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Published: August 12th 2006
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After an eight hour bus journey from Ecuador, we arrived back in Peru. We took five days to travel back to Lima, breaking up the horrendously long bus journeys, the longest still ending up a nine hour epic adventure. During the five days we took in the towns of Piura, Chiclayo (what can I say, it was pretty crap), and then Trujillo where we visited the Huaca del Sol and the Huaca de la Luna, two adobe temples built by the Moche civilization during their era, around 100 AD to 900 AD. Garry was quite 'ruined out & churched out' by this point but I was still loving the historical sites and archaeological finds. Back in Lima we spent a day visiting the San Francisco church and monastery with its' catacombs containing the skeletons of around 60,000 people and the Museum of the Spanish Inquisition which displays the torture methods used by the Spaniards to force the convicted to confess to such 'crimes' as witchcraft, heresy and Judaism.
After 3 nights in Lima, we hopped back on a plane and returned to the USA both eager for some Western grub (or anything that isn't rice served with potatoes, guinea pig or
Tommy the turtle
One of the many turtles we came across in the swamp. that causes you to have serious toilet issues for days.....).
We arrived in Atlanta, the state capital of Georgia, birth place of Martin Luther King and Coca-Cola. We headed to a Fat Matt's Rib Shack to try their popular pork ribs while tapping our feet to the blues band playing on the stage. If anyone was concerned about us losing weight during this trip, you can be rest assured that the reverse has happened - in fact, we are looking like average American citizens!
After two nights we headed off to Georgia's first city, a beautiful place called Savannah (I was curious to go there as I have a beautiful neice by the same name). The town is full of stately colonial homes, all immaculately kept and built in blocks around leafy green parks full of old trees with hanging Spanish moss just to add to the picture perfect effect. This really is the America of old and glorifies everything this country was about. It was also where they filmed Forest Gump so if you having trouble picturing it, hire the movie and you will get the gist.
We then spent three nights with friends, Laura & Stella,
See ya later, Alligator
Shoes or a handbag??? I just couldn't decide. at their beautiful house in Celebration, Florida, which involved copious amounts of alcohol, revolving dance floors and late nights - as you can imagine, we hated it! On one of our more sober days, we did make it to the huge water park 'Wet & Wild' where we experienced some hair-raisingly scary rides (oh, apart from Garry). From there, we went to stay with another friend, Nikki and her parents Tony & Cindy (the best rib-maker and cocktail shaker in the States), who spoilt us rotten. Nikki, Garry & I hired a canoe for a day and headed down a lake in a very eery swamp, spotting huge turtles, many different species of birds and ALLIGATORS!!! The lake was full of them (well, we defiantly saw four and that was enough for me!), one of which was basking in the sun and we got way too close for comfort. The day ended when Garry & Nikki sunk the canoe in the alligator-infested lake and had to try and swim back to the shore dragging the canoe which was now full of water. I had bailed out 20 minutes before, after coming face to face with yet another 'gator.
We
Adam - Counting Crows
Just seven rows from the front but I was nearly sat on his knee just half an hour before! left Florida and caught a flight to New York as I love the Counting Crows and we had managed to get tickets for their concert at a great location, an amphitheater on the beach just a short train ride from Manhattan. We headed down to the concert and got chatting with a guy called Tod (who reminded me a little of Mr Big from Sex & The City but with more hair), who turned out to be a friend of the bands and happened to have a spare seat right up at the front and back stage passes!!! Never shy to let an opportunity pass me by, I asked Tod if he needed company as it might get lonely down the front alone and he graciously invited me along!!!!! We took our seats, just seven rows back from the stage and then the guitarist, Dave, came out and took us back stage where we had a few beers and a good chat with him & I asked him if they would be playing Mr Jones. He said he wasn't too sure so I reminded him that I had come a long way to see him - even I don't know
Heading up to starville
This is me heading back stage at the Counting Crows concert. where I got my cheek from that night! I am pleased to say I kept myself together - even though I felt like I was having a heart attack especially when I was sat just 4 foot away from Adam, the lead singer. Apart from the band, I was rubbing shoulders with Donald Trump's daughter, Ivana, her model boyfriend and various other uber-cool and beautiful people and there I am in my hand-me-down combats from my mate Trini and a vest top but having to blend in and pretend to be Lord Rothschild's wayward daughter - thus not acting like a star struck grease monkey and definatly not happy snapping with my Sony Cyber-shot.
So where was Garry while I was off gallivanting with the rich and famous? Well, Our Gaz managed to blag his way from the cheap seats all the way down to the VIP area, where Tod & I were sat, and when the lights went down, he ducked under the bars and made it to our row just as the Counting Crows begun their set!!!! We will never know exactly what was said and how he managed to do it but hats off to the man,
he succeeded. The concert was absolutely fantastic, and yes they played Mr Jones. I thanked Dave at the after-party and he said that he had swung it for me (oh and the other 13,999 people that were there but hey, I felt special!) Tod - the coolest man in New York - thank you once again for making that happen, I am still coming down!!!
New York wasn't just about the concert of course! We went to the very top of the Empire State Building and enjoyed a breathtaking view over the whole of New York City. We also took a ferry across the river to Statten Island and saw America's most famous woman, the Statue of Liberty, still looking stunning in green. A stroll through Central Park lead us to John Lennon's memorial in an area known as Strawberry Fields which is just across the street to the Dakota Building, where he was assassinated. We also visited the site of the former World Trade Centre, which was a strange and almost eery experience as it is a huge void in the ground in a city where there isn't any space at all. New York has left a huge
New York skyline
A view from the Empire State Building's observatory tower. impression on me and for the first time since leaving home, I felt quite sad to leave.
Our next stop was Los Angeles. We headed to Venice Beach and maybe we caught it on a quiet day but there didn't seem to be much happening although I did get my picture taken with a Baywatch style lifeguard. We headed down the famous Hollywood Boulevard, treading all over the stars (well, just their plaques) and then followed in their footprints (and hand prints) outside of the Chinese Theatre. Hollywood isn't as glamorous as you would expect and it was filled with more tacky souvenir shops than you can throw a Golden Globe at but it has to be done while in L.A. It was only meant to be a two day stop off but after the arrests of 20-odd terrorists in England intending to fly to America, our flight was going to be seriously delayed and we were meant to get the airport some five hours before the flight due the extra security checks. However, we were having a few beers with a cool Aussie/Kiwi crowd and decided the best option was to cancel our flight and stay another two
Baywatch!
A real live David Hasslehoff on Venice Beach! Red shorts and a float! days. Why endanger you life when beer cost $1 a glass and the hot dogs just keep on coming?????
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Chris Betts
non-member comment
So close....
Maybe you guys should stop by and see your pals back at USA hostels San Diego while you're in the area.........