hannahinamerica

Last stop New York (I've actually been back in the UK for over a week now but thought I better just finish this thing). Our hostel looked deceivingly nice in the lobby, but our room was basically a prison cell. We did have a sink and coat hooks to be fair. It wasn't too much of a big deal anyway because we're in NUUU YORK - we will be out singing and dancing and drinking and loitering! It was pretty late when we got in so we decided to do what we have seen in the movies and go to grab a slice (this is something the UK need to get their head around pronto). Sal and Carmines is this amazing little pizza place and it's only a 2 minute walk from our hostel. There are ... read more

After completing our last big Greyhound journey (an 18 hour beauty) we are here in DC. Today we got up early, went for a coffee and bought sandwiches and crisps for our big tourist day out! It's really nice to be in a city with a decent transport system, something we haven't really experienced since SF. We hit up the Mall, where all the museums and art gallery's are FREEE! So after messing about taking 'comedy' photos of us pretending to hold up the Washington monument (god love depth of field magic) we visited the Natural History Museum. Lucy gazed at the Hope diamond, I gazed at the tarantulas being fed, we both gazed at the forensics section - think deteriorating old bones and skulls with gunshot wounds. We wanted to hold the cockroaches that were ... read more

Nashville where have you been all my life! We have been flagging a bit recently - I think it's the heat and knowing we only have a little time left. So Nashville couldn't have come at a better time. On the first day we hit up a bar, listened to some country music and ate a hot dog. What more could you want! Yesterday we visited the Country Hall of Fame and learnt all about Loretta Lynn, Hank Williams (there's like 3 of them) and how Saint Dolly Parton's 'Jolene' came about. We also got to check out Elvis's gold Cadillac - complete with crushed diamond and fish scale paint job. I even got to spy one of Taylor Swifts sequin/tulle awards dresses. Today we have just got back from Elliston's soda shop - one of ... read more

We are here in Asheville, North Carolina... or 'Naa Caliiiina' as all those Southern bus drivers say. Just been out for an amazing brunch at 'Sunny Point Cafe' and got to try the legend that is cheese grits for the first time. Verdict is that they are like porridge mixed with cous cous...but grittier. We have heard them being talked about all the time in the South, one bus driver talked at me for about 5 minutes about how she has "Grits with bacon, grits with cheeses, grits with eggs, shrimp and grits. And sometimes I like to mix it up a lil' and have grits on toast!" So that was definitely something to check off our list. The bites on my legs have turned into what just looks like a horrible rash. Each bite has ... read more

Charleston is a very pretty place I'm sure. Not that we have seen much of it over the last few days due to the extreme heat and the extreme amounts of mosquito bites I acquired on the first night (it was a really nice night apart from that - beer, bands and hammocks). Since then it has gone downhill. Imagine having a mosquito bite and how it goes through all those stages - first little and red, then inflating and blistering and making you want to take a scalpel to your skin and cut the damn thing out. Now imagine having hundreds of them covering all up your legs and thighs. Thats me! People have stopped and stared at me on the streets , one drunk old lady even stopped and asked me "what bit you ... read more

24 hours our last bus took. As you can imagine it wasn't exactly a pleasant experience. Especially considering the 5 hour layover we had in Jacksonville until 3am when our bus arrived to take us to Savannah, and then at 5am on to Charleston. We have arrived at our hostel and had a good bit of sleep now though. Lucy's face was a picture when we arrived to a woman and her tiny white kitten hanging out in our dorm - she hates cats. Even I find it a bit disconcerting having a kitten under my feet when I'm trying to brush my teeth etc. It also bites. Of course it does! Charleston looks really nice though, and the American Idol auditions have come to town so we are hoping to catch a glimpse of J.Lo ... read more

We've been in Miami for a few days now, and there seems to be a pattern of amazingly hot mornings and stormy thunder and lightening afternoons. We have finally figured this out and are going to beach it tomorrow 10am sharp. Days have been spent eating sandwiches filled with fresh salad and mozarella, and walking around South Beach which is where we are based. Lucy spends alot of her time reciting the Will Smith Miami rap (see blog title) and I have burnt my bellybutton. Don't know quite how I managed that. One of the girls we are sharing a dorm with excellently described South Beach as having 'more silicone than sand' which made me giggle. Miami is EXACTLY how you imagine it to be - all palm trees and tanned torsos. I got pretty excited ... read more

On the Greyhound to Orlando our bus driver was quite a character. Usually it's the passengers that are the craziest but this bus driver took the cake. "They call me Momma" she started "Not big momma, lil momma, fat momma, thin momma JUST MOMMA." she then proceeded to tell us that "I AM YO MOMMA AND YO ARE MY BABIES. I will look after you until we reach our destination" at this point Lucy and I liked Momma but this changed when she kicked a child and her father off the bus and left them in the middle of nowhere becasue he was 2 minutes late getting back to the bus after a toilet break. Shocking. So once we got to Orlando (2am) we checked into our dive of a motel and slept. We had an ... read more

Last night Lucy and I tour ourselves away from hiding in our hostel drinking cheap beer and went out for the night. A shock to most I am sure. We headed into the French Quarter to go eat dinner at this bar - Coop's - which is all dark corners, shiny wood bar and fluro signs saying things like ' The bartender is always right!'. We had heard they do a mean taster menu of tasty creole food and so spent the first part of our evening eating fried crawfish, seafood gumbo and jambalaya (yes I am talking about food again). Then we got the streetcar over to Oak street and walked to this bar called 'The Maple Leaf'. The band playing - Rebirth Brass Band were already a firm favourite of Lucys and they didn't ... read more

We arrived in New Orleans the other day - it's hot, stormy and muggy - what a combination! We haven't done a whole lot yet, and are going to venture into the French quarter in a half hour or so to grab coffee and beignets (which although meant to be pronounced 'ben-yeys' I keep calling 'bayonets' which is not a great thing to mix up). Last night we went out with a couple of girls from our hostel and got burritos, quesadillas, nachos and frozen lemonberry margaritas which tasted like they had been sent down from heaven by God himself. Then on to a bar which made me feel like I was in 'How I met your mother' but with more cigarettes (people can smoke inside here whaa!) Looking forward to hitting the French quater in ... read more