Trek Update 4!!!

So... i'm back! Sorry for the lack of photos by the way i have taken hundreds (possibly thousands I know I took nearly 200 today-you may see why later) but there are never any USB cables for me to connect them! Also sorry for the lack of private messages, Trek is so crazy I never get more than 20 minutes which is literally just to check email and update this so I hope this satisfies any curiosities.

Picking up from my last blog we drove from Elko to Yosemite national park and arrived before lunch which we spent on a beach by a lake which was beautiful. We made another stop for a short hike to a very interesting tree (not kidding photos will eventually follow) and then drove to our campsite to be greeted by a surprise... OTHER TREKKERS!!! There were at least 6 or 7 groups of Trek on the campsite including ourselves and after dinner we went up to talk to one of them, 6 guys and 1 girl, a bit of a contrast to our own group! The following morning we got up relatively early for a free day in Yosemite. A group of us decided to hire bikes and as Ali, Silvia and I had ours for the full day we set off cycling around the park. We stopped at Mirror Lake and at the Lower Yosemite Falls where we sat on rocks in the river and paddled after lunch. In the afternoon we mainly just cycled before meeting back at the village for Pizza with the rest of the group. When we got back to the campsite there were probably about 8 groups and we got together for a big party/social drinking session which was really good, nice to meet some new faces, although I generally talked to the guys I'd spent the previous night talking to. Some of them went onto a bar afterwards but sleep is catching up with me so I went to bed around 1. After Yosemite we drove to San Francisco, arriving early afternoon. Unfortunately although we arrived around 4 after a few photo stops the guy at the check in was a complete and utter moron (sorry but he really was) it took him an hour and a half to check us in, not because there was a queue but because he was very slow, and considering he was the manager... worrying! It left us no time to look around before the sunset cruise and so we got taxis down to the pier almost straight away. On the pier we saw sea lions and then set off on the cruise. It was generally just good to have a social evening with everyone and drinks were included (well a few). Afterwards we all went to the hard rock cafe for dinner, or just pudding in our cases since we weren't really hungry, and Silvia and I got a little shopping in while we were waiting for the table. The following day was the free day in San Francisco, Lucy, Silvia and I, who were sharing a room, all slept in and didn't leave the hotel until midday. We had lunch at China town, wandered down to Fishermans Wharf passing the crookedest street on the way and watching an entertaining tree man who would jump out at passers by making comments such as "when was the last time you made her scream like that?!" After that we moved onto Haight Ashbury, a hippy street where we had stopped briefly the previous day, and spent a while shopping. I bought a dress for Vegas and was very tempted by a lot of other things but was good. Then we walked through Golden Gate park, SERIOUS disappointment, ugly ugly ugly and then took a bus to the Golden Gate bridge, it was too cold and windy to walk it though so we went back to the hotel for dinner. The following day was a short coastal drive on the way to Los Angeles stopping at Santa Cruz which had an amusement park and pier which was a brief stop and then staying at a random town. The next drive was to Malibu stopping at Monterey a little fishing town and Carmel by the Sea where I treated myself to my souvenir for the trip, a Tiffany charm bracelet. After our stop in Malibu we headed straight for Los Angeles this morning making a brief stop in Hollywood to see the sign and the walk of fame before going to Universal Studios. Our first stop was the Studio Tour which was amazing, only the photos will really explain it although the desperate housewives set was being filmed on in the earlier part of the day (gutted!!!!!!!!!!). Then Silvia and I headed for lunch before enjoying the Simpsons and Mummy rides, seeing the Animal and Water show and meeting Curious George and Spongebob Squarepants woo! As today was our final day on the Northern Trail we all met for a last supper which was lovely and then sadly had to say goodbye as our leader drove four out of the five grand trekkers to a random hotel near the airport (the usual hotel was full and the other girl was sharing with someone who had booked a room) so I am now sat by a pool in a strange hotel, but our tour leader is taking us to the other hotel to start trek again to go south first thing tomorrow!
Again, private messages make me happy, and yes I am easily pleased.


xxxxxx

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