Dreaming California
You can buy a copy of my book Dreaming California buy clicking on the link below. Its just a collection of a fraction of the photographs I took on the California trip. More to come...
Thursday, 14 August 2008
Friday, 8 August 2008
LA
I got to put my hand in the cemented hand print of the beloved George Clooney!! There were plenty of other sites on the LA tour. Hollywood Blvd is littered with sex shops only metres away from the famous Kodak theatre where the Oscar ceremony is held.
The Hollywood sign was so far in the distance. Can you spot it?
The trek tour ended at the Gateway hotel called the Hacienda close to LAX. We said our goodbyes and it felt kinda sad. We had all experienced so much together in one week. It was an intense seven days.
After a morning swim in the Hacienda pool, Jen and I took a cab to Santa Monica where we were about to start a whole new adventure. Starting in Santa Monica, continuing up the west coast and finally ending in San Francisco.
LA Gallery
http://www.flickr.com/photos/clarencecoconut/sets/72157606228542483/
Lake Havasu
Temperatures of 117 degrees can make the mind go a little crazy, but it was the real London Bridge I saw in the middle of the Arizona desert stretching across Lake Havasu. The guy who bought it thought he was getting what we know as Tower Bridge.
The plan was to stay indoors til it got a little cooler then we headed down to the lake. Once we were at the lake we all hustled into our cozzies and jumped in the water. I coulda stayed there all night. I was sent, as my nan used to say. It was paradise. Second only to the warm Caribbean Ocean.
That night we had a lovely meal of spiced sausage and shrimp cooked by the amazing Linda - the girl who could do anything, she was like superwoman. It was so warm that we slept outside under the stars.
Noisey birds woke me up at dawn but no one else was moving. I watched the sunrise alone sitting by the lake, it was idyllic. I didn't want to leave.
Lake Havasu Gallery
http://www.flickr.com/photos/clarencecoconut/sets/72157606234592873/
The plan was to stay indoors til it got a little cooler then we headed down to the lake. Once we were at the lake we all hustled into our cozzies and jumped in the water. I coulda stayed there all night. I was sent, as my nan used to say. It was paradise. Second only to the warm Caribbean Ocean.
That night we had a lovely meal of spiced sausage and shrimp cooked by the amazing Linda - the girl who could do anything, she was like superwoman. It was so warm that we slept outside under the stars.
Noisey birds woke me up at dawn but no one else was moving. I watched the sunrise alone sitting by the lake, it was idyllic. I didn't want to leave.
Lake Havasu Gallery
http://www.flickr.com/photos/clarencecoconut/sets/72157606234592873/
Grand Canyon
The average time a tourist will spend at the canyon is 1 - 2 hrs. They drive up, get out of their cars, take in the view and then off they go to the next great landmark. It took me an hour to get over the fact that I was standing on the edge of the beast of a canyon.
The brightest night skys and smos around the campfire. Howling coyotes made for an excellent alarm for the 3am start to see the amazing sunrise over the canyon.
That morning there was only enough time for a short hike down the canyon along the Khabib Trail. We ate lunch and took in the view and fought off some pretty fierce squirrels. I ended up nursing some bruises from a fall on the way down the slippery dusty path. Took forever to clean off the canyon dirt.
Grand Canyon Gallery
http://www.flickr.com/photos/clarencecoconut/sets/72157606234648211/
The brightest night skys and smos around the campfire. Howling coyotes made for an excellent alarm for the 3am start to see the amazing sunrise over the canyon.
That morning there was only enough time for a short hike down the canyon along the Khabib Trail. We ate lunch and took in the view and fought off some pretty fierce squirrels. I ended up nursing some bruises from a fall on the way down the slippery dusty path. Took forever to clean off the canyon dirt.
Grand Canyon Gallery
http://www.flickr.com/photos/clarencecoconut/sets/72157606234648211/
In transit
Some of the sights along the way...
These rocks looked like they were flipping us the bird.
Blurred patriotism.
Its all about the love.
I like pylons.
I didn't wanna risk my chances with the dead chicken.
(Seligman - Route 66)
In transit Gallery
http://www.flickr.com/photos/clarencecoconut/sets/72157606228567821/
Route 66 Gallery
http://www.flickr.com/photos/clarencecoconut/sets/72157606234658765/
These rocks looked like they were flipping us the bird.
Blurred patriotism.
Its all about the love.
I like pylons.
I didn't wanna risk my chances with the dead chicken.
(Seligman - Route 66)
In transit Gallery
http://www.flickr.com/photos/clarencecoconut/sets/72157606228567821/
Route 66 Gallery
http://www.flickr.com/photos/clarencecoconut/sets/72157606234658765/
Thursday, 7 August 2008
Elvis lives!
Vegas baby!!
Whenever I think of Vegas now the thing I will remember the most is that it was hot Hot HOT!!!
I never thought I would appreciate air conditioning so much. A walk down the strip consisted of blazing hot sunshine then dipping in and out of the casinos to gasp for breath and get our hands on some ice cold water.
A clear favourite of the hotels had to be the Venetian. Venice recreated under a clear blue artificial sky with gondolas floating down the turquoise blue canal.
Other highlights included the pirate show at Treasure Island, the miniature Eiffel Tower at the Paris Hotel and mini New York. The fountains at the Bellagio were magnificent.
The winnings at the Bellagio, not so magnificent.
Overall Vegas was very entertaining. I have to admit I wasn't looking forward to the limo ride, I was worried it was going to be a little tacky. But turns out tacky can be more than enough entertainment. Especially when we had our own professional pole dancer to show us the moves. And one more thing... Elvis does in fact live. I found him on his mobile phone hanging outside the Venetian.
Vegas Gallery
http://www.flickr.com/photos/clarencecoconut/sets/72157606234674083/
Lions, tigers and bears OH MY!
Yosemite!
The most exciting, rewarding, adventurous experience of my life!
We set off from Curry Village early morning and took the bus to Happy Isles where we hiked the John Muir trail via the mist walk which was beautiful.
Vernal Fall was the first stop. Rainbows were shooting out of the fall hitting the mountain side. The steps were very steep and wet from the spray, we were showered by the time we reached the top. I was grateful for the handrail for the last stretch. I was knackered!!!
The rest of the hike was pretty intense and I didn't think I was gonna be able to reach the top. But it was totally worth it in the end when we reached Nevada Fall because the view was breathtaking. Half Dome looked superimposed within the other mountains.
Bears were lurking around ever corner. The advice we got from our tour leader was not to run and hide but stay and fight. Punch as hard as we could!!! Can you imagine? I woulda been leggin it.
Yosemite gallery
http://www.flickr.com/photos/clarencecoconut/sets/72157606224484918/
The most exciting, rewarding, adventurous experience of my life!We set off from Curry Village early morning and took the bus to Happy Isles where we hiked the John Muir trail via the mist walk which was beautiful.
Vernal Fall was the first stop. Rainbows were shooting out of the fall hitting the mountain side. The steps were very steep and wet from the spray, we were showered by the time we reached the top. I was grateful for the handrail for the last stretch. I was knackered!!!
The rest of the hike was pretty intense and I didn't think I was gonna be able to reach the top. But it was totally worth it in the end when we reached Nevada Fall because the view was breathtaking. Half Dome looked superimposed within the other mountains.
Bears were lurking around ever corner. The advice we got from our tour leader was not to run and hide but stay and fight. Punch as hard as we could!!! Can you imagine? I woulda been leggin it.
Yosemite gallery
http://www.flickr.com/photos/clarencecoconut/sets/72157606224484918/
Foggy bay
Megan drove us around San Fran that morning. It was cold and foggy, much to the disappointment of Jen who had envisioned blue skies and scorching heat. But foggy it was and the Golden Gate bridge was wrapped in it. The orange metal tops peeping through the mist were the only visible points to prove that the bridge actually existed.
The hot chocolate on the bridge was the earliest sign of the downfall of my diet on this trip, but it was needed. I was bleedin freezin!!!!
The hot chocolate on the bridge was the earliest sign of the downfall of my diet on this trip, but it was needed. I was bleedin freezin!!!!
Meet the team
The trek introduction took place early dawn. First impressions were very promising - a good mix of people. Lina, Eleanore, Linda, Samantha, Alice, Ji Won, Perry, Stuart, Lauren, the sisters and me and Jen.
The tour rep must have had a really bad experience with the previous group as she laid down the law in that first meeting. Apparently they were inclined to booze up and get high before daybreak and failed to focus on what the trip entailed. They did however leave us a hefty supply of alcohol which I think pleased all.
The tour rep must have had a really bad experience with the previous group as she laid down the law in that first meeting. Apparently they were inclined to booze up and get high before daybreak and failed to focus on what the trip entailed. They did however leave us a hefty supply of alcohol which I think pleased all.
San Francisco - arrival time 1.00 am
After a long delay in Philadelphia I finally arrived at SFO tired and disheveled. It was pure luck that Jen's flight had arrived at the same time and we met up at baggage claim by chance. We jumped in a cab and headed to the city to our hotel which turns out was not too shabby.
There was little time to take advantage of the newly refurbished hotel due to the late arrival and further delay in finding our room in the maze of walkways and stir wells. The crisp clean white sheets made it easy to drift off to sleep with the unfamiliar noises going on outside. It was an early start the next day and we needed all the sleep we could get.
There was little time to take advantage of the newly refurbished hotel due to the late arrival and further delay in finding our room in the maze of walkways and stir wells. The crisp clean white sheets made it easy to drift off to sleep with the unfamiliar noises going on outside. It was an early start the next day and we needed all the sleep we could get.
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