Seattle, San Francisco, LA, Rage Against the Machine and Las Vegas (5/8/07 - 17/8/07)

First photo is on a tour of the Seattle habour. The second is Nick taking a photo of the infamous Seattle Tower at a neighbourhood lookout.

Of course, Alcatraz. But why the hell is the street so famous? Lombard Street in San Fran is just a bit windy - it doesn't even take the title for the most crooked in the world.

We saw a giants game where Barry Bonds played the game after he broke the record for the most amount of home runs.
Love VEGAS!

Vancouver, Canada (14/6/07 - 2/11/07)

Well, reality certainly set in when I tried to get back into the work force in Canada. Over the last 4 months, it's been a constant struggle to find decent work and accommodation. London was a struggle too but this is a different level. At least the SIN (Social Insurance Number) and bank account are a lot easier than London.

Firstly, since the visa is only for 1 year and most Aussies aim to work in Whistler or other ski fields, employers tend to favour their own. I was hoping to work behind a bar again but since the tips are so lucrative (sometimes over $1000/night) in downtown bars/clubs, there wasn't much chance. I'd even received leads from friends of friends that never eventuated. One time in particular, I went for an interview where there they already had 2 too many bartenders at the time. I'm not accustomed to the tipping culture and it's really starting to annoy me, especially since it's the main barrier for me getting a bartending job. Canadians want to have their cake and eat it too. So as most Australians do, I'm not giving them much icing on their cake when I go out. I've worked 3 service positions and haven't seen a single penny, yet if you don't tip in a bar... don't expect to get served. Get a grip Canada.

The only jobs left soon became terrible paying labour work. My first job was helping detail cars. The cars were some of the best you'd see like BMW, Porshe, Ferrari but the pay was $10/hour... blaten exploitation as far as I'm concerned. I worked there for a month while looking for other jobs. In the mean-time, my parents visited for 5 days and it was great to see them again.

Quitting our jobs, Nick and I went on a 12-day road trip around the States. We drove almost 6,000 km through Seattle, Sacramento, San Francisco, LA, Las Vegas and Reno. The highlight was seeing Rage Against the Machine at Rock the Bells, in the desert just outside LA. Wanting to save money, the lowlight would be sleeping in the car for half the nights.

Right now, I'm helping paint road markings. The job is probably one of the better roles I've seen. My main job is to drive a pickup truck while another guys picks up witches hats left by the centre line paint truck. So in essence, my job is literally watching paint dry. The other problem is that the hours are extremely erratic (and long) as it's better with less traffic on the road which means hours between dusk till dawn. Also, we can't work in the rain, so I'm had some weeks with absolutely no work at all, which makes it a real struggle to even keep my head above water. I'm glad to only be doing this for 3-4 months while I wait for the winter.

After almost 8 months away from home, I'm still in hostels and it's killing me. We've got interviews in Whistler on the 9th November where my fate in Canada will be decided. If they don't offer any decent positions and accommodations, I'll do another road trip around the east coast of Canada/States before heading back to the sunny shores of Oz.

One thing I thought I would really enjoy is following North America's sports. However, after being to a few games of the Canadian Football League (CFL), I can't stand their version of footy or the NFL. Give me AFL any day. Seen a few games of baseball which has been OK but haven't adopted a team. Have never liked basketball too. The only other major sport left is ice hockey. Nick and I bought tickets for the first game of the season from Craigslist but when we got the gate, found they had already been refunded and the tickets were useless - CAN$170 down the drain. We gave the sob story to a few ticketmaster reps but only had some success when I approached the police for our rights. The manager was called who turned out to be really nice and found us the last two seats on the stadium and gave us 2 free beers. We were extremely lucky to see a game.
I've only met a few other people that I'd call friends - fellow travellers from Ireland and England. I'm fairly tired of the entertainment and bars in Vancouver too, so haven't really been putting myself in a position to meet more people. Besides, I'm fed up with tipping for sometimes bad service (Canadians will tip between 15-25% but they're lucky to get a quarter out of me), tax not being included on prices and not being able to save. Can't wait to pay the price it says on the damn item. Nick and I are just playing a lot of 8-ball and watching movies.

Surprisingly, Vancouver was voted most livable city in the world for 2007... for the 5th time this decade. The city is nice to see from a lookout, has clean water (apparently 2/3 of the worlds fresh water), clean air but has a lot of other problems elsewhere. Like I've said, the pay is daylight robbery with a minimum wage of $8/hour. How can you have any standard of living on those wages??? The homeless on every single corner in downtown Vancouver would have to agree. There's not a single day that goes by where I don't get asked for money. Then there's the constant rain. Even during their 2 best months of July and August it rained for a total period of about 2 weeks, including 5 days in a row. But we've been told the reason why they won was due to their great public transport system. I've used it twice since arriving and think it's well behind London. And for me, I can't get a break with a place to stay so I've given up... and given up on Vancouver.

In a lot of ways, Canada hasn't been what I expected but at least I tried. If anyone is interested in working Canada, I would suggest only to bother with the ski resorts. Summer is tough to find decent work (most Aussies to labour construction) and the weather doesn't hold out long anyways. Canada is probably the most similar country to Australia in the world, especially with it's influence from the UK and USA. It's certainly a nice place but my experience has been a bit tough to break into for the short-term. I'll leave Canada richer for the adventure but not wishing to live here again.

Bring on San Fransisco or some sunny days with good mates at home.

Return rating: 2 (done it all in the first week)

Tokyo, Japan (11/6/07 - 13/6/07)

I struggled to find my way around Tokyo but finally managed to book a hostel and navigate my way on the 2 different subways. The people in Japan are very friendly but don't speak as much English as Singapore.

When I left the hostel, another guy wanted to join me so we went straight for Shibuya and Shinjuka where there's a massive crossing and loads of people. Next was Ginza for the upmarket shopping but it was a little early and no shops open. The other guy needed to meet someone else, so I continued on to the Tokyo Tower. With the help of a list from Rachael, I managed to see the most important parts of Tokyo such as Harajuku with 'dodgy characters and shops'. One business had the right idea where you could hire a small space to sleep, play video games watch TV etc. Some people would hire out the small spaces when they miss the last bus home and sleep overnight as taxi's aren't an option for normal people.

Later in the day, I tried to go inside the Imperial Palace but that wasn't going to be allowed. On the way back to the hostel, I passed the Asakusu Kannon Temple.

At night, I tried the Roppongi Bars but it wasn't happening by myself and I was worried about being shafted again.

On the last day, I went to the shopping district of Akihabara. I didn't need to buy anything but again managed to find something worth purchasing - a set of Bose headphones for my iPod. They weren't cheap at an equivalent price of AUD$150 but the quality is uncomparible. Personally, I found the electronics weren't that far ahead of Australia and the price wasn't much cheaper either... especially if you take travel costs into account.

My 3 month trip-of-a-lifetime had come to an end. I toasted to myself with an Asahi as thoughts of relief, pride and a feeling that I'd love to do it again some time - under different circumstances. Next time, I'd probably make the trip less exhausting and only about a month long. But most importantly, I'd love to share the experience with a friend.

Return rating: 5 (missed Sumo wrestling)

And that's the end of Asian leg too. Since Asia is fairly close to home, I'm sure I'll be back. China and Thailand seems like the most likely but will have to see the beautiful Fiji beaches before anything else.

Osaka, Japan (9/6/07 - 10/6/07)

I arrived in Japan after a touch down in Hong Kong in the late hours without accomm. There was only hotel information, so I chose one of the cheapest in downtown. Cabs would be the equivalent of AUD$500, so a shuttle it was going to be for me. Again, Japan is very clean and friendly but they take certain things too far. Why would it cost so much for a simple taxi???

I did a walking tour of the city and ended up at the Osaka Tower where you could get a great view of the city.
One of the guys at work in Adelaide that had lived in Japan for 2 years had convinced me to try Osaka instead of Tokyo. He said Osaka was more like Melbourne and Tokyo more like Sydney. However, after 1 day I was running out of activities in Osaka. So, I booked a return to Tokyo on the bullet train. I'd always wanted to experience the 300 km/hr speeds on the bullet train but didn't really want to go both ways in only a few days. Anyways, it was better than sitting on my arse in Osaka. The train was impressive and gave me the opportunity to see more of Japan. It seemed there were communities almost all the way and only a little bit a green country in between. I guess the population is fairly big for a little country.

Return rating: 7 (missed Kyoto in between Osaka and Tokyo)

Singapore (6/6/07 - 8/6/07)

My Mum has been to Singapore many times for work. It also felt a little weird that I was entering a place so close to home but were I was still completely lost. As most people will tell you, Singapore is very clean and most people speak at least some English or as they funnily enough claim to speak, Singlish. I set myself up in the hostel and tried to oreintate myself. I managed to get my phone LCD screen fixed (when I walked into a fire hydrant in Miami).

I did my own walking tour of the island and found their national symbol, the Merlion. According to mythology, a previous king was sailing close to Singapore when he discovered the country. The weather turned bad and a sea creature wouldn't let them pass, so he offered the sea his crown. The seas returned to normal and the king founded the new country. Or something like that.

The main shopping street, Orchard Road, was rather interesting but there was nothing I needed. However, I stumbled across a place that 100% guaranteed to remove warts. I gave it a go. The treatment took almost an hour and there was a bit of pain (one of the other girls gave me a scalp massage to relief the headache) and my finger was black at the end. It would prove to be worthwhile though as the warts has successfully been killed. They only have offices in Singapore or Korea, so thoughts began running through my head of opening up franchises in Australia. I've been to the doctors around a dozen time to have warts frozen and it's only worked once. This worked the first time and the confidence in their product was evident. Would the business work in Australia?

The next day, I visited Sentosa Island. The beaches were fairly nice but different to Thailand. I visited a much bigger Merlion and got a great view of Singapore city from inside the mouth.

Even though I'd missed supposedly the best zoo in the world in San Diego, I'd also heard that Singapore zoo at night is one of the best. I'd never been to a zoo at night, so I decided it would be worth it. The Safari and animal show at the end was OK but as far as I'm concerned, if you've seen one zoo you've seen them all.

My last day in Singapore, I didn't have much time and didn't really want to do anything else. To me, Singapore is a clean and friendly place but not heaps to do.

Return rating: 3 (can only see myself going back for a business trip).

Phuket, Thailand (4/6/07 - 5/6/07)

Phuket was another island I'd wanted to visit for many years and again, I was expecting just a little more than it provided. The weather was a little muggy but the beaches weren't quite how I pictured them - nice but not prestine. We were all feeling exhausted from the constant travel and drinking, so I made the first day one of recovery... got the washing done, had an afternoon nap and watched the movie, Click with Adam Sandler. Exactly what I needed in the best hotel of our tour.

In the evening, the group went out for our last dinner. I was ready to say goodbye to everyone but not so much to Thailand. After dinner, half the group went to a show called FantaSea. The show itself was OK with heaps of elephants but the highlight for me was holding (and briefly feeding) a cub. Cameras weren't allowed but I wasn't missing the photo opportunity. I paid a fortune for them to take my photo with the baby tiger. It's one of my favourite photos (my folks have since taken it home).
After the show, we met up with the rest of the gang for some last drinks. Patricia had taken everyone's details and was going to photocopy the list for us to take. However, I got home in the early hours of the morning and missed my alarm to see off Patricia and give her a tip. I tried to get the details from the reception where she was supposed to leave them but the man couldn't understand me. I kinda felt bad for not tipping Patricia as she did a good job but screwed up on the last hurdle. I would have been happy to transfer a small tip but didn't have anyones contact. I figured I would wait until someone emails me and I'd get in touch with Patricia but to this day, nobody has dropped me a line. Says something about my group. Oh well, one out of two aint so bad cause my Peru tour group was brilliant.

In the afternoon, I went to Phuket beach with Bec and another couple that hadn't left yet. Bec was even getting on their nerves too. We organised a taxi to take us around the entire island and be our driver for the day. Splitting it 4-ways, the cost was fine. We visited a butterfly and spider musuem, many more beaches and a lookout. I had my last Pad Thai in Thailand (again a little bit disappointing compared to what I've had in Oz) and called it an early night as I was due to catch yet another flight early in the morning. Bed knocked on my door and apologised for 'being a bitch the last couple of days'. I was surprised but was only concerned about getting my flight in the morning.

Return rating: 6 (nice but many more places to see before I return).

Krabi, Thailand (2/6/07 - 3/6/07)

Krabi was over the other side of Thailand and it took most of the day to arrive. First we caught a taxi to the ferry, ferried to the mainland, caught 2 buses across the country and finally a long-tail boat. By this stage, I was totally sick of Bec and went by myself to the beach for another 'shower'. I ran into some of the group and we caught up on the last few days before heading back for some dinner. Everyone was feeling a little hungover, so it was a quiet night.

In the morning, we caught another long-tail boat past James Bond Island to our own little island for some beach camping at Koh Lawa. The ride was long, especially since I was at the back of the boat being splashed in the face for 2 hours. Not a happy camper when we finally beached. Things weren't made any better when we set ourselves up with paper thin matresses and my wet pillow in a tent. However, we played soccer on our own beach until dusk ended the game. There was a magnificant sunset which I felt required a special pose.
Return rating: 2

Koh Samui, Thailand (29/5/07 - 1/6/07)

Koh Samui had been a destination I'd wanted to visit for a few years. We stepped off the ferry feeling worse for wear but excited by a relaxing few days ahead. Before off-loading our gear at the Bungalow, we went for lunch at an elephant park. There was a baby elephant and 3 adults. All of them had steel shackles on one foot. The baby was particularly frustrated by the chain as it reached out for food from us. It could get to just within touching distance of the trunk.

After lunch, we found a waterfall were we could 'shower'. A great way to start the day.

The Shambala Bungalow's were fairly simple but all that was needed. The weather was almost too warm and humid but made the beach on our doorstep even more enticing. In the afternoon, we visited a few temples and more buddha's, one of which included a dead monk that had been preserved for many years. Apparently, the guy used to meditate for days on end and it is believed that is why his body has not deteriated too much.

On the way to another site, we passed an accident where the body of a motorcyclist was left in the middle of the road - blood and guts in full view. Without a doubt it would have to be the most graphic scene I've ever witnessed. We all agreed that would never be handled so poorly in Australia. Maybe they're used to high death rates on the road.

Next of the list was 'grandpa and grandma rocks'. So called for obvious reasons.

Squezzing a lot into the day, we went to a Muay Thai meet. There were 10 fights for the evening, ranging from kids that would have to be 12 years old to grown men. I was amazed at the raw violence but also discipline and respect amoungst the fighters. At the conclusion of one fight, a Japanese fighter that lost was crying. We're not sure if it was due to lost pride or pain. (As pycho as it was, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in Canada is even more hardcore - only seen it on TV though).
The 30th was our relaxation day on Chawang Beach. This is where you'd typically see photos of Koh Samui. It was a nice beach but I was expecting just a little more. My standards must be getting fairly high.

I can never sit on my arse for too long so later in the day, I needed some adrenaline. I hired a 1600cc jetski. I'd been on a few jetski's before but this one is definitely the most powerful. I got the machine to 65 km/hr. It was impossible to make any turns at that speed, so I would have to let go of the accelorator to go into a turn. And in doing so, I almost went AOT from the craft slowing so much in the water. But if you don't fall off at least once, you're not going fast enough - and I did fall off once. Brilliant fun!

At night, we went for yet another swim at our 'own beach'. Another Australia bloke, Mike, was trying backflips on the sand. He could do them well and I'd always wanted to do them at a moments call. So with a bit of coaching, I tried a few and kinda landed one. My body was turning sideways a little as I was sh!tting myself midair. I know how to do it in theory, it's just a question of mind over matter for me. One day I hope to be able to do them on the street or anywhere else.

On the 31st, we were due to leave Koh Samui. However, a full moon party was being held on the 1st of June on Koh Phangnan - a 30 minute speed boat ride away. I wasn't quite finished with Koh Samui and heard so much about the full moons parties that I decided to stay and leave the group for a few days. Another girl, Bec, decided to stay aswell. The group had to get up early to catch the ferry back to the mainland and bus to a national park. After a sleep-in, Bec and I headed for a ride on an elephant. Later we returned to Chawang Beach for some dinner on the beach. By this time, Bec was starting to be a bit annoying and I was worried about my decision to party with her the next night.

I was extremely excited by the idea of catching a speedboat to a naturally beautiful place with heaps of fellow partiers. Just before leaving Australia, I watched 'The Beach' with Leonardo. I don't normally like Leonardo but the concept of the movie was fantastic. He finds a map for a secluded island with a community of people living seperate from the rest of the world. The island is said to be off Koh Phangnan, within swimming distance if you believe the movie. I looked around in the dark to see if I could find the island as the 3 times 225 horsepower engines propelled us along the water.

When we stepped off the boat, I could feel the excitment in the atmosphere as I grabbed my first 'bucket of booze'. Lots of stalls sold a little sand bucket with a hip flask of spirits, mixer and ice. I went for a red bull and vodka. What a great idea!

We got into the spirit of things by getting tattoos painted on our arms. I was becoming even more patriotic than normal and got the Australian flag on one arm and some crazy design on the other. Walking down the other end of the beach, we came across fire dancers.

It was a decent setup - clean beach, nice temperature, booze, thousands of people ready to party but I wasn't fully getting into the mood like I normally do. I thought to myself that it was mainly because of the company I was with at the time. If only a few good mates could be here to cut loose with me.

We caught the 2nd-to-last boat back to Koh Samui in the early hours and managed one hour sleep at the Bungalow before we had to begin our journey to meet the tour group again.


Return rating: 7

Bangkok, Thailand (26/5/07 - 29/5/07)

I was glad to be arriving into some better weather but nervous about not knowing the language again. However, I'd booked a tour of Thailand with a Thai and English speaking guide. The tour wasn't scheduled to meet until tomorrow, so I just settled into the comfortable hotel, had a swim in the pool and sauna. At night, I ventured onto the streets for some Pad Thai. Although just like pizza in Italy, I believe these dishes taste better in Australia. Maybe it's what I'm used to or maybe we have higher standards. Before hitting the sack, I got a well deserved massage.

The next day was all about meeting the tour group. I was a little disappointed as most of the group had been travelling together in the Northern parts of Thailand for a few weeks. I was out of the loop in a lot of the conversations. Some of the group were a little annoying too, especially a girl from Montreal who thought she was the best thing since sliced bread but ironically was ugly as hell. We had dinner with some of the group while the others went to a seperate dinner to say goodbye to their previous tour leader.

The 1st day of the tour included a trip on a long tail boat, followed by a songtaew (bike taxi) to the Grand Palace. The river stunk and was extremely polluted but the experience in a new form of transport shadowed the negatives. The Grand Palace was what you would expect to see in Thailand and fairly impressive (especially if you were religious). We got to see the famous reclining Buddha. Buddha's everywhere.

Upon returning to the hotel, we prepared for the overnight train journey to Surat Thani - where we would catch the ferry to Koh Samui. The train was comfortable but since it had a mini disco where I could play tunes from my iPod and drink with the group, I didn't spent much time in the cot (the person standing with their back facing is a lady-boy).

Return rating: 5

London, UK (23/5/07 - 25/5/07)

Since Garth had a major project at work to be completed by Friday, I decided to stay with Joel. Coincidently, it was the Champions League final and a London team had made it. Arsenal would ensure that most pubs would be packed for the 7pm kick-off. The Poms sure love their soccer.

With my bags in the corner of the busy pub, we watched the game. I ran into an old friend from my junior tennis days, Andrew Sabitino. Arsenal lost the game and we called it an early night as London was in a bad mood.

The next day, I went back to the Big Ben for another look around. In the evening Joel and I went out for another few drinks.
On the Friday, I organised my bags and prepared to say goodbye to London again. I wouldn't know the next time I'd be back but I was sure I would one day return. I lugged my bags to Edwards and caught up with Dave. He let me put my bags behind the bar while I went off to meet Nick, my manager at the bar when I worked for Edwards. Garth met us for a drink and left for a night out with Gareth. I went back to Edwards feeling somewhat emotional as this sector of the trip had come to an end.

And that's it for Europe - for the second time. I'm fairly content with the travels I've done through Europe and can hold out on another visit until I might appreciate the finer aspects to it's culture... rather than just getting blotto in every country.

Helsinki, Finland (21/5/07 - 23/5/07)

Like I always do, I rocked into Helsinki without any accommodation. This time it would catch me out. There was a conference in town so every hostel and hotel room was booked solid. The tourist centre was only able to help me find a hotel 20 minutes out of the city by train, costing 98 Euro/night. I had no choice but to take it.

After looking around the city for a bit, I made my way to the hotel and organised myself after the benders with the boys. I was exhausted, so I just watched some TV and caught up on sleep.

The following day, I jumped on a tour of the harbour in the freezing cold weather. Apparently the bay completely freezes over and people skate on it in winter. Accommodation was still impossible to find, so I spent some of the day trying to change my flight back to London for the next day. Again, Helsinki had some nice scenery and people but there wasn't a great deal to do. I visited another famous building and headed back to the hotel for a sauna. That's one thing the Scandanvians know how to do - it was damn hot!

In some ways, I guess I didn't give Helsinki a proper chance as it was mainly recovery from Stockholm and I'd picked a bad time to visit with the city completely booked. Maybe it would be better during warmer weather with some friends.

Return rating: 2

Stockholm, Sweden (18/5/07 - 20/5/07)

Jock and Garth were already in Stockholm and checked into the hostel before I even landed. That was good news for me cause I was totally sick of arranging everything. They met me at the bus stop and showed me to the hostel - one of the better ones that I've stayed in. We wasted little time in getting ready and out to a bar in the CBD for the Friday night drinks slot. We were a bit amazed that the bar had oderly lineups behind each tap. There would be no squabbles about who was to be served first. However, the cost was astronomical. I forget how much it cost but it was by far the most I've ever paid for alcohol.

We were surprised at how well everyone spoke English. Maybe we could meet some locals. We hopped through another few bars including one where they insisted Garth check his jacket... and pay for it. Garth didn't want to check his jacket and certainly didn't want to pay for it. Seem Sweden can be a bit too regimented. We ended at some club.

Feeling a bit hung-over, we climbed out of bed in the early hours of the afternoon. Walking the cold streets, we discovered the Vasa Musuem in Djunrgarden... a ship museum. That's all it was... a ship that had suck because a king had ordered more cannons to be built on it than the ship could handle. Essentially, a museum was created due to an idiot!

Still feeling a little lazy, we headed for TGI Friday's for a meal. The meal was OK but the best part was to come when the waiter brought the bill. The fool gave us the change for our meal and our original payment. Effectively, they paid for us to eat there. The boys were a little skeptical about taking it but followed soon after they saw me out the door.

Thanks to TGI's, half the nights drinks were free so we decided to get back on the wagon with some beers and shots. This time we went to the more upmarket area but found the bars to be too posh. It wasn't as big a night. Maybe we're finding it tough to backup in our old age.

We were still a bit hung on Sunday and only managed a walk through the Gamla Stan, eventually collapsing at a clock tower. We tried to do the Absolute Ice Bar (vodka drinks in an ice igloo) but it was booked out for the day. Of course, more beers were needed for the 'hair of the dog'. It would be the last time I'd see Jock for a while so I pushed myself some more and only allowed myself 3 hours sleep before my flight to Helsinki. Making it worse, I'd left my laundry with the reception which was closed by the time we got back from the pub. It was a tough time searching the room in the dark while 5 others slept but I eventually found it in a bag on the floor. Luckily, I still had undies for the next city.

Return rating: 6 (nice place and people but not much to do)

London, UK (15/5/07 - 17/5/07)

Since returning to Australia from my UK working visa in 2004, I'd always wanted to re-visit friends. When I used my 12 month return flight, I had hopes of finishing the 2nd year. But finances made it too difficult and I settled into my 'old life' again at UniSA.

I was using this time to discover if my heart was still in the UK.

After another long day in airports and planes, I almost felt like I was home. The underground was surprisingly exciting to travel. However, my kind hosts for the next few days, Paul and Jenny's residence wasn't close to a tube station in south east London. Luckily, I knew a little about the bus system but I hadn't seen much of this side of town. It took another two buses and 10 minute walk before I reached their doorstep at 11:30pm. I felt bad for keeping them awake on a school night but it was just like old times when the door was opened and I was welcomed inside with a beer. Such a relief to put my bags down and see old faces that I trusted.

I woke the next day, pumped to rediscover what I consider to be my second home. Wanted to see if anything had changed. I took the same route I always used to take to work at Edwards. Edwards had changed significantly: it was called something else and nobody I used to work with was still there. So, I walked down Hammersmith Road to see if one of my good mates was still working at another location. Dave was starting at 5pm. I went to get my photos from South America developed and killed some time at the internet for an hour before heading back and catching up. Dave seemed to be stuck in the same job and hadn't really moved on. I knew I wouldn't be happy in his shoes and he didn't seem to be totally happy either.

Taking the long trek back to Tran's, I was excited to have dinner with another ol' Adelaide boy, G-man. Classic home made pizza and beers tasted good in the company of great friends.

Thursday was sleep catch-up and more recovery before I moved all my gear to Garth's. Tran and Garth live a good hours trip apart. Afterward setting my stuff down again, we met Gareth at another English pub and called it a night after some Burger King went all over the night bus back to G-man's.

On Friday, I met one of the guys from my Peru tour, Aneurin. We reminised about the good times over lunch and did a quick walk through Buckingham Palace with a traditional English tea in hand. Aneurin had to go back to work and it was just about time to meet Jock. I made the trip back to Garth's to meet Jock. Garth finished work and we went out to meet Claire and have some Gourmet Burger Kitchen. Loved the beetroot. Jock and Garth had a much earlier flight, so we called it a night and saved our energy for Scandanavia.

I have learnt that London has moved on without me... some friends have gone home and more will do so soon, I would have to start job searching and house hunting all over again and the weather is still average. I would have felt like I was living in the past and going backwards by living in the UK again (even if visas weren't a problem). Essentially, I realised I can do everything I want to do from Australia and just visit these places when time and finances allowed.

Return rating: 9 (feels like a second home)

New York, New York (6/5/07 - 14/5/07)

Arriving into JFK, I was pumped for one of the highlights of my trip. I'd especially wanted to visit New York to witness where the world changed at 911.

I got my bags and jumped in a super shuttle for my mates place on Lexington. Funks had only just moved into a sweet apartment between 96th and 97th in Manhatten. I hadn't seen the Canberra clown since my long roadie to the Oz capital in April 2006. After the usual catch-up, we made tracks for Central Park, only a few streets away. We watched a few amatuer teams playing baseball before heading out for a meal and beer.

After getting to bed a little late, I was glad to have Monday morning to recover from drinking and jetlag. Not so lucky for Funks as he had to work the whole week and sickies weren’t an option in your first months work in NYC.

It was strange, I was so keen to see New York but I knew my body needed some recovery - my heart was pulling and my head was pushing. I eventually made it out of the apartment and took the subway to Grand Central. Not knowing NYC, I thought this would be where the most exciting section would be. There was a subway performer imitating Michael Jackson as I left the underground. Of course, Grand Central is famous in itself but I was ready to see more than a train station.

I began walking down Broadway for downtown. The street was lined with shops but I later discovered that 5th Ave is the best for shopping. If I have the time, I love exploring places without a map. At the end of my stay, I usually check to make sure I’ve done all the tourist attractions. This was day 2 of 7 and the longest (along with Barbados for the cricket) I’d be visiting a certain city.

When I got as far as I could walk, I came across the Statue of Liberty. It was getting past 3pm and the tours were finishing up for the day but I would definitely return.

Then it was my turn to see where the world changed. I looked through the fences and mess to see some construction of the new Freedom tower and tried to imagine how tall the Twin Towers would have been. For another moment I tried to comprehend watching them fall but I don’t think it’s within my conception. Even to this day, I am still shocked when I see the footage of the towers crashing down in the middle of Manhattan. I found a timeline description of the events that took place on that day and still couldn’t believe how it would have been on that fateful day. I took a walk through the Financial Buildings surrounding Ground Zero before heading back to Mark’s to get ready for the another worldwide famous site… Yankee Stadium in the Bronx.

On the subway, I began thinking to myself if the Yankees would be the most well-known sporting team in the world. What would come close? Manchester United? I’ve seen Man Utd play twice in 2004. The game itself was entertaining but the beers were expensive. They have a hotdog company called ‘Nathans’ which got plastered all over the stadium – although they were fairly nasty. Unfortunately, the Yankees lost.

Afterwards we went to Funks’ self proclaimed local, the Parrot Bay. He'd already gotten to know a few people including a former Chicago Bears football player, Rich. We were out till the early hours of the morning... again.

On Tuesday, I managed to see the Empire State Building on 5th Ave. Construction was completed in one year and 45 days, working 7 days/week including holidays, at a rate of 4 and a half stories per week. 7 million man hours later, it was the sight we see today. Imagine that happening today... the Freedom Tower will take 5-6 years to complete by 2011.

I made a silly mistake of going up around 4pm in the afternoon. After I'd taken all my photos in the sunlight, I felt I needed to stay and see the lights of New York too. Therefore, I needed to wait until around 8:30pm in the cold wind. They do have a souvenier shop at the observation desk but not much else. I bought a print of the New York skyline when the twin tower lights were shining in the evening. It should be a good reminder of my time OS when I get back to Oz but I was worried about carrying extras all through my travels (Mum and Dad have since taken it home when they visited). I was eventually treated to some amazing night views but couldn't seem to get the camera to justify the scene. Funks was tired, so I decided to pass through Times Square on the way home, having a drink in a Sports bar by myself.

I figured it was time to see the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island on Wednesday. The photo on the left was taken from the ferry to the island where the lady stands.

On the way home, I crossed the Brooklyn Bridge into Queens which was the longest bridge for over 20 years when completed in 1883 and considered the 8th wonder of the world at the time. Catching the subway back, I was on the west side of Manhatten and Funks' was on the east. I'd heard Tom’s Diner from Seinfeld was in the area so I went off to find where the classic sitcom was mostly filmed. The outside looks a lot like the set but the inside is nothing like it. I ordered a soup and sat in the booth where an old cashier man told me they always used to sit. They had an autographed photo of the group but it wasn't as much of an attraction as I think they could make it. By this time it was getting dark and I still needed to cross Central Park. Funks had told me a story where a kid running through Central Park in broad daylight was stabbed 3 times in the back all for a gang initiation. I don't normally get freaked easily but I was making an exception this time. I began following paths through Central Park in the dusk and got a little disoriented (it's a big park). I finally found the other side and made it to Funks' with sweat running from me.

On Thursday, I managed to score tickets to David Letterman (thanks for the advice Jock). They usually reserve tickets for out-of-towners but made it difficult for people working like Funks. We had to line-up to get our tickets at lunch on the day of the show. Then had to come back a few hours later for the show. Funks told work that he had a dentist appointment and met me at the David Sullivan theatre (where Nirvana and many other famous bands have played). They tried to pump up the audience to give Dave the energy which makes the show successful. Although, there wasn't much to get excited about with Dr Phil and Jack Hannah as guests.

At the start, Dave interviewed a guy in the audience a few rows in front. We could see ourselves in the background on the live studio feeds. The guy happenned to be from Adelaide too. To be honest, I wouldn't normally watch Letterman unless I bored at home. I can't really see why he's so popular but celebrities seem to love him. I guess that might be because he asks some different questions from the typical interview.

While Funks went back to work to see if he still had a job, I went to Madison Square Gardens. There wasn't anything much to see but I just had to visit the famous arena. Around the corner was Macy’s, the worlds largest department store. It didn't seem to be much bigger than others I'd shopped at before but it does have the reputation. I bought a pair of jeans and a shirt before meeting Funks in Times Sqaure. We took some photos before being back at the Parrot Bay... again.

The following day, I strolled along 5th Ave through Washington Square and Little Italy. I was looking for a Yankees cap as a souvenier and a haircut. I got both.

Friday night, Funks could finally relax. We arranged to met a girl he used to work with and two of her friends at the Parrot Bay. I was totally sick of beer and alcohol in general so ordered a strawberry daquirie much to the amusement of Funks. At about 4am we caught a cab to the meatpacking district to find another bar. We could find anything open and went home wondering why it was 'the city that never sleeps'.

Waking up late, we went to nurse the hangover in Central Park. Afterwards, we met the girls for a tour of Wall Street and the bull. They hadn't been to Ground Zero, so I went along again. This time the security was evident with machine guns and dogs out the front. Apparently, they beef up security at random hotspots around NY (when will they stop calling it Ground Zero).

My last night, we went out for dinner at Thai restaurant. The meal was nice but it was back to the Parrot Bay for more drinks. At 4am, I looked at my watch realising I had a flight at 8:30am. Back at Funks pad boozed to the eyeballs and my stuff everywhere, I handed my phone and flight details to Ali and said, "Do your best". She pretended to be my sister and managed to change to flight for Monday morning. With a massive relief, I passed out on the matress.

Sunday was all about recovery. I stepped out in the afternoon to walk the streets and reminisce about my travels and consider what was next. I was ready for the next leg but vowed to return to NYC. I grabbed some pizza and headed back to Funks' place to watch TV and have an early night.

Return rating: 10 (Probably the only place left in the world where I'd like to work. However, considering the rent, I wouldn't be able to wing it like I had in London and Vancouver. I needed a professional job offer which meant I needed a career.)

That's it for North America... until I get back to Canada. I'm hoping to see and do a fair bit more in my 12 month working holiday.

Washington DC, Washington (3/5/07 - 6/5/07)

Not knowing anyone in Washington, I'd planned for this city to be more about sightseeing than partying. I just had to visit the capital and take the standard photos.

I arrived at the hostel fairly late but managed a night walk straight to the White House, Monument and Capitol Hill. Certainly a humbling experience being at the most powerful place in the Universe. I hope that explains the photo below...

The next day was my time to see one of the sites where the world changed forever - the Pentagon. The Americans are still extremely sensitive about the issue and photos are completely forbidden around the complex. Of course, I couldn't resist and snuck a few. It wasn't until I got cocky and took a photo in the middle of a parking lot when a cop came for me with their lights flashing. I pleaded ignorance (the accent might have helped again), so he made me delete all my photos surrounding the Pentagon. Later on, I heard stories of people being offered a choice of a $50,000 fine or handing over their camera. I guess I got off lightly.

The last day, I made a visit to the famous Iwo Jima statue. Thought I'd give them a hand while I was there (I must be getting old enough to be a lame Dad).

In the afternoon, I made a visit to the Washington Mesuem of Space and Aviation. The most interesting pieces didn't have much to do with flying but included Stars Wars robots, Edison's first light bulb, Abraham Lincoln's tophat, Muhammad Ali's gloves, Babe Ruth's signed baseball and Seinfeld's puffy shirt. Also, touched a piece of the moon if you believe man has ever been there.

After some grief from the boys, I thought I'd show them what I'm made of and put application in for the FBI. Surprisingly, I'm still waiting to hear back from them...

Return rating: 1

Los Angeles, California (28/4/07 - 3/5/07)

With half an hours sleep the night before (as Vegas will do to you), I was actually craving a long flight to catch some zzz's, however, it was probably the shortest in my round the world trip... the irony. Feeling dog-tired, I called a few hostels and eventually decided to try one in Hollywood (without a reservation). I jumped in a super shuttle where I met a girl from Brissy, Mel. She'd only decided to go to the States about a week before after a few mishaps at home. Like me, Mel was happy to chat to a fellow Aussie.

Cruising out of the airport, I still can't believe the size of their highways - counted 8 lanes each way with exits spiralling everywhere. Mel hadn't booked any accomm until just before I met her at the airport. And since I didn't have any plans (or friends in LA at the time), she asked if I would see if there was room at her hotel for tonight and we'd sort the rest out later. The receptionist was a really nice bloke that let me stay in the room for the same price... basically a free bed for me.

Mel was extremely tired too as she'd been up all night before she left and also sat on a flight for 14 hours but we couldn't sleep when LA waited for us. So, we ventured into the heart of Hollywood. Seeing the stars on the road was kinda surreal but the street is a little dirty. And there were more important things as the Aussies were playing in the final of the World Cup cricket. We knew it was going to be a tough ask but we had to find the game somewhere. We checked about 5 bars including Hooters before we were given a tip to a bar that played most international sports. Excited to catch the end of the match, we jumped in a yellow cab and headed for Santa Monica Boulevard. But of course the Yanks don't care about anything outside their own country and it wasn't being shown. Mel convinced the manager to get a laptop so we could get updates through the net. I sat glued to the screen while Mel went off to meet some more randoms. After seeing Australia play live, I was experiencing the biggest game through text on a screen. Boooooo to that Lewi!

After a few more drinks to celebrate Australia's hatrick of World Cup's, we decided to go back to the hotel for a catnap to recharge for the Saturday night. Once my head hit the pillow, it was all over. Mel had the alarm set and got ready an hour later but I couldn't drag my arse out of bed and let her go out alone.

In the morning, Mel told me how she met another few people and had a reasonable night. But today our priority was seeing Rage Against the Machine who were playing just out of LA. Unfortunately, it was sold out and we had no way of getting there. Rage would be one of my favourite bands and would have been a great opportunity to see them. (As it turns out, Nick and I saw them on the 11th of August. C'mon!)

The Lakers were also in the playoffs just around the corner but tickets were apparently selling for $500 each. Again, would have been a great experience but one I couldn't afford. So, the rest of the day was just spent wondering around Hollywood trying to find the infamous sign on foot. It was amazing how difficult it was to find one of the world's most recognisable symbols. We ended up bush bashing through scrubs (most likely on private property of the celebrities) until we came to a massive dam. I climbed over some barbwire onto a huge circular water tank to see if I could find the direction of the sign. But it didn't help and the light was fading fast so we decided to try again another day.

That night, Mel was desperate to visit the Viper Room - owned by Johnny Depp and where River Pheonix OD almost a decade ago. Mel was only 20, so we had to use to imagination to get in. At the door, one of the guys saw Mel's Australian tattoo and took a liking to us. After a few questions to 'verify' Mel's age, we were inside. I couldn't help imagine all the famous people that had walked through the doors and partied where we were standing (I have no idea who the guy is in this photo).

On Monday, we hired a car and made a better effort to find the Hollywood sign. With directions, we finally managed to get as close as possible to take the obligitory photos. We still don't know where we ended up the night before.

In the afternoon, we sampled Venice Beach. It had the traits of a typical movie with palm trees, basketball courts and outdoor gyms (one filthy prick training in his undies). The beach itself was average, especially considering it's reputation.

Night time was our first major league baseball game - one of the biggest... the LA Dodgers. We bought $60 tickets but there seemed to be heaps of seats closer to the action, so we sketched our way to first base and met a few friendly Dodger supporters. They explained the scoreboard and told us two rows in front cost $400/seat (included food and drink but still expensive). The game was disappointing as the Dodgers got smashed. But it was more about the experience for us. Outside Dodgers Stadium there's a great view of downtown LA, so we managed a few photos after the game but were hurried on by the cops. They must expect lots of Dodgy characters at the Dodgers (Dad's joke I know but I guess it suits the nerdlinger glasses).

Tuesday was time to see the posh side of LA, Beverely Hills. We didn't feel the part as drove around Rodeo Drive in our economical box. How do you like the 'my sh!t don't stink' pose?

Tuesday night, I dropped Mel at a bar and went to catch up with a former London workmate. Was great catching up with Cintia as the people I met in London were a huge part of that experience.

On Wednesday, we drove to San Diego for the day. Near the end, we missed the turnoff as it was poorly signed and knew we were heading for Tijuana. Neither of us were in the mood for Mexico, so we threw a few U-turns to get back on track for San Diego. I knew Willy had spent some time studying in San Diego a few years ago, so I called the big fella to get the low-down. Was great speaking to Willy again - he suggested the beach and zoo. Unfortunately, we wasted a bit more time getting lunch and deciding what to do that there wasn't much time for either as we needed to get back to LA cause I had a flight in the morning. There's always action driving the highways of the States and this was no exception. In the short return journey, we saw the dog patrol out looking for someone and later a car on it's roof in an accident. Crazy place.

I'd seen just about all I wanted to see in LA. As most people will tell you, LA isn't the most attractive place and I'm not all that interested in returning. However, LA is without a doubt on the world stage and can hold some of the biggest events in the world. Therefore, I can see myself returning for such a massive event but not for the city itself.

Return rating: 4