Nearly the End….

Well it has nearly come to the end of our adventures... while we are sad that it is coming to an end, however there are some Pugs are waiting for their Dads to come home... there may even be some humans who will be happy to see some of us too!!

Since our last blog our first mission was to sleep in... With no alarms set we had a peaceful sleep and felt rested when we awoke at 9am the next day The first mission for the day was to find a laundromat. Fortunately there was one just a short walk away. We felt at home in the laundromat with an Australian flag on the wall, not sure why it was there. Once the washing was complete it was time to start to explore the city.

After a quick check in direction we headed to fisherman's wharf, based on the amount of walking we have been doing while we have been away, it seemed a reasonable distance - however there was a massive hill that needed to be conquered! Sydney now seems flat compared to some parts of San Fran!!! We had a look at the submarine and navy ship before looking at many of the other shops along the way. We didn't brave the clam chowder though. We were booked into the night time Alcatraz so we headed to Pier 33 to collect tickets and again wait in line. We are vey good at waiting in lines after this holiday. After a short ferry trip we arrived at Alcatraz just as the sun was setting. We were led on a tour which started with a steep climb (about 13 storeys) up the hill to the cell block. We did an audio tour which led us through the cell block explaining the different cells, rooms, about famous prisoners and outbreaks that occurred. It is an amazing place and surprisingly wasn't as eerie and creepy as we thought it might be. It was time for the ferry trip again to return to the mainland. We decided that we wouldn't climb the hills again and used the opportunity to have a ride on the famous cable cars. Tickets were $6 each for the short ride but it had to be done. It is an interesting system they use to run the cars.

The next day we again had a relaxing start to the day, but decided it was time to try and help the US economy with a spot of shopping. We visited many of the shops in the Union Square and Westfield shopping centre including the compulsory Apple Store, Disney Store, Fossil and Crumpler. It still amazes us how some things are half they price they are in Australia... Nike's for $30 and the one that upset Darren the most Kitchen Aid Mixer for $199 (normally $700 in Oz). After a short afternoon nap it was time to visit the Castro district where we visited the shops which were opened and stopped for a bite to eat at the Squat and Gobble. Unfortunately they shut before we could have some dessert crepes so we had to return the next morning to have them. (and visit some more shops which weren't open the night before). After taking some photos and enjoying our Dessert crepes for brunch we headed off on public transport to visit the Golden Gate Bridge. After getting off a few stops earlier than planned we enjoyed a nice (flat) walk along the way.

The journey back was much quicker than the journey there. We ventured for Japanese for tea, there was a line up to get in so we were hoping it was going to be a great experience, it was a new and interesting experience. We tried Saki for the first time, not so much a fan of this but at least we tried it! I think that it says something about the three of us that we are prepared to line up to get in to a restaurant - but if there was a line for a nightclub we would go and find somewhere else to drink!

The next morning we had a 0530 am start to insure ( at home we would ensure this... not insure it!) we were all showered and ready for the Napa Valley wine tour. It was a bus tour which started with a visit to the North end of the Golden Gate Bridge. Then we were off to visit four wineries, it also included a tour of one of the production process and of the vineyard. Most of the wine was actually really good. We managed to buy a couple of bottles and pick up a couple of other odds and ends along the way. The first winery we went to also had a selection of cheeses to try and buy... needless to say we ended up having wine and cheese for dinner that night. After a ferry trip we walked home.

It was time to sort out car hire... nothing like leaving things to the last minute. Well after ringing nearly every car company in the state we finally found one that had a car. We were beginning to think we were going to have to suddenly make other plans to get home... or maybe just stay in the US for a while longer.

Our last day in San Fran started with breakfast at McDonalds, the first time we have done that since coming to the US. Bacon and Egg McGriddles... Like pikelets but with maple syrup, savoury and sweet at the same time... should we have some soft serve at the same time...?? it was OK - but we are pleased that we wont have to do it ever again!

It was off to the airport to collect the car, Tammy waited outside being bag lady while the boys went in and did the important paperwork. They left Tammy waiting outside for almost an hour, they said it was because there was a long queue... We had finally secured our car a Ford Explorer and it was time for Darren to start driving the freeways again. First stop was the Valley Faire shopping centre to find Shane his watch, the watch is a long story best left for another day. The next two compulsory stops were for us to visit a Walmart and Target... They are both huge and essentially combine what we know as a supermarket, department store, pharmacy, liquor store, restaurant (McDonalds at Walmart) all in one!! It is huge and amazing.

We continued our journey till we made it to Morro Bay. We would not have been able to make it without the GPS - the roads and freeways are incredibly different to what we have at home. However, in true GPS fashion - we were directed along a road that was more like a goat track than a road - we have seen roller coaster tracks that are less undulating... so the speed was set at around 15mph... the beautiful clear afternoon at 80f suddenly turned in to 59f with thick pea soup fog! along the roller-coaster like goat track...

Today we continue the drive to LA and fly home tonight :(

See you all soon!

Are you going to San Francisco?

Well its good bye New York… 

We were fortunate to get a hire car from the hotel to the airport, a little nicer and more leg room than taxi's  As we exited the hotel in NYC, there was a big giant inflatable rat on the sidewalk, it had a sign on it warning people that previous guests had complained of bed bugs….  gross.  They have a cool little activist group that is very public…  **scratch scratch**

It was time for us to check in our bags and wait at the airport gate for our time to board.  The United flight does not include any luggage allowance so we had to purchase one bag each at $25.  Since we started out our bags have apparently put on some weight… well better our bags than us…

The spare bag that Danielle and Annette gave Shane before we left came in handy to decant some of the heavier items.  It was either decant or pay an additional $100 for a heavy bag.  Or you could pay for a second bag for $35… almost the same…  Most people here take lots of hand luggage to avoid paying to check in luggage, this just means for people who do the right thing there's hardly any room for your carry on bags.  

We made it through back check in and Tammy had more luck with the self check in machines at the airport than the one at the hotel…

Time to strip again for security, take off your shoes, belt, empty your pockets.  Stand in front of a body scanner and we made it to the other side although it seems that they are not convinced that Darren's passport photo is actually him, they seem to check it a few times just to make sure…

JFK airport is massive, there are 9 terminals.  The terminal we were at was OK although no free wifi…  There was a cool shop selling Pan Am bags so Shane made a purchase, a carry on bag 1970's style, very cool.

Soon it was time to board and find out seats, half of the plane a 757, was business class with only a few rows of economy seats for all us poor people.  The flight was bumpy again, which after the Vegas flight is just annoying now.  The flight attendants are well, not rude, but just not the same as our Australian hostess.  Our hostess are much more professional and give better instructions… for example as we were landing and their intercom announcement was and should we need to evacuate the plane remember to leave your hand luggage on the plane… Should we be worried?

On a good note they did have inflight wifi which was cool but there's only so many things you can look at on the internet… and our friends and family are in bed during day time here.

We collected our bags and headed for a taxi to our hotel.  Straight on the freeway… and soon at the hotel, a cool place called the Diva Hotel.  The lifts are blue lighted, like something from outer space and the rooms are much bigger.  Its so quite and there is free in room wifi with Starbucks downstairs as part of the hotel.

We sat down for a few minutes before heading out to meet Narelle Lintern and her friend Brendan for dinner at one of the locals.  Great food, great wine, great people, what a fantastic night.  We made a stop at one of those pharmacy/supermarkets on the way back to the hotel.  for some reason they had lots of things locked up behind clear perspex panels.  Toothpaste and coffee was locked up…???

Made some purchases for breakfast and then headed back for some hard earned sleep.

Off to San Fransisco

Today is Thursday the 15th, about 9am and today we fly to San Francisco!

We are feeling tired as there is little time to sleep, and the sleep we do have is broken, the hotel is very noisy and their pillows are crap.  1 pillow is not enough, 2 is too many, you need the air conditioning on but its noisy, the doors of other rooms slam shut and you have rappers outside your door at 2am giving random demos of their talent.

Tuesday, we were up early to venture across town to go to a 911 museum tour.  The museum was small and featured photos and stories from the only authorised photographer during the 911 recovery.  The tour was narrated through a headset and each photo told a story.

It was a very emotional time even for those who were visiting.  Although they do not show pictures of the actual planes that hit the world trade centre, they certainly focus on what happened after, the recovery and the human stories of the 2,700 odd people who lost their lives. Without even considering the loss of life that has occurred in the war that has followed…

We have heard stories about the fire-fighters and others that got sick soon after the recovery started, many now have cancers and the police/fire dogs that search for people, many who have also since died, admittedly its 10 years down the track for dogs but they said many got prematurely sick.

They believe now that the illness came from the toxic fumes from the burning metal, that it was absorbed by the body's fatty tissue.  They said many people were sweating blue dye.

There was the story of the Deutsch bank who would not let recovery staff into their bank building next door to the site… bodies lay in that building for 4 years before they were allowed to be buried, let alone their relatives have closure.

There was a clock that stopped at the time the plane crashed into the building, a very chilling reminder that so many lost their lives at that time.

After the museum tour we ventured into Soho, one of the shopping areas… it was difficult to find some of the shops we were looking for and at times to know which way the trains and busses were heading.  A couple of times we hopped onto a train going the wrong way but we soon worked out where we had to go.

We also found the World Trade Centre site, where the memorial is.  You need tickets to get in to the memorial and we tried to get tickets before we left home but they sold out.  From the outside you can't really even see in.  They have started building the replacement building, there will only be one instead of the 2 that were previously there.

We're getting tired… and a bit grumpy, nothing the Lion King won't be able to fix.  More lining up… we had great seats and the performers were fantastic…  We headed back to the hotel for some sleep only to find that 20 odd school children were occupying adjacent rooms on our hotel floor…  Damn, they also got up early at 0630 slamming doors and yelling out…  Guess you don't come on holiday to sleep….

Times square is always busy, we've never seen so many people in the one space and you are always being harassed to buy tour tickets or comedy show tickets… think Marion at Christmas… but the size of Rundle Mall. We are struggling with how rude people are… it was almost fun for the first couple of days – but now it is just plain annoying. Our best strategy for dealing people who are too absorbed in their phone to watch where they are going is to just stop and let them walk in to us… this is generally followed with a disgusted look as they keep walking around you… no 'sorry', 'excuse me' or anything vaguely polite… just the look that says – 'why did you not get out of my way?'

People tend to get paid on commission here so really they are just trying to earn an income but it's annoying… Despite all of the people – and being half way across the world – Darren was spotted getting on to the ferry by one of the Administrative staff from ICCU… seriously, the world is a very small place… queue the music… and back to Disneyland –' it's a small world after all…'

We found a little café next door to the hotel that makes great coffee and hot chocolate… they also have free Internet so they are our new favourite place.

We Visited the Rockefeller centre – and the 3 of us went up to their observation deck on the 69^th floor… the views were sensational, and better than what we could see from atop the Empire State building. The security screening for everything here also seems to be a bit excessive… airport style scanners to go to any of their attractions. If they don't have scanners – they will pat you down instead…

As we were on 5^th Avenue, there was a need to head back to Tiffany and Co… needless to say that the Minister of Finance has since issued a severe credit warning!

Other than that – we just browsed the sights, and have been picking up a bit of shopping along the way! It has been quite fun to go searching for stores that we know exist as we go… as it has taken us to some places that are a bit off of the beaten track! We went to the most amazing Camera and Electronics store – they had a claim about being the biggest camera store (but we can not remember the rest)! The section that they had for studio lighting was as big as I have ever seen a whole store anywhere else! They also had the most sensational electronic cart / track set up that they used to get the goods from one of their helpdesks to the check out area… so you did not need a trolley or hand basket… the goods met you at the end of your shopping experience – all bagged up and ready to go! Shane had a bad shopping day… everything that he wanted was not there… however we have identified online shopping options to get what he needs if we cannot find it before we get home!

We stopped in the Foyer of the Museum of Modern Art – would have loved to have gone in… but really did not have enough time… Same story for Madame Tussards. We did stop in to the Ripley's Believe it or not Museum… fascinating stuff in there.

We discovered that the alternative to doing laundry is just to buy more stuff!! We visited Macy's to prevent an underwear crisis…

We have also had a few slips, Trips and Falls… there is potentially a need for admission for investigation of such. So far… we have damaged 4 ankles, 2 knees and a wrist. Here is hoping that we actually manage to get home safely without breaking anything!

We managed to find ice cream after a few days of looking… so that was bit exciting! For dinner, we went to the Hard Rock Café – a sensational place! The atmosphere was great and the food even came with Vegetables… it had been over a week since we had seen them! Quite excitingly, Darren was asked for ID… while this has been common practice for everyone to ask everyone all of the time – this was not the case on this occasion… he just wanted to check that Darren was over 21… although – according to Luke, people will often pick some old tragic in an attempt to make their day…

We are now off early to the airport as we figure it will take a while to get through their security.  We fly from JFK airport to San Francisco and arrive there about 1750.  The place we are staying has free Internet so at least we don't have to search for free Wi-Fi…

Until the next post, take care!

The Tired Trippers!

Defying Gravity… and all that Jazz!

Hi All...

well - they say that there is no sleep for the wicked... apparently we are REALLY wicked!

We have had a sensational couple of days! September 11 has been and gone - without incident as far as we can tell - we have not seen the news!

After a slow start, to the day (we were advised to stay away from the memorial site) we headed out to find some internet access and grab a bite to eat... this meant McDonalds. A few things were completed... Facebook addictions fed and plans confirmed and then we were on our way! It is amazing just how reliant you become on having your mobile phone with you - and Google at your fingertips!

We had our first Broadway experience - Wicked at the Gershwin theatre... While we had a great time, it lacked the Oomph of the Australian performances. We certainly have a better Gu-Linda in Oz... with no plans for the evening we went to the TKTS booth in times square to see what we could get cheap seats for... and found Chicago. None of us had seen this before - and we were suitably impressed.

Some dinner... a few hours sleep and then we were on our way again... to visit the big green Lady! She is looking amazing fro someone who is 120 years old! It has also been nearly 2 weeks since we have seen a vegetable - and we really are starting to miss them. This is not from a lack of trying... we ordered teh vegetable medley - and it never arrived... we have never been so disappointed to not have veggies in all of our lives!

We caught the bus to battery park... having been advised to use busses rather than the subway as you see more. The traffic was horrendous - with a group of school kids on the bus freaking right out because they were 40 minutes late for school... which makes us believe that the traffic was worse than usual. We made it to the ferry to Liberty Island - had a quick wander around and then went in to the pedestal that the Statue of Liberty stands on. As we were heading up to a look out point, there was a museum that explained the history of how she came to be... A gift from the french with her interior designed and fitted out by the same man that designed the Eiffel tower... and realistically a gift from the French - with the pair behind the idea wishing to highlight that they were looking to America as a place where they had Liberties that had been removed from them under the leadership regime in France at the time.

The Ellis island immigration museum was also on the list - it was fascinating to learn that the medical staff there had around 6 seconds to make an assessment on whether a person needed additional screening before they were to be allowed in to the country - with a 5 hour wait for most people wanting to enter... it really puts some of our current processes to shame.

we made our way back to the hotel for a very short nap before heading off for a baseball game at CitiPark. The Mets were playing the Washington Nationals - and the atmosphere was fantastic. They were very in to recognising the crowd and having a bit of fun. We also believe that we picked up the general rules of the game within the first few minutes. Things got a bit exciting while the game was drawn - however the Washington Nationals took the game.

A very short wander to the subway station - the train was there waiting for us - and we were on our way back to Times Square... for a spot of Disney shopping (guess which triplet) before heading to bed.

This morning we are heading to the September 11 museum and the memorial site before heading off to see the Lion King tonight... and a small sleep in tomorrow!!

New York… New York...

As it was our last day in Vegas – and there was still much to see, it was determined that we should get up early and ensure that we had seen as much as was going to be possible! We caught the monorail to the end of the strip and commenced our walk back – knowing that this was going to be a long and hot adventure!

 

As we got off of the monorail, the first place that needed to be visited was Stratosphere – this is the CRAZY place where you see theme park style rides on top of a skyscraper… complete and utter madness! We did see some people on the attractions… but decided that we would leave them for the crazies to enjoy and continued along our way!

 

 

We kept wandering – in awe of the size and extravagance of the whole strip! Our next step was the Venetian… sensational! This place is more awesome than you can imagine from the times that you have seen it on the TV! I could have sworn we were in Vegas just a moment ago!  As we wandered through all of the shops, with the gondola's being pushed along the waterway… It has certainly increased my desire to head to Venice!

 

Cesar's Palace is another amazing place… absolutely massive… so ridiculously extravagant. Shane spied a watch that was quite nice – we could tell it was going to be expensive as the eyes lit up on the salesman when he started asking questions… priced at $23,000 – we were reassured to hear that there was a cheaper version – that came in at less than half of the price… Needless to say – Shane left that shop empty handed.

 

We popped in to Bellagio – yet another sensational place... we really do wonder how they all survive… we eventually came to the conclusion that there is a whole pile of wealth out there that we are missing out on… just not certain how we will get our hands on it!

 

After a long, HOT (46c people) day walking the strip it was determined that the best course of action was a drink… so the Eiffel Tower margarita it was… it seemed like such a good idea – Shane clearly had better sense than Darren and Tammy… we shall think twice before we attempt such a feat in the future!

 

On the recommendation of others, we booked in to see Ka – the Cirque de Solei performance that is permanently at MGM (we were lucky – as it was their first night back after a vacation). While Darren and Shane had seen some of their travelling performances – it was Tammy's first Cirque… she was suitably impressed. It was a sensational performance… pleased that we went to see it!

 

As we did not walk all the way to the sign (after about 10 hours to get from stratosphere back to MGM we gave up) we still had to get up early before our flight to wander down to the sign… could not go to Vegas without the picture at the sign… so set off again at about 0800… we arrived after 45 minutes – and it was already stinking hot… the fact that we were dressed for our midnight arrival into NYC – rather than the middle of the dessert probably didn't help!

 

We arrived at NYNY casino in the hope that we would be able to have a spin on the Roller Coaster – however it had not opened for the day and that opportunity was lost.

 

After a sensational few days in Vegas – it was time to move on so… after about an hour of attempting to print boarding passes and purchase our luggage allowances (still all under-weight for our baggage at this point) we headed off for some airport trauma.

 

Check in – complete. A quick bit to eat and then an hour to pass through security… never complain again people. Boarding a domestic flight here is harder than it was to board our international flight… Belts, Shoes, coins (and every scrap of paper and tissue) removed from all pockets and then we lined up for the full body scan… not too bad at all – quick and simple! The security lady must have liked Tammy – as she had a quick feel of all of the areas where one might expect to find catches and adjustment thing-o's on a bra before she was able to continue. A quick train ride to the departure gates – a bit of waiting and we were boarded.

 

The flight was bumpy… one could say not too bad – but others would not agree. It certainly wasn't the worst turbulence we have experienced – but it did go on for the longest! The road eventually smoothed and we landed safe and sound! As we were approaching the runway, the streetlights just seemed to go on for forever!!

 

We checked in to the hotel just after midnight, dropped our bags and hit the streets. We are right near Times Square… and it was packed!! After a quick bite to eat, we headed back to the hotel to make an attempt to sleep! They say that NYC is the city that never sleeps… they had not explained that this also applied to those who were staying in hotels around the city too! The police presence is overwhelming… with more police officers around than we have ever seen. There are counter terrorism cops everywhere too… all in the lead up to September 11.

 

 

One of us managed to get to sleep reasonably quickly, while Shane and Tammy listened to the aspiring rap artists in the next room who were clearly quite impressed with their Pizza (ahHaa!). The odd siren, street noise and chatter interrupted the small amount of sleep that we had allowed for and then the car horns started… then the alarm went off…

 

Off we went again… wandering a bit aimlessly initially – until we got our public transport pass and then we jumped on a bus up Broadway to the Lincoln centre… wandered through a farmers market and brought some sensational apples and some less than impressive grapes (but we did discover that the red grapes tasted exactly like grape bubble gum – which we had never thought tasted like grapes at all). Tammy was able to spot the Apple store from 500 meters – and we were drawn in… only to learn that it was only 1 of 4 that they have in the general area… seriously people… don't be so greedy and let Adelaide have one!!

 

We sat for a while in Central Park… then wandered across and through until we found 5^th Avenue. The park is so big… and was full of people just soaking up some decent weather.

 

Not long after arriving at the shopping strip on 5^th Ave – Tammy spotted the second apple store… so we had to have a look in there too… it was PACKED! We kept wandering past some very impressive looking shops and stumbled across Tiffany's – a purchase or 2 occurred and we got out before the credit cards melted!

 

It is fantastic that people here take their dogs with them when they go shopping… we were very excited to spot a pug – whose owner was kind enough to let us have a pat – all though we assume she thinks we were completely mad! The pug was a bit excited to have some attention… for a bit and then she just sat…

 

We stumbled across a massive parade heading in to a church service to remember those who died in the September 11 incident 10 Years ago. Hundreds of people in formation – with a group holding flags – we are assuming that there is one for every firefighter that died… it was amazing just how silent that NY could be… you could have heard a pin drop – with hundreds of spectators watching FDNY staff form into a parade and then march to the church – spine-tingling!

 

We found and conquered the Empire State building and took a wander through Macys…

 

We made it back to our room after 12 hours pounding the pavement – and the most massive slices of Pizza (followed by NY cheesecake)… as we were about to settle we heard a bit of commotion outside our window… it sounded a bit like a marching band… and sure enough – there they were. Marching down 57^th W…  man these guys are really excited that we have arrived… our own marching band! The bagpipes that followed were playing the Crows club song… someone should have told them that we prefer the B-52's and don't really follow the football!

 

We are all looking forward to a quiet(ish) morning before heading to see Wicked on Broadway…

 

Take Care!!

What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas or does it?

Hello again, yet another instalment from the triplets on tour.  We were working on the idea that what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas but there are a few things that happened we had to share.

 

You will remember that we went to San Diego Zoo; we learned there that Tasmania is not actually part of Australia (see photo).  We always knew that Tasmanians were a little different but we were under the belief that Tassie was actually part of the mainland hehehe…

 

Darren continued the drive to Vegas and felt more comfortable until we had to get on or off a freeway.  The RV we had was quite comfortable, we even managed to fill it up with gasoline by the gallon from the gas station.

We did have some difficulty returning the RV though, after going to the wrong airport, yes there's more than one in Vegas, we drove around what felt like an entire block of buildings before eventually finding where we had to go.

 

The MGM Grand is where we're staying is OK, its massive, our floor has 41 rooms, our wing has 20 floors.  There are 5 wings so you do the maths.  There are 3 Starbucks inside the complex… yet you still cannot get decent coffee! Who knows how many restaurants, we found 3 of the cocktail bars last night – and had one or 2 as we found them… however the fact that the place is full of smokers is a bit of a turn-off… particularly as everywhere at home is smoke free!

 

The room we have is good, 2 queen size beds but man they are soft, you fall into the middle and have to climb your way out in the morning.  The walls appear to be very thin though and not so sound proof.  The first morning we awoke at 4am to a blood-curdling scream! Our initial thought was that someone was being murdered… perhaps they were filming on location for CSI… it turns out we had a church in the room next-door… the lady staying there was calling for God!  I didn't realise that they screamed so much in worship these days but we could tell she was having a great time. I hope that she knows that not everything stays in Vegas… herpes, syphilis and pregnancy will be with her for a while!

 

We woke very tired… don't know why… oh that's right, someone booked the Grand Canyon tour that meant we had to be ready for an 0620 pick-up – this meant an 0500 start… an hour to get ready and 20 minutes to find where we needed to go.  We boarded our bus and drove about 2-3 hours to the canyon.  They served us breakfast on the bus and we had multiple stops along the way to visit several different attractions.  The Canyon is breathtaking.  Such an amazing landscape and so big…  There were no guard rails so one had to be very careful near the edge or you might just find yourself a bit dead.

On the trip back we went passed Hoover Dam.  There is enough concrete in that dam wall to build a 4 foot wide path all around the equator.

 

It was interesting to hear that they are in drought here – and they are having to build a longer intake straw from the dam to secure the water supply for Vegas – Despite this, they still have a fair amount of very green lawn and a lot of fountains running all the time – nothing like the response we employed at home!

 

We returned to the hotel at about 6pm and headed to the room for a quick bag drop then headed out for cocktails.  They free pour here so after one or two you really need some food…  now in a place like the MGM there is no shortage of food outlets.  We even managed to find a salad with some protein, oh yes and the Krispy Kreme donut for dessert.  You can get a dozen donuts for $7.99!!!.... much cheaper than what we pay at home!

 

 

We still can't get used to tipping and if there's any way for them to earn tips they will, even driving into a car park someone is there handing you the ticket from the machine.  You tip when you hail a taxi, you tip the driver, you tip the server at the restaurant, you tip the concierge, you tip everyone if they do something for you even if you don't want them to do what they are doing.

We ventured out to outlet shopping today after leaving the room at 11am.  We got a cab as it was a little warm to walk and a bit far… yes we tipped the guy who hailed the taxi and the taxi driver.  We visited the Nike store and found runners for $40 that is normally about $150.

Darren decided that he wanted a massage so paid for one of those aqua machine massages that you lie in and it jets water on your back… whilst staying dry of course… while Tammy and Shane waited, the nice shop lady was trying the hard sell on some of her wares.  There was one of those spider head massage things that vibrated and a TENS machine.  Apparently the TENS machine is the cure for all ailments from asthma to urinary incontinence and diarrhoea.  You will be very pleased to know that the literature she showed us about the TENS machine stated that you can even treat cardiac chest pain… Oxygen stands are popular here and you can even get flavoured air. Thankfully she did not start that argument with Shane and Tammy – there is no way that she would have won!

 

We ventured into the whole food market (supermarket) and you can buy fruit and veggies in addition to alcohol, and lots of pre prepared foods that you can make your own salads etc.

 

Gee now its getting really hot outside, must be at least 42 degrees C. if not hotter… seems to cool down quickly though from about 5.30 pm.

 

There's an Apple store in Las Vegas, we felt quite at home their but no purchases were made as we're waiting until we get to New York.  Interesting the taxi man knew exactly where he should drop us… opposite the store otherwise we would never known it was there!

 

As we sit here and write this we are in a 24-hour Laundromat.  Yes you still have to do laundry when on holidays.  The hotel charge $2.25 to launder a pair of socks and there's something therapeutic about watching your clothes go around and around… and around.

 

Tonight we plan to go to the room and fold our laundry, drink champagne and maybe watch a little TV.  We're not really into the gambling scene and have already lost $10.  Las Vegas always seems to be open and you can get girls to your room in 20 minutes… apparently…

 

We like being on holidays but miss the familiarity of home and not tipping…  Shane misses the pugs and the substitute dog from Disneyland just doesn't make enough dog slobber or snore loud enough.

 

Until the next instalment take care.

 

This week has been brought to you by the letter Q!

Hi again, well yesterday we made the journey from Hollywood, it was difficult to leave because our latest movie has been so popular, the demands on our time for publicity and then it took ages to find a nice house in Beverly Hills… whats that noise… wake up…. wake up… oh well we can dream can't we??..

We had a great time in Hollywood but it wasn't quite what we thought it would be… I think we expected it to be really glamorous and pretty, sure the homes in Beverly Hills are amazing but the general area is well just like any other city street. After hiring the car, a Dodge Charger, we started on our way to San Diego. Darren braved the 6 lane freeway (initially a bit terrifying) and did a really great job of negotiating the traffic. It was like driving from Adelaide to Port Pirie on a 6 lane freeway in both directions all the way… FULL of traffic!!! There are 2 important things to remember when driving on the wrong side of the road - keep your passenger near the kerb and give way to the left hand side.

San Diego zoo is nice and rates up there with Singapore zoo. Adelaide, you have a long way to go yet… And for those who thought Sydney zoo had hills, San Diego has Giant Hills but still not a bad walk. There is a bus to get you around if you don't want to walk all the way but we braved it!!

Darren found a coffee stall called espresso with a real coffee machine… but dissapointingly the coffee still tasted like crap. We ordered a chicken sandwich for lunch. Translation… sandwich means burger and everything comes with fries. Entree means main… go figure…

The weather has been great which made walking around the zoo really pleasant. We lathered in sun screen and met a few of the local attractions. They have a new baby giraffe (6 days old) and a panda on display, we even saw a really rare animal in the bobcat display, you might not be able to see it in the picture but see if you can. They have lots of flamingos that apparently just love it there so much stay without being forced to… can't believe how many there are! We had to line up for about 30 minutes to see the panda's… Whilst in the line a little girl behind us said to her family, why do we have to wait, its only a panda bear.

After all the queueing at Disneyland and universal studios, we're getting a bit tired of that… so thats why the week so far was brought to you by the letter Q, Q for Queueing.

Tammy wants to take a few of the zoo animals home with her but really wants a panda… can anyone sponsor her a few million dollars so she can buy one?

After the zoo we headed to the Hilton to book in for the night ( after another terrifying quick trip on the freeway). Its quite a nice hotel really. Darren would quite happily move in to this place. We have even seen some people with their dogs in the lobby… so we could just have the pugs shipped over!! We saw one of the contestants in "The Voice" as we were walking through the lobby... she obviously isn't too famous yet as no one was asking her for autographs…

Took a look at one of the local main streets in the gas lamp district - which was mostly restaurants… and strip clubs… Decided on pasta for dinner, crab and pesto ravioli… tasty! As well as the large plate of steamed broccoli, A plate of greens was much needed after a week of hardly a vegetable in site!!!

Today we make the drive to Las Vegas which is about 5 hours from here… for us it will probably be closer to 6 or more with the breaks along the way. Today is their Labour Day public holiday so unsure how many shops will be open but we wanted to check out a Wal-Mart. Petrol here is about $4.09 per gallon ( or per 4.5 litres). Tammy and Shane are already up and getting ready to go but someone wants a loooooooooong sleep in (30 minutes people… not exactly what i would call long!!) , guess thats OK as he will be doing most of the driving. The hire car company is pretty strict about having only the one driver…

There's a gym at the hotel so might do a quick workout before heading off, have to be out of here by midday.

Until the next instalment, stay safe!