round-the-world in 2005
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Apr 23 - Jun 1, 2005
The USA is such a big country, it took us over a month just to sample a few of it's highlights.
23 Apr 2005 Back in the USA
We joined the hundreds of others at the ‘world’s busiest border crossing’, from Tijuana to San Diego. After lining up for half an hour, we were told that we had to get an I-94 from elsewhere first! That took an hour of waiting in another line, and some serious grilling by the customs officials. This is USA for you. It has been the most difficult border crossing so far on this trip. We boarded the very convenient trolley (tram) to downtown San Diego, couldn’t find the tourist info centre, then waited for an hour for the ‘complementary’ taxi to our hostel. Once there, though, the effort was worth it. We are staying at a very friendly hostel just up from Ocean Beach. Nearly every food joint sells Mexican food, which we were trying to avoid, having overdosed on it the last month. We found a Japanese place for a nice bowl of noodles.
24 Apr 2005 San Diego, USA
On Ya Bike
Now that we are in the US, we notice that everyone, I mean everyone, drinks coffee in the morning - more than likely only that for breakfast. We rented bikes from the hostel for only $5 for the day. This was not only the cheapest we have rented, but the best quality too. We rode out along an estuary for a couple of kms to the Old Town, took a free guided tour and learnt a little history of the San Diego region. We then rode back to the coast, and north along Mission and Pacific beaches. The beach was action packed, we watched a range of activities including horseshoe tossing, volleyball, gridiron, and frisbee footy. We bought a few beers and enjoyed them on the beach while watching the sunset (again). You can’t drink on the street, only on the sand of the beach, and then only until 8pm. For dinner, we went for the cheap option again, and made ourselves pasta, the backpacker favourite.
25 Apr 2005 Los Angeles, USA
Downtown
We caught a bus today to the biggest of big smokes, Los Angeles. The bus arrived in a fairly dodgy area of downtown, where there were very few people on the streets. We had been given several warnings about it, but we decided to run the gauntlet of many skanky looking individuals on the side walks, and were quite relieved when we reached the busy main street. Surprisingly we felt more nervous in downtown LA than we have felt anywhere in central america. We saw a handful of absolute nutters - of all varieties. From downtown we had to get a bus to Venice beach which is where we wanted to stay in LA. Venice beach is a beautiful wide beach with many visitors - we could imagine an episode of Baywatch happening! The further north we go, the cooler it is getting so it is jumper weather now. We ordered a large pizza by the beach for dinner, it was so large we couldn’t finish it and gave the leftovers to a homeless guy.
26 Apr 2005 Venice Beach, USA
A walk along the beach
The hostel we are staying at is very average, everyone smokes any time, anywhere, even in our shared dorm room, making it very smelly. We decided to have a relaxing day today with a long walk along the beach. From our hotel in Venice Beach, we caught a bus to Santa Monica, and had a browse of the fancy shops. Down on the beach, we explored Santa Monica pier, where we finally got our game of mini golf. We could have played all day for the one low price, but after a few games we called it quits, because Rob kept winning. We then walked back to Venice Beach. Along the beach front, we saw some guys strutting their stuff at the original muscle beach. There are some interesting characters here, which made it a fascinating walk. Clare was interviewed by a student about what she was wearing and the meaning of clothing.
27 Apr 2005 Disneyland, USA
The happiest place on earth
A three hour bus trip got us to Disneyland. We were glad it was a weekday, as we joined the hoards of other visitors, into this amazing world. We had to plan out the day so we could fit in everything we wanted to. We avoided the 60 minute line up for splash mountain, but enjoyed an array of other rides, movies and shows. The highlights were, honey I shrunk the audience, Indiana jones ride, the enchanted tiki room, the matterhorn, haunted house, the pirates of the Caribbean, and of course the sighting of Mickey Mouse. What an exhausting day. Our return trip by bus didn’t get us back to our hostel in Venice Beach until nearly 11 pm.
28 Apr 2005 Santa Barbara, USA
State Street
We caught a bus back to the dodgy Greyhound bus station for our next journey north to Santa Barbara. It is a lovely town, one of our favourites in the USA so far. We visited the nearby wharf and the beach to soak up the afternoon sunshine, and then a short look around the main street which is filled with trendy shops, cool bars and cafes. We visited Sharkees ‘college bar’ for some half price beers and giant lobster burritos ...hmm. We will have to stay an extra day than planned to do some more exploring tomorrow.
29 Apr 2005 Santa Barbara, USA
Mission Statement
We walked to visit the Santa Barbara Mission, which they call ‘the Queen of Missions’ due to it’s size and quality. The missions were the initial settlements by the Spanish missionaries. Clare thought the church there was the nicest she has seen. We then did a walking tour of the old part of town. The highlight was the courthouse, built in the Spanish-Moorish style. Rob thought it was the nicest building he has seen. At the modern art museum, we decided not to enter as the entry price was over our budget, but a lovely guy there took pity on us and allowed us to enter as one of his guests. Such nice people here.
30 Apr 2005 Big Sur, California, USA
Citizen Kane
We hired a car to take us on the final leg back along the coast to Alli’s place. We caught a bus out to the airport to pick up the car. Clare was the designated driver today, her first time driving on the right side of the road. It came pretty easily after being on that side of the road for the last couple of months. We had to hurry along to get to the Hearst Castle in time for a tour - we made it just in time for the last one. It was a very impressive building, set on top of a hill overlooking the ocean. The highlight was the indoor swimming pool and the eclectic collection of modern and ancient artworks. Further along the coast was the spectacular Big Sur area, which rivals the Great Ocean Road in it’s scenery. We made it to Carmel, to see the sun set over the beach, then we successfully navigated to Alli and Reggie’s place. Back again after more than two months away in Central America.
01 May 2005 Seaside, California, USA
Channel Surfing
Clare packed her bags, and we had to sort out what to keep and what to take back to Australia. In the afternoon we went down to the exclusive seaside town of Carmel, had a look around Alli’s workplace, then met Reggie who was at the Beach walking the dog. We even had a walk along the famous Pebble Beach golf course. Dinner was a good ol' American home made pizza, while surfing the 60 or so channels on cable. Time to relax and soak up some American culture.
02 May 2005 Monterey, California, USA
Killer Whales
As Reggie had done a favour for a whale watching company, we were able to get on a free cruise. At first we thought we would struggle to see anything due to a heavy fog that set in, but luckily it cleared and we saw some seals and otters, dolphins, humpback whales, a pod of ten killer whales. Later in the afternoon Alli drove us to San Jose airport, over an hour away, so Clare can fly to Brisbane (her friend Mel is getting married this weekend). It was a long trip, via LA and Sydney.
03 May 2005 USA & Australia
Separation
For the first time on this trip, we have been separated, so there are now two parts to this daily blog, one for each of us.
Rob: I had a pretty lazy day in Seaside, at Alli’s place. The morning was spent reading my book, and I joined Allison on her weekly laundry chore. Later in the day, we visited the weekly ‘Farmer’s Market’, had a naan wrap, and a beer with some of Alli’s friends.
Clare: I spent pretty much all day on the plane today as I lost a half a day. I slept a little and watched some movies.
04 May 2005 USA & Australia
Santa Cruz
Rob: After some Taco Bell for lunch, Alli took me for a drive to Santa Cruz, a nice seaside city north of here. We visited the fun park on the pier, and were the only ones on the Giant Dipper, so we got the front seat. We also played a few games: air-hockey, pinball, Daytona, and mini-golf. Much to my ego’s disappointment, my little sister Alli was the overall winner.
Clare: I arrived in Brisvegas around lunch time, and was picked up by Ash and Lois. We had a relaxing afternoon catching up on all the gossip, making sure I stayed up so as to get to bed at normal Australia time.
05 May 2005 USA & Australia
Cinco de Mayo
Rob: I took the opportunity today to catch up on website stuff and to do some planning for the upcoming months. Today is a big Mexican celebration commemorating the victory of the Mexicans over the French. It is a pity we are not still in Mexico as it would have been one big party. Not to worry, they still celebrate it in the US. We went to an English pub (why not?) for a few beers, and scored some free stuff (T-Shirts, bottle openers).
Clare: We had a girlie dinner the night before the wedding. We all took it easy so we were prepared for the big day.
06 May 2005 Queensland & California
Photos at last
Clare: The big day has arrived and Mel has been very calm, the weather turned good and the day was a beauty. We had the hairdresser and makeup ladies visit in the morning and nails were also being painted. The photographers arrived for some pre-wedding shots. Lois and I drove Mel’s car into the Novotel and had a desperate time trying to get a cab to the venue. It was great to see everyone there, seeing some old faces and meeting some new friends of the bride and groom. Mel looked gorgeous, and Ash looked very smart. The evening went smoothly, the drinks were flowing, the speeches were so heartfelt, the night was a blast.
Rob: Clare called today from Brisbane, which of course made my day. Another day of mostly veging out. I did go for a one hour bike ride along Monterey Bay, which was nice. PHOTOS! I have finally had the chance to put up some photos from our trip so far.
07 May 2005 Brisbane & Seaside
Recovery
Clare: A little hungover today after the festivities of last night. The house was packed with relatives already, but there was more to come. The recovery barbecue went all day and all night. We ate loads and drank some more, and watched Mel and Ash open all their wedding gifts. Finally most people left and the remaining flaked on the couch to watch some AFL footy.
Rob: We visited a local seaside pub, and had a fun game of shuffleboard, and a few games of pool. Alli’s friend won some tickets to a comedy night. Being the Australian in the crowd, I got called up on stage and had to scull a tequila. We thought the two comedians were very good, but maybe that was just the tequila.
08 May 2005 USA & Australia
Mother’s Day
Rob: A big preparation day for our road trip. All the gear is together, supplies bought, some accommodation booked, and route planned. Mother’s day was celebrated with Reggie’s mum, a nice Mexican meal was had in Salinas.
Clare: Today I bought some Aussie supplies for everyone back in America, freddo frogs, barbecue shapes and VB. Lois and I went to the Breakfast Creek hotel to have lunch with Niamh, Kevin and the Corbetts, then to catch up with Cath, Odin and Allana. It was great to see them. In the evening I got my last dose of Aussie TV.
09 May 2005 San Jose, California, USA
Back together
Clare: After a brisk walk with Mary down by the river, I packed my bags ready to head back to Rob and back on the travel wagon. After a wrong turn on the way to Brisbane airport we made it on time. On arriving at Sydney airport, I tried to call my mum again for mother’s day, but was unsuccessful. I traveled for about 20 hours and arrived in San Jose only a few hours later after leaving Brisbane... work that out?
Rob: I picked up the hire car, and drove to San Jose Airport to pick up Clare. From there we were straight back into it, driving four hours to Yosemite National Park. It rained a bit, and even snowed, which was not ideal for our return to camping. We had not been able to find gas for our cooker, so we went with a cold dinner. It was cold all round, with a cold night ahead in our small one-man tent borrowed from Reggie.
10 May 2005 Yosemite Valley, California USA
Misty trail
We started the day with a four hour hike along Misty Trail to the Vernal waterfall, passing some sections of snow. We hadn’t expected to encounter any of this when we packed our gear for this trip. At the top of the waterfall, we accidentally dropped our water bottle over the edge and down the waterfall, when a squirrel attacked our food. We saw Yosemite falls, then drove out to Mariposa Grove to see the giant Sequoia trees. The Yosemite National park would have to be one of the most spectacularly beautiful places on earth. Rob left our small back pack at our camp site while out, and when we returned some small animal had chewed through it and found a chocolate bar. At least it wasn’t a bear, which is a real danger around here if food is left out at night, even in your car. We got our cooker working, so we were able to enjoy some hot soup, which was needed to warm us up before the cold night ahead.
11 May 2005 Las Vegas, Nevada USA
Glitz and Glamour
An early start and a long drive, we passed many interesting small back country USA towns. As we crossed the border into Nevada, there was a large hotel and casino settlement for those that cannot make it all the way to Las Vegas. For the rest of the way, the road was lined with billboards advertising all the many highlights of ‘Sin City’. As we got closer the busy roads and super size hotels of the Vegas Strip appeared out of the dessert. We found a cheap hotel one block off the strip, for only $35 a night - great, more money to spend! After some research of all the free stuff to do, we set out to see and do as much of these as we could fit in. We saw the Mirage volcano, the MGM lions, the Bellagio water ballet and flower conservatory, the Venetian indoor grand canal, and Treasure Island’s new ‘Sirens’ show. For dinner we did as all do when in Vegas - stuffed ourselves with a scrumptious seafood buffet.
12 May 2005 Las Vegas, Nevada USA
Viva Las Vegas
We had a well deserved sleep in after our late night, then caught some rays around the pool for a while. We saw the ‘Airplay’ acrobatic show at the Tropicana, and then bought tickets for the Comedy Club show for later tonight. We went to one of the new casinos, New York New York, and rode the thrilling roller coaster. Afterwards we watched a new pilot American TV show for the Fall which we had to rate and decide if it was worthy of broadcasting. We bagged it out, so you may never get to see it. We bought a few beers to have before our comedy night to get us in a laughing mood then caught the monorail to the Riviera for the show, which would have been more amusing if we were American and got all the ‘in’ jokes. We caught a bus to downtown, which is the original Las Vegas town centre, for the ‘Freemont Street Experience’ - some outdoor bands, and the overhead light display, which was a little disappointing, a glitzy, tacky and very US patriotic show.
13 May 2005 Grand Canyon, Arizona USA
Leaving Las Vegas
Lucky day, Friday the 13th. Another long drive, stopping at Hoover Dam for a look, we passed through some Nullabor-like landscape, except with hills. We arrived at the south rim of the Grand Canyon with enough time to set up our tent and go to the rim for our first view. After a confusing hour of misdirected trips on the free shuttle bus, we arrived at the South Kaibib trail head for our hike into the canyon. The canyon view is breathtaking and cannot be described fully in words, nor captured adequately on film. Somehow they have created a path into the canyon, which goes all the way down then up the north rim 10 miles across. We descended one hour down to Cedar Ridge and only took one hour to return to the top, less than the two hours we were told to expect. We then had time to watch the sunset from the top. Clare drove back on the left side - woopsy - luckily the road was pretty quiet so no harm done.
14 May 2005 Bryce Canyon, Utah USA
Freaky Rocks
We missed the sunrise at 5.20am, but got up at 6am, packed and had an early look at the canyon. We came across some deer wandering across the road. It was a 300 mile drive to Bryce Canyon, through a Navajo Indian Reservation. As we entered the National Park, it stopped raining in time for us to hike down into Bryce Canyon among the eerie, columnar rock structures called ‘hoodoos’. A three and a half hour round trip took us past ‘Queen Victoria’, 'Thor’s Hammer' and the ‘Three Wise Men’. It is an amazingly weird landscape, soft carved rock formed into canyons, valleys, and tall shapely statues. While the view at the Grand Canyon was superior, the hike down into this one was certainly more fascinating. They were expecting rain and sub-zero temperatures tonight, so we decided to flag the tent and get a cosy hotel room down the road.
15 May 2005 Death Valley, California USA
Mine Site
Finding frost on the car this morning reaffirmed our choice of not camping. We set off to Zion National Park. After being spoilt with the Grand and Bryce Canyons, although beautiful, this place was not as spectacular. We were short of time, so decided not to stay and moved forward to one of the hottest places on earth, the Death Valley. The whole valley looked as though it was an abandoned mine site, with desolate flats and piles of coloured rock and sand. Only because it was natural, did this ugly landscape appear beautiful. In temperatures of 44 degrees Celsius, we did some exploring - a dry salt lake at 282 ft below sea level (lowest point in the western hemisphere), some colourful canyons, devils golf course (salt crystals), and sand dunes in the middle of the valley. The weirdest part was being so hot (in the dry wind) and still being able to see some snow capped mountains in the distance. We camped on some very rocky ground, but it was a lovely temperate evening.
16 May 2005 Seaside, California, USA
Return to the sea
We woke to the noise of the rowdy campers next to us, and were on our way by 6.30am, heading all the way back to the Monterey Coast from Death Valley. Nothing worthwhile stopping for along the way, so it didn’t take as long as we thought, and we arrived back at 4pm. It is good to be back to our home away from home. Time to put our feet up and check our email.
17 May 2005 Seaside, California USA
A day by the sea
Today was dedicated to recuperation and getting reorganised. We washed, repacked, called, emailed and rested. Clare took a short visit to the town of Carmel with Alli, and a walk along the beach, while Rob uploaded some photos. In the evening, we visited the Farmer's Market in Monterey, then had beers at a British pub, followed by the old American traditional meal of pizza.
18 May 2005 San Francisco, California USA
Free food
Alli dropped us off at Salinas Greyhound bus station for a 10am bus to San Francisco. It was a little cold and wet when we arrived in San Fran, but a welcoming city just the same. Our room was not ready at the Green Tortoise Hostel, so we went exploring in the surrounding streets. We came across the old ferry terminal, which is now a trendy marketplace. Nearby was the few remaining buildings from before the 1906 earthquake and fire. We arrived on a good night, as there is a free dinner of tostadas at the hostel.
19 May 2005 San Francisco, California USA
Scalawags and Sinners
We started the day with a free walking tour, guided by a local historian, about the history of some of San Francisco’s less desirable inhabitants. It was forecast for a cloudy day, but we were not prepared for the rain that came as the tour started. Anyway, it created an ideal mood for the stories of criminals, chinese gangs, brothel owners and crooked politicians that once roamed the streets of old. It included one wild group of Australian ex-pats, called the ‘Sydney Ducks’ who once ruled a part of town in the 1850’s. We then visited the cable-car museum, to find out how these things work, then took a ride on one down to the Fisherman’s Wharf. We jumped on late, so we had to hang on and hang out the side - the only way to travel. We walked up, then down again, the windiest street in the world, Lombard Street. In the evening we joined others from the Hostel for a ‘Burrito, Beer and B52’ night. First up we had what was claimed as the best Burrito in town, and they are probably right too. Then off for some $1 beers, then to an 80’s club. By midnight us oldies had had enough and taxied home.
20 May 2005 San Francisco, California USA
Crossing over
First item on the tourist tour for today was to cross the Golden Gate Bridge. It was a beautiful sunny day, and a nice long walk across and back. From there we went to the Haight-Ashbury area, which was the birthplace of hippy culture in the 60’s. It still has a little of that vibe about it too - with some second hand clothing shops, old records stores, cafes and eateries. At the nearby Golden Gate Park we watched parts of a high school baseball game which they were pretty serious about. We also went to a tranquil Japanese garden. A free meal again tonight of shepard’s pie, and an early night.
21 May 2005 San Francisco, California USA
Streets of San Francisco
We headed down into the Mission District for another free walking tour, to see some of the collection of fascinating murals painted on building walls, fences, and anywhere else they could find space. The colourful murals make this area very unique. We had a late lunch, did some housekeeping, then walked up the hill to Coit Tower. Uncle Jim had directed us here to see the unintended deformity of the Christopher Columbus statue when viewed from the side. Down the other side of the hill, we walked to the pier to catch the ferry out to Alcatraz Island. We did the evening tour so we could search for ghosts. The sunset views of the city and the Golden gate Bridge are great from the island. After the ferry ride back we walked home through the bustling streets of San Francisco on a Saturday night.
22 May 2005 New Orleans, Louisiana USA
Nawlins
An early start to catch the airport shuttle as we couldn’t get public transport being a Sunday. We flew to New Orleans via Dallas, Texas, which took most of the day. We caught a local bus from the airport to the hostel in Mid City called the India House. It is an old house with large rooms and air conditioning - much needed due to the heat and humidity here. This place reminds us of Darwin. We cooked a meal and enjoyed a few beers with fellow travelers, mostly Aussies, which ended up being a late night.
23 May 2005 New Orleans, Louisiana USA
The heat is on
A little hung over and tired from last night. We purchased a day pass for the street cable car (which are like Melbourne trams) and set about making the most of it. We rode the St Charles car all the way up past some grand southern homes. We felt like we were in ‘Gone with the Wind’, without the romance. We stopped off at the Garden District and had a ‘Po Boy’ sandwich, then took a self-guided walking tour of the old houses which are concentrated there. Back in the French Quarter of New Orleans, we did another walking tour of the historic building from the time of french occupation of the area. After all this walking we were keen to get back to the hostel pool (named the Indian Ocean) for a dip and a cool down, before heading back into the quarter for the evening and the party atmosphere of Bourbon Street. You can walk along the street with alcohol as long as it is in plastic cups, while the sound of jazz and blues blast out from the bars.
24 May 2005 New Orleans, Louisiana USA
Hurrah for Mardi Gras
We woke slowly, hungover again, and had a sleep in. We did some research on accommodation in New York for tomorrow night and booked online. It is back to dorm rooms. Another visit to the French Quarter. We had for lunch the Italian-influenced New Orleans muffaletta, before catching a ferry across the Mississippi to historic Algiers. This is where we visited Mardi Gra World - a little history, some dressing up, and viewing of the construction of the floats for the parades each year. We wandered around the warehouse which was full of used, oversized, polystyrene and papermache heads and figurines. A quick visit to the French Market, we indulged in some French doughnuts (beignets) before heading back for a refreshing swim at the hotel and some cold beers.
25 May 2005 New York, New York USA
Free New York pizza
We walked to the bus stop, then caught a local bus to the airport. We were a couple of hours early being conservative as usual. We had to go through the full pat down security check, as we have the last couple of times - maybe we look like a security risk? In addition the plane was delayed for a few hours, which gave us time to have our last ‘Po Boy’ sandwich. Because the plane was so full, we were upgraded again to business class, a benefit of Clare’s silver frequent flyer status. Getting from La Guardia airport in NY was a breeze on the bus. We arrived at our hostel in the upper west side of Manhattan just next to Central Park. We also arrived just in time for a free pizza dinner. If this is the quality of NY pizza, we won’t be having it again! Hopefully in Italy the standard is a bit better. We had a walk around the local streets before dark.
26 May 2005 New York, New York USA
Go the Yankees
Today was forecast for rain, but thankfully it didn’t eventuate. Free breakfast is provided each morning at our hostel, typical American style Bagels and Coorffee. We had our first Subway experience going downtown to Times Square. Being on Broadway, our mugs were projected up on the big screen in Times Square for all to see. Then we scored tickets to a live TV show, FoxNews with Linda Vesta, where Clare also got her head on International Television. This was an interesting insiders view of the making of live TV. We did a walking tour of the Rockefeller Center, which surprisingly has some fantastic building art and sculptures. Then we had a look around Grand Central Station. We luckily got some tickets to a Yankees game at Yankee Stadium for tonight against the Detroit Tigers. It was a true New York experience, including singing of the the National Anthem and eating a New York hotdog with mustard. Go the Yankees (they won again).
27 May 2005 New York, New York USA
Free stuff
As always, we searched out the free stuff. We caught the Staten Island ferry, which is free over to Staten Island and back. On route it passes close to the statue of Liberty for photographic opportunities. Back in Manhattan, we had a look at ‘ground zero’ where the twin towers once were. At Grand Central Station, we joined an entertaining, if not quirky, free guided tour. Nearby was the shop of the famous ‘Soup Nazi’ from Sienfeld. Unfortunately it was closed for renovations - no soup for us! To finish the day, we visited the MoMA (Museum of Modern Art), which is free on Friday afternoons. Their very impressive collection includes many works by Picasso and Van Gogh.
28 May 2005 New York, New York USA
New York hospitality
We have not been happy with our hostel as the service has been shocking, and there is no kitchen to cook our budget meals. We walked around trying to get into another, but most are full due to it being Memorial Day long weekend. We have found that the rude service is not isolated to our hostel - that’s New York. We bought some rolls and had lunch in the nearby grassy and relaxing Central Park away from the busy streets. We walked across the famous historic landmark Brooklyn Bridge, then walked the streets looking for some markets. What we found was a poor excuse. Rob abused some street hustlers and Clare was nearly caught up in a street brawl - nothing exciting really. It rained a little - all afternoon - and we couldn’t find a Broadway show that we liked that was within our budget. To cheer us up, we sought out Tom’s Diner, another famous Sienfeld landmark. The service was abrupt and efficient, and the food was surprisingly tasty and good value.
29 May 2005 New York, New York USA
Gospel Singing
We had considered taking a couple of days and visiting Niagara Falls, but it seems a long way, and a very costly exercise for what it is. Instead we moved our flight to London forward a couple of days. Our first adventure for the day was a walking tour of Harlem, which finished with a visit to a Gospel Church, where we were warmly welcomed into their congregation - Alleluia and Amen. There are still no Broadway shows that interest us, so we explored the seventh avenue street markets, and finished the day with an Indian feast for dinner back at the hostel.
30 May 2005 New York, New York USA
On top of the World
We made a spur of the moment decision, and stayed on the train all the way to Coney Island, a popular seaside holiday location in Brooklyn for New Yorkers. It was too early for the multitude of carnival rides to be opened, so we just enjoyed a lovely walk along the beach, and some world famous crinkle cut chips (fries). After lunch, we went to ‘the Met’ (Metropolitan Museum of Art). It is a massive museum including special exhibitions by Max Earnst and Chanel. It was a nice view from the top floor as well. Walking back through Central Park we got a little lost and stumbled across a large roller disco - only in America. Our evening adventure was a trip to the top of the Empire State Building, now the tallest building in New York. There were huge lines even at 11pm. On the way back we mistakenly took the express subway train into Harlem. We could have walked through the dark and dodgy looking streets but instead we took the conservative, safe and long way back home via a couple more trains.
31 May 2005 New York, New York USA
Maid for TV
We started early so we could get tickets to see ‘Late Night with Conan O’Brian' tonight, but unfortunately found out that he is on break. Our next destination, The Fashion Institute Gallery, was closed. We finally found something open, the shops and galleries of the SoHo district. We finished this tour with a beer for Rob and a Cosmopolitan for Clare. Again we appeared on TV, as a part of a TV promo about couples. We finally got our tickets to a show - an Off Broadway play called ‘The Maids’. It was in a lovely old small theatre, and thanks to our cheap tickets we were sitting right in the back row.
01 Jun 2005 New York, New York USA
Start spreading the news...
Our final day in New York, we had just enough time to visit the Brooklyn Museum, which had a special exhibition by a Brooklyn artist, Basquit, and fittingly some images of London, by Monet and other artists. We flew overnight to London and with a few drinks and the time difference, it did not leave us much time to sleep.
next we fly to London in the UK.