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Captain’s log, stardate 20 05 2007.

The time is 3:59am. Sensors tell me we’re travelling at 565mph, at 34,000 feet and the outside temperature is -58°C. It’s been 255 days since we embarked on our mission to explore strange new worlds and boldy go where a million other fresh faced graduates have gone. We’ve braved military coups, the Australians, American beer, Kava, tuk-tuks and each other. We’ve eaten several hundred tuna sandwiches and 3 metric tonnes of pasta. We’ve met cool people, stupid people, famous people and Germans. It’s been top of the pops, no two ways about it.

True. But sadly all good things must come to an end and the student loan company starts wondering if you’ve faked your own death. So it’s back to civvy street; readjusting to not living out of a rucksack or being able to talk to someone other than the cat over breakfast. We met a truck load of bob on people who I’m sure we’ll stay in contact with (if not purely for the chance to kip on their floor at some stage in the future).

Peace out, cheers, so long and thanks for all the (tuna) fish. Hooray for the World.

Tags Travel

After another brief stint in Santa Monica we made our way from West to East side (homie) passing Maria Sharapova at Los Angeles airport. We spent the final four nights of our travels in the Big Apple. We spent much of the time reflecting on the events of the previous 8 months; the things we’d seen and the people we’d met.

Tell you what, let’s have some photographs.

Tags new york Travel USA

We arrived early on a Monday evening and walked to the AYH hostel in the Gaslamp quarter. We were struck by just how busy all the bars and eateries were with trendy young things.

Apart from whale’s vaginas, I didn’t know what to expect from San Diego. Ultimately it was a more than pleasant surprise. Balboa Park is home to the zoo and all that guff.

It’s close to some beaches which is swell.

We took an organised tour from the hostel down to Tijuana as the Mexican border is only a few miles to the south. The old boy who took us was a thoroughly nice chap, Roy his name was. One of those guys you could really aspire to be like in those latter years. After a walking tour he left us and a German chap to enjoy a couple of Coronas. At a little over 50p a bottle it was too good an opportunity for us gringos to miss.

No more bothered inventing words. DIARY.

Day 245 Thursday 10th May 2007

I felt an undercurrent that suggested the guys wanted to go out. When I noticed Lewis had dug his ‘going out shoes’ out the bag I knew we were in business.

So we go out. Considered Hooters but opted for the place across the way. It seemed quiet. Funny how the past few nights we’d been kept awake by the raucous happenings and now this. The hottest thing there was our waitress whom we reluctantly tipped.

We decided to try our luck elsewhere but that place was dire so we returned. The door guy viewed my passport with such disdain I thought I wouldn’t get in. Knob. It was busier now but still a sausage festival. A hot drunk girl nearly got near us but was restrained by her friend. There was a girl looking lonely on our former table. [Rosey engages said girl in conversation.]

I was hungry and suggested Lewis and I leave Rosey and his new friend whilst we got some food. We got a few yards down the road before I suggested another drink. We enter a bar, buy a drink and quickly get talking to an American girl and her friends. I think one was Mexican and the other I can’t remember. She was blonde. They were all pretty hot. At some stage I became pretty drunk. It’s weird. I was in that same hazy plane I achieved in Flagstaff. We went back to the American girls place, or her brothers. Wow. It was amazing. A single ground floor expanse of space with kitchen, stairs, lounge, etc. Wow. I sat next to the blonde one and. Full stop.

Yes. It was truly amazing. But I forgot to write down the most glaring detail. The car was parked right in the middle of the room:

I wanted to tell them about my treehouse.

GOOD LORD THAT BLONDE ONE WOULD MAKE A SPIFFY WIFE.

We finished San Diego with a little baseball. The San Diego Padres vs the St Louis Cardinals.

The world has a go at us for cricket but baseball isn’t exactly a laugh a minute.

San Diego gets a ‘top of the bergen’ award.

Tags San Diego Travel