End of 'The Road'

It's been a while since being able to blog, so excuse me if this post is so long that you can't be bothered to finish reading it. Just skip to the bottom if this is the case.

So where was I? I was in New Orleans, that's where. We spent our last day mooching around, taking it all in, soaking up the atmosphere, of which there was lots. In the evening we had a go at finding some jazz bars, but this was harder than you might imagine. What we did see was a band called Washboard Chaz, who were more swing than jazz. I thoroughly enjoyed them, as did the mental dancing girl who kept us all amused with her inebriated jigging. Some of the group took off after this, and myself, Matt (Australia) and Roger (New Zealand) found another bar. I decided to get myself a drink:

'A whisky and coke, please.'
'Sure thing honey. Would you like some Baileys in a shoe?'
'Sorry?'
'Would you like some Baileys in a shoe?'
'Erm no thank you, I'm fine.'
'I'm Old Greg'
'What?'
'Have you seen the Mighty Boosh?'
At this point I realised that the barmaid was quoting from a British comedy show called the Mighty Boosh. I'm hoping that she detected my accent, associated it with British humour, and thought she'd try and connect with me on a cultural level. I hope not that she just offers every customer a Mighty Boosh related beverage alongside their standard order.

So New Orleans was a fun time had by all, and each person on the trip fell in love with it. Not even having a couple of items pinched from our trailer the night before our departure could dampen our spirits about it. However, it was time to go and we waved goodbye to a true highlight of the tour.

Next stop was Houston, Texas, and a quick look around the NASA Space Center. A grave error was made in my choice of t-shirt that morning. Apparently Houston played quite a significant role in getting men to go to the Moon.

The Space Center was really quite disappointing, with a short tour of the control center and a look at an unlaunched rocket being the only worthwhile things in our time there. We drove off, to have a wonderful night camped out on a beach on the Gulf of Mexico. Apart from it was a crappy, horrible night. It was hot, humid, and mosquitos drank our blood like vampires. Previous to this night I'd faired pretty well with the mozzies - I'd decided that I had the sort of blood type that they just weren't interested in. The reality was that they were leading me in to a false sense of security and saving me up for later. The next morning I was going to count the bites on my face and neck, but counted 32 on my hands alone and decided it was pointless.

San Antonio next, which is a very pretty city and very significant in the history of Texas. We ate Mexican food at a restaurant by the river, and spoke to a very friendly but drunk man as we waited for a bus. He told us that he'd always wanted to go travelling, but things hadn't worked out so well for him. I felt sorry for him, and it made me feel very lucky indeed that I've been able to do this trip. Very sobering.

A long drive to Carlsbad Caverns was next, exploring the huge caves 750 feet underground, with vast stalagmites and stalactites and 'popcorn' rock formations. At sunset we waited at the entrance of the caves and watched as millions of bats flew out to feed on insects. Quite a sight.

We stopped in Roswell on the way to Santa Fe. I didn't wear my Moon t-shirt. But then every space geek knows that Martians don't come from the Moon, or Mars, or anywhere in fact, because it's all a load of old tripe. Although the utterly not-rubbish Roswell UFO Museum would have you believe otherwise for five well-spent dollars. Santa Fe is nice, beautiful in fact, with adobe architecture and interesting heritage. It was also cold due to its altitude, especially at night time when temperatures reached below freezing. It was also a little cold at the next stop, Mesa Verde, 7,000 feet up in the mountains. The surroundings definitely made up for the climate. In the evening, in an attempt to see the sunset from a vantage point, myself, Becs (England), Angela (Australia) and Claudia (Germany) 'hiked' up a hill, only to get completely bloody lost on the way back down in the darkness of night. Joined by fellow lostees Claire and Steph (Australia), we eventually didn't die and got back to camp safely.

The next day, in to the lunar landscape of the Colorado desert and on to Monument Valley. The rock formations, sandstone coloured red by iron oxide, are just incredibly beautiful and surreal. The area is part of the Navajo (or Dineh to give them their non-colonial name) Reservation, and Jamie, a Native American from the tribe, was our host for the night, driving us in an open Jeep to the most magical spots in the Valley. He showed us how in one spot you can get the perfect echo by bouncing your voice off certain monuments. He introduced us to Suzie, a 97 year old woman still dextrous enough to hand make yarns of wool. At a campsite they gave us traditional food, told us stories, played us music and encouraged us to dance with them. The way their flutes and drums echoed off the rocks gave their music an authenticity that simply would not be able to be replicated elsewhere. They woke us early in the morning to see the sunrise over the landscape.

Grand Canyon next. It's a big place. On average roughly 10 miles between the north and south rims. That's roughly the distance between Ticehurst and Tunbridge Wells, or about half the length of Manhattan. I certainly made the most of my time there. In the morning I took a 45 minute helicopter ride over and in to the Canyon. This was a new experience for me, and anyone who knows me well should be impressed I reckon, due to my fear of heights and flying. It was definitely worth it. To begin with you fly over vast woodland on the south of the Canyon. You can see the North Rim in the distance. Suddenly though, the vehicle speeds up, the land drops from beneath your feet, and all around you is one of nature's most impressive and enigmatic pieces of work. As Ron, the pilot, put it: it's quite a sensation.

After we landed myself and Matt hiked down in to the Canyon, which was easy until we had to go back up. You can't go all the way to the bottom of the Canyon and back up in one day. It's dangerous, even if you're a fit young man. We met the others on the way down, and hiked with them on the way back to the top. I have no idea why anyone would put themselves through it, but we all felt very proud of ourselves when we finally finished. I was extremely tired and lethargic for the rest of the evening. We had a barbeque over the campfire before turning in. Claudia returned, having climbed all the way to the bottom of the Canyon and back up. Each one of us tipped our hats in her direction.

Went to Las Vegas. Played some roulette, lost about $30 due to not really knowing what I was doing, rode in a limo for about two hours, got drunk, went to a club, lost more money. Fantastic night. Death Valley the day after, which is the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere, 282 feet below sea level. However, the highlight of that day was a night time soak in some hot natural springs in California. The sky was so incredibly clear. You could see shooting stars, satellites, and err planes. Probably Venus too, I dunno. Anyway it was all frickin' magic.

Still reading? Yosemite (yo-sem-it-ee) National Park next. Stunning views of snowcapped mountains, enormous sequior trees and wildlife including bears and deer. A few of us rode bikes in the afternoon before our last night of camping. Myself and Claudia made dinner before most of the group took advantage of the nearby swimming pool and jacuzzi in the motel complex next door.

I've been in San Francisco since. So far I'm having a great time. It's a very cool town, with an artsy feel to it that makes me feel right at home. We visited Alcatraz and watched an impressive air show, and hung out on Haight Street. Had a couple of nights being drunk. Most of the rest of the group headed off to Los Angeles today, leaving me to explore the city on my own for a few days.

To sum up then. Highlights: New Orleans; Navajo tour in the Monument Valley; helicopter ride and hike in the Grand Canyon; Limo ride in Vegas; soaking in natural hot spings in California. This is the end, more or less, of part one.