and stylish and I had the best room (one "without ghosts" - whatever that means, you'd have to ask the concierge).

I liked Austin it's quite pretty and has a good feel but there's not a huge number of tourist sights, State Capital Building with the largest/highest rotunda or something but that's about it.

They're big on their live music though and there's lots of good venues, club and bars on 6th Street.

Met up with Badly Drawn Boy tour a couple of hours before the gig as planned (see seperate post for rest of story).

In summary : Austin 7 out 10 (could spend a couple of pleasant days and nights here no problem)

2003-11-16T15:53:00.000Z

SAN ANGELO (click here for photos)

Stu and I stayed with Andy Howard (friend from school), his wife Jane and their cute daughters Louise and Rosie.

There for 3 days during which time we were made extremely welcome. We had the run of their lovely home plus we were even treated to a number of their precious English food supplies which included Weetabix, Tetley tea and Cadbury's chocolate (Nigel you might need to sort a replacement food parcel for me!).

No real sightseeing but went to a few social events and a high school football match (American football that is) which was fun.

In summary San Angelo ? out of 10 (because we didn't really explore the place)
but the Howards (and their friends) a warm 10 out of 10 - thank you so much I had a really lovely time.

2003-11-13T15:53:00.000Z

SAN ANTONIO (click here for photos)

Skipped Houston and came straight to San Antonio from New Orleans a day early.

For the extra night I treated myself to a room in the historic Menger Hotel (strange and interesting decor).

Next day, moved to The Crockett Hotel directly across from The Alamo. Stu arrived late that afternoon as planned.

We spent a couple of days just chillin' and doing what few sights there were (basically The Alamo and Riverwalk) plus I went to the IMAX to see Matrix Resolution which was pants.

In summary : San Antonio 7 out of 10 (very pretty but not a huge amount to do)

2003-11-08T15:52:00.000Z

NEW ORLEANS (click here for photos)

As soon as I arrived I realised that 3 days wouldn't be enough. Searched like mad but couldn't find decent accomodation in French Quarter for extra (Saturday) night. Managed to squeeze an extra day in New Orleans by skipping Houston TX and getting an overnight Greyhound to San Antonio instead but still wasn't enough.

The French Quarter is fantastic although much much smaller than I imagined. My hotel, the Hotel Royal, was in an excellent location although I wouldn't stay there if I visited New Orleans again (don't exactly know why - just didn't really like the service). there).

Did a couple of walking tours including, La Monde Creole, which walked/talked you through the various generations of one particular creole family. Plus did Vampire /Horror tour one night for a laugh - which it wasn't !

Swamp tour good but didn't see any gators - didn't really matter cos I'd seen loads in Everglades.

Took the Steamboat Natchez up the Mississippi which was fine but highlight of this particular boat ride was meeting my new friends, Eryka and Kyra (from New York).

Kyra was the lead actor in a play at the Southern Rep called "House Of Plunder" and Eryka was visiting her. Hung out with them both from time to time over the next 2 days. My favourite thing we did was visit Preservation Hall (near Bourbon Street) one night to see the Preservation Jazz Band (real old time Jazz music in a very 'rustic' setting) Fantastic !

Message to Kyra & Eryka - am looking forward to your visit next summer (or later).

In summary : New Orleans a steaming 8 out of 10 (might need go back to finish the tour)

2003-11-05T14:27:00.000Z

FLORIDA EVERGLADES (HOMESTEAD) (click here for photos)

Stayed in probably the best hostel so far. Quite quaint but had all mod cons.

Visited Gator farm on first day and went on Airboat ride.

Had planned to take tour of the national park including canoeing in swamp but torrential rain set in and I was hostel bound for the rest on my 3 day stay.

Oh yeah, and my trainers were stolen, I suspect by the girl who was leaving the day after I arrived, which just goes to show that you have to lock ALL you stuff up even in the nicest hostels.

In summary : Everglades 7 out of 10 (basically for the hostel as I didn't really see much else)

2003-11-02T14:19:00.000Z

KEY WEST (click here for photos)

I really like Key West. The hostel was quite nice and I met friendly Aussie girl who showed me around on Halloween night.

Again only a brief visit but the drive down along the 164 mile causeway was worth it alone.

Managed to squeeze in tour ride, dinner with live music and a sunset cruise. Oh yeah and of course squeezed in a piece of Key Lime pie.

In summary : Key West 8 out of 10 (my favorite Florida stop)

2003-10-31T14:19:00.000Z

MIAMI BEACH (click here for photos)

Bit of a tricky journey - there are several Miami greyhound stations and although I was lucky enough to get off at the right one it was in the worst part of town and I had to catch a monorail then another bus to get to the beach.

Hostel quite nice though plus shared a room with nice girl from London so felt like I had a little contact with home again. Plus met up with Stuart for dinner so double home contact.

Nice art deco buildings, nice shops restuarants and a very nice beach. Only really had one whole day here so spent it walking along beach and chilling out.

In summary : Miami Beach 7 out of 10 (really just a beach resort)

2003-10-29T15:35:00.000Z

ORLANDO / KISSIMMEE (click here for photos)

Arrived at the Palm Lakefront hostel which I'd booked for 4 nights - seemed very nice but I didn't hang around because my friend Claire and her family were staying at their apartment just 10 mins down the road and they invited me to stay with them instead. Sampled the theme parks (as follows) and had a little wonder round some malls.

Sea World, great fun. We spent about 9 hours here. Took in all the shows including Shamu Killer Whales and the dolphins. Highlights included The Kraken (top rollercoaster) and stroking the dolphins (cooooool!)

Disney's Magic Kingdom. Only had time for one Disney park so choose the classic. Did it on my own which was weird (Claire, Paul, Fatih & Beth went to Disney's Tyhpoon Lagoon instead). Had lunch with Winnie the Pooh and his mates (got a couple of snaps but not many). Ride here a bit tame but then are for kids.

Universal Studios. My favourite of the 3. Great sets and quite close together so doesn't take so long to get round. The weather was a bit poor so not as crowded and hardly any queues. Highlights Shrek4D and Back to the Future Ride.

In summary : Orlando a fun 7 out of 10 (I'd go back to the rest of the rides)

2003-10-24T15:34:00.000+01:00

CHARLESTON (click here for photos)

South Carolina is beautiful and Charleston is the jewel. I loved this place. Again stayed in the historic area (got some v.nice snaps which I will upload as soon as I can).

There's a certain easy sophisication about this place, it's stylish without trying. They have some of the best old (by American standards) buildings I've seen. I did a historical architectual tour around the old 'walled' town (not walled anymore) which was very informative. I wanted to do the 'candlelight tour of historic houses' but it was fully booked - maybe next time.

Great market places, shorefront, parks, tours, great restuarants and shops - in fact everything was great.

In summary : Charleston an easy 9 out of 10

2003-10-22T12:02:00.000+01:00

SAVANNAH (click here for photos)

Took the Greyhound overnight, arrived quite tired so took another trolley bus tour. Savannahans make regular reference to 'the Book' by which they mean 'Midnight in the garden of good and evil' and a number of the sites mentioned in the Book featured heavily on our tour.

The main historic area is made up of 24 pretty squares most of which are surrounded by residential housing (most of the businesses are on the streets which connect the squares. There is a larger Market Square which has lovely shops and at least one 24hr cafe. The Riverwalk is also very nice with some interesting and tasteful (yes, tasteful) souvenier shops and a loads of excellent seafood restaurants.

I lunched at Mrs Wilkes Boarding House which involved queing for over 1/2 hour but was worth the wait. While in line I met Shannon & Nina, a lovely couple from Alabama, who not only entertained me thoughout the wait but were excellent dining companions and very kindly treated me to lunch (thank you both) - southern hospitality is great.

In summary : Savannah a pretty 7 of 10

2003-10-19T20:14:00.000+01:00

WASHINGTON (click here for photos)

Stayed at my friend Val's house in Berryville (about an hour from DC). She lent Bloo and I her car and we went into Washington on 3 seperate occassions.

Did Arlington Cemetary, the Memorials and the Smithsonian Museum. I regret not having time to do the Holocaust Museum and of course since I've left the place everyone I've chatted to about Washington keeps raving about that particular exhibition - ah well perhaps I'll get a chance to go back another day.

Val took us to Montecello (home of Thomas Jefferson) for the day which was good but very small compared to English stately homes (last time Val visited me I took her to Blenheim Palace - no comparison really).

Bloo and I decided to go our seperate ways from Washington so he left 5 days before me to head South - no big bustup is just that we realised pretty early on that we like completely different things. I took this opportunity to spend some quality girlie time with Val which included a trip into proper horse country, a hot air ballon festival, a bar hop to some real classy joints! and still had enough time to take in a couple of chick flicks and discover delightful chocolate iced Krispy Kreme donuts - ummmmm!.

In summary: Washington 5 out of 10 (but a big 10 out of 10 for Val who was a great host - and really quite calm when I broke her computer! sorry Val)

2003-10-08T20:13:00.000+01:00

MEMPHIS (click here for photos)

Memphis a bit dirty and run down but I thought is had a pretty good vibe.

Did the tour of Graceland - well you have to don't you - plus my mum's a BIG Elvis fan and she'd never forgive me if I didn't ! Was funny because while I was actually at Graceland it felt like I was watching a train crash - was soooo tacky almost couldn't bear to look but at the same time I was mesmerised by the place. My favourite bit was the Lisa Marie Airplace which just has to be seen to be believed. Looking back am so glad I didn't miss the place.

Visited the National Civil Rights Museum which was very informative. Is built into the motel where MLK was assasinated. Is a bit weird because the museum extends to a building on the other side of the road where the exhibition incorporates the spot where they think James Earl Ray (hope got that right) shot MLK from - you can vitually stand in the same spot.

Beale Street has a lot of road works going on at the moment so looks a bit shoddy right now but we had a couple of our meals in the Blues bars there. Elvis Restaurant was closed for renovation.

In summary: Memphis 6 out of 10 (worth a night or 2)

2003-10-05T20:12:00.000+01:00

CHICAGO (click here for photos)

Arrived in Chigaco (via Amtrak) a day earlier than originally planned due to my rush to leave previous destination. On the train met a lovely lady called Marcia who, when I mentioned I had nothing good to read, kindly gave me her copy of "The DaVinci Code" which she'd just finished - Thankyou Marcia it was very good.

First night stayed at the Club Quarters in the financial district that hung out in the Elephant & Castle (English pub style bar) with some charming locals.

Bloo arrived the next day and we move to the Hostel International which was very modern and well set up - best HI yet.

Did the sights, loved the Magnificent Mile, loved the lakeside, loved the architecture, loved the people, loved everything about the place - plus was lucky enough to be there when it wasn't too cold. Stayed 4 nights in the end.

Great city hope I get a chance to go back someday.

In summary: Chicago a massive 9 out of 10 (would be 10 but suppose I should save that in case I find somewhere even better)

2003-10-01T17:29:00.000+01:00

DETROIT (click here for photos)
Well I felt so strongly about this place that I've already shared my opinion with most of my of friends and family - I hated it with avengence. I couldn't wait to leave and in fact left almost a day earlier than planned.

The only reason this place is even acknowledged in my blog is because of the hallowed ground that is occupied by the Motown Museum.

Enroute to Detroit via Greyhound I finally get round to reading what the 'rough guide' had to say about the place. Something like "The greyhound station is in a very bad area and not somewhere you should be around at night" toooo late our bus was due in at 10pm and there was no turning back. We'd already decided to get a cab to the Hotel St Regis because it was a long way from the bus station but by now I was a little concerned about how difficult this would be. Afterall if it was that dodgy why would the cab drivers be hanging around ? Hah !

Arriving at Detroit bus station am relieved to see loads of cabs lined up, I make a beeline for the first 'official' looking one and the driver 'pops the trunk' (American speak - 'opens the boot' for us English) and we chuck our rucksacks in. This is where it all goes pear shaped ! These two massive blokes (we'll call them the 'bad guys') start shouting that we shouldn't get this cab we should get another and they start trying to take our bags. I literally had to pull one of them off our stuff - luckily he was so weak with drink he didn't put up much resistence. But I was lucky not to break something I slammed the trunk/boot closed so hard.

There was a lot of postering going on between the cab driver and the 2 bad guys and it was really upsetting me so I started shouting at the cab driver things like "if you don't get in this cab and drive off RIGHT NOW you can kiss any chance of a tip goodbye" in my best 'authoritive' english accent - how could he refuse.

With that he was about to drive off when badguy1 threw a plastic bottle of booze at the cab windscreen. The cab driver tried to get out again so I put my arm through the partition gap, took hold of his shoulder and told him to 'drive on' in my best 'Arnie' impression. He said "but he just threw a bottle at my windscreen" to which I replied "what do you think wipers are for ? you can go back and sort him out on your own time. drive on" luckily he did. Bloo was very quiet during all this - I think my behaviour surprised him ! He's getting used to me not letting him get a word in edgeways though. I laugh now but was actually pretty scarey incident.

The Motown Museum was excellent - so good I bought a T-shirt ! We took the guided tour with a man whose name I forget but who knew absolutley everything about the label. Did you know the Barry Gordy Jnr started the label with $800 that he borrowed from his own family's credit union (sorry beancounterfact there - I just can't help myself) plus from the start he employed people from all races and creeds. He was a musical visionary and a spiritual one. His whole family were pretty impressive though, his mum and dad ran their own successful and seperate companies and his sister was the driving force behind the Motown business. Big thumbs up for Motown Museum

As for the rest of Detroit well there are some lovely old buildings but sadly most of them are derelict. There are a number of impressive sports stadiums which seem really out of place in such an obviously poor area. Not much else as far as I could see.

So amazingly the place I liked the least gets the most written about it.

In summary : Detroit a big fat 0 out of 10 (if you want to see Motown museum stay in Windsor, Ontario Canada and commute)

2003-09-29T17:12:00.000+01:00

CLEVELAND (click here for photos)
Really is quite a big place but where are all the people ?

Checked into the Holiday Inn on Sunday night - saw nobody on the streets. Monday morning get up and head off to Rock N Roll Hall of fame. Still no people on the streets, only a handful of cars around and some tourists in the museum. Where are all the regular people ? Have they been abducted ? So I go back to hotel and ask the receptionist where I can find other people and she points me in direction of the mall. A few people there but really not many.

My opinion ? Cleveland way too big for it's population but quite clean (well nobody around to litter is there?).

In summary : Cleveland 5 out of 10 (Museum worth a look enroute to somewhere else)

2003-09-28T17:05:00.000+01:00

NIAGARA (click here for photos)
Whizzing on to Niagara this time we're staying with Bloo's relations, Dave & Frank in Niagara-On-The-Lake.

Stunning house (doubles as B&B) and you can see the lake from the living room.

First night there I discover is home of the 'Shaw Festival' so I book myself a ticket to one of their 6 plays, "Diana of Dobsons" and head off for the evening. Theatre small and intimate, acting generally good apart from some really bad English accents going down. Plus was a bit disconcerting to see the lead actor looked just like Gordon Ramsey - I kept expecting him to have a hissy fit !

Did Niagara Falls, the whole tourist thing including the ride on the Maid Of The Mist boat which was bloody brilliant. Got soaked and couldn't care less.

Was sad to leave our gracious hosts and their idylic little house - would like to come back as paying guest some other time.

In summary : Niagara On The Lake and Niagara Falls both great. Another 7 out of 10

2003-09-26T16:52:00.000+01:00

TORONTO (click here for photos)
Stayed in Hostel International which was fine.

Not as much time here as I would have liked. Bloo and I split up for the day so we could both do as much as possible.

I went to the Ontario Art Gallery to check out their Henry Moore's and the rest of their extensive modern art collection. Then did a proper tour of the city which ended with dinner in the CN Tower's fairly posh revolving restaurant - great views from here. Was really good day and I wished I could spend more time here but we have to move on.

In summary : Toronto favorite at this point 7 out of 10.

2003-09-24T16:44:00.000+01:00

MONTREAL (click here for photos)
Got good deal on nice basic accomodation - booked in advance this time.

Did tour of French Quarter in horse drawn carriage - well this was a flying vist and there was no trolley tour. Driver very knowledgable but very put out by the number of old buildings beingconverted into "yuppie condos" as she put it.

Went out to the Olympic Stadium which was pretty impressive - bloody huge actually. A tribute to all that is concrete. Very 70's.

Didn't have time to check out the underground city - basically huge underground shopping malls so that people still buy nice clothes even though it's too cold to wear anything except really big fleeces !

Montreal nothing special and frankly a bit dirty. Old buildings quite nice but no really good modern architecture.

In summary : Montreal 4 out of 10 (worth a stop en-route to somewhere nicer)

2003-09-21T16:34:00.000+01:00

BOSTON (click here for photos)
A slight hiccup with accomodation we thought we'd wing it but the hostel was full so we had to ring round to find a hotel. Boston pretty expensive generally and we ended in the Chandler Inn (for full details see Bloo's blog).

Again did the usual tourist sites only this time on a Trolley Bus tour. Will list these when I find notes. A lot of history but not much architecture.

Went on day trip to Salem - not at all 'ala Stephin King' like I imagine and no sign of David Soul "let me in, let me in" In fact nothing scary about the place. Is really quite pretty.

Last day, I took the ferry to Cape Cod (Bloo stayed in Boston) did a tour of lighthouses and the very arts & crafty Provincetown. The residents were all migrating South for the Winter - the lovely wooden houses are strictly their Summer homes. Such a beautiful place. I could live here, Winter or Summer !

In summary : Boston 6 out of 10 (but Cape Cod had that little something extra at 7 out of 10)

2003-09-18T16:17:00.000+01:00

NEW YORK (click here for photos)
This was my second visit to New York , the last time was for work about 10 years ago when I stayed in Times Square for about a month. Zero Tolerence has had a dramatic affect since then and I felt much safer during this visit.

Our hostel, Jazz on the Park, was some way up West Central Park it didn't really matter though because it wasn't really the kind of place you'd hang around - just a v.basic roof over our heads.

First couple of days did all the usual sights, Empire State Building, Grand Central Station, Chrysilar Building, Soho, Tribeca, Greenwich Village, Wall Street, Ground Zero, Statue of Liberty, Madison Square Gardens, blah blah blah.

On the last day I persuaded Bloo to check out Coney Island, Brooklyn - not the most obvious tourist trap but I'd seen it in the movies and thought it was weird that there was a little seaside resort less that an hour from Manhatten. It was a glorious sunny day, we got the subway to Brighton Beach and then walked for 10 mins alongthe promenade to Coney Island. The beach was gorgeous better than just about any we have in the UK. It was out of season so most of the amusements were shut but we managed to have a game of Crazy Golf and Bloo played in the baseball practice net thingy for a while. Later I went off to Staten Island while Bloo went to the Bronx in search of Yankee Stadium.

In summary : New York a pretty damn cool 7 out of 10.

2003-09-10T23:16:00.000+01:00

Me and my travel chum, Stuart (aka Bloo) at send off do

2003-09-08T21:12:00.000+01:00

blog

Definition

A frequent, chronological publication of personal thoughts and Web links.

Information

A blog is often a mixture of what is happening in a person's life and what is happening on the Web, a kind of hybrid diary/guide site, although there are as many unique types of blogs as there are people.

People maintained blogs long before the term was coined, but the trend gained momentum with the introduction of automated published systems, most notably Blogger at blogger.com. Thousands of people use services such as Blogger to simplify and accelerate the publishing process.

Blogs are alternatively called web logs or weblogs.

Synonyms
web log

weblog

2003-07-15T17:33:00.003+01:00

Updated : 15th July 2003
"Everyone Needs A Challenge"

It was with a mixture of excitement and trepidation that I handed my notice in on my long serving job last December to take a ‘career break’. With vague notions of using the time off to compete my horse and travel but nothing concrete, I had my three months notice in which to hatch a plan that would involve adventure and most importantly a challenge.

With my two search criteria decided – ‘horses’ and ‘something overseas’ I came across the solution on the British Horse Society website, the BHS Inca Challenge. A unique opportunity that involved exploring some of the least travelled Inca trails on foot and horseback en route to the famous Lost City Of The Incas at Machu Picchu. What could be better ?

Part of the ‘Challenge’ involved raising money for the BHS rescue & rehabilitation programme. Rather than pursuing the usual sponsorship route of haranguing friends, colleagues and family to ‘fund’ my trip of a lifetime to Peru, I decided on a more lateral approach. Instead I built a website and auctioned off my entire CD and DVD collection, which after 19 years working in the music business was substantial to say the least. Not only did I raise over £1,900 but in the process I managed to reassure my friends that I still had a ounce of sanity left before I departed on my big adventure. My fundraising continues with a Virtual Horse Show, which I’m running online until the end of August (www.slingshot.to/horseshow).

Unfortunately, disaster struck only a few days before I was finally due to leave work, , I had a call that every horse owner dreads…. my own horse had contracted the neurological form of Equine Herpes Virus (EHV-1) and had to be destroyed. I was heartbroken and at the time the last place I wanted to be was around other horses, but with the Challenge already booked and a training schedule which had to include hours in the saddle I had no choice but ride as often as I could.

My June departure date arrived alarmingly quickly and with rucksack packed I commenced my journey. After a lightening stop over in the teaming capital of Lima, we arrived at our starting point the beautiful village of Cusco. With a bird’s eye view from our hotel rooms we were introduced to Peruvian life with a vibrant Solstice parade taking place in the Market Square below, the celebration exuded warmth, music and energy and made us feel comfortable instantly. The next day we continued our journey, visiting various sites including the Sacred Valley of the Incas and spending one night in a lovely little inn at Ollantaytambo.

On Tuesday 24th we reached the trek start point where we met the horses and the crew, were briefed on our trek and then commenced our epic climb. Each day was an adventure, the winding trail snaked its way ahead of us and the stunning scenery surrounded us on every side, my home in London couldn’t have seemed further away. Everyday a number of the wranglers rode ahead with the mules and equipment so by the time we reached our camp the tents were already set up and the kettle was on. Once the sun had gone down and with the spectacular scenery plunged into darkness there was very little to do but fall into a much needed sleep, however with temperatures dropping to - 15 degrees C this proved a little tricky on occasion.

Each morning the cook would bring a reviving tea and we would watch the sun rise over the mountains spreading its warmth over the landscape. The days were warm and sunny, the scenery rich, people scarce and the wildlife limited to a few hawks and wild pigs. Most days we would ride between 3-4 hrs covering between 7 and 13 miles each day, mostly at a walk but on the fourth day of the trek we had a an exhilarating gallop across a beautiful mountain plateau.

Our highest campsite was at 14,200ft and the highest pass we went over was 15,600ft. I suffered terrible altitude sickness for the first 3 days but later as we dropped down lower my head cleared and I began to truly appreciate the awe inspiring landscape. After 4 days on horseback we left the wilderness behind and joined the ‘main’ Inca Trail, we had to leave the horses at this point as the trail was exceedingly narrow in places and had to accommodate many tourists travelling on foot in both directions.

Our final camp (a mere 12,530ft) was on the edge of the rain forest and from here we caught a train the next morning to Machu Picchu. The train journey was awesome following the path of the Urubamba River and giving us the full cinemascope of the mountainsides we’d only just scaled. Many of the party disembarked the train early to wonder at the ‘The Lost City Of The Incas’ at Machu Picchu from the vantage point of the ‘Sun Gate’, but after the long slog I couldn’t resist the temptation of the Aguas Calientes (the “Hot Springs”), which lay further down the line. A hot shower was not to missed as I could be pretty certain that the Inca City would hopefully still be there when the full tour took place the next day!

Following the actual trek we spent another 2 days in Cusco and a full day in Lima, where got to ride Peruvian Paso horses on the beach (any horses lovers dream), and sightsee to our hearts content before returning home. Machu Picchu is regularly named by visitors as their most memorable travel experience. I’d have to agree but for me the journey itself eclipsed the destination. I can safely say it was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life and would thoroughly recommend it to anyone. For more information visit the BHS website on www.bhs.org.uk

Photos from the trip are here

My own adventures continue in September with 4-6 months travelling round the USA, Canada and New Zealand. In the meantime, I am running a Virtual Horse Show (basically a horse photo show on-line) which is very nerve racking - a bit like throwing a party and wondering if anyone will turn up ! The site address is www.slingshot.to/horseshow so dig out your best horsey photos and enter them - PLEASE ! Is only £1 to enter and is for a good cause - the BHS rescue and rehabilitation program.

I've already to raised about £1,900 by auctioning my entire CD/DVD collection. There are still a few CDs left so if anyone wants to take them off my hands click here for list.

Best wishes
Michelle