allow me to give you a very intimate insight into a day in the life of a backpacker...a long term traveler....a vagabond....
TODAY
4am - woken by alarm clock owned by one of the 30 other people sleeping in hostel dorm room. 10 minutes later it goes off again....and again...and again...until every fellow hostelleer in the room is awake apart from the owner of the alarm. much muttering and cursing is heard throughout the room until someone goes and hits the guy's shoulder and tells him to turn the bloody thing off...
5am - 7am - light goes on and off, people move about, banging lockers and doors....sleep comes and goes
7am - give up trying to sleep even though i don't have to be awake for another hour
7 - 9.30 - shower in tiny, dirty cubicle...in a bathroom shared with at least 50 other women. breakfast of stale coffee and waffles - but it's free so whatever....check out of hostel.
9.30 - 2.30 - taxi to subway, subway to yet another airport, airtrain to terminal, check in, eat drink, fly
2.30 - another new city and no idea where to go...catch local bus (could get taxi or shuttle but we're cheapskate backpackers...). change buses....still have very little idea about where we're going....pray that we'll get off in the right place and not end up in Woop Woop...(or, worse, somewhere where people like to shoot backpackers with the arms they have the right to bear...)
4pm - jump off bus and walk, and walk....and walk, backpacks heavier by the minute, till we come to our hostel 20 mins later. luckily we have met a fellow traveler along the way who is also staying at the hostel and knows where to go....he explains that we have managed to book the hostel in Woop Woop after all...and that for all intents and purposes we're not even in Seattle...hey....it was cheap....and there's free breakfast and internet...what else could a backpacker ask for?
.....and tomorrow we do it all over again on our way to Vancouver....
it's not always glamorous.
it's not always fun.
it doesn't always feel like a holiday.
we are very very tired.
but it's a means to an end and as i've written before in this little literary masterpiece that is my blog (haha!!) it's days like these that make the fun, interesting and glamorous days possible. I hate them but they get us where we want be....and that's what matters.
tomorrow, you see, is halloween and we plan to celebrate it canada style with some fun and fabulous canadian friends....
stay tuned.....
xx
Friday, October 31, 2008
Thursday, October 30, 2008
escape artists
alcatraz...one of the most infamous and notorious federal prisons in the world - the subject of hollywood films and many a popular myth. you can see the island from san francisco itself of course...a mile and a half off-shore and usually covered slightly in mist it looks spooky and uninhabitable. but today we took a deep breath and traveled to the place where the most hardened criminals were sent when there was no where else to go...the place that most san franciscans would have preferred to forget existed only 40 years ago.
the rangers on the national park that is alcatraz island obviously take great pride in regaling the general public with the stories of former inmates. as we followed 'ranger joan' (who could well have been an inmate herself by the look of her...) she told us stories of escapes and attempted escapes...made all the more real as we looked over the frigid water and swirling currents which, it is said, killed those escapees who were never found....the government is very quick to make the statement that no one ever successfully escaped from alcatraz....but there were convicts who escaped and whose bodies were never found floating on the shoreline....did they survive??
There is one inmate who certainly did not escape...who is, in fact, still at alcatraz. admittedly he no longer sleeps behind bars but has written a book, presumably about his horrific experiences, and now sits on a comfy chair in the cellhouse bookshop, signing his autograph and answering the questions of curious tourists. (sir, did you ever meet Al Capone....? um lets see shall we you stupid tourist....NO - alcatraz wasn't exactly a social club..) Seriously though - if you had done time in what was, in the day, the most hardcore prison in the USA...would you really go back of your own free will to work each and every day years later?? having heard what i did of life as a convict as i walked around the now empty cells, I found the whole idea quite strange.
this afternoon i made my own escape...for me the forbidden land is the magical world of american department stores...Macy's, Bloomingdales, Saks 5th Avenue.................for a few free hours i was in heaven. San Francisco has awesome shopping and i'm still making good use of a very nice exchange rate. God bless America.
tomorrow we escape again - this time to Seattle for one night only and then escaping the USA entirely as we finally make our way back into canada....
stay tuned. xxxx
the rangers on the national park that is alcatraz island obviously take great pride in regaling the general public with the stories of former inmates. as we followed 'ranger joan' (who could well have been an inmate herself by the look of her...) she told us stories of escapes and attempted escapes...made all the more real as we looked over the frigid water and swirling currents which, it is said, killed those escapees who were never found....the government is very quick to make the statement that no one ever successfully escaped from alcatraz....but there were convicts who escaped and whose bodies were never found floating on the shoreline....did they survive??
There is one inmate who certainly did not escape...who is, in fact, still at alcatraz. admittedly he no longer sleeps behind bars but has written a book, presumably about his horrific experiences, and now sits on a comfy chair in the cellhouse bookshop, signing his autograph and answering the questions of curious tourists. (sir, did you ever meet Al Capone....? um lets see shall we you stupid tourist....NO - alcatraz wasn't exactly a social club..) Seriously though - if you had done time in what was, in the day, the most hardcore prison in the USA...would you really go back of your own free will to work each and every day years later?? having heard what i did of life as a convict as i walked around the now empty cells, I found the whole idea quite strange.
this afternoon i made my own escape...for me the forbidden land is the magical world of american department stores...Macy's, Bloomingdales, Saks 5th Avenue.................for a few free hours i was in heaven. San Francisco has awesome shopping and i'm still making good use of a very nice exchange rate. God bless America.
tomorrow we escape again - this time to Seattle for one night only and then escaping the USA entirely as we finally make our way back into canada....
stay tuned. xxxx
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
If you're going to san francisco
"If you're going to San Francisco
Be sure to wear some flowers in your hair
If you're going to San Francisco
You're gonna meet some gentle people there
For those who come to San Francisco
Summertime will be a love-in there
In the streets of San Francisco
Gentle people with flowers in their hair"
sing along with me....oh....you don't know the words? no...in my defence neither did i till i googled them..but the tune has been in my head all day and now i've passed it on to you...hhehehe!!
we were given the guided tour of SF by mr toad this morning - or more precisely his more attractive sidekick - 'ms tour guide'....we saw it all, including, and most importantly, a close up of the iconic golden gate bridge.
who needs disneyland when you have SF and its famous cable cars? the way those things go up hills and down dales is slightly scary but when ours landed me in the middle of shopping heaven i figured it was worth missing a heartbeat or 2....so tonight we shopped and we ate guacamole (handmade at our table to our specifications of course...) and drank tequila and went to a movie....and generally tried to behave like 'normal' non-tourists for once...
tomorrow we're going to prison...stay tuned. xx
Be sure to wear some flowers in your hair
If you're going to San Francisco
You're gonna meet some gentle people there
For those who come to San Francisco
Summertime will be a love-in there
In the streets of San Francisco
Gentle people with flowers in their hair"
sing along with me....oh....you don't know the words? no...in my defence neither did i till i googled them..but the tune has been in my head all day and now i've passed it on to you...hhehehe!!
we were given the guided tour of SF by mr toad this morning - or more precisely his more attractive sidekick - 'ms tour guide'....we saw it all, including, and most importantly, a close up of the iconic golden gate bridge.
who needs disneyland when you have SF and its famous cable cars? the way those things go up hills and down dales is slightly scary but when ours landed me in the middle of shopping heaven i figured it was worth missing a heartbeat or 2....so tonight we shopped and we ate guacamole (handmade at our table to our specifications of course...) and drank tequila and went to a movie....and generally tried to behave like 'normal' non-tourists for once...
tomorrow we're going to prison...stay tuned. xx
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
the wild wild west
California has some pretty spectacular landscape. one minute you're beachside, ducking roller-bladers, palm trees a-wavin in the sky....the next, if Gabby has anything to do with it, you're in the wild wild west...
i guess we weren't THAT far west but it certainly felt it as we drove over desert mountains, through towns named san this and los that....you could be excused for thinking you're in mexico round here. and when gabby took us through a town called los hicksville (well, maybe not but you get the idea...) we stopped for lunch at a restaurant with a sign saying 'hippies use the back door. no exceptions'. i guess we couldnt argue with that so to the back door we headed...
around here it's so easy to imagine what it must have been like - well, just like an old western movie i guess. close your eyes and you can hear the click of cowboy's spurs, a skewbald pony pawing at the ground, saloon doors being thrown back...and the smell of gunfire in the air....or perhaps i just have an overactive imagination...
on we drove to arrive in san francisco. may i once again state the obvious - america is bloody huge. it took us ages....when we did arrive we felt as though we'd arrived in another country - it is so much colder here, that much drearier than it was in los angeles and las vegas....but we are keen for today as a certain 'mr toad' is going to show us round this hilly city.
stay tuned. xx
i guess we weren't THAT far west but it certainly felt it as we drove over desert mountains, through towns named san this and los that....you could be excused for thinking you're in mexico round here. and when gabby took us through a town called los hicksville (well, maybe not but you get the idea...) we stopped for lunch at a restaurant with a sign saying 'hippies use the back door. no exceptions'. i guess we couldnt argue with that so to the back door we headed...
around here it's so easy to imagine what it must have been like - well, just like an old western movie i guess. close your eyes and you can hear the click of cowboy's spurs, a skewbald pony pawing at the ground, saloon doors being thrown back...and the smell of gunfire in the air....or perhaps i just have an overactive imagination...
on we drove to arrive in san francisco. may i once again state the obvious - america is bloody huge. it took us ages....when we did arrive we felt as though we'd arrived in another country - it is so much colder here, that much drearier than it was in los angeles and las vegas....but we are keen for today as a certain 'mr toad' is going to show us round this hilly city.
stay tuned. xx
Sunday, October 26, 2008
stars in their eyes
we have spent the day starry eyed...of course, when it comes to hollywood it's hard to be anything but....hollywood boulevard, the walk of fame, sunset boulevard, rodeo drive, beverley hills, bel air...all are as famous as the stars that live and shop in their streets.
Personally i don't agree in principal with the process of stalking the houses of stars... but please understand that i was desperate to spot a celebrity - any celebrity would do....so when, while walking down hollywood boulevard, someone thrust a map of the stars' homes in my hands, what was a girl to do??!!
with the help of our new best friend Gabby (more about Gabby to follow...), we meandered our way through beverley hills, bel air and mulhulland drive....watched by a million security cameras we peeked through thick hedges and over heavy black gates to see a glimpse of a roof here and a statue there belonging to some minor (and some major) stars....but to my dismay, on this saturday afternoon in the hollywood hills, there was not a celebrity to be seen....
a word about gabby....our friend gabby is dark and sexy with a soft, gentle voice. she never gets upset, never raises her voice and, most importantly, never gets lost. she never even has to get out of the car to ask for directions despite the incomprehensible maze that is Los Angeles. Gabby is, of course, a GPS and we are deeply in love with her. (mum and dad, if you're reading this, we have decided that we need to rent a 'Gabby II' whilst traveling through new zealand....!)
when you've had a rough day - whether you've been let down by a friend or work has been tricky....or if your efforts to rival the paparazzi have been dismally unsuccessful...there is nothing quite like being by the water to wash your cares away. and, as we found ourselves watching the sunset dip over the ocean on santa monica beach tonight, we looked into the sky....and finally we saw stars...
xx
Personally i don't agree in principal with the process of stalking the houses of stars... but please understand that i was desperate to spot a celebrity - any celebrity would do....so when, while walking down hollywood boulevard, someone thrust a map of the stars' homes in my hands, what was a girl to do??!!
with the help of our new best friend Gabby (more about Gabby to follow...), we meandered our way through beverley hills, bel air and mulhulland drive....watched by a million security cameras we peeked through thick hedges and over heavy black gates to see a glimpse of a roof here and a statue there belonging to some minor (and some major) stars....but to my dismay, on this saturday afternoon in the hollywood hills, there was not a celebrity to be seen....
a word about gabby....our friend gabby is dark and sexy with a soft, gentle voice. she never gets upset, never raises her voice and, most importantly, never gets lost. she never even has to get out of the car to ask for directions despite the incomprehensible maze that is Los Angeles. Gabby is, of course, a GPS and we are deeply in love with her. (mum and dad, if you're reading this, we have decided that we need to rent a 'Gabby II' whilst traveling through new zealand....!)
when you've had a rough day - whether you've been let down by a friend or work has been tricky....or if your efforts to rival the paparazzi have been dismally unsuccessful...there is nothing quite like being by the water to wash your cares away. and, as we found ourselves watching the sunset dip over the ocean on santa monica beach tonight, we looked into the sky....and finally we saw stars...
xx
Saturday, October 25, 2008
the magical land of disney...
....where once upon a time becomes once upon a day...
i consider myself quite the disney veteran....i was at the disneyland in paris in both 07 and 08...albeit on either side of midnight as we saw in the new year by watching the fireworks over the princess palace...so i was interested in comparing the californian version to the european...unfortunately it didn't quite meet the standard set by paris. but nothing ever really does in my eyes - so i guess i shouldnt be surprised...but we had a fun day anyway. where else can you pretend to be indiana jones, buzz lightyear and captain jack sparrow all in the space of a day!
and when matt's eyes lit up at the banner saying that 'ASIMO' was in the house the day became even more worthwhile. Now apparently ASIMO is Matt's favorite humanoid robot....which worries me twofold. Firstly - that matt even HAS a favorite humanoid robot, and the subtle suggestion the statement makes that he may have favorite robots of other types also??! dog-anoid perhaps? cat-anoid?! But apparently ASIMO is quite the celebrity in the robot world...and i have to say he was quite impressive. actually - i want one!!
so between ASIMO and buzz and jack and donald and a poohie bear....and of course mickey....the day passed in a blur of magic and happily ever afters...
xx
i consider myself quite the disney veteran....i was at the disneyland in paris in both 07 and 08...albeit on either side of midnight as we saw in the new year by watching the fireworks over the princess palace...so i was interested in comparing the californian version to the european...unfortunately it didn't quite meet the standard set by paris. but nothing ever really does in my eyes - so i guess i shouldnt be surprised...but we had a fun day anyway. where else can you pretend to be indiana jones, buzz lightyear and captain jack sparrow all in the space of a day!
and when matt's eyes lit up at the banner saying that 'ASIMO' was in the house the day became even more worthwhile. Now apparently ASIMO is Matt's favorite humanoid robot....which worries me twofold. Firstly - that matt even HAS a favorite humanoid robot, and the subtle suggestion the statement makes that he may have favorite robots of other types also??! dog-anoid perhaps? cat-anoid?! But apparently ASIMO is quite the celebrity in the robot world...and i have to say he was quite impressive. actually - i want one!!
so between ASIMO and buzz and jack and donald and a poohie bear....and of course mickey....the day passed in a blur of magic and happily ever afters...
xx
Friday, October 24, 2008
foto frenzy
when it rains it pours! knock yourselves out my photo-loving-blog-reading friends...
boston - biking around and willy the whale
Sea World
San Diego Silliness
Halloween party in the OC
Viva Las Vegas
boston - biking around and willy the whale
Sea World
San Diego Silliness
Halloween party in the OC
Viva Las Vegas
Thursday, October 23, 2008
leaving las vegas
for a few days now today, thursday the whatever (ive completely lost track of dates!), has been etched in my mind as 'D' day....the day we leave las vegas....and i didn't want this day to come. I love it here. man, it's my kinda town!!! the kind where you party all night, sleep all morning, spend the arvo sipping cocktails by the pool in the desert sun, then party all night again. last night, for example, was filled with laughter as we made our way to Treasure Island (thats the other thing i love - the names of the hotels make you feel like you have spent a week at disneyland!!) for a comedy club night. we were worried that we wouldn't 'get' a lot of the humour - that it might be based mainly on Obama and McCain....but it wasn't and we did and we laughed. a lot. but that may have also been due also to the free drinks we consumed whilst gambling downstairs beforehand.........whatever the reason it was a very fun night.
today we are traveling in style. after spending a few more hours mooching round vegas....milking the place for all it's worth....we are gettin ourselves some wheels.....no more grey dog for us.....and making our way to anaheim ready to play with Mickey Mouse tomorrow....!!
xx
today we are traveling in style. after spending a few more hours mooching round vegas....milking the place for all it's worth....we are gettin ourselves some wheels.....no more grey dog for us.....and making our way to anaheim ready to play with Mickey Mouse tomorrow....!!
xx
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
russian roulette
what do 2 english chicks, a couple of swedes and some mad aussies have in common?? well, in this case, both a passion for travelling and the fact that we were all in vegas at the same time. we met Eric and Lovisa in NYC, Jo in San Diego and Charlene in Las Vegas...it's one of the most wonderful things about backpacking - you can easily meet awesome, fun, interesting, incredibly well travelled people from all over the world...and, if you have a little bit of vegas luck, you might even end up meeting up with them again...and again. we all met up for a couple of drinks after dinner yesterday evening and ended up staying out all night...its easy to do in sin city. we moved from hotel to hotel...a dollar in the pokies here and a couple of drinks there...sometime in the wee hours we found ourselves in downtown Las Vegas - the original vegas of the rat pack era...where nowadays the streets are seedy and the bets are cheap. It was here that i found myself somehow winning $90 on roulette (must have been cause i was wearing my lucky undies!) and floating home on a cloud....one very happy gambler.
vegas can be an expensive city for the budget conscious backpacker. the place is drowning in glitz and gold, prada and gucci, but if you're a little savvy and are prepared to do a few strange things to save a buck - you can enjoy all vegas has to offer. in the spirit of this we sacrificed our morning to get our hands on $20 tix to a vegas show (usually $80). you dont get anything for nothing in this town and so we allowed ourselves to be dragged miles outside the strip and sit through 4 hours of incredibly boring spiel...do we want to buy a timeshare? no thanks....we just want our cheap show tickets thanks - we're backpackers. and out the door we fled.
but tonight, as we watched high flying acrobats, trampolining fairies, swirling whirling costumes and comedic babies a morning lost in las vegas became an evening gained. 'Mystique' by cirque du soleil was an exotic, eye popping show......incredible and beautiful - i don't think i blinked for 2 hours!
viva las vegas!
xx
vegas can be an expensive city for the budget conscious backpacker. the place is drowning in glitz and gold, prada and gucci, but if you're a little savvy and are prepared to do a few strange things to save a buck - you can enjoy all vegas has to offer. in the spirit of this we sacrificed our morning to get our hands on $20 tix to a vegas show (usually $80). you dont get anything for nothing in this town and so we allowed ourselves to be dragged miles outside the strip and sit through 4 hours of incredibly boring spiel...do we want to buy a timeshare? no thanks....we just want our cheap show tickets thanks - we're backpackers. and out the door we fled.
but tonight, as we watched high flying acrobats, trampolining fairies, swirling whirling costumes and comedic babies a morning lost in las vegas became an evening gained. 'Mystique' by cirque du soleil was an exotic, eye popping show......incredible and beautiful - i don't think i blinked for 2 hours!
viva las vegas!
xx
Monday, October 20, 2008
Californication
california - in itself a pop culture legend. crooned about by everyone from the beach boys to the red hot chilli peppers...movies not only set on its beaches and in its cities but born in it's hills...
its not surprising then, that california feels familiar...i've already mentioned how at home we felt as we arrived in san diego and, the only thing that was missing - the thing we had yet to experience as part of our californication experience was the sand between our toes and waves lapping at our feet. so on friday we headed to mission beach to check out for ourselves the sand and surf. and it was everything you would expect from a californian beach...the sand was a welcome relief from the pebble beaches of england and we delighted in ducking away from rolling waves....again i was homesick...but this time for the beautiful beaches of queensland rather than the pebble beach of Brighton....california - despite its fame - has nothing on home.
that night we hit the town and boy did we paint it red. our friend Christy is an Orange County local. a world traveller in her own right we met Christy in England where she had been living in Brighton for 7 years. but now she's back in her home country and was keen for us to go out in the gaslamp quarter of san diego. literally a hop step and jump from our hostel and we were in some of the funkiest bars in the city, drinking margaritas before sushi-ing it up in a japanese restaurant. meeting a couple of fun local chicks in the restaurant, we had interesting conversations on various topics including religion and politics...american politics are, of course, a rather hot topic in the states at the moment and it's interesting to discuss the candidates with the locals... several more margaritas, an insulting waiter and even more margaritas later we were closing an irish bar and stumbling back the hop step and jump to the hostel. awesome night.
waking the next morning with tequila headaches we packed up shop and piled into christy's car. meandering up the famous pacific highway 1 t0 the OC (i kept my eyes out for seth and ryan but must have missed them...) we stopped at Laguna beach for an ice-cream and a taste of how the other half live in these parts. our destination was christy's brother's place and a home bar that could well have charged an entry fee. John and Lisa have converted their garage into the ultimate party venue (matt and i now want one just like it....) we're talking velvet drapes, luxurious sofas, neon signs, smooth timber bar, um....stripper pole (yes, you heard me!) and, most important - an alcoholic selection to rival your average pub. in our honour John and lisa had invited round a heap of mates for a last minute halloween party. we dressed up to the nines - matt was batman (gotta love the 6-pack!), i was a sexy vampiress and Christy had several costume changes from lady of the night to 60s chick to geisha girl to grecian goddess. Bartender Ben mixed up some killer drinks and we had a lot of laughs in this backyard bar in Orange County. Thanks so much Christy for including us in your family and showing us how to party californication style...
and now - viva las vegas!! we're safely ensconced in the Luxor on the strip. the neon lights of vegas are winking at us out the window and we're looking forward to enjoying the treats in store in Sin City itself.. stay tuned!
xx
its not surprising then, that california feels familiar...i've already mentioned how at home we felt as we arrived in san diego and, the only thing that was missing - the thing we had yet to experience as part of our californication experience was the sand between our toes and waves lapping at our feet. so on friday we headed to mission beach to check out for ourselves the sand and surf. and it was everything you would expect from a californian beach...the sand was a welcome relief from the pebble beaches of england and we delighted in ducking away from rolling waves....again i was homesick...but this time for the beautiful beaches of queensland rather than the pebble beach of Brighton....california - despite its fame - has nothing on home.
that night we hit the town and boy did we paint it red. our friend Christy is an Orange County local. a world traveller in her own right we met Christy in England where she had been living in Brighton for 7 years. but now she's back in her home country and was keen for us to go out in the gaslamp quarter of san diego. literally a hop step and jump from our hostel and we were in some of the funkiest bars in the city, drinking margaritas before sushi-ing it up in a japanese restaurant. meeting a couple of fun local chicks in the restaurant, we had interesting conversations on various topics including religion and politics...american politics are, of course, a rather hot topic in the states at the moment and it's interesting to discuss the candidates with the locals... several more margaritas, an insulting waiter and even more margaritas later we were closing an irish bar and stumbling back the hop step and jump to the hostel. awesome night.
waking the next morning with tequila headaches we packed up shop and piled into christy's car. meandering up the famous pacific highway 1 t0 the OC (i kept my eyes out for seth and ryan but must have missed them...) we stopped at Laguna beach for an ice-cream and a taste of how the other half live in these parts. our destination was christy's brother's place and a home bar that could well have charged an entry fee. John and Lisa have converted their garage into the ultimate party venue (matt and i now want one just like it....) we're talking velvet drapes, luxurious sofas, neon signs, smooth timber bar, um....stripper pole (yes, you heard me!) and, most important - an alcoholic selection to rival your average pub. in our honour John and lisa had invited round a heap of mates for a last minute halloween party. we dressed up to the nines - matt was batman (gotta love the 6-pack!), i was a sexy vampiress and Christy had several costume changes from lady of the night to 60s chick to geisha girl to grecian goddess. Bartender Ben mixed up some killer drinks and we had a lot of laughs in this backyard bar in Orange County. Thanks so much Christy for including us in your family and showing us how to party californication style...
and now - viva las vegas!! we're safely ensconced in the Luxor on the strip. the neon lights of vegas are winking at us out the window and we're looking forward to enjoying the treats in store in Sin City itself.. stay tuned!
xx
Friday, October 17, 2008
north, south, east, west
NEWSFLASH. America is a big country. we have literally spent 2 days travelling...bus (i would say 'coach' but that would be an over-exaggeration) from boston to nyc. a night in nyc back in our trusty hostel near central park....2 hours in the wee hours to commute on the new york subway to jfk....jfk to lax (are you loving the abbreviations?) 6 hour flight. 4 hour bus (yes, bus) from LA to SD and FINALLY we're here in San Diago...and in San Diago we've landed on our feet .
I feel like im home (the aussie one...). as we drove down the coast from LA and watched the sun set - waves on one side, mc-mansions on the other, the heat of the day turning into a chilly night, i could have sworn i was in australia...maybe one of the glitzier, more showy parts...the gold coast perhaps....but aus all the same. and as we stepped out of the taxi into our hostel in the gaslamp quarter, SD's party central, i could tell i was going to be right at home here.
i know i've already complained about backpacking, I imagine there will be more complaining, and i know i've got just under 7 months of it to go (so you're just going to have to put up with it i guess! as am I!)...but backpacking can be quite a strain. and when you've been staying in mixed dorms for 2.5 weeks, in a bunk bed - one of 10 or so strangers - you begin to realise how much you value the odd bit of privacy and the luxury of spreading your stuff wherever you damn well please. so, coming to SD we booked a private room in order to preserve what little bit is left of our sanity - but couldn't imagine the luxury we would be met with - a loft bed, our own sink, sofa, desk.........................and to think we used to take these things for granted!!! Pure, unadulterated, bliss (i can't imagine the pleasure i will feel when faced with a 4* hotel room in vegas!! i mean - our very own ensuite...!!!!!!!!!!!!!! dont be surprised if i don't leave the room...!)
and today we had another special treat....we met matt's cousin, louiza, for the first time. due to the fact that she grew up in vancouver, canada (later moving to san diago) and matt obviously grew up in toowoomba, australia...worlds apart...the two had never met....but families are funny things and somehow it felt like we'd known eachother forever. from the moment we hugged on the street when we met in the morning to the moment we hugged on the street saying goodbye late tonight, it was like we'd only seen eachother yesterday. we chatted non-stop all day and in between and around we played with dolphins (and more whales). the three of us spent the day at sea world, marveling at killer whales and seals and dolphins and puppies and kitties (no, i didn't think they fit in the mix either but the dogs and cats had their own special show - my personal favorite in fact). The day was topped off in absolute style with a meal at Louiza's cousin's (the other side of the family...) restaurant in Little Italy....gorgeous food, a family atmosphere (not surprisingly!!) and plenty of wine....the day couldn't have been any better. Thank you Louiza....was such a pleasure to finally meet you and what a day to remember in beautiful San Diago....
xx
I feel like im home (the aussie one...). as we drove down the coast from LA and watched the sun set - waves on one side, mc-mansions on the other, the heat of the day turning into a chilly night, i could have sworn i was in australia...maybe one of the glitzier, more showy parts...the gold coast perhaps....but aus all the same. and as we stepped out of the taxi into our hostel in the gaslamp quarter, SD's party central, i could tell i was going to be right at home here.
i know i've already complained about backpacking, I imagine there will be more complaining, and i know i've got just under 7 months of it to go (so you're just going to have to put up with it i guess! as am I!)...but backpacking can be quite a strain. and when you've been staying in mixed dorms for 2.5 weeks, in a bunk bed - one of 10 or so strangers - you begin to realise how much you value the odd bit of privacy and the luxury of spreading your stuff wherever you damn well please. so, coming to SD we booked a private room in order to preserve what little bit is left of our sanity - but couldn't imagine the luxury we would be met with - a loft bed, our own sink, sofa, desk.........................and to think we used to take these things for granted!!! Pure, unadulterated, bliss (i can't imagine the pleasure i will feel when faced with a 4* hotel room in vegas!! i mean - our very own ensuite...!!!!!!!!!!!!!! dont be surprised if i don't leave the room...!)
and today we had another special treat....we met matt's cousin, louiza, for the first time. due to the fact that she grew up in vancouver, canada (later moving to san diago) and matt obviously grew up in toowoomba, australia...worlds apart...the two had never met....but families are funny things and somehow it felt like we'd known eachother forever. from the moment we hugged on the street when we met in the morning to the moment we hugged on the street saying goodbye late tonight, it was like we'd only seen eachother yesterday. we chatted non-stop all day and in between and around we played with dolphins (and more whales). the three of us spent the day at sea world, marveling at killer whales and seals and dolphins and puppies and kitties (no, i didn't think they fit in the mix either but the dogs and cats had their own special show - my personal favorite in fact). The day was topped off in absolute style with a meal at Louiza's cousin's (the other side of the family...) restaurant in Little Italy....gorgeous food, a family atmosphere (not surprisingly!!) and plenty of wine....the day couldn't have been any better. Thank you Louiza....was such a pleasure to finally meet you and what a day to remember in beautiful San Diago....
xx
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
playing with the monsters of the sea
you hear them before you see them. as they come up for air and blow water high in the sky the fountain of spray attracts your attention and you watch in amazement as they gracefully arch their backs out of the water, sliding along with fin in the air before flicking up their tails in one final wave and diving back down into the depths. humpback whales are supposedly solitary creatures but today a pod of six played beside our boat...only 5-10 meters away from us. the experience was incredible to say the least. only seeing them in real life helps you get a feel for the size and power of these amazing creatures. if you ever find yourself in boston...you must play with the whales.
from playing with whales to playing baseball...i can't say i've ever really sat down and watched a full game of baseball...despite the fact that my brother-in-law used to play it fairly seriously... but keen to experience this american phenomenon and with the 'sox' playing at their home ground...fenway park....we followed the crowd of red down to the ballpark to soak up some of the atmosphere. sitting in a bar drinking red sox sponsored 'bud lights' we tried to get into the game..............and failed. we were bored and we couldnt understand what the drawcard is....but a drawcard there must be cause the crowd was in its thousands...you might even say the figure was 'in the ballpark' of 35 000 (sorry....!) and the most patriotic i've ever seen. but the tabacco chewing, saliva spitting, non ball hitting boringness of it all had us leaving the pub before the game was up...three strikes, you're out.
xx
from playing with whales to playing baseball...i can't say i've ever really sat down and watched a full game of baseball...despite the fact that my brother-in-law used to play it fairly seriously... but keen to experience this american phenomenon and with the 'sox' playing at their home ground...fenway park....we followed the crowd of red down to the ballpark to soak up some of the atmosphere. sitting in a bar drinking red sox sponsored 'bud lights' we tried to get into the game..............and failed. we were bored and we couldnt understand what the drawcard is....but a drawcard there must be cause the crowd was in its thousands...you might even say the figure was 'in the ballpark' of 35 000 (sorry....!) and the most patriotic i've ever seen. but the tabacco chewing, saliva spitting, non ball hitting boringness of it all had us leaving the pub before the game was up...three strikes, you're out.
xx
Sunday, October 12, 2008
ride 'em!
is there better way to spend a crisp, sunny sunday morning in boston, usa than with a 2.5 hour, 12 mile cycle ride around the city?
i think not. however, after a very very VERY long night in one of the most rickety old buses known to man, making our way (with very little sleep) from montreal to boston, we weren't sure we would have the energy to pull it off. but pull it off we did and are so glad we made the effort. the weather was perfect, warm sunshine, slight breeze. the streets were quiet save for people taking long strolls or jogs in the parks...our guide was fun and interesting, a working muso who studied at a music college in boston and could tell us all about college life in this college town to beat them all....there are over 60 unis and colleges in this city and therefore the vibe is very cool...countless student bars, chilled out live music all over town every night of the week...a very young and hip atmosphere. it's a beautiful city too...we cycled through expensive neighbourhoods of brownstones, and along the esplanade next to the river...through 'downtown' where we saw the buildings and landmarks relating to the bostonites' turbulent war against the british.
we've only just scratched the surface of this town really cause, after satiating our ravenous appetite with some mexican for lunch, we came back to the hostel and fell into the kind of coma that only comes with complete and utter exhaustion!!
but tomorrow we'll be recovered and we plan to spend our day with whales and red sox....stay tuned!
xx
i think not. however, after a very very VERY long night in one of the most rickety old buses known to man, making our way (with very little sleep) from montreal to boston, we weren't sure we would have the energy to pull it off. but pull it off we did and are so glad we made the effort. the weather was perfect, warm sunshine, slight breeze. the streets were quiet save for people taking long strolls or jogs in the parks...our guide was fun and interesting, a working muso who studied at a music college in boston and could tell us all about college life in this college town to beat them all....there are over 60 unis and colleges in this city and therefore the vibe is very cool...countless student bars, chilled out live music all over town every night of the week...a very young and hip atmosphere. it's a beautiful city too...we cycled through expensive neighbourhoods of brownstones, and along the esplanade next to the river...through 'downtown' where we saw the buildings and landmarks relating to the bostonites' turbulent war against the british.
we've only just scratched the surface of this town really cause, after satiating our ravenous appetite with some mexican for lunch, we came back to the hostel and fell into the kind of coma that only comes with complete and utter exhaustion!!
but tomorrow we'll be recovered and we plan to spend our day with whales and red sox....stay tuned!
xx
Saturday, October 11, 2008
quaint quebec
Not much has been happening here in vieux quebec...we are discovering that long term travellers need weekends or they become burnt-out backpackers. so we've been taking it easy, booking and planning the next few weeks and wandering around shops and cafes. later today we will catch the coach back to montreal and then, a couple of hours later, we have another all-nighter on the coach back to the usa. tomorrow morning, bright and early, we'll be in Boston and will hit the ground running again.
check out the pics from Montreal and Quebec
xx
check out the pics from Montreal and Quebec
xx
Friday, October 10, 2008
continental confusion (plus links to pics)
i am suffering from a serious bout of continental confusion. if someone had blindfolded me and dropped me in Quebec City and then asked me where i thought i was, i would have said I was in a beautiful, historic small city anywhere in europe....certainly not north america! I adore europe...i call it home...and many of our travel experiences have been in small, quaint cities or towns just like this one. Maybe that is why, after only one afternoon, quebec has become my favorite place that we have visited so far on this trip...it feels like home.
We spent our afternoon wondering around the old town, dodging hail storms by ducking into quaint boutiques and relaxing in various cafes for a glass of wine here and a cappuccino there. I did like Montreal but somehow Quebec has even more character, more charm, more history...it is a fortification, with castles and citadels and ancient walls. The french influence on this place is everywhere - from the language of course, to the way the locals dress with European flair...even down to the Gaelic tendency towards hand gestures....
As a tourist you can do all sorts of cruises down the st lawrence river for $30 or so....but as backpackers we took our taxi driver come tour guide's advice and caught the local ferry after dark. for a fiver each we had the most amazing views of the sparkling lights of the city from the water. unforgettable.
j'adore Quebec!!
PS - due to the loud and insistent demands of our adoring, blog-reading public (pls keep leaving those comments...we want to know who's reading this thing!) we have finally got our act together with some photos. it's a hassle to upload them to this blog thingy-me-ging so at the moment we're uploading to facebook and providing a link here for those of you who are still living in 2003 and therefore aren't on f/book...so here are the first bunch and we promise to be a bit better on the photo front.
New York Photos
Toronto Photos
xx
We spent our afternoon wondering around the old town, dodging hail storms by ducking into quaint boutiques and relaxing in various cafes for a glass of wine here and a cappuccino there. I did like Montreal but somehow Quebec has even more character, more charm, more history...it is a fortification, with castles and citadels and ancient walls. The french influence on this place is everywhere - from the language of course, to the way the locals dress with European flair...even down to the Gaelic tendency towards hand gestures....
As a tourist you can do all sorts of cruises down the st lawrence river for $30 or so....but as backpackers we took our taxi driver come tour guide's advice and caught the local ferry after dark. for a fiver each we had the most amazing views of the sparkling lights of the city from the water. unforgettable.
j'adore Quebec!!
PS - due to the loud and insistent demands of our adoring, blog-reading public (pls keep leaving those comments...we want to know who's reading this thing!) we have finally got our act together with some photos. it's a hassle to upload them to this blog thingy-me-ging so at the moment we're uploading to facebook and providing a link here for those of you who are still living in 2003 and therefore aren't on f/book...so here are the first bunch and we promise to be a bit better on the photo front.
New York Photos
Toronto Photos
xx
Thursday, October 9, 2008
it's not the journey...it's the destination
sometimes the most fulfilling and rewarding things in life are the ones that you work hardest for...the ones that might cause pain and suffering but end in that blissful feeling you get when you know you've arrived somewhere amazing and you deserve the end result. today we climbed a mountain. not something that our fitness levels suggest we do every day and, yes, the last 250 steps almost killed me (the people jogging up them with hardly a grunt made me sick...)...but the result was an amazing view of the city of montreal, made all the more special by the hard work it took to get there. it is a beautiful time of year in canada. the trees are changing colour and we walked up mountain paths with a rainfall of red and orange drifting down around us. the air was crisp and, since we've spent so much of our time in dense, urban cities these past couple of weeks, it really was a breath of fresh air.
we followed our little stroll with a crepe and chardonnay in the old part of the city - vieux montreal...think little cobbled streets leading up from the river, tiny french bistros, art galleries, stone cathedrals with hundreds of years of history....as i closed my eyes and listened to the french being spoken around me i could imagine i was strolling through st germain des pres - one of my favorite districts in paris...it made me miss my favourite city but montreal has its own charms. a touch of retail therapy later (everything is so cheap here if you're on the good old british pound!) night drew in and we settled in for a cocktail or three in a dimly lit bar full of atmosphere. Perhaps it was the romance in the air...or more likely the alcohol in our systems...but we decided to wrap up our day with a horse and carriage ride through vieux montreal...totally corny i know...but so lovely to trot through the windy streets and watch the lights on the old buildings (and save our hardworking, mountain-climbing legs!)
so you see, a backpacker's life is tough... ;-) tomorrow we move briskly on to quebec city for more french-canadian charm. stay tuned.
xx
we followed our little stroll with a crepe and chardonnay in the old part of the city - vieux montreal...think little cobbled streets leading up from the river, tiny french bistros, art galleries, stone cathedrals with hundreds of years of history....as i closed my eyes and listened to the french being spoken around me i could imagine i was strolling through st germain des pres - one of my favorite districts in paris...it made me miss my favourite city but montreal has its own charms. a touch of retail therapy later (everything is so cheap here if you're on the good old british pound!) night drew in and we settled in for a cocktail or three in a dimly lit bar full of atmosphere. Perhaps it was the romance in the air...or more likely the alcohol in our systems...but we decided to wrap up our day with a horse and carriage ride through vieux montreal...totally corny i know...but so lovely to trot through the windy streets and watch the lights on the old buildings (and save our hardworking, mountain-climbing legs!)
so you see, a backpacker's life is tough... ;-) tomorrow we move briskly on to quebec city for more french-canadian charm. stay tuned.
xx
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
the plight of the backpacker
i'm going to have a whinge now. i don't expect anyone to feel sorry for me of course...i do fully realise that i am on the trip of a lifetime and that many of you would kill to be me (hahha! suckers!)...but backpacking, while obviously fabulous much of the time, can also be exhausting, disheartening and generally annoying. one spends much of one's time with one's entire world on one's back, sitting on various means of public transport for hours on end (usually - if you're anything like me- not at all sure whether you're even going the right direction - thank God for Matt or i'd be in Timbucktoo by now...!) and sleeping in rooms of questionable cleanliness full of strangers.
Today we spent a full day getting from toronto to montreal. the train journey itself took only 5.5 hours but then it took another few hours to find our hostel...only to discover, when we arrived, filthy and exhausted, that our beds weren't ready. guess that's what you get for booking the cheapest rooms in the city! hours...and i do mean hours....later we finally have a bed to sleep in and i can put my world down and rest my weary head.
but the thing about travelling is that i know tomorrow will be better. the excitement of discovering what is around the corner makes up for the mundane in-between existance. montreal is waiting to be explored...the beautiful park with amazing views...the old town full of boutiques and french bistros...tres bien. i'm a happy little backpacker again.
xx
Today we spent a full day getting from toronto to montreal. the train journey itself took only 5.5 hours but then it took another few hours to find our hostel...only to discover, when we arrived, filthy and exhausted, that our beds weren't ready. guess that's what you get for booking the cheapest rooms in the city! hours...and i do mean hours....later we finally have a bed to sleep in and i can put my world down and rest my weary head.
but the thing about travelling is that i know tomorrow will be better. the excitement of discovering what is around the corner makes up for the mundane in-between existance. montreal is waiting to be explored...the beautiful park with amazing views...the old town full of boutiques and french bistros...tres bien. i'm a happy little backpacker again.
xx
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
sky high
i'm not afraid of heights. i have a healthy respect for them of course...but it wasn't until today when there was only a sheet of glass separating me from a 114 story drop that I felt my heart jump - just a little. luckily, i discovered later, the glass is built to withstand the weight of 14 hippos and, while i'm sure i've put on a couple of kilos pigging out on new york pizza slices, i dont think ive quite reached hippo proportions yet...
We were, of course, at the top of the CN tower in toronto....the tallest tower in the world at a height of 553 meters (the empire state building, as a comparison for future pub quiz knowledge, is 448 meters). the views, of course, were spectacular, if a little scary...
tomorrow we jump on an early train to montreal...a city famous for its joie de vivre. i'm looking forward to being surrounded by all things french once again...though i do anticipate a yearning for my dear old friend, la belle Paris...
We will miss Toronto...it's a nice little town and we have had such a good time with Will and Carlee. Thank you soooooo much for putting us up guys and showing us such a good time. We have felt so chilled out and comfortable in your lovely flat....THANK YOU!!! we love you!
xx
We were, of course, at the top of the CN tower in toronto....the tallest tower in the world at a height of 553 meters (the empire state building, as a comparison for future pub quiz knowledge, is 448 meters). the views, of course, were spectacular, if a little scary...
tomorrow we jump on an early train to montreal...a city famous for its joie de vivre. i'm looking forward to being surrounded by all things french once again...though i do anticipate a yearning for my dear old friend, la belle Paris...
We will miss Toronto...it's a nice little town and we have had such a good time with Will and Carlee. Thank you soooooo much for putting us up guys and showing us such a good time. We have felt so chilled out and comfortable in your lovely flat....THANK YOU!!! we love you!
xx
Monday, October 6, 2008
ice ice baby
the canadian $5 note has a short statement on it that reads as follows:
'The winters of my childhood were long, long seasons. We lived in three places - the school, the church and the skating rink - but our real life was on the skating rink.'
Canadians and skating go hand in hand and they are as obsessed about ice hockey as the english are about football or the aussies are about just about any sport under the sun. So, when, on our way to climb the CN tower, the four of us were approached by scalper trying to palm off cheap tickets to a pre-season Toronto Maple Leaf game that had just begun down the road, we were tempted to ditch our original plans in order to have the opportunity to be a part of an ultimate canadian experience...
the game was so exciting!the crowd was pumped, the game fast and aggressive. fights broke out on the ice and were left unchecked by the refs...sticks were broken, helmets went flying...it was thrilling and completely entertaining!
the CN tower can wait till tomorrow...
xx
'The winters of my childhood were long, long seasons. We lived in three places - the school, the church and the skating rink - but our real life was on the skating rink.'
Canadians and skating go hand in hand and they are as obsessed about ice hockey as the english are about football or the aussies are about just about any sport under the sun. So, when, on our way to climb the CN tower, the four of us were approached by scalper trying to palm off cheap tickets to a pre-season Toronto Maple Leaf game that had just begun down the road, we were tempted to ditch our original plans in order to have the opportunity to be a part of an ultimate canadian experience...
the game was so exciting!the crowd was pumped, the game fast and aggressive. fights broke out on the ice and were left unchecked by the refs...sticks were broken, helmets went flying...it was thrilling and completely entertaining!
the CN tower can wait till tomorrow...
xx
Sunday, October 5, 2008
tequila falls
there's nothing like finally experiencing something you have imagined your whole life. and when i felt the mist of niagra falls on my face yesterday, another childhood dream had come true.
our mate Will is one of the most prolific travellers i know. so, when i emailed him a few months ago telling him about our travel plans I suggested that the world is a small place and that, chances are we might 'bump' into eachother at some stage. And bump into him we have...in Toronto, Canada, where he is now living with his gorgeous Canadian girlfriend, Carly.
in Will and Carly we had the perfect tour guides. a lunch of burritos and pitchers of margaritas welcomed us to canada and set us up for the Maid of the Mist...the boat that took us into the heart of the falls. the power of the water streaming off the cliffs took our breath away and the mist soaked our faces...it was incredible and everything i had imagined as a little girl.
niagra falls is a strange place. in contrast to the awesome natural beauty of the falls the town is filled with casinos and wax museums, restaurants and neon lights. Will and Carly have only recently returned from a year teaching in south korea and were excited to stumble across a small korean restaurant where we had a delicious dinner of various dishes recommended by them after an afternoon of blackjack and the pokies. following that up by some canadian beer and tequila shots in a r&b club our niagra falls experience was complete.
today we go up the tallest tower in the universe....stay tuned!!
xx
our mate Will is one of the most prolific travellers i know. so, when i emailed him a few months ago telling him about our travel plans I suggested that the world is a small place and that, chances are we might 'bump' into eachother at some stage. And bump into him we have...in Toronto, Canada, where he is now living with his gorgeous Canadian girlfriend, Carly.
in Will and Carly we had the perfect tour guides. a lunch of burritos and pitchers of margaritas welcomed us to canada and set us up for the Maid of the Mist...the boat that took us into the heart of the falls. the power of the water streaming off the cliffs took our breath away and the mist soaked our faces...it was incredible and everything i had imagined as a little girl.
niagra falls is a strange place. in contrast to the awesome natural beauty of the falls the town is filled with casinos and wax museums, restaurants and neon lights. Will and Carly have only recently returned from a year teaching in south korea and were excited to stumble across a small korean restaurant where we had a delicious dinner of various dishes recommended by them after an afternoon of blackjack and the pokies. following that up by some canadian beer and tequila shots in a r&b club our niagra falls experience was complete.
today we go up the tallest tower in the universe....stay tuned!!
xx
Friday, October 3, 2008
of cupcakes and cocktails, sparkles and sunsets
the thing i love most of all about carrie, charlotte, miranda and samantha (from the show 'sex and the city' for the uninitiated!) is the glamorous life they led in one of the sexiest cities on earth. coffee and luncheons by day, and many a cocktail by night the girls knew how to work new york...and now i know too...! i was shown how by a fabulous, single new yorker, dressed much like my 4 favorite new york city girls, who guided us to all the show and movie hot spots. my amazing work colleagues had shouted matt and i on this tour and while matt came along semi-reluctantly...(secretly he was thrilled im sure!) he ended up really enjoying himself. we drove past trendy restaurants, cafes and bars that the girls frequented, enjoyed a cupcake from the famous magnolia bakery in the east village and a cosmo from 'scout's bar' and visited the 'pleasure chest'...enough said really!!
and when, the following day, we visited Tiffany's on 5th I imagined i was Charlotte..(Trey - "Why don't we go in here and buy you the most expensive ring they have". Charlotte "alrighty"!) and although i couldnt afford even the smallest of charms on my backpacker budget, i lost myself in the sparkle and dreamt of a little blue box to call my own. one day...
a must do for any tourist in nyc is the view from the top of the empire state building...its a classic sight...the tick of all ticks. so with a sparkle in our eye we climbed to the top (yes, literally for the last 6 floors...what were we thinking?) and watched the sun set over this sexy city, the lights came on one by one over Manhattan and we felt like, at last, we'd felt the city buzz.
a yellow taxi ride later we were deep in the heart of the trendy east village enjoying good thai food and a few sexy cocktails...the night before we had found ourselves in a small and intimate comedy club on broadway, and the night before that, of course, the musical 'chicago'...new york has something for everyone..and, though we only have a few nights here, we are definitely trying to 'glam' it up just like my 4 fabulous new york friends.
xx
and when, the following day, we visited Tiffany's on 5th I imagined i was Charlotte..(Trey - "Why don't we go in here and buy you the most expensive ring they have". Charlotte "alrighty"!) and although i couldnt afford even the smallest of charms on my backpacker budget, i lost myself in the sparkle and dreamt of a little blue box to call my own. one day...
a must do for any tourist in nyc is the view from the top of the empire state building...its a classic sight...the tick of all ticks. so with a sparkle in our eye we climbed to the top (yes, literally for the last 6 floors...what were we thinking?) and watched the sun set over this sexy city, the lights came on one by one over Manhattan and we felt like, at last, we'd felt the city buzz.
a yellow taxi ride later we were deep in the heart of the trendy east village enjoying good thai food and a few sexy cocktails...the night before we had found ourselves in a small and intimate comedy club on broadway, and the night before that, of course, the musical 'chicago'...new york has something for everyone..and, though we only have a few nights here, we are definitely trying to 'glam' it up just like my 4 fabulous new york friends.
xx
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Give em the old razzle dazzle...razzle dazzle em...
well...have we been ticking the sights off the list today or what!! lets see....statue of liberty? tick. times square? tick. wall street (complete with sobbing bankers...)? tick. the ENTIRE borough of Brooklyn? tick. new york style pizza slice? tick. Little italy and china town? tick tick. Hit broadway musical? tick. (10 points for guessing which one...clue is in the title...)...and all that jazz...a busy and successful day.
tell you what...when it comes to fitting it all into a day in nyc...the barths sure do razzle dazzle em!
a point about wall street. though i did take some poetic license with the whole sobbing bankers thing...the state of the financial markets in this country and, of course therefore, the world are anything anyone can talk about in this town. the financial district was chockers with sattelite dishes and reporters - the mood in the city is somber. matt and i have been commenting that new york doesnt have the buzz we were expecting. for the city that never sleeps there seems to be a whole lot of sleeping going on and we're surprised that, to us, many european cities feel more vibrant...and london has a whole lot more buzz and pizazz...but i wonder whether to put it down to the state of affairs in this country and the grip of anxiety that has, understandably, grabbed many in manhattan. the big apple could sure do with some of the old razzle dazzle at the moment.
well, enough of the deep analysis...tomorrow brings sex - and lots of it....sex and the city that is...the tour....!! matt cant wait!! ;-)
razzle dazzle em!
xx
tell you what...when it comes to fitting it all into a day in nyc...the barths sure do razzle dazzle em!
a point about wall street. though i did take some poetic license with the whole sobbing bankers thing...the state of the financial markets in this country and, of course therefore, the world are anything anyone can talk about in this town. the financial district was chockers with sattelite dishes and reporters - the mood in the city is somber. matt and i have been commenting that new york doesnt have the buzz we were expecting. for the city that never sleeps there seems to be a whole lot of sleeping going on and we're surprised that, to us, many european cities feel more vibrant...and london has a whole lot more buzz and pizazz...but i wonder whether to put it down to the state of affairs in this country and the grip of anxiety that has, understandably, grabbed many in manhattan. the big apple could sure do with some of the old razzle dazzle at the moment.
well, enough of the deep analysis...tomorrow brings sex - and lots of it....sex and the city that is...the tour....!! matt cant wait!! ;-)
razzle dazzle em!
xx
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