Thursday 30 June 2005
Grand Canyon
No matter how many pictures you've seen I guarantee that you will find the Grand Canyon is 1 million times more spectacular when you are up close and personal.
Las Vegas
Las Vegas was great.
I only lost $30 gambling and spent hardly any money at all.
The best bits would have to be the fountains at the belagio But don't try and watch from the front of the pond like everyone else. Instead head up to the coverd walkway on the left which leads to the entrance to the hotel. Its elevated so you get a great view without the crowds.
The Pirate show at Treasure Island is also a must see, but get there at least 20 mins before the show or you'll be right at the back of the crowd and unable to see a thing.
I only lost $30 gambling and spent hardly any money at all.
The best bits would have to be the fountains at the belagio But don't try and watch from the front of the pond like everyone else. Instead head up to the coverd walkway on the left which leads to the entrance to the hotel. Its elevated so you get a great view without the crowds.
The Pirate show at Treasure Island is also a must see, but get there at least 20 mins before the show or you'll be right at the back of the crowd and unable to see a thing.
the city of angels
L.A sucks. It's a rubbish city to visit.
It's only worth staying 1 night spending more time that that there is a complete waste of time when there are hundreds of nicer places nearby. Every single person I spoke to agreed with me. No one liked Los Angelese.
As far as tourist attractions go. Manns Chinese theatre is tiny and very unimpressive up close. The walk of fame is filled with people who no one has ever heard of. The few true celebrity stars are few and far between.
Sunset strip is a joke and the Viper room is the one of the crappest clubs I've ever been to (it's like a dingy Camden bar). Its so small you can't swing a cat, and its full of pretentious Hollywood wankers. The only celeb I spotted the whole time was Ron Jeremy the Porn Star (he was on the British reality TV show The farm )
Public transport in LA sucks. Never ever ask a bus driver for help, they know jack shit and will send you on a 2 hour trip in the wrong direction when all you needed to do was get off at the next stop and turn left. If you ever find yourself in L>A do yourself a favor and get out the hell out of there as soon as you can.
It's only worth staying 1 night spending more time that that there is a complete waste of time when there are hundreds of nicer places nearby. Every single person I spoke to agreed with me. No one liked Los Angelese.
As far as tourist attractions go. Manns Chinese theatre is tiny and very unimpressive up close. The walk of fame is filled with people who no one has ever heard of. The few true celebrity stars are few and far between.
Sunset strip is a joke and the Viper room is the one of the crappest clubs I've ever been to (it's like a dingy Camden bar). Its so small you can't swing a cat, and its full of pretentious Hollywood wankers. The only celeb I spotted the whole time was Ron Jeremy the Porn Star (he was on the British reality TV show The farm )
Public transport in LA sucks. Never ever ask a bus driver for help, they know jack shit and will send you on a 2 hour trip in the wrong direction when all you needed to do was get off at the next stop and turn left. If you ever find yourself in L>A do yourself a favor and get out the hell out of there as soon as you can.
Wednesday 22 June 2005
San Francisco
Everyone raved about San Francisco.
"You'll love it !"
"You'll want to spend loads of time there"
And as i'm prone to do, i believed the hype and forwent my usual 3 days per city rule and gave myself 4 nights in the city by the bay. I shouldn't have. It was just the same as any other city. Yeah, it was pretty and there was some cool stuff to do but it was no nicer than anywhere else I had been so far. It was just another big city with some well known tourist attractions.
"You'll love it !"
"You'll want to spend loads of time there"
And as i'm prone to do, i believed the hype and forwent my usual 3 days per city rule and gave myself 4 nights in the city by the bay. I shouldn't have. It was just the same as any other city. Yeah, it was pretty and there was some cool stuff to do but it was no nicer than anywhere else I had been so far. It was just another big city with some well known tourist attractions.
It also didn't help that my hostel was located on Crack Alley aka Ellis Street which is slap bang in the middle of Tenderloin - one of the worst areas of the city. Not once but twice while walking down that street I saw people sitting in the middle of the sidewalk smoking crack pipes in broad daylight. Broad daylight, in the middle of the pavement. It was not a narrow pavement. It was very wide and there were plenty of doorways that could have provided perfectly adequate cover for their crack smoking, but no, the crack heads in San Francisco like to do it in the middle of the pavement for everyone to see.
As for the touristy stuff I did it all. Alacztraz Island (I highly recommend the night trip which comes with loads of extras and the added bonus of seeing the city lit up at night as you take the boat back to the main land.
I rode the cable car to Lombard Street the crookedest street in the world and walked across the Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito. I also found my way up to Alamo Park to take photos of the Painted Ladies.
Tuesday 21 June 2005
Ici la Eiffel Tower
My friend in Paris has got herself a summer job on a tour boat. She will be spending every day until September travelling up and down the Seine pointing out tourist attractions in 5 different languages.
We have suggested that she throw in the odd made up fact every once in a while to spice things up.
We have suggested that she throw in the odd made up fact every once in a while to spice things up.
Breakfast
When a hostel advertises free breakfast it can mean many things.
Usually breakfast in a hostel consists of bagels coffee and occasionally some donuts or pastries. Sometimes there will be yogurt sometimes fruit. Occasionally there will be raw eggs for you to prepare as you please. Some places will have a vat of pancake mix for you to use (if you can find a frying pan and fight your way to the stove).
Once there was cereal, fruit, yoghurt, bread for toasting, bagels & jam, pastries, fruit juice, tea, coffee and hot chocolate. That was breakfast to remember. I look back fondly on that brekkie. It was great. I pine for that breakfast as I sit nursing my bowl of porridge in the kitchen of the hostel that does not include breakfast in the price of the room.
Usually breakfast in a hostel consists of bagels coffee and occasionally some donuts or pastries. Sometimes there will be yogurt sometimes fruit. Occasionally there will be raw eggs for you to prepare as you please. Some places will have a vat of pancake mix for you to use (if you can find a frying pan and fight your way to the stove).
Once there was cereal, fruit, yoghurt, bread for toasting, bagels & jam, pastries, fruit juice, tea, coffee and hot chocolate. That was breakfast to remember. I look back fondly on that brekkie. It was great. I pine for that breakfast as I sit nursing my bowl of porridge in the kitchen of the hostel that does not include breakfast in the price of the room.
Sunday 19 June 2005
Coast starlight
Seattle was disappointing. I mean yeah free buses in the downtown area is great, The underground tour was funky and the space needle is kinda cool (it would have been really cool if they'd let me climb up on the roof a la Dark Angel) but mainly Seattle sucked because the wicked live music scene I expected failed to materialize. So after 2 days and 2 sucky hostels I moved on to San Francisco.
One of the best decisions I have made so far is to take the overnight coast starlight train from Seattle to San Francisco.
Initially I chose the train because it is a hell of a lot cheaper that flying ($94 vs $199) and 'cos I thought It would be a generally cool thing to experience. It was fantastic and I whole heartedly recommend it to everyone. At first glance 23 hours on a train sound horrific, but the old adage time flies when your having fun really counts here.
The train is a very social place and its impossible not to fall into conversations with people all sorts of people like Christian summer camp councilor desperate to talk about the new Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy Movie, an Environmental Scientist turned cleaning lady from Wisconsin traveling down to L.A to help her friend move house and a little old lady on her way to surprise her son for his birthday. You get talking to some really interesting people and hear some great stories.
The only problem with the train is sleeping. I can't normally sleep on public transport any way, even with the super comfy seats that almost fully recline. But I had just about managed to doze of when the guy next to me started snoring.
I just couldn't do it. I had to find some place else to sleep and spent about and hour going from one end of the train to the other trying to find an empty seat. Of course there were none and I ended up downstairs in the kiddy Car (basically an empty section of a carriage for kids to play in) layed out on the floor with about 5 other people.
I actually managed to get a solid hour of good solid sleep and it left me feeling so good I didn't even mind that the train was 3 hours late into the station. But considering that the train the day before had been 12 hours late I could hardly complain and hey I wasn't in a rush.
One of the best decisions I have made so far is to take the overnight coast starlight train from Seattle to San Francisco.
Initially I chose the train because it is a hell of a lot cheaper that flying ($94 vs $199) and 'cos I thought It would be a generally cool thing to experience. It was fantastic and I whole heartedly recommend it to everyone. At first glance 23 hours on a train sound horrific, but the old adage time flies when your having fun really counts here.
The train is a very social place and its impossible not to fall into conversations with people all sorts of people like Christian summer camp councilor desperate to talk about the new Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy Movie, an Environmental Scientist turned cleaning lady from Wisconsin traveling down to L.A to help her friend move house and a little old lady on her way to surprise her son for his birthday. You get talking to some really interesting people and hear some great stories.
The only problem with the train is sleeping. I can't normally sleep on public transport any way, even with the super comfy seats that almost fully recline. But I had just about managed to doze of when the guy next to me started snoring.
I just couldn't do it. I had to find some place else to sleep and spent about and hour going from one end of the train to the other trying to find an empty seat. Of course there were none and I ended up downstairs in the kiddy Car (basically an empty section of a carriage for kids to play in) layed out on the floor with about 5 other people.
I actually managed to get a solid hour of good solid sleep and it left me feeling so good I didn't even mind that the train was 3 hours late into the station. But considering that the train the day before had been 12 hours late I could hardly complain and hey I wasn't in a rush.
Saturday 18 June 2005
Oh Canadaaaaaaaa
Canada is a strange place. It's very American and yet not.
As soon as I arrived in Seattle one difference became glaringly obvious. Canada is not a scarry place.
At no time while in Canada did I feel scarred or aprhensive or on edge. Even when we eneded up walking along West Hastings in Vancouver late one night (it's basicly a street full of homeless heroin addicts who think nothing of shooting up in a doorway in full view of the street). I was disgusted and mortified that such a place could actuly exist out side of a movie and especialy in Canada which has such a nice clean wholesome image, but at no time did I feel afraid.
As soon as we got to Seattle there was a palpable tension in the air and you soon find your self on edge. The centre of Seattle is full of crazies and drug addicts and homeless people. But here you go the feeling that one of them could launch and unprovoked atack on you at any moment . I never had that feeling in Vancouver mainly becouse the homeless there are so polite "I'm sorry to bother you but I haven't eaten in 2 days, could you possibly spare a dollar ?" and if you tell them no they'll move on without fuss or comment.
The other major difference between Seattle and Vancouver was black people (I know I should be refering to them as African Americans and African Canadiands but I need to to simplify).
Vancouver has very few, that's a fact. When you come from North-West London where white poeple are the ethnic minority, something like this is glaringy obvious. Nemeisis who I was staying with, said she actulay finds herself staring at passing black people in the street becouse it's so rare to see one and it's comforting to be reasured she's not the only black person in the city.
The third really obvious difference was fat people. I hate to say it but America does have a lot of fat people. I'm not being rude - I'm stating facts. Canadians tend to have very active outdoor lifestyles. Americans not to. If I'm being brutaly honest I saw maybe 2 truely fat people my whole time in Canada and maybe 7 or 8 overweight people. Since coming to the US the numbers have gone up imesurably.
As soon as I arrived in Seattle one difference became glaringly obvious. Canada is not a scarry place.
At no time while in Canada did I feel scarred or aprhensive or on edge. Even when we eneded up walking along West Hastings in Vancouver late one night (it's basicly a street full of homeless heroin addicts who think nothing of shooting up in a doorway in full view of the street). I was disgusted and mortified that such a place could actuly exist out side of a movie and especialy in Canada which has such a nice clean wholesome image, but at no time did I feel afraid.
As soon as we got to Seattle there was a palpable tension in the air and you soon find your self on edge. The centre of Seattle is full of crazies and drug addicts and homeless people. But here you go the feeling that one of them could launch and unprovoked atack on you at any moment . I never had that feeling in Vancouver mainly becouse the homeless there are so polite "I'm sorry to bother you but I haven't eaten in 2 days, could you possibly spare a dollar ?" and if you tell them no they'll move on without fuss or comment.
The other major difference between Seattle and Vancouver was black people (I know I should be refering to them as African Americans and African Canadiands but I need to to simplify).
Vancouver has very few, that's a fact. When you come from North-West London where white poeple are the ethnic minority, something like this is glaringy obvious. Nemeisis who I was staying with, said she actulay finds herself staring at passing black people in the street becouse it's so rare to see one and it's comforting to be reasured she's not the only black person in the city.
The third really obvious difference was fat people. I hate to say it but America does have a lot of fat people. I'm not being rude - I'm stating facts. Canadians tend to have very active outdoor lifestyles. Americans not to. If I'm being brutaly honest I saw maybe 2 truely fat people my whole time in Canada and maybe 7 or 8 overweight people. Since coming to the US the numbers have gone up imesurably.
Friday 17 June 2005
bon anniversare
It was my birthday while I was in Vancouver.
I am now officialy in my late twenties.
I am now officialy in my late twenties.
Thursday 16 June 2005
8 things about Vancouver
1. It is home to some absolutely terrible drivers.
2. It has the most homeless people in the whole of Canada. The homeless gravitate there because of the mild climate. The weather in Vancouver is similar to England and it doesn't get the harsh winters the rest of the country suffers.
3. Vancouver must be the fountain center of the world. Every corner you turn yields another fountain. They're pretty, but damn there's alot of them.
4. People in Vancouver love their dogs. Every other person has a dog in a handbag or a Golden retriever.
5. Vancouverites Love Sushi. I have never seen so many Sushi bars in a ll my life. (the best one was in Yaletown and did 22 pieces ofr $4!!!)
6. The Mountains that surround Vancouver are spectacular.
7. They have electric busses.
8. British Columbia and Vancouver in particular are world renowned for the quality of their marijuana. And Everyone smokes it. Not a day will go but when you wont smell it floating out of an open window, passing car or on a passing twenty something. But then with the areas strange alcohol laws it's not hard to see why young uns turn to weed instead of drink. There are only 7 shops in the whole city that are licensed to sell alcohol. Buying booze takes planning time and effort.
Wednesday 15 June 2005
Toronto
Toronto is great, but like Boston you couldn't spend too long there on holiday. I'd advise 4 days (including a day trip to Niagra Falls).
Living in Toronto would be great and I'd totaly be willing to give it a go - in the summer. From what people have told me about the near arctic conditions of the winters there's no way in hell I'd stick around for that! Earth Girl does not enjoy being cold.
Living in Toronto would be great and I'd totaly be willing to give it a go - in the summer. From what people have told me about the near arctic conditions of the winters there's no way in hell I'd stick around for that! Earth Girl does not enjoy being cold.
Tuesday 14 June 2005
the journey continues...
It's hard to believe that finding an internet cafe in Vancouver could be so difficult. If you don't have Wifi you're pritty much screwed these days.
Any way, I have now laft Canada and I am in the US city of Seattle; where you can get half an hour of free internet access when you buy a cup of tea.
Unfortunatly, the lady behind the counter has no idea how to connect my camera to the computer so no pics just yet. But there will be some great ones soon. I hope.
Any way, I have now laft Canada and I am in the US city of Seattle; where you can get half an hour of free internet access when you buy a cup of tea.
Unfortunatly, the lady behind the counter has no idea how to connect my camera to the computer so no pics just yet. But there will be some great ones soon. I hope.
Tuesday 7 June 2005
the journey begins. . .
I am still having trouble beliveing that I have actualy done it.
I was staring at the Toronto Space needle today thinking "shit this can't be real".
But it is, it fucking is!
I was staring at the Toronto Space needle today thinking "shit this can't be real".
But it is, it fucking is!
Saturday 4 June 2005
intimidated, moi?
So, I went to the carboot sale agian in a last ditch atempt to raise much needed money before I depart on Monday.
We were put into a space next to a car which had its wing mirror scotch-taped on. Unfortunatly while setting out my stuff I accidently bumped into the mirror (it was only a very gentle bump) and the wing mirror fell off.
The man who owned the car imediatly started swearing at me "what the fuck have you done!"
I apologised and tried to see if the mirror would go back on as it was dangling from the body of the car by 3 thick metal cables but it wouldn't becouse the tape had lost its stickyness.
The man demanded to know what I was going to do about it.
I amicably told him I'd try to find some more tape for him. At which point he started decaring that I'd snapped the wing mirror off and the tape was only there "to provide support".
Now, I know my arse is big, but there is no way it could snap a fucking wing mirror off a car. So I ignored him and got back to flogging my gear to the punters.
After an hour or so the dickhead decided to come over and harrase me.
Dickhead: "So what are you going to do about my wing morror then?"
Uh, hello! Nothing you wanker.
Me: "I'll find you some tape."
Dickhead: "Yeah, you better do something or you'll be going home with out a wing mirror"
Are you seriously thretening to damage my car becouse I cant find any sticky tape ? Fuck Wit.
An hour later.. .
Dickhead: "You got me that tape then?"
Me: "Sorry no, I've been around all the stalls and and I can't find any."
Dickhead: "Well that's not good enough"
at do you want me to do magic some up out of thin air?
Me: "Well I'm sorry but I've tried to find you some tape and there's nothing more I can do"
Dickhead: "But it's your fault"
Right, it's my fault that someone else broke your wing mirror off and you were to cheap/lazy to go get it fixed properly and instead decided to patch it up yourself with some cheap crappy tape.
Me: "Look, I'm sorry I but there's nothing I can do, it was an accident."
Dickhead: Well I'm taking your licence plate number and we'll see what the insurance company has to say"
Yes lets, that is if you even have insurance you fuck wit. Did you honestly think I'd be intimidated by you? Did you think that if you harrased me enough I'd give you some money to go away? or did you think that if you badgerd me enough I would accept blame and had over some money out of guilt or a sense responsibility.
You thought wrong. I do not give in to wankers like you especialy when I have done nothing wrong. Go to your insurance company - if you have one. I will not accept blame and you wont get a penny out of me.
We were put into a space next to a car which had its wing mirror scotch-taped on. Unfortunatly while setting out my stuff I accidently bumped into the mirror (it was only a very gentle bump) and the wing mirror fell off.
The man who owned the car imediatly started swearing at me "what the fuck have you done!"
I apologised and tried to see if the mirror would go back on as it was dangling from the body of the car by 3 thick metal cables but it wouldn't becouse the tape had lost its stickyness.
The man demanded to know what I was going to do about it.
I amicably told him I'd try to find some more tape for him. At which point he started decaring that I'd snapped the wing mirror off and the tape was only there "to provide support".
Now, I know my arse is big, but there is no way it could snap a fucking wing mirror off a car. So I ignored him and got back to flogging my gear to the punters.
After an hour or so the dickhead decided to come over and harrase me.
Dickhead: "So what are you going to do about my wing morror then?"
Uh, hello! Nothing you wanker.
Me: "I'll find you some tape."
Dickhead: "Yeah, you better do something or you'll be going home with out a wing mirror"
Are you seriously thretening to damage my car becouse I cant find any sticky tape ? Fuck Wit.
An hour later.. .
Dickhead: "You got me that tape then?"
Me: "Sorry no, I've been around all the stalls and and I can't find any."
Dickhead: "Well that's not good enough"
at do you want me to do magic some up out of thin air?
Me: "Well I'm sorry but I've tried to find you some tape and there's nothing more I can do"
Dickhead: "But it's your fault"
Right, it's my fault that someone else broke your wing mirror off and you were to cheap/lazy to go get it fixed properly and instead decided to patch it up yourself with some cheap crappy tape.
Me: "Look, I'm sorry I but there's nothing I can do, it was an accident."
Dickhead: Well I'm taking your licence plate number and we'll see what the insurance company has to say"
Yes lets, that is if you even have insurance you fuck wit. Did you honestly think I'd be intimidated by you? Did you think that if you harrased me enough I'd give you some money to go away? or did you think that if you badgerd me enough I would accept blame and had over some money out of guilt or a sense responsibility.
You thought wrong. I do not give in to wankers like you especialy when I have done nothing wrong. Go to your insurance company - if you have one. I will not accept blame and you wont get a penny out of me.
Thursday 2 June 2005
Earth Girl the theif ?
I seriously considerd shoplifing some bras today.
I didn't of course (becouse I am a good girl and my councience wouldn't allow me to).
It would have been so easy though and they really deserved it.
When I walked into the shop the assistant glared at me. No smile. No 'can I help you?'. Just a glare.
I found what I was looking for and went to the chnging room to try it on. The 3 girl suposedly manning the fitting room ignored me for ages becouse their conversation was much more important than a little thing called customer service. Then when they finaly noticed me they just waved me through to the changing rooms without counting my items or seeing if any of the rooms were free. None of the rooms were free.
While I was standing in the corridor waiting for a room to become vacant someone left of one of the rooms behind me. You would think the staff would have poined that out to me. But no, instead they usherd in a woman who had just arrived. The fucking bitches.
When I finaly got into a fitting room. I found that there were already 3 bras hanging up on a peg. Some one had obviously left them beind and the 'staff' were to dumb to notice. It would have been ridiculosly easy to slip my stuff into my bag and come out with those bras. hell i could have shoved the whole lot into my bag and walked out and no one would have noticed.
I didn't of course (becouse I am a good girl and my councience wouldn't allow me to).
It would have been so easy though and they really deserved it.
When I walked into the shop the assistant glared at me. No smile. No 'can I help you?'. Just a glare.
I found what I was looking for and went to the chnging room to try it on. The 3 girl suposedly manning the fitting room ignored me for ages becouse their conversation was much more important than a little thing called customer service. Then when they finaly noticed me they just waved me through to the changing rooms without counting my items or seeing if any of the rooms were free. None of the rooms were free.
While I was standing in the corridor waiting for a room to become vacant someone left of one of the rooms behind me. You would think the staff would have poined that out to me. But no, instead they usherd in a woman who had just arrived. The fucking bitches.
When I finaly got into a fitting room. I found that there were already 3 bras hanging up on a peg. Some one had obviously left them beind and the 'staff' were to dumb to notice. It would have been ridiculosly easy to slip my stuff into my bag and come out with those bras. hell i could have shoved the whole lot into my bag and walked out and no one would have noticed.
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