Day33 Bilo still

Arrived safe and sound at Brisy airport. Sms'd the kids. Quick note from the Qantas lounge while waiting for Rocky 8:05 flight.
All good.
4:00pm arrived home all good after a lovely time at Jess', a Sunday roast and pressies as well. Like Christmas, and a great welcome back safe and sound. It feels like after months. We did about 40,000km all up, 33,000km in plane flights all up, 1500 in a rental and the rest via bus and train.
10Gb of photos, 2700 pics. lol. I've put over 10,000 pics through the Canon now. Cant wait to see them on the big screen.
Really good to be back home.
Over and out.

Day32 Bilo

Restless night again.
Got the Internet connection working finally, thanks linksys, and a mansion on the hill, only 11Mb but free.
Still feel like crap.
The plan today is to head home on a late evening flight. Have to keep occupied somehow. Maybe go and explore on public transit.
We breaky downstairs at the hotel restaurant.
Chris goes uptown for some shopping while I stay in the room and arrange late checkout for 1:00pm. Chris decides to go for a walk to the farmers market, without me, much to her annoyance. Comes back 2 hours later, sunburnt and didn't find the place. Not happy Jan.
We have another knap and laze around till 12:30pm when we head down to the Boulevard with the intention of going to the beach. Its about 100 deg (40c) so we decide to catch a movie instead. It turns out ok, Ghostown, set in Manhattan. lol It was good so we go to another one to kill time, Deathrace, pathetic but entertaining.

We're out about 5 so we wander around but not far and end up going into Hooters for a bite. What can I say? Fried food.

We wander back to the hotel, up the hill, and laze around in the reception till the transport comes, Super Shuttle. Its about 40 min to pick someone else up and get to the airport. We go to the wrong baggage check area, get shunted to 'just down there', check in our bags, take them to radiation check, then go to the Qantas lounge to rest up. Not bad, Chris has a shower while I read Jess' comments on the blog, and add an udate.

Day31 LA (Mon 29th)

Wake about 3:30am, text Jecca for a bit, 8:30pm in Qld, find an unsecured wireless access point probably from the many mansions on the hill behind us and begin raving on the blog.
Cold seems worse and I ache in my upper fema area like a flu ache. Ear plugs are starting to give me a head ache... now I can hear the keyboard and traffic outside. Lack of energy and aches are the worst of it. See how we go today. Man up. :)

Well didn't leave the hotel room but once in the evening to have something to eat. sux
Asleep by 9.

Day30 Los Angeles (Sun 28th)

Wake before 6 and take out the ear plugs (Chris still has a cold) and now I realise so do I. Breaky provided and we're picked up by the Super Shuttle about 7:15am to go to JFK Airport New York. The bus has all seats full and we have to drop others off at Laguardia airport first. The trip takes about 45-50 minutes and we self checked in (this time next to each other) within another 10 minutes. All up about 3 hours before the flight, one of the problems with using this mode of transport but we would only be asleep or something boring like that anyhow.

Each bag weighs in at 45lbs (20.45kg) each. Spot on. We walk to the gate then back to the Admirals Club. No free wireless for Qantas Club members but free PCs so I update the blog and charge the laptop battery. The clouds hang low in the sky and there's no sign of blue. The tarmac is wet and a cop car drives down the taxi way. The exchange rate hovers around 83 cents not that we need to exchange much more anyhow, seems we've spent enough/fortune.

Time to board, walk round to gate 3, straight on the flight. Waiting for older Jewish man to put hid gear away and free the aisle and a bloke excuses himself to Chris and pushes past her and the old guy. New Yorkers fair dinkum! We swap aisles, walk down a bit and swap back to ours. A young girl is in our seats and we work out that she should be in another, no drama, all good. A woman behind, Chris explains later, complains long and hard into the flight after requesting to see the head hostess, we don't know what about. New Yorkers fair dinkum!
The bloke in front and the woman he's with sit down, he's swearing and she pushes her bag under the seat on top of my feet. Later on a hosty tells him he has to sit down after the Captain had said we were heading for turbulence, he says, 'Oh really' (sarcasm), and continues to stand, she says again she can't sit down until he does, he says, 'I'm trying to do 6 things at once', still standing. Finally sits but doesn't put on his belt. Hosty mimics for him to do so, he finally does. She goes. New Yorkers fair dinkum! Getting off the flight they all hurry past to get to the carrousel only to have to wait, right next to the carrousel so no one else can get to it, there with all the passengers they just pushed past.

Its been our experience both times now that, it seems, NY has a large percentage of people/service workers who appear to be arrogant, to say the best of them. But there are a lot of others that try to be nice in the middle of the biggest/loudest/fastest/busiest/most amazing city I've been in. A real mix of good and bad that needs to be experienced to believe it. I think I was too tired to fully enjoy it but today I wouldn't like to go back there. Will be interesting how some time will give that view perspective.

We get out of the rabbit warren they call LAX only to realise the rabbit warren extends further in roads intertwined around the airport, domestic, international, transport, couriers, buses, shuttles, military, rentals you name it, but the shuttle driver knows it all well. The weather was supposed to be a tad ordinary in LA but its fine and cool. LA reminds Chris and I of Mt Isa. lol Its dry and dusty but instead of the mine there are black oil pumps on dry hill sides and the place looks like it could do with some rain to wash the cars. We drop off some others before its our turn to tip the maniac shuttle driver, who like others will swerve and go flat out, luggage flying, to pass a car, only to sit at the (many) next lights beside the same car. lol City living gets to you, no matter which one it is. The feeling of, 'nice to visit but wouldn't like to live there', mixed with feeling left out of the main stream/rat race, so much to see, do and experience.

The rooms nice with a king size, Chris won't be squashed tonight and my feet wont hang over the end. We gather our wits and rest a while, then head off downtown in shorts and thongs for the first time since leaving home.
We find we're only two blocks from Hollywood Boulevard and all the tourist hubbub of the city on a Sunday arvo. Very interesting. We explore, shop and grab a bite to eat in Hooters. lol A Harley Davidson shop with the most clothing I've ever seen for bike riders, very tempting, shame its all for HD.
We find we're both stuffed with little energy and walk back up the hill. Its only about 5:30pm and we're getting ready for bed. The colds are knocking us about. Asleep about 9:30 for me, Chris way earlier.

Day29 New York (Sat 27th) Last Day of Tour

Wake at 4:30am due to the chainsaw in the bed next to me.
Shower, pack and blog. Bags out at 6:30 on the bus at 7:30am.
Lay (tour guide) is late on the bus because her watch stopped working. haha Murphy strikes again. Its been wrong the whole trip I told her. ;)

We don't have that far to go today and have a couple of stops to make. The first is Philadelphia, the birth place of America, where their independence from Britain was first declared and the constitution drawn up. We walk around a bit and go and see the liberty bell. A great tour of their first court of law and Independence Hall as the guide was very enthusiastic.

Back on the bus, "Come on Globus" and off to New York. An uneventfully drive through the mid town traffic, to the sounds of the other passengers, Ous and Ahs, we arrive at the Sheraton. The room is nice and we straight away head off via the subway to China Town. The drizzle comes and goes as per the weather forecasts and the subway is hot and steamy. We take a few wrong trips but get it sorted out pretty quick after a little frustration. The subway is packed as many head downtown for the Saturday night. China town is great as usual and I pick up a NY tshirt for $2. Its all I can fit in the suitcase. Chris picks up some perfume and jewelry which of course she pays too much for but hey that's what its all about. ;)

We wander eventually into Little Italy and have Italian in a roadside restaurant. Not bad, a good meal for $40 total, drinks and tip included. We make our way back to the subway in the mist of the night and the streets are all still busy with many shops still open at 9ish. Again we make a few errors but eventually emerge in Time Square among the crowds. We buy tickets to a comedy club night, impromptu audience participation and eventually find our way there after going the wrong way several times. I remember passing the same street stall lady 3 times. Funny now; not very at the time as we're tired and damp. It turns out to be ok but there are a class of grade 6 and 7 kids there that play havic with the comedy but add spice to the 8:30pm show.

After its done we walk back to our room, stuffed and worn out. Shower and bed by 12.

Day28 Washington (Friday) 26th Sep

Wake 5:15ish. Tour starts this morning at 8:30am. Overcast but not raining yet.
All jump on the bus on time as usual and our Washington guide greets and she narrates, describing what it is we drive past. We go to the Arlington National Cemetery first and I'm thinking is this the most interesting thing Washington has to offer, hmm, it wouldn't be my first choice, but anyhow, on with the tour. We see the Kennedy brothers grave sites and it starts to rain and we all get a little wet but its not too bad because most of us have rain gear of some sort.
We hear 21 gun salutes in the distance on 3 occasions indicating there military funerals that are in progress in the active part of the cemetery, Iraq. Hope the oils worth it and the fight against terrorism can be won with a gun. Since 1980 there has been a 24 hour protect against war out in front of the White House as pictured in my snaps.
We goto the war memorials first Korean, didn't learn their lesson there, then Vietnam, still fighting, over 50,000 kia, and they don't have one for Afghanistan, Kuwait, or Iraq but they will or maybe they'll run out of places to have them. They are a great tribute to the fallen youth, male, female, black and white.
The Amish don't fight in wars and so far it seems don't have to and I bet they praise God for that.
Off to the Lincoln Memorial and the Reflecting Pool where the first thing that comes to mind is Forrest running after Jenny I'm embarrassed to say. Chris does her Mary Tyler Moor impression and we all head off to the Vietnam remembrance wall. A beautiful tribute.
The White House was next, where the 24 hour peace protest is and then the Capitol where they are in session, the Senate and House of Reps (cuz the flags are up) no doubt thrashing out the US$700B bailout, take from the tax payer and give to the corporations, not that that bothers me, nahh.
Dropped off at the National Gallery of Art we walk through the entertaining Sculpture Garden with the visual illusion of the house and the thinking rabbit as in my pics. Then the National Museum of Natural History which was popular with the kids and not so much mums and dads.
Past the FBI to the Post Office and up the lifts to see the view and the bells.
A brisk walk back to the hotel as Chris isn't feeling too well, a lay about and some tv. Then get ready for the farewell dinner with the other Globus tour people. All good, and a early night, ready for our last day with the tour tomorrow, ending in NY, after Philadelphia Liberty Bell.

Day27 Washington (Thu)

-:Good sleep. Bags out at 7 and breaky at 7. Drove around Lancaster, visited an Amish house and farm and then we went to a little town called Intercourse, then we drove off to Washington. A nice drive, fairly short, about an hour and a half through the traffic. Smallest populated state but most densely populated. Lots of dark people and politicians and police.
Roads blocked, police cars all over intersections and traffic cops too at traffic lights. Its raining now.

Drop us off at the National Art gallery, the Smithsonian, we go across the road to the Space and Flight museum, very good. Watch the 3D Sun on the iMax, very good. All about how we watch the sun and predict solar storms that might interfer with satellites and they actually mention in Dec 2006 when they lost heaps of sats and GPS signal for about 10 minutes. I remember saying to John how I only had one satellite on my GPS, I blamed the military at the time. lol I didn't realise it was a world wide event.

We cross back to the art museum, very impressive building, amazing works of art, spend only about 10 minutes looking but you need 2 days.

Picked up, back to the Hilton (very Hilton) hotel. Bags get delivered to room as usual except Chris' was left in front of the lift on our floor all on its own, upended. lol Must have fallen off the trolley?

Go for a walk later, exchange rate going ok, about 82-84 cents, 83.11 today (26th Sep) in Aus. Have a bite at Burger King and back to the Hilton for a drink, quite a contrast. lol Back to the room and watch some tv, not real fussed about walking around the streets.
Have wireless in the room thanks, not to the hotel, $15 for 24 hours, but a generous soul who hasn't secured their network.

Day26 Lancaster PA (Wed)

Its a long day on the bus today, 650km (the gps reinitialised itself, dohh) and we wind up at Lancaster which has a high number of Amish people in the area. We stopped several times along the way at travel stop, (truck stops) Weymans eatery/supermarket, and that's about it.

We walked down to an Mennonites store, they are similar to Amish but a little more liberal (not much) but primarily believe they can be convinced, here and now, on earth, of their salvation. The Amish can use modern day... stuff, as long as it isn't threatening their strong sense of community and isn't just for convenience sake. For example, they can use a telephone but can't/won't have one in their house, but it can be down the road a tad, not too close. Apparently they pay tax but don't/wont take a pension or government handouts.
Chris sees a 'stressed' bit of furniture she really liked for $200. Prob get in Aus but not as good quality, but hey its stressed so who cares. ;)

We have a drink at the tavern at the hotel and catch the bus to a restaurant that tends to serve 'traditional' Amish food. The dishes includes: apple sauce, cole slaw, pickled vegies, as a starter, then as main, mashed potato (Chris' favourite), beans, corn (very sweet), fried chicken, chicken stuffing, and other dishes I've missed. For dessert, there was warm apple pie, the best I've ever had (sorry Ma) and shoo fly pie (made with molasses, cinnamon). I really enjoyed the home made meal rather than the restaurant style cooking, Chris wasn't fussed.

Home for an early night.

Day25 Niagara Falls

We get away about 7:30am and head out west, south west on the highway 401, a four lane, sometimes 9 lane freeway towards Niagara Falls. Initially the traffic is heavy and its slow going but after half an hour it thins out more and we get along on 110km/hr most of the time. Away from Toronto and after Hamilton? we start to go through citrus crops and winery country as we skirt the western border of Lake Ontario. We stop at Niagra on the Lake, a lovely, well manicured small tourist town on the edge of the lake where we all go for a walk around the place, including Fort George, from a distance, and sample some of the local produce, fruit and fudge, nice combination.
A quick drive to the flower clock (see pics). The cable car over the eddy pool. Then onto Niagara itself. First glimpse is amazing, the size, spray, and constant roar as the water, apparently doing over 100km/hr, shoots out over the cliffs and into the river below. Very nice and a major tourist destination. I think it would have been better 200 years ago when there weren’t hotels lining the hills about the falls but I admit its luxurious laying in bed watching them from the 10th floor. lol Looks like they get about 4GW worth of hydro generation from them as well, so they would have been pretty impressive when all the water was going down the falls not just what they throttle.
They are lit up at night so we go and have a look but the pics look more like a volcano than falls, well when they’re red, blue a little different. Early start tomorrow.

Day24 Toronto (Mon)

I wake about 4:30am and do some diary as can be seen by the extra detail in my story above. I manage to get back to sleep and about 9 we all jump on the bus and go for a tour around the city to look at a few sites on a beautiful cloud free day. A bunch of others have a harbour tour, Chris goes back to the hotel to do a few things, washing included and I stay with the bus but go for a walk around the water front. I notice that a ferry is going out soon and only takes 45 minutes for $12, across to the island, around the creeks, up the Toronto harbour a bit, then back. Took some pics, the wind was cold/crisp but the sun was nice and warm on your back. Had a hot dog that was self serve on the water front and it was yummy.

We sit around for a bit then head downstairs to the ground floor for Chris to have some lunch and I do the blog stuff while waiting. We head back to the room and sleep for two hours. Hardly a granny knap, at least Chris has an excuse with the cold.

We head off at 6ish to the revolving restaurant in the CN Tower, a long way up. Checked out the lights, sights and have a good night.

Day23 Toronto (Sun)

After a nice breaky and a bit of a sleep in because we don’t have to see the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, because they’re not in season any more, we see outside the hotel a marathon is being started as we leave for our next leg. The highway passes through real nice country with the trees beginning to turn red and orange for the winter and we go pass the 1,000 island (where the 1,000 island dressing was started) area with all the homes on the islands. We’re on the Canadian side of the St Laurents River with the US on the other side and some houses, on the islands, are in either side. We pull up for 5 minutes to take pics of the houses on islands, the geese, and stretch legs as its only an hour to Kingston where we’re having lunch, cuz all we do is eat, bus, eat, tour, bus, eat.
Kingston is a nice place, built right on the shore of Lake Ontario, with a bit of history as the Englist built fortifications in case the USA was going to invade as apparently they thought they were. That was the reason the built the canal at Ottawa. Kingston had a market in progress. I buy a punnet of blackberries, Chris has one, and screws her nose up and after having one myself I agree, they are a tad tart but I think have a lot of vitamin C. Chris has a cold and a few on the bus, including John the driver have had one as well. I eat the punnet.
Its lunch time and we go and get some bread, cold meat and cheese for a mini picnic in the sun by the water’s edge, feed the local bird life, ducks, gulls, pigeons and sparrows. The sun has come out now, which is good, as it was over caste and cool when in the shade with a breeze blowing on occasions. There are large ferries coming and going from the port, there warning blasts on the horns echo off the high rise buildings near by as they make ready to back out into the deeper waters of Ontario.
Its back on the bus at 1:00pm and off to Toronto, again a nice looking city, biggest in Canada. We are given our keys by Lay as is the process as head up to inspect and settle into our rooms but only after saying we would accept Lay’s invite (to all the bus) to dine at a local Chinese vegetarian restaurant. It turns out there are 11 of us and we meet in the hotel lobby, climb on a tram ($2.75ea one way) which delivers us to China Town, 15minutes up the track. I talk with Steven who is in IT and contracts out to a lot of government departments in Perth.
The meal and camaraderie are great and its good to be able to have fun with others over a meal of several dishes that Lay (our guide) orders in Mandarin, all made with vegies and touphu, including curry, vegetables, rices, pork and chicken but all vegetarian ($33 for two, good value). Several of us walk back and the others work out whether they will catch a cab or tram. Its a nice cool night and the walk is great with Steven, Kiren, Harold, Juliana, Chris and I. Good day again, as the weeks seem like 7 days of weekends.

Day22 Ottawa (Sat)

We’re up at 6:30ish, bags out by 7:00, on the bus by 8. Skipped breaky this morning and had a deep and meaningful instead. Feel a bit like I haven’t seen much of Montreal but we don’t know where to go or what to do except the underground shopping which is not real alluring after what we did already.
We’re on the bus heading for Ottawa (the capital of Canada), Ontario province, the provincial capital is Toronto. South is great lakes, west is mountains, 25,000 lakes, they manufacture more than half of Canada’s industry, 25% of farming, and hydroelectric power, Niagra most famous. Ottawa used to be the centre of Canada’s logging industry in the 1800s. Reedo canal from Ottawa west, the oldest canal in operation, mainly for defence but used mainly for goods and people. Some very good museums in Ottawa.
This time 3 weeks ago we were on our way to Brisbane, actually at the Rocky airport seeing Rel and John off. Seems like months ago. More lift music from Lay (our guide) and some anniversary presentations, 1 year and 1 week anniversaries, an older couple (Mrs Bukket and Graham and the young couple from Brisy). The countryside is green as sual with lots of water. Quite a bit is cleared, the trees all tall and some browning. We head mainly west, the sun rising behind us. GPS batteries keep dying and I need to charge some tonight.
Lay, hands out a quiz to keep us occupied and gives us the run down on Ottawa, then hands out maps. We drop off our baggage at the Lord Elgin hotel, a real nice place but they all seem to blend into one another except for the bad ones that you tend to remember more. We are an hour early so I go for a walk up to parliament house for some pics, a stretch and look around. A real nice city, perhaps not as nice (just different) as Quebec but better than most I’ve been to so far. I walk back to 2nd cup but Chris had just left.
Back on the bus the guide does her thing and shows us around the city explaining the history and sights to be seen. After a couple of hours we pull up at the markets for some lunch, sushi for main and beaver tail for dessert. Some pastry thing in the shape of a beaver tail with lots of different toppings (we choose cinnamon and maple syrup). We do the markets, then walk up to parliament house for the 5 ladies tea party and a look at the old man who keeps the cats, but the tours don’t start for another 20 min and the canal tour starts before then. The canal water way is beautiful with, paths and trees lining the way and people riding, walking along the way and enjoying the warm day, blue sky and gentle breeze. The 20 minute trip to the lake and boat turn around is very relaxing and we nearly fall asleep on the way back after the commentary has stopped.
We go back to the market to get some cheap canned maple syrup which adds another kilo to our luggage, not to mention, which I am, the local chocolate which rivals the Swiss. We get back to the hotel about 4:40pm and get ready for dinner at Friday’s Roast House restaurant with the group. Its a nice time in the old refurbished house, the nice roast meal and pleasant company. Afterwards we go for a walk up town but the weather turns bad and starts to drizzle so we duck into an Irish pub a couple of blocks from the hotel. They have a local live band and we enjoy some Bob Dylan songs redone before heading back on the wet streets to the hotel all dry.

Day21 Montreal (Fri 19th)

I wake before dawn, get ready and take some pics of the sun rise from our room window (needs a clean). We breaky with another couple and I go back to the room but getting back the lifts are real busy and I’m last on the bus by 8:00 (I checked). We head off on the bus, lift music playing on a beautiful morning without a cloud in the sky now (I’m writing on the bus), four lanes heading through the state pine forest (looks like), the grey haired brigade, me included. Another city I don’t really want to leave as its been so scenic and different to what I’ve experienced, ever. Later we’re having a group photo in the Olympic stadium Montreal hosted in 1976’s I think?
That over and done with we do a tour of the city which I fell asleep in so I dont know anything except they've built heaps of stuff under the city, underground, so they can live without being above for winter.
Figure if I dont discuss sleep or eating then I dont need to remind myself of anything. Feels like I'm moving when sitting still. We go for a walk around under the city, look at a few shops, they have the best chocolate. lol
We had room service for the first time and watched a movie, Hancock, about a super hero who was lonely, with Will Smith. Montreal is a nice city, with lots of churches, 90% Catholic, 70% speak French at home. The internet in the motel room is free as part of the tour, I upload pics and update the blog.

Day20 Quebec (Thu 18th)

A hot air balloon rises over the city in the morning and there’s a real crispness in the
clean air, especially compared to the US cities. We have a city tour with a local guide, who’s a bit of a wag, at 9 after a hotel full buffet breakfast. The tour is brief, we see the low water front area and lookout parklands and it ends about 10:30am and some of us have nothing else arranged so the rest of the day we’re free to explore the city. One of the prettiest I’ve ever seen, well at least the tourist bit we get around in, that houses 700,000 or there abouts, the parks, immaculate gardens, where tourism is the number one industry.

After the tour we get a chance to wander around and explore the old and new areas of the city. Lunch is in a Crepeary Restaurant up on the top floor, strawberries and ice crème for lunch. The chocolate in Canada is the best too, way better than the States. Most people in the hospitality industry speak English and French so the 90% French province is easy to communicate with and I’m reminded that it was only 38 years ago that a referendum was very close to voting Quebec out of Canada as an independent state.

After walking around for a few hours, through Chateu Frontenac, the copper roofed, square blocked granite houses and business houses, and after lunch we head back for a granny knap as we didn’t sleep real flash last night. After that we head downtown to the shops and lower township, down and later back up the fernacular. It starts to get real cold as the sun heads down to the horizon, the breeze picks up and the shadows get longer, about 8 deg we find out later. The city as part of the 400 year old celebration has a small fair where people can see art, performances and shows. We get invited (in French) into a small tent with different, memorabilia, by two ladies in costume. With a little hesitation we go in with about a dozen others and a performance begins, all in French, that turns out to be an audience involving skit about different stuff and a little amusing, afterwards a rock band on stage. More shopping, stopping and looking at jumpers for Chris as she’s feeling the cold and we buy a Quebec scarf. A Irish pub for a drink and try to warm up, where I get chatted for not tipping the barmaid, knew I forgot something. Later yet, another restaurant meal includes steak as part of a four course meal and we walk back in the 5deg cold on the way back to the Hilton.

Day19 Quebec (Wed 17th)

We leave our bags outside the hotel room door for an early pickup of 6:00am and head off to breaky to board the bus by 6:45am. We’re doing about 600km today and will end up in Quebec City, Quebec. We stop several times along the way for those that need to to go to the loo and for a leg stretch. The country side is great, grean trees and bright green grass, a land of lakes, and ski slopes for the winter where the trees have been cleared and the rolling hills look like carpet greens. Some of the best ski resorts are just off the highway apparently where the idle rich come to play for the winter, its all relative.

As we near the border between the US and Canada we get a chance to do some duty free shopping, and Lay, our guide, gives us instructions on what to get ready, passports is all and how to answer the common questions, “Where are you going?”, “What are you doing in Canada?”. I get asked, “Have you ever been arrested?”, “Have you got any weapons?”. All very uneventful but the whole bus watches as the two Knight pairs, with the same first and last names, go through together but the guards don’t even notice which indicates their interest level I think.
We head off down the highway merrily on our way to Quebec City, a couple of hours away on the four lane freeway that turns bumpy every now and then as the winters knock around the bitumen surface. As we enter the outer city it starts to rain but clears after half an hour. Its peak hour traffic so its slow going as we near the Hilton in the city centre and just a few short escalator rides to the old inner city wall build by the English in the 1600s in case the French wanted to try and take back the city and from which they defeated the Americans twice and on the plains of Abraham (after Lincon) when they thought they’d like to add Quebec to the United States way back then.

The idea is to check in and come back to the bus in 45min as we have arrived 20min late and head out to dinner. Three choices of restaurants and there ends up being 6 in our group at a French seafood nice place, with great big 2 foot beams holding up the floors above, from ages ago. Its Quebec’s 400th anniversary this year, celebrating from 1608’s discovery.
A pleasant meal with nice conversation and we walk back through the restored old buildings and after asking several times we together find the Venhicular, a cable car contraption for getting us up the steep cliffs from the water front district to the high city, pass the parliament house and eventually back to our hotel. Our room has a great view out over the city, deep water harbour (that isn’t salt until out after the nearby island because of the run out of the river) and sunrise the morning after next.

Day18 Boston (Tue 16th)

After NY, Boston is way slower, prettier, cleaner, friendlier and I feel like a sleep. lol Strangely enough we don’t sleep real well and wake before the alarm but dawdle around to make breakfast by about 8. We supposed to catch the bus by 9. Breaky is nice and we take some muffins, fruit and fruity bar for lunch. The bus tour is nice, we go to the naval museum and see the oldest war ship still in service, over 250 years. We end up at the markets, shop and lunch for a bit, buy some tickets for a show, that night, head back to the hotel on the bus. We pack all our washing and waddle off for a local laundry mat and spend about $12 in quarters laundering our week’s dirty clothes. This where I pick up someones unsecured wireless service and catch up on the dear diary stuff.
Till the next update:

Day17 Boston (Monday 15th)

We get woken by the cleaner knocking and trying to get into the room again. lol Holidays agrees with my sleeping. Belt notches running out though. We have to get to Penn Station to catch a train we bought tickets for the other day to Boston. After we struggle out of our room with 50kg of luggage, wait for the lift, check out, get down to the subway, buy the right tickets, get on the subway, get off, squeeze through the gates, climb up the stairs, walk around 34th street to Penn Station entrance, lug down the stairs, have a bite and a drink, we sit down for an hour to wait for the 12:05 to Boston. I take a moment to do some dear diary.
We hear on the news last night about another US bank going tail up, Chris saw people out front of it on a Sat and Sunday night, on Broadway or 7th Ave, so we checked the AUD and its now $US0.82. Interesting.
We board the train in business class, very comfortable, and settle in after a couple of moves for a nice ride to Boston. The first stop is Stamford Connecticut and we travel along aroud 100km/hr but at times get up to 140km/hr according to my gps and then later up to 240km/hr. Its 12:55 already. Then 1:30pm New Haven. One or two other stops prior to Boston South Station, a very nice restored building. We get a shared bus to the hotel $15, a very nice hotel (we dance around the room without bumping into a single thing, great), huge room, friendly people a great place so far. ;) We take a walk and discover a beautiful park where we relax for a bit and I take some pics. It’s nice to sit still for a bit as lately whenever I sit down I feel like I’m moving.

We were off to the meeting with the rest of the tourists at 6:00pm for an introduction and drinks and nibbles. We all introduced ourselves, saying where we’re from and an interest. Most of the 50 odd attendees are Australian and most are over 55, some retirees, some on long service leave a few still working. We get away a couple of hours later with all the info we need and head out for dinner, fish and chips and a nice steak for $45 at a nearby Irish pub.

Day16 New York (Sunday 14th)

Woke about 8:30, breaky in Starbucks and using the internet, been a few days, since we got to New York actually. Using AT&T, $4.00 for 2 hours. Don’t get much time to collect my thoughts but am able to simply upload all photos as the 54Mb service is quick, so its easiest to simply upload everything and sort out the crap later.

I take the back pack and PC back to the room and we walk down to a half price ticket sales to show and plays. It costs us $60 each (50%) for some pretty good seats to Monty Pythons Spamalot. A stage show/musical with minister/father from Seventh Heaven, Steven Collins, as the lead role as King Arthur, also Drew Lachey (Jessica Simpson’s ex husband’s brother). While we’re waiting for the show to start we eat at Juniours after making our way through a crowd at Time Square where a show was on with the main appearance seemed to be the guy out of Romio and Juliet who Dicaprio killed and got banished. lol Well I know what I mean.

Chris gets flustered by the abruptness of the NY people and ordered about 50cm of ribs for lunch so we pig out. I ordered a chicken ceasar salad which balances out a bit but not much as all the meals are on the large side. We waddle off to find our seats at the theatre, which turn out to be about 10 from the front and to the side, nothing to complain about there. The show’s a crack up with lots of gags from Holy Grail and other MPython shows. On the way back to the hotel we do some shopping and Chris buys an MTV t-shirt. We get back and rest a while, do some internet stuff, check the dollar, $US0.80 for an Ausi dollar.

We go out for dinner (didn’t eat at the hotel once)and end up at a pizza restaurant Chris saw advertised, Angelo’s. Nice; thin base, crust burnt and peppery, just the way I like it, cuz its all about me, oh and Chris enjoys it too, as she ordered it and I got the spaghetti and (3) meat balls.

Let the belt out still further; the Wii is going to break when I get back.
-: Again we waddle back to the hotel and crash earlier than 10 o’clock for the first time since we’ve been here.

Day15 New York (Sat 13th)

We woke this morning to the sound of someone operating our door card reader. Later we discovered they must have opened the door because the latch had been straightened out. Hope it was just the cleaners. It was 8:30am and we had been asleep since about 11:30-12. This tourist business is hard work. Well we’re on out way by about 9, determined to catch our bus to other exciting adventures. lol The stop is just across the road from our motel, on 7th Ave, just up from Broadway and Time Square. Lately we find ourselves coming home stuffed, just as the young ones are going out.

We walk across the road and within about 5 minutes a bus comes along and we have good seats up on top. The weather is great, in contrast to last night’s drizzling wet. We head “downtown” through Time Square on our way to the financial district, Wall St and Greenwich Village areas of the Manhattan borough of New York.

At Pier 17 we got off the bus, into line with 100 Asians, for the complimentary ferry ride out to Liberty Island (not to get off) for a view of the statue, under Brooklyn Bridge, down to Manhattan Bridge and back again to Pier. I took many pics on this day, such a nice day.
We then get on the next tour bus over to the Brooklyn borough (2.5M people) and toured around. We got off the bus and walked back across the Brooklyn Bridge which apparently is very romantic. We stopped at Starbucks for a bite and a drink as we got a little hot walking around. We walked to a stop and caught the bus again around the loop, through China Town, but this time got off at Ground Zero. We visit Ground Zero where there are protesters and lots of mixed emotions, as well as many cranes working on building around the site. Do some shopping at Century 21 department store and I get a shirt that doesn’t need ironing.

The downtown tour comes back around and we finish at mid town. We go for a look and work out how the Broadway cheap tickets work. We decide not to go back to the hotel, end up at TGI Fridays for a drink, then catch the night tour, after a brief drizzle time, but all good for the night tour. The guide said we had to be up stairs as we were from Australia which was so far away. Very few pics work as we seldom stop and never turn off the engine. Its a great night and we return back across the Manhattan bridge to mid town. The place is jumping because of Saturday night and everyone is out dressed to kill.

Day14 New York (Friday 12th)

Chris worked out we could buy the bus tour tickets down stairs. We do so and walk upto Central Park south for a look, then back down 7th Ave, opposite our hotel at Starbucks, buy the tour tickets $49 each, 48 hour bus pass, on the red Grayline bus. Let us do, up tow, down and mid town, night tour and Brooklyn and the ferry ride. Pretty good value, looking back, with the guides.

We head up town, then down town which takes about 3-4 hours. We get off and go up the Empire State building for a look about. Lots of people, lifts and lines, a pretty brief look about in drizzly weather for $19 each. Went for a long walk around and got to Penn Station, after being directed there from Central Station, using the NY subway which is an experience on two different subways.

Back on the bus, it was raining, and the girl tour guide was good and knew her stuff. Its all very interesting and we ge back to the room stuffed and I want to stay in, on a Friday night in NY. We go out for dinner. We have an encounter at the first deli we try and leave after an altercation with a gay waiter who was a real bitch. We go back to Carnegie Deli and Chris had a Ruben sandwich which could feed two people and I had a triple decker sandwich that was literally 20cm thick, with bacon, turkey, ham and lettuce, enough for two people as well. We waisted so much, got a doggie bag but left it sitting on top of a bin for the homeless people we see rummaging in them. We head back through the crowded buzzing streets and get back about 11:30pm and gladly go to bed.

Day13 New York (Thursday 11th)

Annoying 5:15 alarm, after a fitfil nights sleep. Chris puts on some in room take away coffees.
Packup and Chris checks out from our room.
Blistered foot doing ok with bandaids. All good.
Heading for a 5 hour flight.

We were picked up around 5:50am, which is still a tad dark. Its a small bus and we have to pick up a few other people. We go to the Admirals Club at the airport after self checkin where we didn't notice we weren't sitting next to each other and both had centre seats. Dohh. Plenty of people had bought their own food also because food and drinks had to be purchased if you wanted anything.

I sleep heaps but Chris doesn't much so the flight drags on a bit for her, its not quite as far as flying Brisy to Perth. We get to New York in the after noon, stand around waiting for the bus couriers, they turn up and we pack about 11 into a 9 seater plus luggage, after waiting some more. Its turns out to be about an hour drive into the city and we're the first off, so that at least is good for us.

The motel is a little aged and the carpet a tad worn. We get to our room and its a double bed that you both can't walk around at the same time, the aircon doesn't work, and the bathroom door can't be open at the same time as the room door cuz they bang... and its $400 a night. lol Chris spits and rings reception 3 times for an engineer to fix the aircon. She gives up ringing and goes down to reception to get a different room. While she's out the maintenance guy turns up and shows me the aircon controls on the wall dont wotk but there are another set under a flap on the aircon, it works fine.

Chris comes back with the new room keys and we change rooms. No different in the new one only on the 3rd floor now. We unpack and head out to the buzz of the city. On the street there was a diner under our hotel Wellington, we go in, it reminds me of the start of Pulp Fiction and Honey Bunney, very nice food and no one comes in and tries to rob us all.

We walk about and have a desert at Carnegie Deli (famous) which is huge and we're glad we're a block or two from our hotel so we can walk some of it off.

Day12 SF

The plan is to go to the Golden Gate park which is at the end of three bus changes and near the Golden Gate Bridge. We did that first thing and it was still overcast but cleared around mid day, where we went to Haight and Ashbury (bong shops), lunched there, Ghirardelli chocolate/coffee shop, before ending up at the Ferry building, a beautifully restored building where all the ferries depart from. We took some pics of Lombard St, the crookedest street in the world, with lots of switch backs. After trams and buses we’re all about stuffed so we head back to the hotel for a rest.
Internet costs about $US15 for 24 hours.
We plan the evening: to head out to a local night spot.

Home early after dinner at an Irish pub, stew and shephards pie. Cheapest meal we've had here. $35.

Ealiest we've been home in a week, 8 o'clock.

Off to New York tomorrow, woohoo.

Day11 San Francisco

We slept real well during the night in a king size bed at Kristian’s and got away about 8ish after programming the gps. Not too far down the highway towards Santa Cruz we came into slow heavy traffic and this was matched by the fog/rain. We decided t head inland a tad towards the harbour side of the coast which turned out better as the twisting winding road lead us away from the coast. It was exciting to be actually driving into San Francisco and we had to remind ourselves that was what we were doing and that we weren’t living someone else’s life.
Thank goodness we had the GPS as we could never had made it otherwise, with the loop de loop, freeway turnstiles, over passes, under passes, dual carriage ways and 10 lanes of traffic, at times sitting on 70mph and still having cars go passes on 90 it was an experience, but we made it without one wrong turn. I handed in the rental about 11ish with some reservation as it was great to be able to go wherever whenever.
Chris bought a 3 day Muni passport for the SanFran Municipal Railway which turned out great as we can ride the tram, trains, etc as much as we like. So it was off to explore the city on yet another little adventure. We headed for Fishermans wharf where we lunched on roasted crab and seafood enchilada, not bad at all. Playing on the trams was fun. We made it back to the hotel, after I bought some expensive new lenses for the camera, that I didn’t really want. We rest up for a bit as our legs are still sore from the Yosemite trek and I’ve got blisters from walking, before heading for the concierge for directions and the best way to get to the baseball tonight. The SF Giants play the Arizona Diamond Backs in an exciting and close game, 2 all, then 4 all, then the Giants win in the 9th. We go and return on the rail/subway using the passports again. Crash in bed after 11, sleep like logs until 6:30 and up and at it all again.

Day10 Monterey

Tent awakening about 6:30 to a dull light and birds chirping. Got away just after 7, to the dull tones of the gps guiding us towards our destination. Bought some fruit along the way, very nice.

Arrived at 12 to meet and greet Kristian. Good to hear another Ozi accent.

Realised on the way that we didn't have mobile reception while in Evergreen Lodge and received 6 sms text messages. Connect to Kristian's wireless and uploaded more pics of the days events. Time to do some washing thanks to Kristian and his dryer. Staying in a real nice place overlooking the bay. Clouds rolled in about 30 mile from Monterey and its a tad grey here.

Tom crook, Greg a heart attack. Crap!

Went for a drive down to the harbour and came across the sea lions, otters and porpoises. Took a few pics and went for dinner at Bubba Gumps... you guessed it Forest's mate, Bubba and we had shrimp. Great night out.

Day09 Yosemite

Wake and up out of the tent about 6:30am and off to the rec room to upload some pics and recall yesterdays events. So much seems to have happened since we left home; it feels like a month ago. I go and wake Chris up about 20 to 9. We buy breaky, just a coffee and muffin on the run, and we get some lunch too, sangas, biscuits, water for the day, and off we go to the top of Glacier Point.
We have a good view of all the highest points within the park and see some climbers half way up Half Dome. We start our 4.7 mile walk down from Glacier Point to the floor of the valley.
Some fantastic scenery on the way down and we arrive about 2 hrs 45 min later at 3:00pm. We should sleep well tonight.
Steve is there to meet us and we go for a bit more of a tour around, take a few more pics and see some climbers on El Captain. The average climber takes 4-5 days but Steve says the record is 2 hrs 45 min which I cant believe.
Back to the resort and straight to the tavern for a drink and reflection on the day. Magic.

Day08 Yosemite

Got away about 7:00 after fueling up on regular. You see if the bowser works, if it does fine, if not, go into the cashier give them your credit card. If you want to use cash still give them the credit card and then pay with cash when you finish filling up.
We followed along side the mountain range for a couple of hours on a four lane highway doing upto 65mph. Went into Mammoth Lakes for a look about, very nice, great place to camp.
Turned into Yosemite NP about 11 and drove till lunch at 1:30pm, stopping often for pics. Slowed to a stop, police (rangers) all over the place and pass a car full of Japanese who had run off the road while watching the scenery. They all seemed ok but the car was a mess up front and underneath where it had dragged its under body along the solid rock.

Had lunch at Yosemite Village before heading back to highway 120 and Evergreen Lodge where we checked in, found our tent, and headed for the tavern. A pretty place to be sure, to be sure.


In 1989–90, trees in this area on the south side of Mammoth Mountain volcano began dying from high concentrations of CO2 gas in the soil.
http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/fs172-96/



After a few drinks we go over to the rec area, a large lounge area where a huge fire place indicates it gets a tad cold here. Don't think tents would be appropriate then. ;) Chris and I both fall asleep for 15minutes in the lounge chairs. lol All the gallivanting about must be tiring for the old couple lol or maybe its the drinks. Closer to sunset we head off on our sunset tour, a little wine and cheese atop a hill, to watch the sun go down on another day, and enjoy the quiet. Turns out there is another Ozi couple from Melbourne, and a gay pair from mid state someplace.
A nice evening for sure. Back to the restaurant for a trio of fish and Chris had nice steak, about 8:30pm, all good. Very nice and clean communal showers, off to the tent, a brief look at the stars then lay there listening to the wedding celebrations for a few seconds and bang lights out about 11 till 6:30am on the 7th Sep. Another day.
Amazing that the countries lowest point, 280ft below see level, Death Valley is so close to its highest point Mt Whitney , 14,505 feet, as two plates pass each other and distort the land as they go. Well geography was never my strong point.

Day07 20080905 Lone Pine

Up at 6:00am, packing, checked out, taxi to pick up the rental, paper work, up to the car park. Two guys tell us where to find the cars, we load all the gear up and try and get acquainted to driving on the wrong side of the car, wrong side of the road, with indicators, and gear lever on the wrong side, stand on my head to drive and I should have it sorted.
We get to the check out point and find out we have the wrong vehicle, keys are in them and we choose which one we want. Back again, change all the gear to another car, get reacquainted and off we go so the gps can find its satellites. The 2nd direction it gives us is into a street closed for construction. We follow our nose, some street directions and are soon back on tract so to speak.; four lane highway anyhow.


We twist and wind our way towards Death Valley National Park through the bare rugged ranges and take a few pics along the way. Got to be pretty much the worst, barest country I’ve ever seen, for a desert that is.



Made it into Lone Pine about 5ish. Getting the hang of this driving stuff and only drove down the wrong side of the road a few times. Glad Chris reminded me. Got a new song, to the BeeGees "stayin alive" but with words, "Stay on the Right"

Day06 Vegas Grande Canyon

Woke before 5 so did some dear diary. Might go back to bed. Haven't even looked at the pics I uploaded yesterday, too busy doing it all, well as much as old folk can fit in. Its 6:30 and the pool area is closed.

Go for a dip at 8:00am with a life guard watching over me to make sure I can't sue if something should happen. What did we do when we had to swim unattended? Off the soap box. Beautiful day again. Great weather in the desert as long as you have access to air conditioning.

We catch the bus at the tour bus entrance, about a km walk through to other sections we had not seen of the Venetian, out through the convention centres. Absolutely huge this joint.

Nearly an hour drive to the airport in the bus to catch the flight to catch the bus to do the tour. Get an idea of the size of the place from the pics but they don't do it justice and we only saw a small fraction. Good fun and well worth it.

Flight returned us to the bus, to the front door, after several other stops. All good. Took over 200 pics (indicates interest level) and uploaded a few.

Day05 Vegas Anniversay (US time)

Lazy Pool Day today and more giving money to the Casino of course.

Supposed to go and get the suit today but finding getting it back will be a hassle as have the Canyon tour tomorrow all day... see what happens. Big day today, another 25 years. lol

Waiting for Chris to wake up, I fell asleep and woke up at 11:30. Trying to find a suit. No good with the suit got a tattoo instead, but only a temp one a real one would take too long. Had to wait 40 min with out bending my arm for ink to dry, almost made it without smudging the work. The ink is supposed to fade then come back and last a month. hmm.


Back to the Venetian and Chris comes back to the room and suggests lunch around the pool. Great idea. Great weather and the best location but haven't had time to enjoy it. Chris discovers the tat in the hallway and giggles all the way to the pool deck. Haven't had a bad meal all the time we've been here. So good not having to think about what you eat as in Asian countries and also no language barrier, well almost and able to read signs.

After lunch we only just have time to get ready and even so we get the phone call from the limo driver saying she'll be 10min late, which is fine so we can make it ok. Sounds like the video streaming went really well. Wish we could have recorded it but they are supposed to be sending a dvd so maybe I can copy that and put it into something. They are all really great and we tip Elvis and the driver and get dropped off at the Stratosphere.


After a drink in the bar its off to the top. A 20km/hr lift ride, that's the most excitement we're up for. There are two couple getting married while we're up on top. There are three rides you can take on top, not for us, not today, we're already on a high. I gets dark here about 7ish. Took some night pics.


The Straty was great and we catch The Duec back to the hotel to drop off all the gear. Oh, Chris bought me a leather jacket, cheap as chips. Mexico, not sure where I'll wear it, but nice coat.

On the way back we decide to eat at the Tao as a treat. The Tao is supposed to be a swankie joint in the Venetian and turns out to be just that. Everything is absolutely great here. Service fantastic, when you turn up you are given a buzzer and pointed at the bar for drinks and your entree if you want it, not us.

The buzzer goes off later, you back to the door, and they show you to your table. Turns out to be a booth, Chris loves that, not quite upto Bilo RSL, not. There are more staff waiting on people than I've seen before and the food is just unreal with tastes I've never had before. Topped of a great day but we we're too stuff to go out after. :- Must be getting old. Took desert back to the room lol.

Tomorrow is Canyon day and rental car and whatever else, maybe clubbing lol. So much for the lazy pool day.

Day04 Vegas

:-Free day today, The Phantom in the Opera tonight at the Venetian.

Went and had a look at Fry Electronics. A store about the size of Bunnings in Rocky but full of electronic gear. Unreal, anything you want for computing, media rooms, electronics. One stop toy shop. 1Tb external HD $250.

Touring up and down the strip on the buses seems to be the easiest way to get around all day for $5. Fremont street in the day is a bit of a contract to the nighttime activity. Took some pics. Went to Mexican restaurant for lunch, very nice, next to M&M world. lol what a crack up. Meal sizes over here are big as a general rule.

*** Changed the time on the camera to local time at around 12:30pm this arvo. ***

Played poker a couple of times, Jacks up, not much of a chance, best hand 4 Kings. Hear by coincidence its about 450:1 to get that then you only get about $10, down about $50 but figure while the drinks are free and your having a laugh its cheap entertainment, especially compared to the cost of the shows here. ;) Four beers and I'm pissed, not a good state to play poker in.

Phantom was unreal, especially after a few drinks lol. Shows are great, costumes and stage production fantastic with chandelier dropping from the roof above the audience. Amazing. Bit of a contrast to Bob's show, typical Dylan. lol

Day03 Vegas Shopping

Back from shopping, legs and feet are sore, but wallets lighter.

*** Mobile does NOT work *** nahh WORKS NOW!
No sms, calls or pretty much else, except emergency calls only apparently.

Took a few more pics of the country side. All man made. Amazing places, all the ones you see in the movies. Would like to make my way back to Fry's Electronics.

Chris would like to go back and spend some more time looking too... also Margarita ville, and about a dozen more. Running out of time quickly. Bought shirts, Chris bought, tops, pats, shirts and a bag.

Wow isn't Picasa quicker over here, photos uploaded in an instant. lol

Gotta get ready for Bob. Pics loaded. All good.

Back. Bob was great but we had to stand up all night and our feet are sore. Bought a t-shirt and stuff.
Looks like I got the mobile working and can receive messages now. Got it to go look for carriers.
nigghtt.

Day03 Vegas Bob Dylan tonight

Heads a bit hazey and it feels like a week since we left Brisy. We ended up leaving Brisbane about 3 hours late which pushed back our arrival time of course but we made it for our flight. Qantas is being very carefull with the oxygen tanks now and it was something about they were over the rated pressure and needed to be reduce... so they didn't blow up like the other day and take out part of the fuselage.
A good flight for me not so great for Chris. I slept as well as can be expected, Chris did't much at all, probably just not her normal 8-10 hours. We arrived at LAX (note the jargon) and took a bus to get to the American Eagle airline but we had to assert ourselves to get a flight, ;) not really, we made it, our bags turned up in Vegas 6 hours later. You catch a train to ove around the Vegas airport from one terminal to the departure terminal. With our bags lost he had enough time to explore a little, have a cat knap and explore some more. The Venetian is gi-normous and you could spend the whole time in it and never venture out. The canal area has its own manufactured sky which is perpetual twilights and moving clouds. You never know what the time is and can leep gambling for days not caring. lol Chris and I played poker at a bar for a few hours and managed to come out even, cuz they feed you a few free drinks if you're gambling while there was a live band and dancing. The waitresses get around in tights and the girls have a ball on the dance floor.
-: We got to bed at 2am, probably because of the screwed up jet lag thing and woke at 9:30am Vegas time. Supposed to have been shopping for two hours by now. lol
Internet costs US$10 for 24 hours or free down stairs. Whatever it takes to get you out spending money even if it is in a restaurant and not gambling...yet.
Better run, catch ya. Bob Dylan concert tonight. Woohoo.

Day02 Las Vegas

Well its an early start, 3:40am awake and cant go back to sleep. Thoughts of all sorts. Read Rell's book she gave us for a wedding anniversary present, "The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman". Talks of the five ways we like to receive and express our love for each other. Let me see if I'm learning anything. Affirmation, Quality Time, umm, well that's the first two chapters I've read, oh, Gifts, Physical and one other that doesn't readily come to mind.
Went and took some picys from the pool deck. Sun rise ordinary because of a cloud bank on the eastern horizon blocking it out. Went down to the mall and got some healthy Hungry Jacks for breaky, um, um, um, for us both, some brownie points there ;).
Heard on the news last night of protests in Thailand and how two of three airports had been closed to tourists. John and Rell got away last night after the fireworks so hope they made it ok.
Well we're supposed to be in Las Vegas today. Get there before we leave so to speak. A 13 hour flight to LA, the on to Vegas, "ahha", "thank you very much".
Well better get ready for a day on the wing.
This is going to be a ball. woohoo. lol

Day01 Brisbane

The drive to Rocky was uneventful and we saw Rell and John off all ok. Jess and Rob picked us up soon after, we did some shopping, and had a nice lunch. It was great to see them doing well and generally happy. They shouted lunch which we greatly appreciated and dropped us back to the airport, and saw us off.
The flight was as good as they get especially because I had half an hours sleep. Straight to the city train, $50 return for both of us which was good value compared to renting or taxis.
Walked from Central down to the Sebel Citigate near King George square. On the way the Roulettes flew over several time. Took a few quick pics. Tom and Shanna met us in front of the hotel. Met R&J in the lobby later, had a look up at level 16, the pool level, then over to the Victoria Bridge to watch the fire works. The dump and burn before and after the fireworks lit up the city and illuminated the smoke drifting across the sky. Fireworks off city buildings, barges in the river and off bridges well and truely gave us plenty to look at.
End of day one saw us dining at the Sebel restaurant after walking back through thousands of people along the way. A walk up the mall saw that manny hadn't gone home and every restaurant full to over flowing. Back to the room for some desert and room service.

In my head

Harry: I expected the Rocky Mountains to be a little rockier than this.
Lloyd: I was thinking the same thing. That John Denver's full of shit, man.

lol got presents

Chris was showing me some of the gifts she got from her hens dinner last night. I must say they should come in handy while travelling, especially the kama sutra mints (erotic mints for adult minds), and the chocolate pen, that I'll have to become profissent with, that has the warning label "This is sold as an adult novelty product and uses adult concepts please keep out of reach of children", and not to mention the Succelent Hard Willies, Traditional boiled sweets. hmm hmm.

Remember

sunscreen
zip lock bags
currency
US power adapter

Second thoughts

Back again. Shit, shaved, showered and shampooed, well almost.
"Butterflies", "getting old", nah, I think its because there's so many dreams are being forfilled on this trip. We've always wanted to goto New York, since forever, see Bob Dylan, watch a baseball game in a yankee stadium, eat a hot dog, wah, wah, wah. I think that's why we're so excited. Wake up Chris so I don't drive myself stupid. Woops too late. It's a bit weird how such a private person is writing so much diatribe for the world to see. Something definatley twisted there?
Catchya.

Time until Wednesday

Time until Wednesday, 3 September 2008 at 4:00:00 PM (Las Vegas time)
5 days
123 hours
7432 minutes
445972 seconds

20080830 Day 1 The adventure begins, America Uncut

20080830 Saturday

Friday. We've both got butterflies in the stomach I guess from anticipation of what the weeks ahead will bring. We haven't felt like this on previous hols? Maybe its because, I don't know, we're probably just getting old? I know that's how I feel lately, been a tad busy.

Saturday has finally arrived. The mutt and fur ball woke us at 4am, (and I can't get back to sleep, again, 3rd night in a row) having a slight altercation in the lounge. Paranoia meets totally twisted. I think ol Barn is going to be hit when we leave. He senses that someone's going somewhere, probably picking up on our intrepidation?

We packed during the week, on and off, putting together the bits and pieces we're taking into a couple of bags, my knapsack and a handbag, the one the travel agent gave us, with the bottle of red. Most expensive wine I've ever bought, lets hope the free holiday that goes with it turns out great. Might pick up some Us dollars in Brisy this arvo if there's anything open when we get in, one of things I probably should have done sooner but hopefully the debit card will be fine. I found and checked the Thai list and there's a few things I hadn't thought about recently including the US power adaptor. Try and pick one up in Rocy or Brisy. Looks like Riverfire will be interesting. Hadn't realised it was so big a deal, roads closed and the RAF dump and burn, an all.

It's 5 to 5am and I'm rattlin on, filling in time till we get going. John an Rell are heading off to Phuket today as well and we're bumbing a lift to Rocky with them. They're flying to Brisy ealier than us and we're going to spend some time with Jess and Rob which'll be great. Its been a while since we've seen them, a few months since Jess was back in Bilo, by her self. Geeze, might go and close up the ports, have a shower an all. Wonder if I'll ever read this dribble again.

but whos counting

7 days
181 hours
10880 minutes
652821 seconds

got the tickets

Thank you to the ticket relay, Cruickshank family, for the safe delivery of the Dylan tickets. Very much appreciated. Just magic.


Not long now, 1389459 seconds, till we go. Woohoo.

Had a great weekend last. We celebrated Toms 18th birthday. Took a few family pics:

Hurry up :)

24 days (or 2,000,000 seconds) to go but who's counting.

lol

Update

35 days to go but who's counting

Yesterday went on Cania drive with Vic, Paul and rode with Gav in the new rig.
Pics : http://picasaweb.google.com/Eds.ward/20080727CaniaDrive


Some more planning of the drive leg of our adventure. Death Valley. Need to take some water :)
September 106°F / 41°C 75°F / 24°C

Check it out at:
http://www.nps.gov/deva/ and
http://www.nps.gov/deva/parknews/upload/Visitor%20Guide%202008-2.pdf

Mon

Spent some time on the Wii. :)

Off to Brisy tomorrow.

40 days to go.

Trying to work out best way to goto and return from Brisy for start and end of hols. Fly, drive, stay over, bumb a lift.

Sis on the move

Just got email from my sister in Bali who is on the move and will let me know where she lands.

all the best sis.
Love and hugs.

Spades today

lol just got out of spades and was talking to someone in NY. Hi Raymond. Leave a comment and say hello.

Worlds a small place.

Kate got them

Yep, delivered and resting in Kate's nursing hands, how cool is that.
We're going to see Bob Dylan.
We're going to see Bob Dylan.
We're going to see Bob Dylan. na na na na na. woohoo yeeha
Wish you could be there to make it even better.

Ticket arrival

Al, the Club tickets man emailed me this morning out of the blue to say the tickets are arriving in Monterey this morning. I emailed Kristian and Kate and Kate said that would be fine as she was home to sign for them. How great is that, all sorted in 5 minutes from the other side of the world.
Added some more bits to the blogg to do with the wedding ceremony count down time. lol Some site offer a great service. There will be no moon on the night as the new moon is on the 31st Aug.
Better go to work.

tickets

email Kristian and Kate re ticket delivery. The plan is the tickets will be in Vegas when we get there. Fingers crossed.

Bob Dylan tickets

Had planned for Kate to bring them over with her when she comes back to Bilo. Looks like we will have to pick up the tickets after we get to Vegas (somewhere) as they dont get delivered to Club Tickets until mid August.

Unreal the Dylan will be playing in Vegas the time we're there.

marvels of modern techanology

Emailed Kristian and Kate and within a minute or two Kristian had emailed me back. Amazing to think we can do that for free from two sides of the world in an instant. Imagine what they had to do 100 years ago to achieve that communication.
Anyhow, the real news is Kate will be in Bilo mid August. Which great for another reason too. She will bring Bob Dylan Las Vegas concert tickets back for us. woohoo.

researching NY

Metro and Greenich Village Bob Dylan walk

Subway Map: http://www.mta.info/nyct/maps/submap.htm

http://www.new-pony.com/tour.html

http://www.rockandrolltours.com/walkingtours.htm#dylanguide

http://gonyc.about.com/od/toursbr/New_York_City_Walking_Tours.htm

http://maps.google.com.au/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=16765654884115038931,40.728193,-73.999225&saddr=New+York,+NY+10012,+USA+(Washington+Square+Park)&daddr=147+Bleecker+St,+New+York,+NY+10012,+USA+(Bitter+End)+to:94+MACDOUGAL+STREET+to:110+MacDougal+Street+to:115+MacDougal+Street+to:28+E+8th+St,+New+York,+NY+10003,+United+States+(Subway)+to:161+WEST+FOURTH+STREET+to:W+4th+St,+New+York,+New+York,+New+York,+United+States+to:ONE+SHERIDAN+SQUARE+to:163+Waverly+Place+to:567+Hudson+Street,+at+West+11+Street&mra=ps&mrcr=4,5,9&sll=40.73095,-73.997641&sspn=0.005228,0.00927&ie=UTF8&z=16&layer=t

woohoo Bob Dylan in concert

Had a look today and believe it or not Bob Dylan is in Las vegas on the 1st Sept in person. The bad news, tickets will cost us $450 a pair. At least they are the best, or $140 for back row. Emailed the venetian to see if the tickets can be posted there until we pick them up. See what they say.
Started to research how we need to get around. In New York we're staying 3 blocks from Central Park.

Bought our Baseball tickets

AT&T Stadium San Francisco
$35 each

20080608 Started Blogg

A lot has already happened in preparation for the America trip. It still doesn't seem real to us yet. So what's been done so far?
Well we've bought and paid for our tickets.... have to get ready for visitors... stay tuned.