WHAT A DAY
Have you ever woken up in the morning and thought today is going to be fantastic?

It started outside a bar in San Fransisco, three smokers shivering and discussing the Califonian stupidity of non smoking bars. From the American health conscious to travelling around the world all of a sudden we had two more for our car drive down to Los Angeles.

On the condition that we left at 8.00 and I could listen to S Club 7 as much as I wanted to in the car our new travelling companions agreed to split the cost and we carried on drinking until the wee hours of the morning.
The morning came a bit too bloody quickly for my liking. Full of cold, an ear infection and stinking hangover I can honestly say I felt like shit. Somehow I managed to stuff the remenants of my backpack into carrier bags and headed down stairs to meet the gang. Jossy went a got the car and we squeezed 4 backpacks, numerous other rucsacs, mountain of tissues for my nose, and God knows what else into the car. 
The first port of call was the most windy street in the world. Lombard Street starts at the peak of one of the big San Fransisco Hills and meanders down the hill to the bottom. Its a bit like taking a car through some bending poles! I did feel a bit queezy by the time we got to the bottom.

We headed south down Highway 1 and out of the city. The moment we got round the headland out of San Fransisco the scenery was spectactular. The cliffs over the Pacific, God the Pacific - massive waves and endless endless expance of water and sky.

All the way down the road there were pumpkin farms getting ready for Halloween and Thanksgiving. I have never seen so many pumpkins in all my life. About half an hour into the trip we came across a secluded beach in a little bay. Determined to get my feet wet, we stopped and I legged it somewhat haphazardly down the steps to the beach. After getting my feet and legs soaked and covered in sand, I was satisfied enough to continue down the coast.
The views continued to become more and more amazing. The was Pampas Grass everywhere, looking like giant feather dusters blowing in the wind. We passed masses and masses farms growing all sorts of produce.
A much needed breakfast meant a stop in Santa Cruz - you know the place in all the movies. We were all slightly gobsmacked that we were in such a place (breakfast was crap though!) There was a slight panic when Bagpuss was lost from Joss' pocket. It turned out he was trying to do a bunk under a tree but she spotted him and we headed on our way. We had to leave the coast road and head inland to get onto the main Interstate to LA. America does not have road signs and there were many moments that I thought it might be a nice idea to perhaps introduce the plastic on the end of the pole to the Yanks. It was not the easiest navigational challenge ever completed and we did have to stop in the most obscure places asking for directions.

One such stop was in the middle of the most enormous vegetable farm (or farms) where we had come off the highway trying to find Interstate 1 and ended up surrounded by brocolli. Whe I asked in the reception area for directions the pink lipstick on the smile behind the desk was explaining in depth to some unsuspecting person at the end of the phone, that they had 1237 employees by the name of Fernandez and she couldn't possibly work out where he was on the unit. Me thinks they import their workers!

Another stop at a gas station made me completely except how huge America was. When I asked how far away we were from LA and the owner said 6 hours if we were lucky and we probably wouldn't make the flight out to Fiji. Big gulp!!!!! We had already been on the road for 6!!!! Poor Jossy had driven all of it.
Finally we got onto Interstate 1 and had the fastest and possibly best bit of the whole journey. Music blaring and the four of us singing, we headed south slightly faster than allowed.

We did the whole Smokey and the Bandit thing and made the beautiful big trucks honk their horns at us. It was the best fun I have ever had, hanging out of the window of the car, flying down the interstate being hooted at. I love the big American trucks, they are so full of colour and power and always look so beautiful unlike the Leyland (Naff) Daff. I want a big lorry!!!!
All in all America was an incredible experience. I have seen things that I didn't think I would see in my live, experience so many different cultures and appreciate from the windows of a bus how absolutley enormous the US is. The high lights for me were definitley Las Vegas and San Fransisco. The Rodeo was superb and it was wonderful to see it take place - Thank you John and Danna for the most incredible week. It was great to leave the US, I was beginning to become alergic to air conditioning and pill popping. I also couldn't wait for small food portions as we ate our way through the country and believe me I was so fed up with food by the time we left . But we had a MacDonald's on our way in and a MacDonald's on our way out to live up to true Yank style!!!

The food was absolutley fantastic though. My favourite food out of the whole 5 weeks was the Clam Chowder in San Fran which I could eat until the cows come home. IT WAS BLOODY YUMMY!!!!!!!! The Chipometer did go to pot after about Memphis becuase I couldn't physically eat anymore spuds, fried or not!!!! Sorry Tan, but it was just not possible!

So the next stop was Fiji - mmmmmmmmmmm Click to find out what happened.

Fiji

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