http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/SharkStalker/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from SharkStalker en-us Wed, 30 Dec 2009 02:37:45 +0000 Wed, 30 Dec 2009 02:37:45 +0000 010307 100307 After our whistlestop adventure tour of New Zealand we were looking forward to some serious relaxing in Fiji most of our time was spent relaxing by the pool looking out over the beach or playing table tennis or volleyball. Unfortunately this plan was partly scuppered by it being the rainy season so occasionally we had to abandon the sun deck and run for cover as the tor http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Fiji/Denarau/blog-140315.html 090307 150307 Cook Islands Paradise on earthIn the Cook Islands the greeting equivalent to lsquoHellorsquo is lsquoKia orianarsquo which translates as lsquoMay you have long lifersquo which has a more longevity than the greeting in most languages where we generally wish each other a mere lsquoGood dayrsquo only. We arrived late at night spending our second Friday 9th Marc http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Cook-Islands/Aitutaki/blog-140316.html 160307 170307 Tahiti Bijou of the South Pacific Non je ne pense pasA 2day stopover in French Polynesia turned out to be plenty of time. Tahiti is expensive and from the moment we stepped of the plane we met moody sultry people. The taxis from the airport to the hotels are ludicrously expensive for the distance traveled and have the cheek to charge you a set price for the distance and http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/French-Polynesia/Tahiti/blog-146618.html 180307 220307 Los AngelesFrom out hotel on Wilshire we walked the 2 blocks down to Rodeo Drive area and had brunch in a caf on Beverly Drive. From our vantage point we were in people and car watching heaven. A 17 year old looking kid driving a convertible Ferrari Mutton dressed as lamb stamped all over with Louis Vittonrsquos monogram a plastic faced tracksuit wearing woman steps out http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/California/Los-Angeles/Beverly-Hills/blog-148527.html 230307 250307 Chicken PizzaWe arrived in Mexico an hour before Rebecca and Patrick landed on their flight from Amsterdam. We knew that their plane had landed when all the tall people started coming through the arrivals hall and then we eagerly looked out for Rebeccarsquos pink wheelie suitcase. Of the 4 of us that came through Mexican immigration only I received the red light on the Rus http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Yucat%E1n/Chich%E9n-Itz%E1/blog-151188.html 250307 270307 Merida Yaxcopoil UxmalArriving in Merida we soon found our hotel based on the grid system of numbered streets each one running as a oneway street for traffic. We wandered the locals market in the Plaza Mayor and soon found 4 large sombreros at a bargain price for us all to wear for a mad night out and Patrick and Rebecca modeled the Love Seats. Although the streets are http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Yucat%E1n/Uxmal/blog-151192.html 270307 300307 Pastel Streets and Jungle RuinsArriving at Campeche we first glimpsed the Mexican Gulf and a huge Mexican flag flying over the town. Campeche is a historic fortified town and UNESCO world heritage listed site. It was founded in 1540 by Spanish Conquistadores and soon became a wealthy port. Due to its wealth pirates and buccaneers attacked it regularly and so to counteract t http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Chiapas/Palenque/blog-151193.html 310307 060407 Kissing Dolphins and Tequila for BreakfastOur accommodation in Tulum was Cabinas just seconds from the beach. We lazed around the first day on the beach watching kite boarders and soaking up the rays. When we werenrsquot lazing on the beach we were lazing on the hammocks that were strung out in front of our small stone huts. If swinging on the hammocks wasnrsquot enough http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Quintana-Roo/Playa-del-Carmen/blog-151196.html 080407 Beginning at the end of the roadThe Ambrose Hotel in Santa Monica dropped us at Avis the only car hire place open on Easter Sunday it seemed and quite possibly the nearest car hire to the junction of Ocean and Santa Monica Boulevards the official end of the historical route 66. We snapped the required photos of the Will Rogers highway plaque in Palisades Park and Santa Monica pier an http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/California/Los-Angeles/Santa-Monica/blog-151207.html The Valley of DeathWe took the long barren road into Death Valley via Badwater and all the other viewpoints that we decided we would visit the next day and headed all the way up to Stovepipe Wells to wander through the Mosaic canyon before heading into the Mesquite Sand Dunes for sunset.110407 Early Early start to catch sunrise at Badwater so named when an early explorerrsquos muledonkey http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/California/Death-Valley-National-Park/blog-151208.html 110407 120407 Viva Las VegasMy hands werenrsquot exactly shaking as I sat down at the Poker table cause the stakes werenrsquot that high but I was extremely nervous. The table was a Texas No Limit Hold lsquoEm table with 1 and 2 blinds. Minimum 100 buyin and max 300 but the cash tables run all night so I sat down with players holding hundreds of dollars of chips. This means tha http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Nevada/Las-Vegas/blog-151209.html 130407 140407 A Dash of UtahAs wersquod stopped at Zabriskie Point in Death Valley an English woman we met told us that sunrise at Bryce Canyon was so beautiful that it had made her weep. Leaving Las Vegas it was a slight detour North and would take us into an extra State where the book of Mormon not the Gilead Bible makes bedside reading Utah.To cause as much confusion as possible http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Utah/Bryce-Canyon/blog-151210.html 140407 150407 Grand CanyonOn all the lists you can find of the worlds 7 natural wonders the Grand Canyon holds its place. Herersquos the facts itrsquos 217 Miles 349 km long between 4 and 18 miles 629 km wide and a stunning 5000ft deep. The fast flowing turquoise Colorado river has been slicing its way through the Colorado plateau for 6 million years say the experts accounting http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Arizona/Grand-Canyon-National-Park/blog-151715.html From Grand Canyon we headed south to Flagstaff and there were those two digits popping up again as we spied our first 66 attraction the Museum Club. Unfortunately at 11 A.M. we were about 12 hours too early in the day to appreciate the atmosphere and enjoy any live music in the place voted lsquoReaders favourite Dance clubrsquo in lsquoCountry America Magazinersquo but we were able to pop http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Arizona/Winslow/blog-151716.html 180407 190407 Santa Fe and TaosSanta Fe was a beautiful change after Albuquerque the buildings were all in apricot coloured adobe with narrow alleys of artisan shops surrounding a central plaza. In fact it was hard to buy anything except art and jewelryIn the center of the plaza stands an obelisk with inscriptions such as ldquoTo the heroes who have fallen in the various battles with sa http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/New-Mexico/Santa-Fe/blog-152291.html 210407 Amarillo TXWe were heading toward Conway on the south frontage road in order to spy the Bug Ranch a kind of homage to the Cadillac range only with VW Beetles when we spied a white SUV with about 6 or 8 aerials on itrsquos roof parked on the shoulder. ldquoStop stoprdquo I shouted to Jen ldquothey might be storm chasersrdquo. Sure enough as we pulled up we saw the logos http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Texas/Amarillo/blog-152292.html 220407 270407 Oklahoma Kansas and Missouri The Great PlainsWe stopped at the Art Deco Conoco service station and lsquoU Drop Innrsquo caf in Shamrock to snap some photos and a Porsche 356 pulled in with 2 guys also doing the route backwards but in just 6 days Then it was goodbye to Texas and Hello Oklahoma the State with the largest population of Native Americans and longest str http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Oklahoma/blog-153178.html 280407 290407 Springfield Chicago IllinoisEvening entertainment in Springfield not a yellowheaded skateboarding Matt Groening character in sight One episode of lsquoThe Simpsonsrsquo featured a close up shot of Homerrsquos driving license which read lsquoSpringfield NTrsquo a nonexistent place but a working 2screen DriveIn so we parked up in front of the big screen http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Illinois/Springfield/blog-159141.html 300407 020507 Shipshewana Northern IndianaWith a week of the rental car left and in Chicago already we decided to head out of town for a few days whichever way the wind would carry us and see the surrounding area for a while. The wind first took us north up the North Shore Drive into a very prosperous residential district with mansions and lake houses for the wealthy Chicagoans is that a http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Indiana/Shipshewana/blog-159145.html 030507 060507 ChicagoAfter our relaxing break in the Amish country we were ready for the hustle and bustle of big city life. Especially were we ready for Chicago Blues. We checked into the House of Blues hotel in the heart of the action and dined in the their blues club restaurant that night to the fantastic sounds of a solo guitarist and then full on bottlenecking blues band AwesomeThe http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Illinois/Chicago/blog-163817.html