Greetings from my first few minutes in Madrid!
Things are rolling on well as I start the indefinite European leg of my journey! Living out of a bag, and sleeping on beds that can only be described as iron boards is getting a little bit tiresome, but being in Europe now is a nice change...there aren't very many loud Americans here, which is refreshing (excluding my American friends of course!)
The Australian passport has been packed away for the time being, and the European one gets its turn! Walked straight through customs like I was showing a season ticket at a footy match! Nice seeing as the non EU passport line was clocking up some serious kilometres!
Arrived into Portugal at 6am last week (effectively 12am NY time, so I lost a whole night!). Once through, I sat down to get my bearings and figure out where I was going, only to notice two dodgy fellas watching me closely. With all my bags, they were probably licking their lips at another gullible tourist to scam and steal from! I moved around the airport a bit to try and lose them. Then they sat a few metres ahead of where I sat, watching me out of the side of their shifty eyes whilst pretending to have a conversation! Very subtle, fellas! Jumped into a cab and left them to try it on with some other fool! (Oh, and cabs here are Mercedes Benz...none of those battered up Falcons here!)
Have been sampling the local food and drink of course. Went to a bar and had Mojitos (its a Manly drink over here!) and Tapas (comes with your drinks, and avoids the need for those hearty two minute noodle banquets!). Then there is Port (where it originates)...and at $1.50 for a whole bottle, how can you resist (unless you follow hindsight the next morning!).
The homeless here don't seem to move. Each individual one takes up the same post each day, everyday, all day. Its like they are an extension of the buildings! This spot is usually outside a bank, or a fashionable clothes shop that attracts people with money. Finding an ATM with an accompanying bum is a task. I almost hit one of the bastards when he started getting in close and hassling me for cash whilst I was trying to get out money...really wish I knew how to swear in Portuguese sometimes!
Double denim seems to be 'cool' over here! I'd put the ratio at 1 in 5! A sad state of affairs. Even one of the dodgy blokes who stalked me at the airport was in DD. Please...how can I respect a thief in that clobber...you were never a chance in that outfit sunshine!
Looking for a bite to eat can be tricky over here. Just a millisecond of eye contact with a menu, and an 'alarm' goes off, and a waiter is out there trying to hook you into their eatery. How can they all be the best, that's just what I want to know! We ended up going to a place that didn't hassle us and that was half the price...in full view of most of these waiters sporting looks of disgust! One of the best meals I have had though, so suck it!
Hit some bars in Lisbon the other night. The first bar was literally empty when we entered (a Tuesday night though). Even so, would you believe they kicked us out, because we wouldn't wear our hats backwards! Great business plan they have ! The next bar ended up being a strip bar. Many of the blokes in the bar, were accompanied by their wives and/or girlfriends...just a quiet romantic night out I guess...catch a show! All except a mysterious man sitting in the far corner, dressed like Zorro (Black hat, black cape, beard!). He had a different girl at his table every 5 minutes...speed dating with Zorro...Portugal is the place ladies! Once the grandma out front had finished her routine, the girls from our hostel started busting some moves to the dodgy 80's tracks playing (regarded as New Release/Top 40 over here though!), turning a seedy strip club into a dance club (still seedy though!). The leather faced old man owner, and his equally leather faced waitresses (must be a prerequisite for a job) weren't too impressed, but the customers were, also getting up and dancing. Zorro remained cool calm an collected in his corner, not batting an eyelid (what a cool bloke!), but some midget chick came from no where and started dancing on tables. Random! We left soon after! Not a moment too soon really!
After Lisbon, I bussed it up to Porto. I was seated next to a nun. Quite interesting choreography really, I was slouched in my seat, drifting in and out of sleep, hung-over, and she maintained perfect posture for the entire 2 hours, and barely batted an eyelid! Conversation was at a minimum between the two of us! Good of her to keep it down to a dull roar!
Porto is the home of Port wines of course, so we mingled with the higher echelon of society...for about 5 minutes each place. Being the cheapskate backpackers we are, we had our three free samples at each place and moved on to the next Portery! There were about eight of them, so we were getting a little loose by the end of it!
Have contacted the CSIRO to conduct tests on the mother of all snorers I had in my dorm. Literally the entire dorm relocated to the common room to get away from this guy. We are talking triple figure decibals here...and arhythmic! Really looking forward to the day I no longer stay in dorms with the snorers, the cheesefeet, and the ones who like to conduct conversations about greenpeace in their sleep!
It has been tricky getting by knowing only two Portuguese words (Thankyou and Apricots -so sick of Apricots!). I can also count to three!. Luckily one of the girls I was hanging out with is fluent in Portuguese, so I was able to deviate to other foods....whilst still being able to maintain politeness on my own!
Now my adventures in Spain begin, having just arrived in Madrid. Got a ripper bout of the flu now, which was totally compatible with the 10 hour bus ride here! The bus had no toilet either, so at each stop there was a stampede to get to the restrooms...so I can now tick off having taken part in the running of the bulls!
Well, according to Spanish customs, a siesta is now in order...I feel obliged to comply!
Till next time
Mossy out..
Wednesday, 12 December 2007
Tuesday, 4 December 2007
Goodbye America...Hello Europe
Greetings Y'All from the Big Granny Smith....Noo Yawk!
The last few weeks have been all go go go, and has seen me make stops in Toronto, Niagara, Montreal, Quebec City, Boston and New York! Its been an awesome few weeks, and some of the highlights have been:
MONTREAL: I certainly didn't expect French to be so dominant here, all the signs and billboards are in French...quite a contrast from Toronto (even though its a few hours away!). One cool thing I observed was in peoples conversations, one person spoke in French, and the other would respond in English, and then they would swap halfway through a sentence! Makes it hard for a sticky beak like me to eavesdrop on peoples juicy stories!
QUEBEC CITY: Couldn't find anyone who spoke English...and of course the one thing I left in Melbourne was my phrase book! I find myself making words up half the time...saying English words but making them sound French! The city is inside a wall, and stepping inside the walls is pretty much akin to stepping back in time a few centuries. I got a ride up with two Australian women (thank got I lost them for most of the day because they were driving me nuts!). The girl who hired the car was possibly the single worst driver.......EVER (knocked a few years off me I reckon!). After leaving the road and swerving sharply on several occasions (usually because she was distracted by a view or something), I asked her if she wanted me to take over (pretty bluntly suggesting she was a woeful driver really!). She insisted she was fine (obviously didn't get the hint!), so as she continued to drive, I started drafting up my will on my phone as an sms. With snow on the road, I wasn't too confidant really! BTW, it's all coming into the coffin with me, except my toe nail clippings, and my Billy Ray Cyrus shrine....they are up for grabs!
BACK TO THE USA: I got hammered by immigration on my return to the US. Pretty much had to pull out every document I had, to show to this absolute dumbarse prick, who couldn't understand how I was travelling without working. After about 20 minutes of interigating me (whilst the bus waited for me, and despite him seeing I had a ticket out of the US within 90 days), he finally allowed me in.....I have sinced crossed him off my chrismas card list (life doesn't come out of a manual....fuckwit!). Security is ridiculous in the USA, even going to the Statue of Liberty involved getting half naked!
BOSTON: A really nice city. It has the oldest subway system in America. Obviously built by the early Irish immigrants who must have started construction after a guiness or five! No part of the tunnel is ever straight, staying up straight as the train moves, is similar to being a beginner surfer or snowboarder! You have to hold on for dear life as the train swings around the twisting tunnels! Of course, I had a drink at Cheers (the bar from the sitcom, no Norm there though, and Kirstie Alley was shooting another Jenny Craig ad I think!), and went to an NBA game at the famous Boston Garden....and later again to one at Madison Square Garden in New York....great fun (except for having to stand up for the US anthem...get bent!)
Caught a dodgy Chinese bus from Boston to New York for $15 (not bad for a 4 hour journey!). You will recall my pleasant plane ride to Vegas with the Japanese businessmen and there incessant spitting. Well, if they were the three tenors, we had the whole orchestra on this ride! Keeping them all in time, was a lady in front of me, who kept burping (she excused herself after the first burp....which I guess must have covered her for the next 40 or so!). Canada is so much classier than the US, thats for sure!
NEW YORK CITY: What can I say....it is something else...frickin awesome! It is impossible to get bored in this city...its always on! Started out staying up in Harlem, which is full of skinny African-Americans in big arse puffy jackets, loitering on every street corner trying to intimidate you! Luckily I managed to avoid the odds, and not get mugged! The hostel provides complimentary stab/bullet proof vests, a Harlem slang phrase book, and the lyrics to a 50 Cent track, so I was armed with the nessesities! New Yorkers are....'interesting' people. Have seen heaps of random verbal wars between people out in public, saw one guy go nuts at another bloke for walking within a metre of him (what an ego...bloody yanks!), and if your a driver at the lights, and the light turns red, if you dont get moving withing 0.056 of a second, you will get honked repeatedly! Even though there is a $350 fine for honking (as is signposted everywhere!). Its good fun around China town. I went shopping and took part in a game of haggle the vendor. Good fun....they buckle so easy!
Well, I am getting ready to leave for Portugal now, gotta go brush up on that non-existant Portugese of mine!
The last few weeks have been all go go go, and has seen me make stops in Toronto, Niagara, Montreal, Quebec City, Boston and New York! Its been an awesome few weeks, and some of the highlights have been:
MONTREAL: I certainly didn't expect French to be so dominant here, all the signs and billboards are in French...quite a contrast from Toronto (even though its a few hours away!). One cool thing I observed was in peoples conversations, one person spoke in French, and the other would respond in English, and then they would swap halfway through a sentence! Makes it hard for a sticky beak like me to eavesdrop on peoples juicy stories!
QUEBEC CITY: Couldn't find anyone who spoke English...and of course the one thing I left in Melbourne was my phrase book! I find myself making words up half the time...saying English words but making them sound French! The city is inside a wall, and stepping inside the walls is pretty much akin to stepping back in time a few centuries. I got a ride up with two Australian women (thank got I lost them for most of the day because they were driving me nuts!). The girl who hired the car was possibly the single worst driver.......EVER (knocked a few years off me I reckon!). After leaving the road and swerving sharply on several occasions (usually because she was distracted by a view or something), I asked her if she wanted me to take over (pretty bluntly suggesting she was a woeful driver really!). She insisted she was fine (obviously didn't get the hint!), so as she continued to drive, I started drafting up my will on my phone as an sms. With snow on the road, I wasn't too confidant really! BTW, it's all coming into the coffin with me, except my toe nail clippings, and my Billy Ray Cyrus shrine....they are up for grabs!
BACK TO THE USA: I got hammered by immigration on my return to the US. Pretty much had to pull out every document I had, to show to this absolute dumbarse prick, who couldn't understand how I was travelling without working. After about 20 minutes of interigating me (whilst the bus waited for me, and despite him seeing I had a ticket out of the US within 90 days), he finally allowed me in.....I have sinced crossed him off my chrismas card list (life doesn't come out of a manual....fuckwit!). Security is ridiculous in the USA, even going to the Statue of Liberty involved getting half naked!
BOSTON: A really nice city. It has the oldest subway system in America. Obviously built by the early Irish immigrants who must have started construction after a guiness or five! No part of the tunnel is ever straight, staying up straight as the train moves, is similar to being a beginner surfer or snowboarder! You have to hold on for dear life as the train swings around the twisting tunnels! Of course, I had a drink at Cheers (the bar from the sitcom, no Norm there though, and Kirstie Alley was shooting another Jenny Craig ad I think!), and went to an NBA game at the famous Boston Garden....and later again to one at Madison Square Garden in New York....great fun (except for having to stand up for the US anthem...get bent!)
Caught a dodgy Chinese bus from Boston to New York for $15 (not bad for a 4 hour journey!). You will recall my pleasant plane ride to Vegas with the Japanese businessmen and there incessant spitting. Well, if they were the three tenors, we had the whole orchestra on this ride! Keeping them all in time, was a lady in front of me, who kept burping (she excused herself after the first burp....which I guess must have covered her for the next 40 or so!). Canada is so much classier than the US, thats for sure!
NEW YORK CITY: What can I say....it is something else...frickin awesome! It is impossible to get bored in this city...its always on! Started out staying up in Harlem, which is full of skinny African-Americans in big arse puffy jackets, loitering on every street corner trying to intimidate you! Luckily I managed to avoid the odds, and not get mugged! The hostel provides complimentary stab/bullet proof vests, a Harlem slang phrase book, and the lyrics to a 50 Cent track, so I was armed with the nessesities! New Yorkers are....'interesting' people. Have seen heaps of random verbal wars between people out in public, saw one guy go nuts at another bloke for walking within a metre of him (what an ego...bloody yanks!), and if your a driver at the lights, and the light turns red, if you dont get moving withing 0.056 of a second, you will get honked repeatedly! Even though there is a $350 fine for honking (as is signposted everywhere!). Its good fun around China town. I went shopping and took part in a game of haggle the vendor. Good fun....they buckle so easy!
Well, I am getting ready to leave for Portugal now, gotta go brush up on that non-existant Portugese of mine!
Thursday, 15 November 2007
Viva Las Orleans
Yo Yo Y'all from downtown Toronto!
Great times at the moment, I just got into Toronto to find out that they sent my luggage on the wrong plane...so I sit here with no change of clothes, no contact lenses, no soap or shampoo...or means to even shower...hot hey! On the flip side...they accidently put me on Economy Plus (instead of Economy)...what that means is 5 extra inches of legroom...which means actual legroom! Much better than my flight into New Orleans, which had me wedged in between two very sweaty and obese people...I use the term wedged as the arm rests were not ergonomically sufficient for these particular passengers, unusable...solution...let them both rest on me! Thats 2 hours I wont get back!
Well the last fortnight has been a bit of a blur. It has involved Las Vegas (pretty sure I will develop Epilepsy from all those flashing lights!), the Grand Canyon (yeah, I can confirm its big!), New Orleans (not sure my liver enjoyed it so much!), and the Louisiana Swamps (Snakes, Alligators and the Ninja Turtles!)
THE LAS VEGAS EXPERIENCE
Vegas is ridiculous! Not even ten steps from the plane, and your confronted with slot machines...they also exist in local milk bars, post offices and are even embedded in the bars at pubs!
To start off with, my flight into Vegas was....whats the word....ah yes....charming! Had three Japanese business men seated behind me, methodically and regularly hoicking up flem and spitting into their vomit bags...just for the entire flight! My IPod was no protection from these awesome audio creations these "gentlemen" were making!
The Hostel I stayed in was interesting...no, dodgy is better! The area was the dodgy part. Walked past some blokes with big knives sticking out of their pockets...hmm, reassuring when they tell you you'll be fine! Waking up to an early morning drug deal outside your window was quite routine really!
The main Strip is pretty crazy. We hit up this massive club called Tryst (apparently all the celebrities go there...I witnessed more of your wannabe's!). Took us almost two hours to get in, mainly because most of us were not supermodels, or you know...female! Entry was at a backpacker friendy $30 ($20 for the girls!), and beers at the happy hour price of $10 each! Massive club though, 30 metre waterfall inside...just insane really! The Strip is a lot more spread out than Hollywood depicts....LIARS...my poor poor feet! I can now cross off the Statue of Liberty and Eiffel tower, Vegas has it all!
Once again, USA homelessness rears its head, in the form of beggars! They use a different strategy here though...they try sell you weed or crack! I guess a city where loose change goes straight into a machine, they have it all worked out...plus there is plenty of light in Vegas for them to be hortacultural!
THE NEW ORLEANS EXPERIENCE
New Orleans is a cracker of a city...and along with Mexico City, my favourite so far. Its mainly an African-American population, so the culture differs a lot from the other cities (being politically correct here...could have just said its full of Black People....oh shit, I just did!). People are pretty friendly really, and are proud of their city, and state, so a lot of them have never left, even after the floods.
The main part of the city is the French Quarter, which encapsulates the infamous Bourbon street! Pretty lively place, heaps of live music, some just playing in the street! You can just go a $2 bucket of beer from a vendor and walk in and out of whatever pub you like, and they close the street to cars each night, so its like one massive beer garden...thats my kind of system! Lots of the bars have 3 for 1 deals to get you to buy their beers, so getting 3 beers for $5 just scraped past the $10 vegas beer deals...I like those mathematics!
Had one guy claiming to be a Mohammad Ali lookalike trying to by us drinks...then trying to get us to meet people, then trying to see if we could give him $5! Random...I said sorry, I have no cash, but I wont take you up on that drink you were offering! He had nothing and left...maybe he should try the Vegas tactic!
On a downside though, there was still a lot of evidence of the hurricanes. I saw whole suburbs that were just ghost towns...most of the houses are pretty fucked. Think Broadmeadows, and multiply by.........actually just think Broadmeadows! Lots of the houses have graffiti tagging how many bodies were found still on them. A good fun city though, with an awesome nightlife and some ripper Alligators out in the swaps!
Anyway, gotta ring up the airport and give them hell, I want my clothes!
Mossy out.....
Great times at the moment, I just got into Toronto to find out that they sent my luggage on the wrong plane...so I sit here with no change of clothes, no contact lenses, no soap or shampoo...or means to even shower...hot hey! On the flip side...they accidently put me on Economy Plus (instead of Economy)...what that means is 5 extra inches of legroom...which means actual legroom! Much better than my flight into New Orleans, which had me wedged in between two very sweaty and obese people...I use the term wedged as the arm rests were not ergonomically sufficient for these particular passengers, unusable...solution...let them both rest on me! Thats 2 hours I wont get back!
Well the last fortnight has been a bit of a blur. It has involved Las Vegas (pretty sure I will develop Epilepsy from all those flashing lights!), the Grand Canyon (yeah, I can confirm its big!), New Orleans (not sure my liver enjoyed it so much!), and the Louisiana Swamps (Snakes, Alligators and the Ninja Turtles!)
THE LAS VEGAS EXPERIENCE
Vegas is ridiculous! Not even ten steps from the plane, and your confronted with slot machines...they also exist in local milk bars, post offices and are even embedded in the bars at pubs!
To start off with, my flight into Vegas was....whats the word....ah yes....charming! Had three Japanese business men seated behind me, methodically and regularly hoicking up flem and spitting into their vomit bags...just for the entire flight! My IPod was no protection from these awesome audio creations these "gentlemen" were making!
The Hostel I stayed in was interesting...no, dodgy is better! The area was the dodgy part. Walked past some blokes with big knives sticking out of their pockets...hmm, reassuring when they tell you you'll be fine! Waking up to an early morning drug deal outside your window was quite routine really!
The main Strip is pretty crazy. We hit up this massive club called Tryst (apparently all the celebrities go there...I witnessed more of your wannabe's!). Took us almost two hours to get in, mainly because most of us were not supermodels, or you know...female! Entry was at a backpacker friendy $30 ($20 for the girls!), and beers at the happy hour price of $10 each! Massive club though, 30 metre waterfall inside...just insane really! The Strip is a lot more spread out than Hollywood depicts....LIARS...my poor poor feet! I can now cross off the Statue of Liberty and Eiffel tower, Vegas has it all!
Once again, USA homelessness rears its head, in the form of beggars! They use a different strategy here though...they try sell you weed or crack! I guess a city where loose change goes straight into a machine, they have it all worked out...plus there is plenty of light in Vegas for them to be hortacultural!
THE NEW ORLEANS EXPERIENCE
New Orleans is a cracker of a city...and along with Mexico City, my favourite so far. Its mainly an African-American population, so the culture differs a lot from the other cities (being politically correct here...could have just said its full of Black People....oh shit, I just did!). People are pretty friendly really, and are proud of their city, and state, so a lot of them have never left, even after the floods.
The main part of the city is the French Quarter, which encapsulates the infamous Bourbon street! Pretty lively place, heaps of live music, some just playing in the street! You can just go a $2 bucket of beer from a vendor and walk in and out of whatever pub you like, and they close the street to cars each night, so its like one massive beer garden...thats my kind of system! Lots of the bars have 3 for 1 deals to get you to buy their beers, so getting 3 beers for $5 just scraped past the $10 vegas beer deals...I like those mathematics!
Had one guy claiming to be a Mohammad Ali lookalike trying to by us drinks...then trying to get us to meet people, then trying to see if we could give him $5! Random...I said sorry, I have no cash, but I wont take you up on that drink you were offering! He had nothing and left...maybe he should try the Vegas tactic!
On a downside though, there was still a lot of evidence of the hurricanes. I saw whole suburbs that were just ghost towns...most of the houses are pretty fucked. Think Broadmeadows, and multiply by.........actually just think Broadmeadows! Lots of the houses have graffiti tagging how many bodies were found still on them. A good fun city though, with an awesome nightlife and some ripper Alligators out in the swaps!
Anyway, gotta ring up the airport and give them hell, I want my clothes!
Mossy out.....
Tuesday, 30 October 2007
Crazy California
Hello from a Hot Hot Hot California!
Well, all things are going great guns here. Been partying hard, tricking my body into thinking I'm 21 again...and it punishes me with snail-paced recoveries (I just wont take a hint though!).
San Francisco is an awesome city, but it is an absolut
e prick to walk around! Some of the streets are so steep, the footpaths are simply staircases. Walking downhill is probably just as hard as uphill, but you look like more of a dick walking downhill! Lots of homeless here though, bit sad...they all have more possessions than me though, they walk around with shopping trolleys full of bags. Saw one begging today, he got money off a lady, said thanks, then straight to the liquor store! That's my boy!
Food here is insane. They served up free Thai the other day, complete with the following things to put on it, chilli sauce (normal), peanuts (okay fine), orange juice (what the fuck!) and sugar (are you serious!). All the yanks of course swamped their food with the latter two...they love there sweets! Got a slice of pizza and it was over a foot long, and a foot wide, and four of us ordered one plate of nachos, and could not finish them...the size of the food here is staggering...quite happy with the kids meals at this stage!
Went and
saw Alcatraz. It was pretty cool, but there was like 300+ people on the island. Wanted to test half of their swimming abilities by pushing them off the edge...fucking tourists! Went with my room mate from Ecuador, Carlos, who runs the biggest nightclub in Ecuador! I have been assured a big night as guest of honour when I go visit....sign me up!
Just got back from LA...crazy crazy place. After catching a bus through the Oakland Ghettos (you think Melbourne Hommies
wear big pants, you should see the Oakland folk!) and then mostly farmland, I arrived at my hostel in Hollywood around 8pm. Just as I was walking through the hostel door, about 50 people were bursting out on a pub crawl...taking me with them! Interesting night out, first bar was an all American bar like on the movies, then at the second bar I met some locals and went out with them and some other random Aussie who wasn't even from my hostel! Everything closes at 2am there which sucks...but was a blessing in disguise I guess...could have been an expensive night!
A few of the boys at the hostel hired a Mustang, so the next day we cruised around LA (the great American Dream!). Went down Mulholland Drive, to the big Hollywood sign, through Beverly Hills and to Santa Monica beach. From there we cycled to Venice Beach. Venice Beach is real bohemian, think Brunswick Street, times 100! They have gyms on the beach too. Rollerblading still seems to be "cool" here too! So too bandannas! Lots of street performers...and homeless begging...one beggar had a big cardboard sign that said FUCK OFF (we gave him a dollar for his troubles, I appreciate his honesty...he loved it!). Another reckons Jesus will be coming down on a white horse on Sunday...shit gonna miss it!
Most the shops in LA seem to be one of two things, Tattoo Parlours or Stripper supply shops! I notice people like to dress up as Movie Characters...without actually "performing". I walked behind "Zorro", and at each set of lights he did the Zorro thing with the sword, saying "Zorro", but he wasn't actually performing...I think he thought he was Zorro! Good on him!
So I went to see a Dr Phil taping! Interesting crowd....mainly middle aged women, some having dragged along disgruntled husbands. Also a fair few very gay men, and then there was me and another guy, Patrick....two Aussie bogans! They tucked us away in the back corner! For me it was cool to see, as production is the area I want to get into, so was cool to see how they put it together.
We also went to Warner Bros studios to see a sitcom taping, but it got cancelled. It is a pisser to see security officers at Warner Bros....just cant take them seriously with WB logos on their uniforms and motorbikes, they seem more like cartoon characters!
Well, that's it from me, off to Las Vegas and New Orleans next, sure to be more interesting stories from there, so lookout!
PS...tipping is the worst thing every...and anytime someone reminds me to tip them, I don't! Had a guy give us a receipt at a restaurant, and he wrote "service not included in price" followed by about six exclamation points!!!!!!! He got nothing from us...and he gave us the biggest death stare for it!
PPS....dont worry boys...I got a photo of Chuck Norris's star on the Hollywood pavement!
Well off to a big Halloween Party...speak to you soon
Mossy
Well, all things are going great guns here. Been partying hard, tricking my body into thinking I'm 21 again...and it punishes me with snail-paced recoveries (I just wont take a hint though!).
San Francisco is an awesome city, but it is an absolut
e prick to walk around! Some of the streets are so steep, the footpaths are simply staircases. Walking downhill is probably just as hard as uphill, but you look like more of a dick walking downhill! Lots of homeless here though, bit sad...they all have more possessions than me though, they walk around with shopping trolleys full of bags. Saw one begging today, he got money off a lady, said thanks, then straight to the liquor store! That's my boy!Food here is insane. They served up free Thai the other day, complete with the following things to put on it, chilli sauce (normal), peanuts (okay fine), orange juice (what the fuck!) and sugar (are you serious!). All the yanks of course swamped their food with the latter two...they love there sweets! Got a slice of pizza and it was over a foot long, and a foot wide, and four of us ordered one plate of nachos, and could not finish them...the size of the food here is staggering...quite happy with the kids meals at this stage!
Went and
saw Alcatraz. It was pretty cool, but there was like 300+ people on the island. Wanted to test half of their swimming abilities by pushing them off the edge...fucking tourists! Went with my room mate from Ecuador, Carlos, who runs the biggest nightclub in Ecuador! I have been assured a big night as guest of honour when I go visit....sign me up!Just got back from LA...crazy crazy place. After catching a bus through the Oakland Ghettos (you think Melbourne Hommies
wear big pants, you should see the Oakland folk!) and then mostly farmland, I arrived at my hostel in Hollywood around 8pm. Just as I was walking through the hostel door, about 50 people were bursting out on a pub crawl...taking me with them! Interesting night out, first bar was an all American bar like on the movies, then at the second bar I met some locals and went out with them and some other random Aussie who wasn't even from my hostel! Everything closes at 2am there which sucks...but was a blessing in disguise I guess...could have been an expensive night!
A few of the boys at the hostel hired a Mustang, so the next day we cruised around LA (the great American Dream!). Went down Mulholland Drive, to the big Hollywood sign, through Beverly Hills and to Santa Monica beach. From there we cycled to Venice Beach. Venice Beach is real bohemian, think Brunswick Street, times 100! They have gyms on the beach too. Rollerblading still seems to be "cool" here too! So too bandannas! Lots of street performers...and homeless begging...one beggar had a big cardboard sign that said FUCK OFF (we gave him a dollar for his troubles, I appreciate his honesty...he loved it!). Another reckons Jesus will be coming down on a white horse on Sunday...shit gonna miss it!
Most the shops in LA seem to be one of two things, Tattoo Parlours or Stripper supply shops! I notice people like to dress up as Movie Characters...without actually "performing". I walked behind "Zorro", and at each set of lights he did the Zorro thing with the sword, saying "Zorro", but he wasn't actually performing...I think he thought he was Zorro! Good on him!
So I went to see a Dr Phil taping! Interesting crowd....mainly middle aged women, some having dragged along disgruntled husbands. Also a fair few very gay men, and then there was me and another guy, Patrick....two Aussie bogans! They tucked us away in the back corner! For me it was cool to see, as production is the area I want to get into, so was cool to see how they put it together.
We also went to Warner Bros studios to see a sitcom taping, but it got cancelled. It is a pisser to see security officers at Warner Bros....just cant take them seriously with WB logos on their uniforms and motorbikes, they seem more like cartoon characters!Well, that's it from me, off to Las Vegas and New Orleans next, sure to be more interesting stories from there, so lookout!
PS...tipping is the worst thing every...and anytime someone reminds me to tip them, I don't! Had a guy give us a receipt at a restaurant, and he wrote "service not included in price" followed by about six exclamation points!!!!!!! He got nothing from us...and he gave us the biggest death stare for it!
PPS....dont worry boys...I got a photo of Chuck Norris's star on the Hollywood pavement!
Well off to a big Halloween Party...speak to you soon
Mossy
Friday, 26 October 2007
Good Bye Mexico, Hello USA
Well starting to get the hang of being a backpacker! Living out of a bag is becoming not just a habit, but a way of life!
Mexico was awesome. Real cheap for everything, colourful, clean and fairly safe really (there are police everywhere, some with machine guns and some with riot gear..one of which I got a photo with wearing his helmet!). Heaps of markets that seem endless, and sell all kinds of weird shit, one lady was selling TV antennas, holding about 50 under her arm (I bought 7!). Lots of buskers on trains and buses, and kids selling DVDs and CDs on the subway, playing them as loud as on their portable stereos (no serenity!)
Some of the highlight
s have been going to the soccer twice. Aztech Stadium is massive (115000 seats), and is the only stadium to hold two world cup finals. The very same place Diego Maradona scored the famous 'Hand of God' goal, before getting his hands on the saw dust afterwards! Really awesome atmosphere, beats Telstra Dome! Plenty of noise and passion, and the service is brilliant, you dont need to get up for anything, they serve you beer, pizza, ice cream, fruit salad, corn, tacos...pretty much anything right to your seat! Enjoy queuing up for...hahahaha........mid strength...fellas! Went to the Mexican wrestling as well. Again beers straight to our seats, and the crowd was going nuts! Just so you know, Metallico got up in the end! However, I got most excited when the midgets started wrestling! We all got souvenir wrestling masks outside and wore them outside, on the subway (which cost 20 cents to ride!), and for the rest of the night in the bar of the hostel!
In San Francisco now. It is a fabulous city, with shops to die for and views that just want to make you jump up and down all day and scream! Yes, just added in some local dialect there! Heaps of cool places here though, and lots of bars. Heading to Alcatraz on Thursday, should be interesting!
Wednesday, 10 October 2007
Mexican Arrival
From leaving Melbourne to now, I have been up 30 hours straight, and its still Monday...what a headfuck!
Well first things first, United Airlines......just a tip, but legroom normally goes down a treat...you halfwits!
Yes well its been a long Monday, I got free internet so thought I''d fire out the first blog! Flight was okay, as above little leg room, not sure if the food was legal, and two of my flights played Harry Potter...I didnt want to watch it the first time! First stop was Sydney, which pretty much involved musical chairs and we were off to LA.
LA has this brilliant system where you have to check into the country through customs with finger prints and the works, even if you are in transit. They are so lazy they make you get your bag and take it to your connecting flight, while they hook into some Krispy Kremes no doubt! The whole process took 2 hours, and I only just made my connecting flight to Mexico!
I did notice a difference in the people in LA....they are either pasty or bright red...and chew gum with a machinegun like rhythm.....................................................(sorry the guy at the bar just threw a tequila gin and mint slurpee down my throat...where was I...)
Got into the Mexico flight, and there was no leg room, and I had the back seat that could only stay upright as it was against the wall. At least I maintained good posture for 4 hours. The plane took an hour to leave....again I blame Krispy Kreme enticing the crew!
MEXICO CITY
Well got off the plane, had no idea what I was doing or where I was going, so I decided on a whim to get a cab. And what do you know, they are just like Melbourne cab drivers, no idea where they are going, and cant speak English! Scariest 30 mins of my life, trying to guess if Id get anywhere with all my vitals in tact! When showing him the address of the hostel, he seemed not to know where it was, and then proceeded to swear at me in Spanish.....for the 30 mins! I gave him a $1 tip (hey 10 peso sounds alright to me!). I dont think they have road worthys here, his speedometre didnt work, the car belched out smoke, and im pretty sure we hit 200km into a bend. All the cars have smoke pouring outta them, and the buses are about 50 years old! Then the cops drove past, in a big SUV ute, two in the cabin, 10 in the tray with guns...yes, I am definetly somewhere different.
Finally found the hostel...and I can honestly say it is awesome, great people here, its chilled and cheap beer. I am now (after all that) the most relaxed I have been in a year....2.50 coronas of course help with that!
Anyways, it is still Monday, been a long one, Im going to bed!
Well first things first, United Airlines......just a tip, but legroom normally goes down a treat...you halfwits!
Yes well its been a long Monday, I got free internet so thought I''d fire out the first blog! Flight was okay, as above little leg room, not sure if the food was legal, and two of my flights played Harry Potter...I didnt want to watch it the first time! First stop was Sydney, which pretty much involved musical chairs and we were off to LA.
LA has this brilliant system where you have to check into the country through customs with finger prints and the works, even if you are in transit. They are so lazy they make you get your bag and take it to your connecting flight, while they hook into some Krispy Kremes no doubt! The whole process took 2 hours, and I only just made my connecting flight to Mexico!
I did notice a difference in the people in LA....they are either pasty or bright red...and chew gum with a machinegun like rhythm....................
Got into the Mexico flight, and there was no leg room, and I had the back seat that could only stay upright as it was against the wall. At least I maintained good posture for 4 hours. The plane took an hour to leave....again I blame Krispy Kreme enticing the crew!
MEXICO CITY
Well got off the plane, had no idea what I was doing or where I was going, so I decided on a whim to get a cab. And what do you know, they are just like Melbourne cab drivers, no idea where they are going, and cant speak English! Scariest 30 mins of my life, trying to guess if Id get anywhere with all my vitals in tact! When showing him the address of the hostel, he seemed not to know where it was, and then proceeded to swear at me in Spanish.....for the 30 mins! I gave him a $1 tip (hey 10 peso sounds alright to me!). I dont think they have road worthys here, his speedometre didnt work, the car belched out smoke, and im pretty sure we hit 200km into a bend. All the cars have smoke pouring outta them, and the buses are about 50 years old! Then the cops drove past, in a big SUV ute, two in the cabin, 10 in the tray with guns...yes, I am definetly somewhere different.
Finally found the hostel...and I can honestly say it is awesome, great people here, its chilled and cheap beer. I am now (after all that) the most relaxed I have been in a year....2.50 coronas of course help with that!
Anyways, it is still Monday, been a long one, Im going to bed!
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