Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Taganga
Taganga my friend. Spent Xmas here, a very sleepy little fishing town which attracts tourists for its cheap diving. I didnt dive, if God had wanted me to go underwater I would have gills and fins. Instead I lounged around, got stoned, read and took some photos. Also, met up with some French friends, Laurent and Barbara, we made in Panama and spent a very pleasant Xmas Eve with them, we had a lovely meal, some wine, some grass, some rum and went dancing in the only club in town "El Garaje", thats "The Garage" to you.
Winners
So, the following morning, I woke up at 7am, precisely an hour and a half after going to bed. The plan was to go to Parque Tayrona for the day and spend some time chillaxing on the beaches there, which you have to hike through forest for 45 minutes to reach. It costs $15 to get in, about 9 pounds roughly. I heard a rumour that you could walk down the beach for 45 minutes and get in for free, always looking for a cheaper alternative I set off with 4 others whilst the rest if the group took the bus, the schmucks!
We walked along the beach for an hour, obviously this is tougher than walking on a road but we pushed on, the landscape was stunning and we stopped to pilfer some coconuts and broke them open to drink from them. We reached a point where the beach was broken by a deep and very fast flowing river feeding into the ocean. As we were carrying bags swimming was out of the question, luckily one point was crossable by foot, although the water was over waist height and the current perilous. We carried on walking, for another 2 hours until we reached some huts on the beach, inhabited by fishermen. We asked how much further to the Park, hoping it was just round the corner. Another 3 hours they said, and impossible to reach because of the cliffs ahead.
Great.
Rather deflated we held an emergency meeting. Everyone but me wanted to turn back. Fine by me, but I was determeined to get to the park, I was now high on exhaustion and running on emergency energy, light headed and determined. Fortunately one of my colleagues, Chris from Canada, the guy in the photo, changed his mind and said he too wanted to reach the park. Chris and I had been partying together the night before so it felt right that we should carry on this epic journey. We left the quitters behind and walked through a banana plantation to reach the main road where we walked into town a further half hour, got on a bus for 10 minutes and eventually reached the outskirts of the park. We then walked another 45 minutes through forest, up and down the tracks, and then a further 45 minutes until we finally met some of our group, who were now heading back to their bus as it was time to leave!
Elated, exhausted and triumphant Chris and I posed for photos, rested for 10 minutes, told the story of our adventure to anyone who listened (which we greatly embelished with stories of dinosaurs and bear attacks), before walking back an hour and a half back to the bus, for a lift home.
That night the party was a little bit more subdued funnily enough.
Twister!
The organizers had hired a sound system, which was very loud and went on until 5 every morning, lucky we had no neighbours to disturb!
On the 2nd night, I must admit I got a little bit drunk, but this was a good thing, because under the careful tuition of a couple of the girls I became, for one night only, the greatest Salsa dancer in the world, ever! The booze definitely helped, I progressed swiftly, although not entirely gracefully from the basic forwards/backwards, to side to side, to side to side with a step, onto spins, Merengue and God knows what ever else. The next day unfortunately I was unable to repeat the feat, sobriety had robbed me of my dancing shoes, although I received many compliments on my dance floor prowess from some rather surprised Colombians.
Parque Tayrona
The CS National Meeting took place about half an hour from Parque Tayrona, Colombias finest national park http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tayrona_National_Natural_Park
Mike and I went and bought tents and ground mats, some Pot Noodles and a couple of bottles of Aguardiente (Colombian Fire Water to you and I) and set off to meet about 70 other CSers, mainly Colombian and South American, some Europeans and Americans. We didn´t really know what to expect, and were very pleasantly surprised to be staying in a totally unspoilt environment, camped out 100 metres from the beach, a mile or two away from the road; no cars, hotels, restaurants or discos for miles. After building a bonfire and doing a group introduction the partying got going, Aguardiente, rum, salsa and.......
Colombia
So, it has been quite some time has it not dear reader? This is partly due to the fact that I have been in Colombia for 2 weeks now and having an awesome time, so awesome in fact, I couldn´t tear myself away from the awesomeness to write about it.
So what exactly have I been doing? Well, we arrived in Cartagena, following a gruelling 5 day trip on a sail boat, were eventually allowed onto land at the port and stayed in cartagena for about 3 days. Cartagena is gorgeous, some say South Americas most beautiful city, for its old town dates back hundreds of years and is fortified by a wall that was built to protect from attacks by the likes of fearsome pirates and Empire building Brits.
In Cartagena we hooked up with some CouchSurfers and found out about the Couch Surfing Colombia National Meeting, which sounded very formal but in fact was a 3 day party, camping on one of the most beautiful stretches of beach in the world, crystal clear water, white sand, palm trees, jungle and the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountains to cap off the landscape.
Friday, December 26, 2008
Transformer Bus
The coolest thing about Panama was the wicked graphics on the buses, all of them are pimped out differently
Nice Wheels
a REALLY COOL SCOOTER WITH A DOPE STEREO, whilst bending down to take this photo a man with only one hand tapped me on the head with his stump! He thought it was hilarious. I guess it was pretty funny.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Where am I? Oh yeh, Colombiaaaaaaa!!!!
So we got to Cartagena on our boat, eventually, the captain got pissed and stoned and took us 6 hours in the wrong direction, in very turbulent seas, 10 foot waves no exaggeration, it ws quite an experience, but more of that later, still trying to catch on Cuba.
Cuba, an ongoing essay, by Mark Stangroom, aged 34 and 4 months.
I really liked Cubam, thats why I'm perservering with the stuff i wrote down when i as thee, kind of got a bit lost with the notes, so here goes on picking up the pieces.
Click here for photos
http://www.flickr.com/photos/32203076@N02/sets/72157610586811709/ Theres alot of street hustlers, they are known as "jineteros". These guys will offer you everything they can think of, which includes guided tours around the city, bars, restaurants, a place to stay, a taxi, cigars, prostitutes and drugs. There are also the female equivalent, "jineteras" who kind of "escort" rich foreign tourists, in exchange for having some money spent on them. It is pretty sad really, but unfortunately not unusual it would seem, and it makes it alot less flattering when a gorgeous girl hits on you in a club or even in the street, I know i'm hot stuff but offering to come home with me one minute after introducing yourself is a bit too forward, even for me.
Anyway, Havana. Wowser. Totally hectic, falling to pieces yet beautiful, old yet full of vitality, its an awesome town. Its old town is gorgeous and being restored, albeit slowly. Central Havana is where alot of the locals live, right next to the old town. Sadly, this is lower down the list of priorities to be developed, the streets are dirty and smelly, but they are safe. I stayed there for about 5 or 6 days, with a Budhist couple, technically they were breaking the law by allowing me to stay but they take in guests for the cash, and it is cheaper than a state registered casa particular, or private home which offer a kind of bed and brekfast service. this is by far the best way of staying in Cuba because you get to meet the locals, rather than stay in a shoddy state run hotel.
Huge American cars from the 50s cruise the busy cobbled streets, classic Chryslers, Buicks and Fords are everywhere, relics from a bygone era of American expats pre revolution. These relics now run on spares from Russian tractors, trade which came about when the US rejected Castro, so he became a Marxist and embraced the Soviets. Although they arent supposed to pick up tourists I managed to get a lift home a couple of times, they call them Collectivis, and they just run routes, picking up people as they are flagged down as long as thereis space in the car, so you end up squashed in between the locals, trying to look inconspicuous!
I spent a week in hvana, and saw pretty much everyhting I wanted to see. It was a relief to get out of town eventually, when I headed West to Vi;ales, a little village in a national park dating from the Jurassic era. the weather was gorgeous, as opposed to Havana where the sunshine ws intermittent, hot but not uncomfortable and my uber tan that I developedf in Ibiza this summer is coming back at last.
Vi;ales was hit by the last two hurricanes, Ike and Gustav. Many trees were ripped down and houses were destroyed as well as crops ruined. Although they were not the worst affected in the country the effects were noticeable, as is the community spirit. It is a close knit place where everybody knows everybody and helps each other out, a practice prescribed by Che Guevara, who advocated through indoctrination that one should put the good of the state above individual motivation.
Cuba, an ongoing essay, by Mark Stangroom, aged 34 and 4 months.
I really liked Cubam, thats why I'm perservering with the stuff i wrote down when i as thee, kind of got a bit lost with the notes, so here goes on picking up the pieces.
Click here for photos
http://www.flickr.com/photos/32203076@N02/sets/72157610586811709/ Theres alot of street hustlers, they are known as "jineteros". These guys will offer you everything they can think of, which includes guided tours around the city, bars, restaurants, a place to stay, a taxi, cigars, prostitutes and drugs. There are also the female equivalent, "jineteras" who kind of "escort" rich foreign tourists, in exchange for having some money spent on them. It is pretty sad really, but unfortunately not unusual it would seem, and it makes it alot less flattering when a gorgeous girl hits on you in a club or even in the street, I know i'm hot stuff but offering to come home with me one minute after introducing yourself is a bit too forward, even for me.
Anyway, Havana. Wowser. Totally hectic, falling to pieces yet beautiful, old yet full of vitality, its an awesome town. Its old town is gorgeous and being restored, albeit slowly. Central Havana is where alot of the locals live, right next to the old town. Sadly, this is lower down the list of priorities to be developed, the streets are dirty and smelly, but they are safe. I stayed there for about 5 or 6 days, with a Budhist couple, technically they were breaking the law by allowing me to stay but they take in guests for the cash, and it is cheaper than a state registered casa particular, or private home which offer a kind of bed and brekfast service. this is by far the best way of staying in Cuba because you get to meet the locals, rather than stay in a shoddy state run hotel.
Huge American cars from the 50s cruise the busy cobbled streets, classic Chryslers, Buicks and Fords are everywhere, relics from a bygone era of American expats pre revolution. These relics now run on spares from Russian tractors, trade which came about when the US rejected Castro, so he became a Marxist and embraced the Soviets. Although they arent supposed to pick up tourists I managed to get a lift home a couple of times, they call them Collectivis, and they just run routes, picking up people as they are flagged down as long as thereis space in the car, so you end up squashed in between the locals, trying to look inconspicuous!
I spent a week in hvana, and saw pretty much everyhting I wanted to see. It was a relief to get out of town eventually, when I headed West to Vi;ales, a little village in a national park dating from the Jurassic era. the weather was gorgeous, as opposed to Havana where the sunshine ws intermittent, hot but not uncomfortable and my uber tan that I developedf in Ibiza this summer is coming back at last.
Vi;ales was hit by the last two hurricanes, Ike and Gustav. Many trees were ripped down and houses were destroyed as well as crops ruined. Although they were not the worst affected in the country the effects were noticeable, as is the community spirit. It is a close knit place where everybody knows everybody and helps each other out, a practice prescribed by Che Guevara, who advocated through indoctrination that one should put the good of the state above individual motivation.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Whooooaaaaa
Thats right, it´s me on a really fast, powerful wild horse, but I showed it who the boss is ;)
Portobello, Panama
Just rocked up in Portobello, Panama, http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=es&tab=wl where our boat leaves from tomorrow. It was a pretty good journey from Panama City, 2 buses, the second of which played really cool Latin music. Portobello is a very, very quiet town, with literally nothing happening, hence straight into the internet cafe to try and update the mammoth backlog of photos i have from my travels. Of course I left my notebook containing Cuban diary at the hostel, which is run by a Canadian guy called Marco. The hostel has a tiny little pet monkey, which looks like it would sooner bite your finger off than perform cute tricks. I kept clear of it although Mike stroked it, yuk.
We did some tourist suff in Panama, although really it was a stop off to get to Cartagena, Colombia. We saw the canal, built in 1913 and only recently handed over to the Panamanian governement by the Americans. Luckily there was a boat going through the locks at the time, otherwise this would be one of the worlds most boring tourist attractions, unless you were really into engineering. We were given a tour of Panama City by one of my friends nieces, she kindly picked us up in her 4x4 and drove us round town, plus we went for a great fish lunch with patacones, double fried plaintain to you and me, followed by the worlds largest ice cream sundae. Have spent most of the past few days chilling in the hostel, meeting alot of people, mainly Europeans and `speaking a fair amount of Spanish, which is improving alot I am pleased to report.
Anyway, I am kind of jibbering here. Basically tomorrow we set off for what should be an AWESOME trip, 1 day sailing to the San Blas islands http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=es&tab=wl which is a collection of 400`pretty much unspoilt islands where we will spend 2 nights, then a 48 hour journey in the open sea to Cartagena on the Colombian Carribean coast, although I hear the crossing to Cartagena once we leave the San Blas islands is pretty rough and people get sea sick (we have bought anti nausea pills and wristbands to combat this, plus a bottle of rum to stave off the boredom). The boat is a 55 footer, we met the captains, they seemed decent and there will be 7 other passengers. Plus, they are happy to allow passengers to try out crewing the boat, should be interesting.......
We did some tourist suff in Panama, although really it was a stop off to get to Cartagena, Colombia. We saw the canal, built in 1913 and only recently handed over to the Panamanian governement by the Americans. Luckily there was a boat going through the locks at the time, otherwise this would be one of the worlds most boring tourist attractions, unless you were really into engineering. We were given a tour of Panama City by one of my friends nieces, she kindly picked us up in her 4x4 and drove us round town, plus we went for a great fish lunch with patacones, double fried plaintain to you and me, followed by the worlds largest ice cream sundae. Have spent most of the past few days chilling in the hostel, meeting alot of people, mainly Europeans and `speaking a fair amount of Spanish, which is improving alot I am pleased to report.
Anyway, I am kind of jibbering here. Basically tomorrow we set off for what should be an AWESOME trip, 1 day sailing to the San Blas islands http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=es&tab=wl which is a collection of 400`pretty much unspoilt islands where we will spend 2 nights, then a 48 hour journey in the open sea to Cartagena on the Colombian Carribean coast, although I hear the crossing to Cartagena once we leave the San Blas islands is pretty rough and people get sea sick (we have bought anti nausea pills and wristbands to combat this, plus a bottle of rum to stave off the boredom). The boat is a 55 footer, we met the captains, they seemed decent and there will be 7 other passengers. Plus, they are happy to allow passengers to try out crewing the boat, should be interesting.......
Monday, December 8, 2008
More Mexico
One person i really need to mention in mexico City is lilianne, a couchsurfer who made it her personal mission to make sure i enjoyed myself there. she took me to a nice restaurant, showed me round some of the cooler districts (my favourite was cayoucan), took me to the wrestling with her brother, then onto a great taceria and club and genereally was a great guide. I hope that when she comes to london i can be half as helpful!
So after 5 days i was ready to fly to cuba. i had been holding out on booking my tickets as there was a slight concern over the fçeffects of hurrican Paloma, the 3rd hurricane of the season to hit the island. Luckily it wasn´t as devestating as the previous two and so off i headed, very much into the unknown. the following is a type up of the notes i made whilst there, as such they may appear to be pretty random, i may also add in any other bits of info i forgot to write down that pop into my head as i type, kind of delayed gonzo reporting if you like-
Cuba
A dew obversations on cuba. one, there is not many fat people here. I´ve spent the past week in havana, where the food is awful in general, so really its no wonder the locals stay slim. Although everyone here gets enough to eat under the socialist system, the choice is pretty narrow, fried pork or chicken, rice (fried also), pizza (warm bread with tomato liquid and something resembling cheese on top of it) and ice cream makes up the typical diet. however, having now left the capital (quite refreshing to do so) and arrived in Viñales, a beautiful village where my hosts Milo and Dalia have welcomed me into their home with great affection and the best meal i have had in Cuba so far (average number of plates i am given with each meal is 6, i think Dalia is trying to fatten me up). milo and dalia run a casa Particular, by far the best way of staying in cuba, cheaper than hotels and you get to meet the locals, staying in private homes that have a license to allow foreigners to stay for a fee. Most will also provide meals for an additional fee. i certainly hit gold with milo and Dalia, two of the nicest people i have met, they called me their son and we got on famously.
Well, running out f time again so will have to finish this off another time, damn facebook keeps distracting me......
So after 5 days i was ready to fly to cuba. i had been holding out on booking my tickets as there was a slight concern over the fçeffects of hurrican Paloma, the 3rd hurricane of the season to hit the island. Luckily it wasn´t as devestating as the previous two and so off i headed, very much into the unknown. the following is a type up of the notes i made whilst there, as such they may appear to be pretty random, i may also add in any other bits of info i forgot to write down that pop into my head as i type, kind of delayed gonzo reporting if you like-
Cuba
A dew obversations on cuba. one, there is not many fat people here. I´ve spent the past week in havana, where the food is awful in general, so really its no wonder the locals stay slim. Although everyone here gets enough to eat under the socialist system, the choice is pretty narrow, fried pork or chicken, rice (fried also), pizza (warm bread with tomato liquid and something resembling cheese on top of it) and ice cream makes up the typical diet. however, having now left the capital (quite refreshing to do so) and arrived in Viñales, a beautiful village where my hosts Milo and Dalia have welcomed me into their home with great affection and the best meal i have had in Cuba so far (average number of plates i am given with each meal is 6, i think Dalia is trying to fatten me up). milo and dalia run a casa Particular, by far the best way of staying in cuba, cheaper than hotels and you get to meet the locals, staying in private homes that have a license to allow foreigners to stay for a fee. Most will also provide meals for an additional fee. i certainly hit gold with milo and Dalia, two of the nicest people i have met, they called me their son and we got on famously.
Well, running out f time again so will have to finish this off another time, damn facebook keeps distracting me......
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Panamama
ok so now i´m in panama city, in an internet cafe writing on a computer with a crappy keyboard. The shift button is rather temperamental so please don´t be too harsh on me if my punctuation is not up to it´s usual high standards in what will no doubt be another thrilling installment of my travels.
Still catching up on things, lets go back in time, to a land called Mexico, a land where over muscled men in tight underpants wearing masks are worshipped and wet look hair gel is still in fashion . I stayed with a couchsurfing host, erika and her two room mates in Mexico City, one of the worlds largest cities with a population of 19 million and a metro system to make Londons look like a Thomas the Tank Engine set in comparison . it is also cheap as chips to travel around and pretty straightforward to navigate, as well as providing brilliant entertainment in the form of street vendors selling anything from pirated CDs and DVDs to torches and batteries to sweets and drinks. the great thing about the dvD and CD fellas is that they actually carry round cD players and speakers in rucksacks playing the CD they have for sale, i never thought i would hear kajagoogoo on a mexican underground. the biggest freak i saw on the underground was the guy who earned a living laying down a blanket in the midlle of the carriage, covered in broken glass and then backflipped onto it, landing with his back on the glass (which was covered in scratches and scars). To make matters worse, no one gave him any money. In fact, the whole week i was there i only saw 2 people buy a CD, one was a shopaholic woman who bought something from every salesperson who got on the train, the other one was me, i just fancied wasting a few pesos on a CD i shall probably never listen to.
The highlight of Mexico City for me was my night out at the Lucha Libre. mexican wrestling is more pantomime than even WWF, but the cool thing about is that most of the wrestlers wear really cool masks
Still catching up on things, lets go back in time, to a land called Mexico, a land where over muscled men in tight underpants wearing masks are worshipped and wet look hair gel is still in fashion . I stayed with a couchsurfing host, erika and her two room mates in Mexico City, one of the worlds largest cities with a population of 19 million and a metro system to make Londons look like a Thomas the Tank Engine set in comparison . it is also cheap as chips to travel around and pretty straightforward to navigate, as well as providing brilliant entertainment in the form of street vendors selling anything from pirated CDs and DVDs to torches and batteries to sweets and drinks. the great thing about the dvD and CD fellas is that they actually carry round cD players and speakers in rucksacks playing the CD they have for sale, i never thought i would hear kajagoogoo on a mexican underground. the biggest freak i saw on the underground was the guy who earned a living laying down a blanket in the midlle of the carriage, covered in broken glass and then backflipped onto it, landing with his back on the glass (which was covered in scratches and scars). To make matters worse, no one gave him any money. In fact, the whole week i was there i only saw 2 people buy a CD, one was a shopaholic woman who bought something from every salesperson who got on the train, the other one was me, i just fancied wasting a few pesos on a CD i shall probably never listen to.
The highlight of Mexico City for me was my night out at the Lucha Libre. mexican wrestling is more pantomime than even WWF, but the cool thing about is that most of the wrestlers wear really cool masks
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Freestylin´
Well its been such a long time, and I have so many adventures to catch up on. The last few weeks have seen me in New Mexico, Old Mexico, Cuba and now Costa Rica (although leaving at 11pm ce soir, hence sat in an internet cafe filling up time, plus it is pouring here). As internet connection in Cuba is still dial up I opted to keep a written journal of thoughts and tom foolery, as such when I actually have that journal with me I will copy up the Cuba anecdotes. For now I´ll just witter about Mexicos Old and New along with Costa Rica from memory (so please bear with me if it gets sketchy).
So New Mexico. I pretty much covered it, asides I believe from a couple of characters I ran into and an incident with the Greyhound bus. OK the characters, in no particular order. First there was Doc. Doc lived in the trailer a couple of doors down from my friend Lucy, she had befriended him and his dog Gizmo and I can see wh. He was a top bloke, with a white beard, bald head and a heart of pure gold. Doc took us out on a road trip on his birthday, we went out into the hills to some little towns where they used to mine for silver back in the 19th century. The scenery accross the desert scape was awesome, classic American trails which we ripped up in Docs truck. He knew the roads well, he used to be a trucker by trade and told us some quality stories, whilst Lucy and I pestered him to stop everywhere for photos! We went through a town called Winston, pretty small, not much more than a gas station and some trailers, then we got to Chloride, population 11, yes 11. It is a proper ghost town, pretty much abandoned by the 1920s http://www.ghosttowns.com/states/nm/chloride.html and contains two awesome things. One is the town store, which is now a museum, pretty much exactly as it was in 1920 when it was closed down by its then owner, to be untouched for nearly 70 years. The other awesome thing is the gate with the sign on it. The gate stands in the middle of a empty field, with no walls or fences attached to it. It has a sign on it, saying ´Please close the gate´. I found this to be hilarious, as did Lucy. We took photos and even a video of Lucy closing the gate after walking through it, which is going to be put on Youtube. I think it has Oscar written all over it, comedy genius. So after that bout of the giggles we left the 11 other people in town and headed home, stopping off for a home made Pecan pie for Docs birthday party that night at the springs resort.
It was a pretty chilled party, with pizza, popcorn, pecan pie, chocolate covered pecans, birthday cake and singing. Lots of people turned up, including the next character, without whom my story would not be complete. Big John is the tallest man i have ever met. He is a 6´11" Californian with long flowing hair, has skin darker than a Nigerian ( he specifically asked me to write that bit, I dont normally do requests but have made an exception on this occasion) and has made love to over 10,000 women. Apparently. Could be an exaggeration, but the best stories are always slightly embellished as my good friend Giles Davenport once told me. Big John also has the best moustache ever, most men couldn´t even imagine having such a cool moustache. Anyway, John was a cool guy and to tie him into the story, he saved my bacon the following day and proved himself to be a great friend but a terrible singer (only kidding John, although he does do a great impression of Optimus Prime, the best I have heard.)
That night I went to leave Truth or Consequences, I had a seat reserved on the one and only Greyhound bus that runs through town at 1030 pm every evening. The problem was, the bus ran and ran. It kept running, it didn´t slow down and it didn´t stop to pick us up. All week, people had been telling me their story of how they wound up in T or C. Most people are drawn there by mysterious powers and never leave. Was it also my fate to never leave?
Well dear reader. There I was, in a funny little town in the middle of the desert, coming up to 11pm at night with a
sand storm kicking up, and no where to stay. Enter Big John. I knocked on his trailer door, he had made the offer of his couch earlier in the week and now it was to deliver on the offer, in my hour of need John did not fail me. I slept like a log on his couch in the front room of the caravan, until about 430am when he awoke me by apologising for the fact that the bathroom had no door and that he was "dropping the kids off at he pool", pretty much in the same room as me. Anyways, I had about an hours more sleep and then got up to phone American Airlines, I had a flight from Alburquerque to Mexico City that morning that I was not going to make, due to the Greyhound incident. So $181 later I had rebooked my flight for the following day and John was getting ready to drive me the 2 hour trip to Alberquerque. He had to go anyway, he wanted to buy some size 15 fur lined moccasin boots, it gets cold at night in the desert you know, even for incredibly tall people with awesome moustaches.
So, Lucy, John and I set off for Alburquerque. We had great fun in the car, laughing, joking, chatting and singing. It was very funny. We sang some really bad songs, like Haddaways "What is Love" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsCXZczTQXo 2 Unlimiteds "No Limit" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzyFmilkd80&feature=related and Culturebeats "Mr Vain" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvgUdrzGNys&feature=related, to give you an idea of how bad they were. I dont know why we did it, but it was great fun. I have done quite alot of singing recently. Not that I´m good, just been enjoying it. Anyway, you kind of had to be there to understand it, but its a car journey I will remember with fond memories for a long time.
Thanks Big John and Lucy.
So New Mexico. I pretty much covered it, asides I believe from a couple of characters I ran into and an incident with the Greyhound bus. OK the characters, in no particular order. First there was Doc. Doc lived in the trailer a couple of doors down from my friend Lucy, she had befriended him and his dog Gizmo and I can see wh. He was a top bloke, with a white beard, bald head and a heart of pure gold. Doc took us out on a road trip on his birthday, we went out into the hills to some little towns where they used to mine for silver back in the 19th century. The scenery accross the desert scape was awesome, classic American trails which we ripped up in Docs truck. He knew the roads well, he used to be a trucker by trade and told us some quality stories, whilst Lucy and I pestered him to stop everywhere for photos! We went through a town called Winston, pretty small, not much more than a gas station and some trailers, then we got to Chloride, population 11, yes 11. It is a proper ghost town, pretty much abandoned by the 1920s http://www.ghosttowns.com/states/nm/chloride.html and contains two awesome things. One is the town store, which is now a museum, pretty much exactly as it was in 1920 when it was closed down by its then owner, to be untouched for nearly 70 years. The other awesome thing is the gate with the sign on it. The gate stands in the middle of a empty field, with no walls or fences attached to it. It has a sign on it, saying ´Please close the gate´. I found this to be hilarious, as did Lucy. We took photos and even a video of Lucy closing the gate after walking through it, which is going to be put on Youtube. I think it has Oscar written all over it, comedy genius. So after that bout of the giggles we left the 11 other people in town and headed home, stopping off for a home made Pecan pie for Docs birthday party that night at the springs resort.
It was a pretty chilled party, with pizza, popcorn, pecan pie, chocolate covered pecans, birthday cake and singing. Lots of people turned up, including the next character, without whom my story would not be complete. Big John is the tallest man i have ever met. He is a 6´11" Californian with long flowing hair, has skin darker than a Nigerian ( he specifically asked me to write that bit, I dont normally do requests but have made an exception on this occasion) and has made love to over 10,000 women. Apparently. Could be an exaggeration, but the best stories are always slightly embellished as my good friend Giles Davenport once told me. Big John also has the best moustache ever, most men couldn´t even imagine having such a cool moustache. Anyway, John was a cool guy and to tie him into the story, he saved my bacon the following day and proved himself to be a great friend but a terrible singer (only kidding John, although he does do a great impression of Optimus Prime, the best I have heard.)
That night I went to leave Truth or Consequences, I had a seat reserved on the one and only Greyhound bus that runs through town at 1030 pm every evening. The problem was, the bus ran and ran. It kept running, it didn´t slow down and it didn´t stop to pick us up. All week, people had been telling me their story of how they wound up in T or C. Most people are drawn there by mysterious powers and never leave. Was it also my fate to never leave?
Well dear reader. There I was, in a funny little town in the middle of the desert, coming up to 11pm at night with a
sand storm kicking up, and no where to stay. Enter Big John. I knocked on his trailer door, he had made the offer of his couch earlier in the week and now it was to deliver on the offer, in my hour of need John did not fail me. I slept like a log on his couch in the front room of the caravan, until about 430am when he awoke me by apologising for the fact that the bathroom had no door and that he was "dropping the kids off at he pool", pretty much in the same room as me. Anyways, I had about an hours more sleep and then got up to phone American Airlines, I had a flight from Alburquerque to Mexico City that morning that I was not going to make, due to the Greyhound incident. So $181 later I had rebooked my flight for the following day and John was getting ready to drive me the 2 hour trip to Alberquerque. He had to go anyway, he wanted to buy some size 15 fur lined moccasin boots, it gets cold at night in the desert you know, even for incredibly tall people with awesome moustaches.
So, Lucy, John and I set off for Alburquerque. We had great fun in the car, laughing, joking, chatting and singing. It was very funny. We sang some really bad songs, like Haddaways "What is Love" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsCXZczTQXo 2 Unlimiteds "No Limit" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzyFmilkd80&feature=related and Culturebeats "Mr Vain" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvgUdrzGNys&feature=related, to give you an idea of how bad they were. I dont know why we did it, but it was great fun. I have done quite alot of singing recently. Not that I´m good, just been enjoying it. Anyway, you kind of had to be there to understand it, but its a car journey I will remember with fond memories for a long time.
Thanks Big John and Lucy.
Friday, November 28, 2008
Back In The Western World
And with a lot to catch up on. Mexico and Cuba were awesome, internet access is very restricted in Cuba so I didn´t keep the blog up to date but kept a diary of sorts and will be updating soon. Hopefully with some awesome photos too. Watch this space!
Saturday, November 8, 2008
River Bend
Have moved into the River Bend Resort where my friend Lucy is working. Staying in a dorm with 3 guys who all work them in a kind of work trade deal, ie they handiwork on the resort and get accomodation. Have made good use of the hot springs, was even out there when it was freezing last night. Despite being in the desert it was below freezing tonight, although back to normal and nice and warm today. Last night had a Persian meal with Maya and her friend Ruth, a septenarian artist who showed me her studio and art. Spent this morning in the tub, and chilling in the music shop with Reed and David. Reed played guitar, David drums and I just added vibes as best I could. Just listening now to Kanye Wests new track http://www.kanyeuniversecity.com/blog/?em3106=212776_-1__0_~0_-1_5_2008_0_0&em3161=&em3281=
its a departure from his old stuff and may take a couple of listens for me to get into it. I am eating alot here, the restaurants are all cheap as chips and give you so much food. The diner round the corner charges $3.25 for 2 bacpn, 2 eggs and 2 huge pancakes plus coffee for breakfast. On Thursday night I ate 2 plates of food for dinner. I think i must have put on some timber since I got into town. Just a well, i heard the food in Cuba is bland so best fill my boots now!
its a departure from his old stuff and may take a couple of listens for me to get into it. I am eating alot here, the restaurants are all cheap as chips and give you so much food. The diner round the corner charges $3.25 for 2 bacpn, 2 eggs and 2 huge pancakes plus coffee for breakfast. On Thursday night I ate 2 plates of food for dinner. I think i must have put on some timber since I got into town. Just a well, i heard the food in Cuba is bland so best fill my boots now!
Friday, November 7, 2008
Photos
Click on the photos below to launch a slideshow of photos from Vancouver and Seatlle, hopefully this works and planning to get all pics up in next couple of days. Currently in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. A pretty small town, population about 8000 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truth_or_Consequences,_New_Mexico
famed for its hot springs and home town to mass murderer David Parker Ray who was sentenced to 224 years in prison for murdering a least 12 -60 people. Visiting an old friend from Birmingham, Lucy who is doing a work trade with a hot springs resort on the river. Staying with a lovely couchsurfing host Maya and her gorgeous dog Chica. Its a real friendly town, had my breakfast paid for today by Gil, a 62 year old retired New Mexican, we talked for over an hour over a traditional US breakfast of pancakes, bacon and eggs washed down with plenty of coffee. I bought a very nice sheepskin coat from a jumble sale for $2 as it gets really cold at night, even though we are in the desert. Trained some kung fu with Lucy, she still remembers her Lau Gar forms which is great and showed her some Wing Chun too. Planning on going to an art hop and then doing a hike befoe leaving on Sunday. Not that much else to do here, but it is a town full of very friendly characters. According to my pal Gil it is the closest you will find in the USA to what the Old West was like
famed for its hot springs and home town to mass murderer David Parker Ray who was sentenced to 224 years in prison for murdering a least 12 -60 people. Visiting an old friend from Birmingham, Lucy who is doing a work trade with a hot springs resort on the river. Staying with a lovely couchsurfing host Maya and her gorgeous dog Chica. Its a real friendly town, had my breakfast paid for today by Gil, a 62 year old retired New Mexican, we talked for over an hour over a traditional US breakfast of pancakes, bacon and eggs washed down with plenty of coffee. I bought a very nice sheepskin coat from a jumble sale for $2 as it gets really cold at night, even though we are in the desert. Trained some kung fu with Lucy, she still remembers her Lau Gar forms which is great and showed her some Wing Chun too. Planning on going to an art hop and then doing a hike befoe leaving on Sunday. Not that much else to do here, but it is a town full of very friendly characters. According to my pal Gil it is the closest you will find in the USA to what the Old West was like
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Hot Dog, Jumping Frog, Albuquerque
Forgot to mention some stuff about Albuquerque (hometown of Neil Patrick Harris, aka Doogie Howser MD). We visited the Petroglyph National Monument Volcanoes http://www.nps.gov/petr/planyourvisit/volcanoes.htm which are believed to be a direct spiritual source to Mother Earth by the Pueblo Indians. Had a bit of a mishap when Christine, one of my hosts backed her truck into a ditch and got the thing stuck! We were ably assisted by a Park Ranger called Dave who was a great guy. Park Ranger are basically cops who look after parks rather than city streets, so he could arrest people and carried a gun, but he didnt arrest or shoot us so that was cool. He encouraged me to visit Guatemala on my travels and insisted we talk a walk towards the volcanoes, which I'm glad we did as I got some great photos of the sunset over them and the mountains to the other side of the city. We eventually got pulled out of the ditch by a tow truck and headed back home.
It was Christines birthday that day so a bunch of us went for a really nice dinner. I asked the group if they knew the song King of Rock and Roll by Prefab Sprout http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AG5-Zur-zo which features the immortal line "Hot Dog, Jumping Frog, Albuquerque" in its verse. They didn't. Oh well.
It was Christines birthday that day so a bunch of us went for a really nice dinner. I asked the group if they knew the song King of Rock and Roll by Prefab Sprout http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AG5-Zur-zo which features the immortal line "Hot Dog, Jumping Frog, Albuquerque" in its verse. They didn't. Oh well.
Yes We Can
As you have probably heard, the USA has a new President elect. I spent last night at the Democratic Party HQ in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It was wonderful to see people so full of hope and an incredible scene when McCain conceded the election, even better when Obama made his speech. People were crying with joy, dancing in the streets, you could feel the sense of hope and relief that there is going to be a change and it was great to witness it.
I've been here for the last couple of days, on my way to a town called Truth or Consequence (named after a TV game show!) to see an old friend from home, Lucy. Have stayed with two lovely hosts, Monica and Christine who were both over the moon with last nights result.
I had spent the previous week in LA. Originally had only planned to stay for a night on my way through but was persuaded otherwise by my awesome host Peak, she convinced me of some fun things to do as she had just lost her job so had loads of free time to show me round. After quite alot of partying recently in SF and Vancouver it was nice to have a more calm week, although of course Halloween is a huge party here. I dressed up as Austin Powers (as I have the glasses and accent it made sense) and we spent the night partying at some friends appartment and then went up to West Hollywood for the Halloween parade, a real freak show. However, I'm jumping ahead as alot happened earlier in the week.
Highlights of LA included singing "The Wichita Lineman" by Glen Campbell http://wyoutube.comww./watch?v=4qoymGCDYzU at a karaoke night in a Thai restaurant; going to the coolest lounge bar ever, The Dresden Room http://www.thedresden.com/lounge.html where we watched the legendary Marty and Elayne perform; going to a Krav Maga martial arts class; riding a tandem along Venice beach; an avant garde jazz concert performed at the Hammer Museum by Larry Ochs Sax http://www.outpostspace.org/node/566 , we even went for dinner in a swanky restaurant afterwards with the band, the drummer is a friend of Peaks, and even better the Hammer museum kindly picked up the bill! Another friend of Peaks was an actress who we watched dress rehearse her one woman show where she plays 4 characters, it was really impressive.
Probably my favourite experience though was going over to San Pedro to watch another of Peaks friends, Mike Watts record his monthly Podcast. It is recorded at his friends house, affectionately known as "The Love Grotto", home to the most righteous Brother Matt. We got there an hour late (of course) but were warmly received as we brought gifts of sushi, Doritos and salsa. The show always kicks off with a track from John Coltrane and lasts 3 hours, a combination of great, eclectic music, conversation and a 30 minute chill out mix from Brother Matt. I didn't realise how interactive our roles would be, Mike asked me about my favourite band (of course I answered The Stone Roses) amongst other questions and discussions the group had. It can be heard at http://twfps.com/ , I'm even listed as a guest on the website synopsis of the show, how bizarre! Anyway, there is some great music on there so worth a listen.
Other highlights of LA included the Nakatomi Building from Die Hard (it is in one piece, not like at the end of the movie) and the Getty Museum, which is beautiful.
As always dear reader uploading photos is awkward. Public libraries don't tend to let users connect anything to the PCs so I will try to get some shots up soon.
Next stop will be Truth or Consequence, where I am definitely looking forward to enjoying the hot springs. On Monday I leave for Mexico City, and from there Cuba where I am really looking forward to hearing the wonderful local music.
I've been here for the last couple of days, on my way to a town called Truth or Consequence (named after a TV game show!) to see an old friend from home, Lucy. Have stayed with two lovely hosts, Monica and Christine who were both over the moon with last nights result.
I had spent the previous week in LA. Originally had only planned to stay for a night on my way through but was persuaded otherwise by my awesome host Peak, she convinced me of some fun things to do as she had just lost her job so had loads of free time to show me round. After quite alot of partying recently in SF and Vancouver it was nice to have a more calm week, although of course Halloween is a huge party here. I dressed up as Austin Powers (as I have the glasses and accent it made sense) and we spent the night partying at some friends appartment and then went up to West Hollywood for the Halloween parade, a real freak show. However, I'm jumping ahead as alot happened earlier in the week.
Highlights of LA included singing "The Wichita Lineman" by Glen Campbell http://wyoutube.comww./watch?v=4qoymGCDYzU at a karaoke night in a Thai restaurant; going to the coolest lounge bar ever, The Dresden Room http://www.thedresden.com/lounge.html where we watched the legendary Marty and Elayne perform; going to a Krav Maga martial arts class; riding a tandem along Venice beach; an avant garde jazz concert performed at the Hammer Museum by Larry Ochs Sax http://www.outpostspace.org/node/566 , we even went for dinner in a swanky restaurant afterwards with the band, the drummer is a friend of Peaks, and even better the Hammer museum kindly picked up the bill! Another friend of Peaks was an actress who we watched dress rehearse her one woman show where she plays 4 characters, it was really impressive.
Probably my favourite experience though was going over to San Pedro to watch another of Peaks friends, Mike Watts record his monthly Podcast. It is recorded at his friends house, affectionately known as "The Love Grotto", home to the most righteous Brother Matt. We got there an hour late (of course) but were warmly received as we brought gifts of sushi, Doritos and salsa. The show always kicks off with a track from John Coltrane and lasts 3 hours, a combination of great, eclectic music, conversation and a 30 minute chill out mix from Brother Matt. I didn't realise how interactive our roles would be, Mike asked me about my favourite band (of course I answered The Stone Roses) amongst other questions and discussions the group had. It can be heard at http://twfps.com/ , I'm even listed as a guest on the website synopsis of the show, how bizarre! Anyway, there is some great music on there so worth a listen.
Other highlights of LA included the Nakatomi Building from Die Hard (it is in one piece, not like at the end of the movie) and the Getty Museum, which is beautiful.
As always dear reader uploading photos is awkward. Public libraries don't tend to let users connect anything to the PCs so I will try to get some shots up soon.
Next stop will be Truth or Consequence, where I am definitely looking forward to enjoying the hot springs. On Monday I leave for Mexico City, and from there Cuba where I am really looking forward to hearing the wonderful local music.
Friday, October 31, 2008
San Francisco
The journey from Vancouver to San Francisco was fun. Fun that is if you like getting up at 4.30am, getting on a bus for 4 hours and then transferring to a train, for the next 26 hours. Although, as always the scenery was spectacular, which helps pass the time, as does a good book "Skinema" by this crazy guy http://www.chrisnieratko.com/ . Unfortunately the company over dinner on the train was not up to its usual standards, i got lumped ith a really boring Australian with a ridiculous Mr Tibbs from The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe type beard.
Anyway, got to San Francisco, where I was staying for my first two nights with a friend of a friend of a friend from Vancouver, basically went out clubbing in Vancouver, got on well with this guy called Sonar who hooked me up with his buddy Josh in SF. Josh was a real cool guy, we chilled at his place the frst night with a very entertaining friend of his called Henry "Mark, I'm going to be straight with you; do you smoke pot?" Vega. Henry kept us entertained and we had a quiet night in listening to some great music http://web.stephenmarleymusic.com/index.jsp and www.herbaliser.com .
The next day was spent chilling, eating, mooching around with Joshs room mate Terry, also a kug fu man, so we talked kung fu, politics, conspiracy theories etc. He told me a great story about his old sifu, who is now retired who fought Bruce Lee in the 60s in San Francisco. The fight was recreated in the movie Dragon, about Bruce Lee's life but apparently it didn't go the way Hollywood interpreted it ie the result of the fight was pretty much disputed, it would appear more likely against Lee's favour. I did a yoga class that night as well, that was great, and the teacher was gorgeous, a bonus I guess. That night Josh and I checked out some live underground hip hop and then a reggae club, Josh being a big reggae and dancehall fan.
The following morning was interesting. I was leaving Josh's to go stay with some couchsurfers in another part of town. Before leaving I ran into Joshs other room mate, an ex Dead Head, who were a bunch of hippies that followed The Grateful Dead on tour for pretty much 10 years solid, a non stop party. I can't remember his name right now, but anyway before leaving he offered me some cake. I was hungry, hadn't eaten breakfast and despite the fact that the cake was made with Cannabis butter thought i should have some to fill the gap in my rumbling stomach. About an hour later i really felt it, walking around with my rucksack on my back, looking for my couchsurfing host was super fun, saw some really strange folk as i wandered into the wrong part of town on my way but eventually hooked up with Jansen, one of the 3 guys i was staying with for the res of my time in SF.
So we went and had a couple of beers and some food, met up with Felipe, Jansens house mate and then they took me out for a drive, over the Golden Gate and up into the hills for an awesome view of the bridge and the city beyond. That night, we hit Ashbury Haights and then somewhere else I don't remember before ending up in Felipes girlfriends bar, we she gave me a shot of what I believe was White Window, a phantom spirit that should never be drunk. Ever. It's basically the shot that finishes you off, and tastes like the wors drink you ever had. We've all had a White Window, it's just what I call it. That night we met an amazing dude called Hudson, who looked hard as nails, Hells Angels style and also rather wired, who was driving around in what must be an incredibly expensive 1930s Mercedes Benz, in immaculate condition, the kind of car you see in a museum and never on the road being driven by a high as a kite Hells Angel. Hudson rocked. Big time.
Anyway, the following morning I concluded I must have ben drunk the night before, as I had a hangover. We went and had brunch, then some tourist stuff, ie down by Pier 39 for the sea lions, people watching etc and I had my first ever In and Out Burger, Californias finest and freshest burger joint. My advice is to order the Double Double (two burgers, two pieces of bread) and Fries, Animal style (covered in melted cheese and onions) and a Neapolitan shake (Vanilla, strawberry and chocolate flavours!). Just do it next time you are there, trust me.
That night was then spent at a Halloween dress rehearsal house party outside of San Francisco. There was probably about 30 people there, all very friendly and good fun. I learnt how to play beer pong (lost quite badly, which basically involved me having to drink alot of beer faster than i would like to do so), smoked grass through an hollowed out apple and had alot of laughs with some new friends. People are the same pretty much everywhere i guess, same frustrations, same hopes and dreams. Talking of which, Tuesday is the election, and it is really interesting to be here for such a momentous occasion, the wold can change for the better hopefully next week. The majority of my trip has been through the bigger cities of the US, as such the people tend to be more world facing than some of the Mid West states, the heartland of America, which I believe is more McCain territory, less liberal, more Conservative and of course as I am Couchsurfing i am tending to meet more liberal people, not everyone would invite a complete stranger into their home and welcome them as a friend (although my advice is DO IT, it will change your life for the better!). Anyway, this means pretty much everywhere i have been has been about Obama, these people are really hoping and praying for change, as a foreigner here i guess i am particuarly interested in US foreign policy ,and the perception of America over recent years outside of their huge country. The people i have met in general want a change, they have sen that they are no longer neccesarily seen as the good guys by the world and in general they want a change of direction, a return to the old fashioned America, some things here are pretty on top in terms of government and law, but i must say the people i meet in this country are amazing, kind, generous, full of life and enthusiasm, and all round decent people.
So, end of tangent and back on track. Sunday in SF was all about the game (American Football, the SF 49ers vs the Seattle Seahawks). And tailgating. Tailgating being parking your truck in the car park a few hours before the game, setting up base, chairs, tables, BBQ, beer and snacks. Some people even wire up TVs, lay down carpets and fly flags, it's mad. Unfortunately we missed the start of the tailgating due to over enthusiatic events of the night before, but we managed to get bargain tickets from touts ("Scalpers " in American English, something else that fascinates me mere, the language) and had a great time at the game. To be honest, I didn't watch much of the action, I was focussed on the crowd atmosphere, it is more like a party, friends meeting up, drinking beer, eating hot dogs and of course watching the gorgeous cheer leaders. I loved those girls. Every single one of them, great entertainment. It was nothing like a football game at home, slower paced, alot of razzamatazz and just really chilled, although 49er fans may see that differently as they got spanked on their home turf.
That pretty much concludes my time in SF. It is a crazy town, so many hippies and freaks, just everywhere in everyday places, unlike any other city i have visited. In fact, every town i have called into has had its own characters, adventures and personality/identity. It's a huge and diverse country.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Where To Begin
Wow, so much has happened, alot to catch up on, plus I realised I forgot to write about my time in Chicago, which was about 3 weeks and many thousands of miles ago! So, to get things started here are some long overdue photos. Starting with Seattle.
So, some shots of the Space Needle, Bruce and Brandon Lee's graves, a statue of Jimi Hendrix, Dicks drive in for awesome burgers and shakes, Farmers Market, Science Fiction Museum and public library (i have visited the library in every town i go to, free internet, drinking fountains and clean bathrooms, although you do get alot of weirdos in there!)
Anyway, I hope you can read what is written on the first photo in this entry, it is the inscription on Brandon Lee's gravestone, pretty moving I'm sure you will agree.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Vancouver, 24 hour train journey, San Francisco
Again, struggling with getting online, so this is going to be done from memory, could be sketchy. VAncouver was fun, stayed with a friend called Mike, who is going to be travelling with me in SOuth America, we'll meet up on the 26th November in Costa Rica. Anyway, his place had flooded so we stayed at his friends place, occupied by 4 gnarly skate dudes, who drink beer, gamble and smoke bongs when not skateboarding or working. As such, friday night consisted of beer, vodka, bongs and playing dice, which i managed to win at twice and overall not get completely fleeced. Saturday day was down at the track, again lost money but only about $5. In the evening we went on a party boat which cruised around the bay paying drum and bass and lasted 4 hours, by the end it was rocking and the party continued at Shine nightclub, and ended with 3 slices of pizza and a hot dog at 4am on the way home.
On Sunday we drove up to Whistler, a couple of hours up the mountain. Not quite cold enough for snow yet so the season hadn't started for skiing, butit was a great trip to see the immense natural beauty of the mountains, waterfalls and nature in general (we saw a real live bear in the wild on the side of the road, Mike pulled over and tried to attract its attention, which luckily he didn't!) .
Stayed in a hotel, went to a club and then back to Vancouver the next day. Gotta go now, out of time at the library. To be continued......
On Sunday we drove up to Whistler, a couple of hours up the mountain. Not quite cold enough for snow yet so the season hadn't started for skiing, butit was a great trip to see the immense natural beauty of the mountains, waterfalls and nature in general (we saw a real live bear in the wild on the side of the road, Mike pulled over and tried to attract its attention, which luckily he didn't!) .
Stayed in a hotel, went to a club and then back to Vancouver the next day. Gotta go now, out of time at the library. To be continued......
Friday, October 17, 2008
Overdue
Been a while since i've really had chance to sit down with an internet connection and update this blog. So here I go, only about a weeks worth of stuff to remember. Anyway, last entry was Minneapolis. It turned out to be a cool town, at first i was freaked out by the business district with its huge faceless buildings that are scarily all interconnected by walkways at first floor level, apparently because it gets so cold in winter but it seems rather elitist to me, ie keeping people seperated. After exploring further i walked along the river, took a bunch of photos, which i still need to put up and then went to a kung fu class. The guys trained Southern Praying Mantis style and were great people. I was actively encouraged by the teacher, Casey, to do my best to kick my training partner, a fifteen year old called Jeremiah as hard as i could, in the balls, "he really likes it" said Casey. It turns out, rather disturbingly, that Jeremiah did like it, he laughed out loud when my foot connected with his nuts. Strange kid. Anyway, it was a good class, we trained kung fu and did some hard core exercises.
Went back to my hosts Renee and Jacobs place after that, had some dinner and then they took me out. Jacob was playing at a warehouse rave that night, he was looking forward to it as it was his first time playing this particular party and he played a great techno set, opening up the night at 2am, in a disused warehouse up on the fourth floor. It was a cool location, you had to go up the external fire escape stairs at the back of the building to get in and in the morning there were great views out of the 4th floor windows of the sun rising. Met some great people in there including a rather muddled guy called Bob, Mike who talked alot and many others. In fact it was a very muddled crowd in general, alot of glowstick waving, B boy dance offs and even some roller skaters. Brilliant night out.
The next day we went to an open day in an artists community, Jacob was djing again, this time a hip hop set. At 1030 i set off again on the Empire Builder to Minot, a really random little town i n North Dakota. Stopped off there for the day. It had been snowing, was really cold and rained all day. I pretty much just stayed in my bed and breakfast and enjoyed the luxury of a double bed and cable TV, first time i've slept like that in months. An early start the next day, fuelled by an excellent breakfast was the longest stretch so far travelling, 27 hours to Seattle. As it started at 9am it wasn't so bad, i read "The Tao of Kung Fu" by Bruce Lee (who's final resting place I would later visit in Seattle), drank cups of tea, watched some amazing scenery go by and chatted with fellow passengers. Met some really interesting people, including a gold prospector returning from a fruitless week in the Rockies (who carried an AK 47 for protection in the mountains, from bears and humans), a hunter who had just snared pheasants and an elk (his favoured weapon being the crossbow) and a full voting memeber of the Cherokee tribe (who invited me to stay should I visit Portland!). There had been pretty heavy snow in Montana, which fortunately didnt affect the trains (slow but steady) progress but did provide some breathtaking scenery, pictures will be posted soon.
Finally made it to Seattle, birthplace of Jimi Hendrix and Curt Cobain and resting place of Bruce Lee. Some pretty big cultural icons of the 20th century, Jimi and Bruce particuarly being heroes of mine so it was cool to be here. Did my usual walking around town, ate some good food (vietnamese soup is awesome), finally found Bruce and Brandon Lee's graves at my second visit to Lake View Cemetery, went to the Science Fiction and Rock and Roll museums (got told off twice for taking photos, its prohibited for some lame reason-thats not exactly rock and roll now is it?). The science fiction bit was OK but the rock n roll bit was lame, it's owned by Paul Allen, the guy who set up Microsoft with Bill Gates (headquartered here in Seattle), so it seemed a bit too much like some billionaires private collection, ie a guy who had probably never been in a mosh pit in his life, maybe even a gig, that had just paid someone to go out and buy a bunch of memorabilia. I wouldn't recommend it.
Managed to attend a wing chun class here last night with a real nice teacher. Only two students were there so he spent alot of time with me which was good.
Anyway, off to Vancouver to see my pal Mike this afternoon so signing off now, hope to have photos up soon.
Went back to my hosts Renee and Jacobs place after that, had some dinner and then they took me out. Jacob was playing at a warehouse rave that night, he was looking forward to it as it was his first time playing this particular party and he played a great techno set, opening up the night at 2am, in a disused warehouse up on the fourth floor. It was a cool location, you had to go up the external fire escape stairs at the back of the building to get in and in the morning there were great views out of the 4th floor windows of the sun rising. Met some great people in there including a rather muddled guy called Bob, Mike who talked alot and many others. In fact it was a very muddled crowd in general, alot of glowstick waving, B boy dance offs and even some roller skaters. Brilliant night out.
The next day we went to an open day in an artists community, Jacob was djing again, this time a hip hop set. At 1030 i set off again on the Empire Builder to Minot, a really random little town i n North Dakota. Stopped off there for the day. It had been snowing, was really cold and rained all day. I pretty much just stayed in my bed and breakfast and enjoyed the luxury of a double bed and cable TV, first time i've slept like that in months. An early start the next day, fuelled by an excellent breakfast was the longest stretch so far travelling, 27 hours to Seattle. As it started at 9am it wasn't so bad, i read "The Tao of Kung Fu" by Bruce Lee (who's final resting place I would later visit in Seattle), drank cups of tea, watched some amazing scenery go by and chatted with fellow passengers. Met some really interesting people, including a gold prospector returning from a fruitless week in the Rockies (who carried an AK 47 for protection in the mountains, from bears and humans), a hunter who had just snared pheasants and an elk (his favoured weapon being the crossbow) and a full voting memeber of the Cherokee tribe (who invited me to stay should I visit Portland!). There had been pretty heavy snow in Montana, which fortunately didnt affect the trains (slow but steady) progress but did provide some breathtaking scenery, pictures will be posted soon.
Finally made it to Seattle, birthplace of Jimi Hendrix and Curt Cobain and resting place of Bruce Lee. Some pretty big cultural icons of the 20th century, Jimi and Bruce particuarly being heroes of mine so it was cool to be here. Did my usual walking around town, ate some good food (vietnamese soup is awesome), finally found Bruce and Brandon Lee's graves at my second visit to Lake View Cemetery, went to the Science Fiction and Rock and Roll museums (got told off twice for taking photos, its prohibited for some lame reason-thats not exactly rock and roll now is it?). The science fiction bit was OK but the rock n roll bit was lame, it's owned by Paul Allen, the guy who set up Microsoft with Bill Gates (headquartered here in Seattle), so it seemed a bit too much like some billionaires private collection, ie a guy who had probably never been in a mosh pit in his life, maybe even a gig, that had just paid someone to go out and buy a bunch of memorabilia. I wouldn't recommend it.
Managed to attend a wing chun class here last night with a real nice teacher. Only two students were there so he spent alot of time with me which was good.
Anyway, off to Vancouver to see my pal Mike this afternoon so signing off now, hope to have photos up soon.
Friday, October 10, 2008
The Long Journey Accross The States
Currently in Minneapolis so getting further North as I head West accross the USA, which means it is getting COLDER! Bought a jacket to keep me warm for the next two weeks before i start heading south again and back into some lovely sunshine. Unfortunately I lost my treasured yellow and brown Colombian wooly hat at the top of the Sears Building in Chicago, the tallest building in North America (110 stories high). The staff put out a high alert APB for the hat but unfortunately as of yet it has not been returned. They have my contac tdetails and are continuing to search for it, I live in hope. Besides that, Chicago was great, shame i couldn't stay for longer. Met some really cool people, stayed with 2 lovely couchsurfing hosts and saw some great architecture and music. Also drank a very good beer and smoked some pot.
The train ride from NY to Chicago took 18 hours and was a bit of a drag. Trains here go 60 MPH top speed! Chicago to Minneapolis was better as it was a bigger train, a double decker that has a really cool observation car with comfy seats facing the windows, which are extra big and go right up to the ceiling of the carriage to give great views of the American countryside flasing by. We crossed the Missisipi last night and i am going for a walk along it later. Will add photos when I can. Going to a party tonight with my couchsurfing hosts and then heading off tomorrow for Seattle, still a couple of days away, am breaking the journey down with an overnight stop in Minot, some random town in the middle of nowhere, and then from there it is a 24 hour train ride to Seattle. Getting lots of reading done on the train journeys!
The train ride from NY to Chicago took 18 hours and was a bit of a drag. Trains here go 60 MPH top speed! Chicago to Minneapolis was better as it was a bigger train, a double decker that has a really cool observation car with comfy seats facing the windows, which are extra big and go right up to the ceiling of the carriage to give great views of the American countryside flasing by. We crossed the Missisipi last night and i am going for a walk along it later. Will add photos when I can. Going to a party tonight with my couchsurfing hosts and then heading off tomorrow for Seattle, still a couple of days away, am breaking the journey down with an overnight stop in Minot, some random town in the middle of nowhere, and then from there it is a 24 hour train ride to Seattle. Getting lots of reading done on the train journeys!
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Life In The Big Apple
Not really sure where to begin on this one. I'm having such a great time exploring New York and have met so many crazy and interesting characters here. I've extended my stay until Monday, a really cool guy from http://www.couchsurfing.com/ has let me stay at his place until Monday so decided to stick around a few more days. So far, I have done a load of tourist stuff, now including the Empire State and Statue of Liberty but have more to do. Have also done alot of walking around (getting lost alot as well) and getting away from the tourist spots ie Manhattan. Met some cool people in The Village, Brooklyn and been to some awesome gigs and parties too.
Last Saturday was awesome, I left the hostel at 1pm with no idea what i was going to do, walked down to the subway and got on the train. Decided to go to Grand Central Station (coolest station in the world) and picjed up a tourist guide. Flicked through that and decided to go to the Guggenheimer as it was raining. Looked round the museum, which i didnt like as much as MOMA, although the building itself inside is worth visiting alone for its design. Then decided to head to The Village. However the train didnt stop at my staion so i stayed on until City Hall where i got off and crossed by foot Brooklyn Bridge into DUMBO. Brookly Bridge is awesome, took some great photos of the bridge, the views and the traffic below. Down at DUMBO they were having an arts festival, its become an artsy place in recent years, warehouses converted into lofts, galleries and workshops. All were open to the public this weekend and there were mad projections on all the buildings, music everywhere, food and drink in the streets. Walked around a bit, taking photos, watched an amazing brasilian samba band playing in the street and then followed them into a restaurant/bar where they continued playing and got everyone dancing.After this i was hungry so went and got a slice of pizza and a beer out on the street. Got chatting to some new yokers who invited me to a house party round the corner, what a party, it was a showcase for a couple of New York rock bands in an amazing loft appartment, the biggest i've ever been in, it had a proper stage and sound system and even a bar, and was full of mad decorations, subway signs, trapeezes hanging from the ceiling and some crazy artsy new york folk looking to PARTY. watched a great gig there and then went to a bar round the corner to unwind with my new friends andy, michelle and suzy, who thought my british accent was great!
So what else have i done in NY? Have had some great food, mostly in restaurants recomended by and dining with Couch Surfers Neil, Nelson and Connie along with other surfers passing through the city. HAve had Thai, Chinese in Chinatown, Cuban, Japanese, Italian, American style breakfasts (big!). Went to a great gig last night in the village, The Black Kids, with a Couchsurfer called Cathryn, who then took me to a really seedy 'dive bar', basically dive bars being cheap, dingy bars full of very drunk and often dodgy characters. The place was covered in graffiti, in parts entertaining ("Jesus Knievel") and others abusive ("Moose Tits"!?), had an awesome jukebox playing classic american and british rock, 3 selections for a dollar and a great bar staff, the guy knew everything about rock and was clearly not quite all there. The clientele were interesting to say the least, we chatted with Jesse, a new yorker musician/actor/blagger who got a bit too drunk, i was abused by afat drunk called Joel who sat in the corner, for being "dutch", apparently he doesnt like the Dutch, his drinking buddy proceeded to fall off his stoll and remain on the floor for the rest of the night. All in all, another great New York night.
Its not all parying though, have been to an excellent yoga class which was a bit like the kids from fame for some reason, i guess because there were loads of new york girls in leotards and leg warmers etc and have even managed to get in some kung fu training with a fellow couch surfer.
Anyway, have planned next stage of trip, train accross country, calling in at chicago and Minneapolis before reaching Seattle. It's a 2206 mile journey, should be interesting. I have split it into 3 to make it a bit more bearable, US trains are not high speed like in Europe so it will take about a week including stop offs, the air and oil industries lobby the govenment to prevent investment and improvements, the man is always there i guess trying to mess things up.
Thats my little rant over, trying to add a link to recent photos. here it is hopefully:
Last Saturday was awesome, I left the hostel at 1pm with no idea what i was going to do, walked down to the subway and got on the train. Decided to go to Grand Central Station (coolest station in the world) and picjed up a tourist guide. Flicked through that and decided to go to the Guggenheimer as it was raining. Looked round the museum, which i didnt like as much as MOMA, although the building itself inside is worth visiting alone for its design. Then decided to head to The Village. However the train didnt stop at my staion so i stayed on until City Hall where i got off and crossed by foot Brooklyn Bridge into DUMBO. Brookly Bridge is awesome, took some great photos of the bridge, the views and the traffic below. Down at DUMBO they were having an arts festival, its become an artsy place in recent years, warehouses converted into lofts, galleries and workshops. All were open to the public this weekend and there were mad projections on all the buildings, music everywhere, food and drink in the streets. Walked around a bit, taking photos, watched an amazing brasilian samba band playing in the street and then followed them into a restaurant/bar where they continued playing and got everyone dancing.After this i was hungry so went and got a slice of pizza and a beer out on the street. Got chatting to some new yokers who invited me to a house party round the corner, what a party, it was a showcase for a couple of New York rock bands in an amazing loft appartment, the biggest i've ever been in, it had a proper stage and sound system and even a bar, and was full of mad decorations, subway signs, trapeezes hanging from the ceiling and some crazy artsy new york folk looking to PARTY. watched a great gig there and then went to a bar round the corner to unwind with my new friends andy, michelle and suzy, who thought my british accent was great!
So what else have i done in NY? Have had some great food, mostly in restaurants recomended by and dining with Couch Surfers Neil, Nelson and Connie along with other surfers passing through the city. HAve had Thai, Chinese in Chinatown, Cuban, Japanese, Italian, American style breakfasts (big!). Went to a great gig last night in the village, The Black Kids, with a Couchsurfer called Cathryn, who then took me to a really seedy 'dive bar', basically dive bars being cheap, dingy bars full of very drunk and often dodgy characters. The place was covered in graffiti, in parts entertaining ("Jesus Knievel") and others abusive ("Moose Tits"!?), had an awesome jukebox playing classic american and british rock, 3 selections for a dollar and a great bar staff, the guy knew everything about rock and was clearly not quite all there. The clientele were interesting to say the least, we chatted with Jesse, a new yorker musician/actor/blagger who got a bit too drunk, i was abused by afat drunk called Joel who sat in the corner, for being "dutch", apparently he doesnt like the Dutch, his drinking buddy proceeded to fall off his stoll and remain on the floor for the rest of the night. All in all, another great New York night.
Its not all parying though, have been to an excellent yoga class which was a bit like the kids from fame for some reason, i guess because there were loads of new york girls in leotards and leg warmers etc and have even managed to get in some kung fu training with a fellow couch surfer.
Anyway, have planned next stage of trip, train accross country, calling in at chicago and Minneapolis before reaching Seattle. It's a 2206 mile journey, should be interesting. I have split it into 3 to make it a bit more bearable, US trains are not high speed like in Europe so it will take about a week including stop offs, the air and oil industries lobby the govenment to prevent investment and improvements, the man is always there i guess trying to mess things up.
Thats my little rant over, trying to add a link to recent photos. here it is hopefully:
 |
| new york |
 |
| This Is My Blog |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
