"The greatest nation in the world!"

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California is cold in January, but I like it. I came through LAX airport on the 8th without any problems from the American customs, and to be greeted by the lovely Susan Mathis who I met on my Machu Pichu trek a few months ago. She was fantastic, first we went to brunch with a couple of friends, then back to her place so I could check my emails and brush my teeth before she sent me off to San Diego in a train.
Then I had 3 great days with Mariana and Lucas from Cordoba, ARG, and all their friends that are there on the same temporary work programme as them. I went to the famous San Diego Zoo, drank a lot of Mate, and got in a few bonus days of speaking spanish which was really cool... I almost cried when I got on the plane in Buenos Aires and everyone was speaking spanish - a very wierd feeling after beeing surrounded by spanish for so long and then all of a sudden I had to start thinking and speaking in English again...
And then it was back up north for a night in Newport beach with Natalie(another friend from Machu Pichu) and Susan, wining and dining in style before heading back up to Susan's place in LA for a huuuuuge snooze! Dan flys in tomorrow afternoon, so I've gotta go hire a car, a left-hand drive car, remember how to drive, find my way to the LA airport and pick him up so we can go hooning around town looking for famous people in Hollywood and Beverly Hills... trouble.
I just wanted to say a massive thanyou and muchisimas gracias to Mariana, Luke and Raul for squeezing me into your flat for the few great days we had together, hope your landlord chilled out in the end... and to Susan and Natalie also thankyou so much for all your hospitality and everything else that you helped me with - especially the swordfih steak :) you girls rock! be intouch again soon, love russ

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