black dynashite

Ricky and i had the worst cinematic experience in history yesterday. Ok so this may be a tad exagerated but it was pretty darn bad. There were a number of mitigating circumstances which combined meant for the first time in my life i actually thought about leaving a film half way through!!!!! (the tickets were free so we didnt have anything to lose) however we stuck with it thinking things might improve - we were wrong. Things didnt start off particularly well when we turned up at Cineworld only to be told the film was at the Filmhouse - ooooops my fault for not actually reading the tickets - and we only found this out once we had bought our popcorn and were ready to go through. queue a very quick trip in the newly reinstated best car in the world (the polo that is - so happy to have him back) down the road with a very grumpy ricky cursing under his breath. i couldnt stop laughing, i thought it was really funny and anyway we did have plenty of time. so we arrive, popcorn still in hand (i wasnt giving it up for no-one) and made our way into the cinema to see what was possibly the most painful excuse for a 70s spoof i have ever seen. if you ever get the chance to see Black Dynamite i would insist that you pass. What made it worse though was the freaks that were surrounding us. i felt as though we were trapped in a crowded laughing hyenas den and some idiot had given them all microphones. i have never heard people laugh this hard or as loud at what was basically something which would make a two year old crack up - basic humour for basic people is what the tagline should have been. it was bad but hey at least i still got to eat my popcorn - to think we dragged ourselves away from the Cilic v Querrey game for that.

Anyway enough moaning, the week apart from that has seen us relaxing and enjoying this beautiful sunshine which seems to be gracing us at the moment. I love being in edinburgh when the sun is out as it means the parks are buzzing after work and i get an excuse to eat ice cream. it also means that megane bashing aside there is no excuse for me to not walk to work which although is not particularly good for the hair (i should pitch myself to companies as a tester for anti frizz serums) it is great for the old health. speaking of the megane, its been assessed by the garage so we are eagerly awaiting news from the insurance company to say whether or not they will fix it - the damage seems minimal so fingers crossed.

For those of you who asked, ricky carried out his best man's duties at the weekend with ease. he was a natural at the speech, and proved to be funny and sincere at the same time (this is definetly a personality breakthrough, although i dont think i can forgive him telling people he was thinking of trading in my engagement ring to pay for the repair damage on the car - the cheek) All the speeches were great and Zoe's dads was particularly touching and hilarious and added to what was a fantastic day. The bride looked gorgeous and the groom was so laid back, i thought ricky was going to have kittens when we turned up with an hour to go and ross hadnt showered, ironed his shirt or eaten lunch (you know how organised mr murray is) - but they still made it to the church with plenty of time to spare. Speaking of weddings we go and visit our first and front runner venue on saturday evening so fingers crossed its everything we are looking for. not going to say too much about it at as i want to keep it close to the chest for the time being but will let you know how it goes.

we are also not very excitingly going to be clearing out some stuff this weekend - we have some much junk its ridiculous - i know for example we have wine glasses, a rice cooker, a brand new griddle pan and lots of books as well as other useless items which will be going free to a loving new home called the tip unless anyone wants them - email me your requests and i will see what we can find if you need anything in particular - however i cannot produce antique paintings worth £20k that is just being greedy xxx

Back to earth with a loud bang and a big bump

so its been a while since i last blogged and this will be the first that is not about the holiday which makes it quite a sad day for me. the revelation that i no longer get to tell you what new and exciting things i have been up to in foreign lands is hitting me hard, hence why i have not written. its funny because when we were away all i did was talk about what we did on a daily basis, no matter how mundane it was, and now suddenly being back it doesnt seem that exciting to tell you what i am up to any more. I wonder is this because our daily life is boring and we do nothing fun anymore or is it because when you are somewhere other than scotland you feel that people will be more interested. Thing is when i look back on what we have done in the last couple of weeks, we have done loads of exciting things, in fact we havent stopped. so why should i stop blogging??

the answer is of course that i shouldnt and i should learn to appreciate how lucky we are to live in a city like edinburgh and the opportunities it affords us for some fun chat. For example the film festival is in town and myself and Claire made our way to cineworld on wednesday for the UK premiere of Sam Mendes new film Away we Go. We were promised celebrities ahoy as it was the gala opening, and we arrived early cameras in hand, eagerly awaiting a glimpse of some waif like hollywood starlets - only to find that we had missed the red carpet walk doh!!!!! To be honest i think the only person we missed seeing was sir sean and i dont think that was necessarily a huge dissapointment (ive never really had a thing for bond) We did however get to see the director introduce the film and my night was made when one of the actresses from the film shouted out "anyone from cumnock, i'm from cumnock" (i felt a great urge to scream yes me me me but its blatently honest that you are not otherwise you would have said "anywan fae cumnock, am fae cumnock" - i'm such a stickler for correct pronounciation). Blatantly some distant relative came from the mecca of ayrshire that is the nock and she was trying to ham up her scottish credentials. however she could have chosen a slightly nicer town to place her scottish ancestors and also somewhere on the east coast. Saying you are from the west, and one if its more interesting towns at that, in amongst die hard edinburgh fur coat wearers is never going to endear yourself to their luvvie clubs. Anyway that aside the film was excellent, it was so quirky, funny, heart warming and fresh. I havent laughed so much in ages and i immediately went out and bought the soundtrack which incidentally is mostly made up of tracks from a scottish guy called Alexi Murdoch - if you like nick drake then this guy is one to keep an eye on. And at the end of the day i have to give cumnock lass her dues - she was a really good actress and looked stunning - however i think this again reiterates her non lineage to ayrshire roots as the last famous person to come from cumnock (apart from george burley) was lorraine from deacon blue - enough said

So one day i am attending premiers and schmoozing with some famous cumnock legends and the next i am brought down to earth with a bump. Literally that is - infact it was more of a smash as a guy in a silver rover 400 careered into the side of me whilst i was in the megane. i hold my hands up and say it was my fault however some visually challenged man on the other side of the road had waved me out of the junction cos i couldnt see and then wham. lesson for today is dont trust blind men who wave you out of a blind spot, this can potentially lead to lots of car damage and an increased insurance premium and should be avoided at all cost. Still its not all bad news as it means its likely this will force ricky into buying a new car - i didnt do it on purpose, honest governer. I do feel really bad though, its never good when you crash someone elses car, at least it wasnt a bad crash (for the megane that is the other guys car is a write off) and no one got hurt.

the last few weeks have seen us catch up with lots of friends and family which has been lovely and this weekend sees us head to Dundee for Ross and Zoe's wedding where ricky is doing the honourable duty of being best man. He is pretty nervous about the whole thing but as he says, everyone keeps telling him to make sure he gets as drunk as possible before the speech as that way it will be way more funny (he obviously needs this extra boost of comicalness), so he bought some extra whisky last night to do the job:)

I had to buy a new top as unfortunately as will happen when you are on holiday, i managed to put on a few pounds so didnt quite fit into the outfit i was planning to wear. so i did what was sensible and essential and bought some new shoes and a handbag to go with it. i have literally just raided boots foot department for as many blister plasters and party feet sponge things as possible in preparation for standing all day in heels. Me in stilletos is not a common occurence these days and i have a feeling the tootsies wont like it, Bets have opened already on what time i will decide to stuff it and walk around bare footed for the rest of the day. We havent been to a wedding in ages and Ross has told me that under no circumstances will Abba be played at the wedding - i feel i have to picket the DJ on this - no wedding is complete without a round of dancing queen. But sincerely Ross and Zoe, all the best for tomorrow, we hope you have a wonderful day and we look forward to sharing it with you xx

Next week is looking more relaxing so i am hoping we can actually get on with our own wedding planning. i have emailed a few places for brochures so the next step is to go and visit and convince ricky that they are actually within our price range - everything in edinburgh is so expensive dont you know - its much of a muchness when it comes to price - honestly we wont find anywhere cheaper............. i have my arguments already worked out. For those of you who were asking for pics of the engagement ring i have no idea how to actually take a picture that doesnt lose its focus on the diamond so instead i found a of pic of it online so the photo that you see is of my actual engagement ring. its still very shiny shiny and i actually discovered for the first time the other day whilst doing the washing up that fairy liquid actually gives it an incredible shine. ricky is already trying to use this as an excuse for me to do the dishes more often - nae luck pal this is one argument that wont wash xxx

read all about it

i have tried and tried but in the end i have failed miserably in my attempt to compile a list of the best things we did on holiday (my list mojo is obviosly saving itself for the wedding). People keep on asking me what was the most fun? where was the best place you visited? whats your most memorable moment? and everytime i answer differently. Its so difficult to put it into context. i look at the list i have drafted and most things come from the states. its hard to tell whether or not its because thats where we were most recently and our memories of there are more vivid or because it truly is such an amazing country. however it cant knock everything else out can it??? Anyway because i have been unable to come up with 1 list, i decided to totally chicken out of the whole thing and write 3. that way i can at least accomodate more things :) So are you ready???? if so we shall begin

Top 5 moments (the big one and the one that should come first)

• our engagement in NY. its so fitting that something so surprising and lovely happened on the last few days of our trip - it also served as a great excuse to get drunk for 3 days and have ricky spoil me. (i wonder if that has anything to do with the fact i let him watch the man u vs barcelona champions league final:)
• Seeing our friends in Sydney and Dunedin. its good to know people never change even though places do.
• the Grand canyon - i suppose this is as close as you get to the top actual place we saw - it was amazing in every way. it needs to be seen. full stop.
• Whale watching in cape cod was a magical experience. one would have been enough but so many meant we were just spoiled.
• the ice hockey - violence, alcohol, hot dogs, music, glass throwing and shouting combined to create one of the best atmospheres i have ever witnessed outside of cumnock on a saturday night

However there is more

Top 5 recommended activities for everyone to try (disclaimer -we accept no liability for injuries caused during participation, pregnant women and the infirm should discuss any doubts they may have with a GP first)

• Sea Kayaking in Abel Tasman in NZ (note to anyone who may wish to try this sport, if you are in a double kayak go for the back seat - you get to steer dodgily, splash the person in front and get away without paddling - ricky emerged from a day in the kayak fresh and energetic, i on the other hand was soaked, knackered from doing all the paddling and with shot nerves from thinking we were going to collide with every rock and boat we saw)
• Cycling in Stanley Park, Vancouver - worth it just to see ricky on a bike with a basket and a cycle helmet on
• Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb - outstanding views and feeling of accomplishment -pity about the crappy boiler suits you have to wear.
• Koala cuddling - i so want one - think ronnie might have something to say about it
• sailing in the milford sounds in NZ - awesome - only word for it

other things which came very close to making this list were seeing a bear in Yosemite, hunter valley wine tasting, smelly natural wonder of the world that is rotorua, driving big sur, lying on whitehaven beach in the whitsundays, handline fishing in Fiji and the cricket game in wellington as well as hundreds more activities. Man we did a lot when you think of it.

Lastly i thought i would give you a list of my favourite cities, well, we saw a lot of them, my feet will testify to this. FYI New York is not included on this list as i thought it was a bit unfair - it was and still is our favourite city and therefore have only included cities we hadnt visited before.

• Vancouver - the food, the people, the fact we could afford nice stuff, the ice hockey, our posh digs, the beer, granville island, cycling, bear watching - it was just all good
• Washington - it may have had 95% humidity when we were there but this is still undoubtedly one of the most beautiful, historic, poignant and interesting cities we have ever visited - we have unfinished business there i think
• Sydney - its iconic and its buzzing and the 22 hour flight was worth it just to see the sun rise over the harbour bridge and the opera house as we were landing
• Tokyo - the land of the weird and wonderful and of course the singing toilet and fake plastic food. however it is also the safest, friendliest and cleanest city i have visited. it also has fantastic temples, history and depth and of course neon and vending machines as well as drunken scottish people invading small pubs and being force fed sushi and sake - whats not to like
• Wellington - laid back european city in the southern hemisphere with great food and stunning vistas (a word i picked up in the states) of the marlbourgh straits

so there you have it - 3 months in a nutshell. for those of you who havent seen the latest photos i uploaded please find them here http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=2427985&l=9e874167ec&id=732850985

i have started uploading all of our photos (so many) into online albums, so at some point soon i can bore you all with a slide show.

Settling back into life in edinburgh a wee bit too easy i would say. yesterday morning though i woke up and went "what i actually have to go to work today" i think the reality that i am no longer on holiday has well and truly kicked in. its weird as last week felt like a holiday being at work as it was doing something different. i am a bit messed up, but then again i think you knew that anyway :)

we have a busy week ahead as usual - it mostly consists of badminton and drinking

work that one out.

xx

america america

sorry have been a bit lazy in getting these up - its been such a busy week catching up with friends and family - i havent been in a single night (and i thought i was going to take it easy the first week back).

anyway i will blog soon with a more detailed account of how we are doing - but until then please content yourself with some photies from the rest of our trip xxx

http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=99189&id=732850985&l=d00f2ec7bf

hi ho hi ho

Well we are home and it has to be said loving being back in our own flat. It’s so nice to be surrounded by our own things and have luxuries such as drawers, a cooker with an oven and a proper washing machine which is actually in the kitchen and not in a launderette. It’s also lovely to find a whole new wardrobe (clothes i dissed and didn’t take on holiday with me) to wear as I was getting so sick of seeing me in the same thing all the time and to be honest most of the clothes if not already thrown out are enroute to it as they are falling to pieces. The sunshine has also helped us settle in. I love our flat when its sunny, we get so much light and it is such a nice place to be.

The flight back was tinged with some sadness at the thought that our trip had come to an end, although it was mostly a happy one as we were so excited to be getting to see friends and family again and celebrating our news with them (it was also a very anxious flight for me, I have become a very nervous flyer these days, too many flights and too much turbulence equals emma happy not to be in the air for a while, poor Ricky’s arm is a mound of fingernail marks).

We have spent the weekend mostly doing washing and clearing out the giant pile of mail which had accumulated whilst we were away. In amongst it were some beautiful cards and some long and eagerly awaited wedding invitations, so thanks to all who have been thinking about us and sending their best wishes. Luckily there were no surprise major bills so it’s nice to know the only people we owe money to are the credit card companies. We also paid a visit to Glasgow to pick up Ronnie and had a lovely lunch with Rikke (he is a lot tamer now than when we sent him to Glasgow, Rikke your calming ways have obviously done the trick). And we had a visit from Russell, Sandra and the Kids – man they have grown (the kids, not Russell and Sandra), it was great to see them all and we had a very lovely picnic out in the park.

We both headed back to work this morning (it was really strange to see Ricky in his suit again with his very manly man bag) and I think it’s been nice for both of us to settle into a bit of a routine again. I think it takes going back to normal to fully appreciate just what we have had and what we have done and to remind ourselves just how lucky we actually are. However, if it wasn’t for the wedding, round the world trip mark 2 planning would definitely be in operation right now (you know i cant not have things to look forward to). And before you ask, no we haven’t really had a chance to think about the wedding yet but don’t worry when I have some idea as to what form it will take and when I will be letting you know.

I cant believe we are embarking on another adventure so quickly and I think we will keep the blog open for a while yet so we can keep you up to date with how operation get emma down the aisle is going. That’s if you don’t mind – please feel free to tell me to stop clogging up your inbox if I start becoming bridezilla.

As well as getting all of the exciting tasks of laundry and shopping out of the way we have also been spending a bit of time looking through our photos and thinking about our time away. For those of you who know me, you will know that I love to make lists so I thought I would start pulling together everything we have done and places we have been to, to give you an insight as to our favourite as well as worst moments of the holiday. It is so much harder than I thought as there are so so many amazing things to choose from, so I think I am going to ponder it for a bit longer. It wasn’t so hard to pull together what I thought were the biggest disappointments so I have started list season by putting them underneath. There were a few that made it close to being top 5, such as Ricky’s driving, American drivers, too much rain, too many overnight flights (Fiji to LA deserves a special mention) rubbish washing machines and a lack of clean socks, however these are things which can be overlooked, the items which finally made it are unforgiveable and unforgettable in their own weird unique way.

Top 5 worst holiday moments (in no particular order)

• the big Mac in the US being the exact same size as it is in the UK – poor show


• The ginormous spider which invaded our Burre in Fiji – much bigger than the ones in Oz and hairy – hairy spiders are far more scary


• The smelly van in NZ – when you started the engine it seriously was like having 10 bean eating, lager drinking, methane emitting cows in the back seat (we loved the van just not the reak)


• Seeing Susan Boyle on TV in the US - what a great ambassador for Scotland she was


• Having to leave New York – yes I know its soppy but its my blog and I will write what I want to

Anyway more lists will follow as well as some more pics – promise xxxxx

breakfast at tiffany's

Well Folks, what an adventure we’ve had over the past 3 months. We’ve visited some amazing cities and fantastic natural wonders in what has undoubtedly been the trip of a lifetime. However as they say, all good things must come to an end and this will be our final blog from overseas as we head home tomorrow evening, arriving back in Edinburgh on Friday.

These past few days in NY have been especially memorable. As many of you will already have heard, I popped the big question to Emma in Central Park on Monday and thankfully she said yes! So it looks like we will be embarking on another amazing journey even before we get back home.

We have spent the past few days celebrating in style with some champagne in a revolving restaurant overlooking the Manhattan skyline and dining in the River Café under the Brooklyn Bridge. This was followed by a wee trip to the jewellers (you may have heard of it, Tiffany’s) to buy a ring. I don’t think we could have had a more fitting finale to our trip. Plus it also gives us the perfect excuse to return to NY which is undoubtedly our favourite city in the world (apart from Edinburgh and Dundee, obviously).

Despite being sad about the prospect of our travels coming to an end, we are both looking forward to getting back home to catch up with family and friends. Emma has promised to write a few post-trip blogs to cover any final thoughts about our travels, given a bit of time for reflection. So be prepared for a few lists covering the top five cities we’ve visited, the top five activities we’ve undertaken, the top five ways to annoy Ricky on a long haul flight etc. I am certain however that the travel blog may now turn into the wedding blog and how not to organise one!!!!

Before signing off, I just thought I’d say a few thank-you’s: to Rikki and Ali for looking after wee Ronnie for the past few months, he has been in great hands and will be very huffy to return to edinburgh; to Jim and Russell for keeping an eye on our flat (hope you managed to get a good price for it); and to Ian for keeping an eye on the Megane and my folks for putting up with having Emma’s Polo in the driveway.

So we shall say goodbye for now but we look forward to catching up with you all soon and to you helping us raise a glass to the future.

Ricky

P.S. Jim – hope Man U’s result didn’t spoil your time in Rome.

whale of a time

Books, tv programs, experts and many other people who have been lucky enough to come into contact with whales will all tell you the same thing. They will say how amazing it is to see such huge creatures in the wild, they will tell you how at peace you feel when you see them in their natural habitat and how exhilirating and life changing the experience can be, yada yada yada.

i never actually believed it all myself until we were fortunate enough to go on a whale watching trip on friday. what an immense time we had and we saw so many, at least 24 different humpback whales all swimming around the boat in the search of food -lucky for us they dont partake in humans for their main course. Our first glimpse came when we saw the colour change in the water from dark blue to a light green and we realised that there was a whale there under the water and it was rising to the surface. when she surfaced she nearly soaked us all by blowing out a huge billow of water (we wouldnt have minded if she had), she then mosied on next to the boat for a couple of minutes before she dived again. we could have almost touched her she was so near, we have seen many things on this holiday but this will take some beating. i would have been content with just that one encounter but we got so many more like it, we really were spoiled. Apparently it wasnt a normal day on the whale watching scale.

The whale watching topped off what has been a really lovely and relaxing week in cape cod. the weather has been great and i actually got sunburnt for the first time this holiday - on my ankles of all places (such a good look). we arrived last monday after a really cool train journey from washington which took us through 10 states, the highlight of it being we went straight through manhattan (albeit under manhattan in a tunnel but we still saw the skyline before and after the tunnel). we got off the train at providence where we rented a car and drove the 2 hours to the very tip of the cape to a town called provincetown which is a very quaint and beautiful. we had a little difficulty in finding our condo and then gaining access (que a phone call to the owners) but we eventually got in and went straight to work at cooking some of our own food - we havent been able to eat home cooked food in over 6 weeks (and we both have been struggling with that a bit) so we really have made up for it whilst we are here. its not been without its quirks however, we only have a hob and a microwave and no counter space - we also have a bbq grill outside which we tried last night and couldnt get to work, a fridge which was set so cold that it froze all of our groceries after the first day including our beer (not funny), and a set of electrics which fuse every now and then and we cant gain access to the fuse cupboard which is downstairs and outside (our new best friend is our neighbour who so pleasantly lets us in every time we need to reset - as well as this we have also managed to break a lamp (well ricky did) and we locked ourselves out (well i did). it all adds to the fun of it, i can say that now after enduring ricky screaming blue murder every 5 minutes when something else goes wrong. to say we are looking forward to being back in our own flat is an understatement. the condo is really nice but its good for a week and we are ready to move on.

Cape Cod is such a beautiful place, its really relaxed after being in the city and the air smells so nice and clean. its also great to be beside the sea again, they have the most amazing sand dunes here and so many cute lighthouses. All the houses are grey and wooden and it just has a very nautical feel about it, you can almost smell the maritime history of the place. Provincetown, where we have been staying, is a gay holiday haven for americans and ricky and i have looked some what out of place on a few occassions as 1. we dont have a dog and 2. we are also extremely non creative and broke - every one here seems to be an artist, drives a ferrari and has a tiny rat like dog who wears shades and is called muffin, its a look i am sure ricky could get used to. We have done what we came for and that was to do nothing and chill as much as possible before we head to new york and then home, and we both feel really well rested and pumped up for the best that New York has to offer. we have lay on the beach quite a few times, strolled about wee quaint towns, visited some lighthouses, whale watched, played crazy golf (incidentally russell, i threw a 2 hole lead away on the 16th - i would have been so smug if i had won), done some wine tasting, ate some lovely fresh fish, been to the cinema (not sure i would recommend terminator to be honest but then again i never really was a fan) and the best of it all was, we went to a real live drive in movie theatre on friday night, where we saw a double bill of night at the museum (still as rubbish as the first one but much better when you see it in a drive in) and xmen origins (which we had actually seen in san francisco but was worth a second watch). it was the most cool, most retro american thing we have done to date and we loved it.

so our week is up and we are now heading back on the train to New York (where i am writing this from). we have some plans about what we want to do but mostly we are just going to enjoy being back in the most amazing city in the world and taking stock that this will be the last few days of what has been the most tremendous of adventures. I am not sure if i will get a chance to blog again before we head for home on thursday evening (we arrive back in edinburgh friday morning) but if i dont i will certainly be bringing you up to speed on what we got up to over the weekend. i am sure i will continue on the blog for a wee whiley after i get home to let you know how we are settling back in and to let you know when i have put the rest of our photos online. i so cant wait to catch up with all of you and hear all your news. I also want to wish my mum and ricky's dad HAPPY BIRTHDAY, sorry we cant be there to help you celebrate but we will more than make up for it when we see you guys soon.

Its been so fast and its been amazing in everyway, we have seen and done so many things that i doubt some folk get to do in a lifetime, but thats why we did and its all been worth it, now all we have to decide on is where to go next ........................................

see you all real soon xxxxxxxx

Visiting the Obama's

Hi Folks,

Well after enjoying our short time in Seattle (which was only slightly hampered by the rain), we headed to Washington DC on the overnight flight via JFK. With hindsight, it maybe wasn't the best of ideas - despite being possibly the cheapest way to fly across the States.

After surviving the flight, we then endured a torturous ride in an airport shuttle bus where not only the driver was blatantly new to driving in DC, but also that he struggled to follow the simple directions from the sat nav. I lost count of the number of times the polite but firm woman said "recalculating route". 2 hours later, we arrive at our hotel feeling slightly worse for wear.

After a Dad-like power nap, we were up and about exploring DC. Unfortunately we didn't get far as it was possibly one of the warmest days of the year and with humidity levels reaching almost 100%. So we headed for a bite to eat and then to the hotel bar for a wee night cap (at $24 for two G&T's it was always going to be short and sweat).

Feeling more refreshed the next morning, we headed out to explore some of DC's main attractions: the Washington Monument, the Mall, Lincoln Memorial, the White House (which yes it is smaller in real life) and Capitol Hill. All of these were amazing and gave DC very much a London/Paris feel to it. Very un-American.

After all that walking, we went to our first ever baseball game: the Washington Nationals vs Philadelphia Phillies. We were thoroughly enjoying our first experience of baseball before DC's changeable weather struck again and the heavens opened, eventually leading to the game being abandoned. Mind you, that may have been a blessing for Washington Nationals as they giving an Aberdeen-like performance and were heading for a heavy defeat.

Having walked what felt like every square metre of central DC the previous day, we decided to head for the Arlington Cemetery which isn't too far from our hotel. It seemed very apt to visit on a Sunday and it was indeed a very moving place. It is certainly the largest graveyard I have ever seen, with gravestones appearing as far as the eye can see in every direction. The really sad thing was that there are still huge areas set aside for future graves.

Afterwards we headed in to Georgetown to stroll round possibly one the nicest areas in town. We then obviously headed to a very well thought-after restaurant as there were a few BBC journalists munching some pizza. Emma was remarkably subtle at pointing and going "Isn't that .....".

So we leave DC tomorrow morning on an early train headed from Providence. Lasting more than 7 hours, it should give us plenty of time to enjoy the scenery of the east coast. At Providence we pick up a hire car and head for a place called Truro in Cape Cod. There we've booked a wee cottage/shed for a week. Having spent a lot of time in various cities over the past week or so, we're looking forward to chilling out beside the seaside. This should provide the perfect tonic before heading back home and to the reality of work. Given the recent scandal over MPs expenses, maybe I won't be able to claim back for some our travel....

You may not hear from us for a while as I don't think our place in Truro has wifi (or electricity for that matter), but I'm sure Emma will update the blog from our final stop - New York New York!

Now I'd better get packing that case again - speak to you later.

Ricky

P.S. Jim - I hope the head has recovered from celebrating Man U's title success.

Here we are now......entertain us!!!!!

it is pouring down and we are sitting in starbucks. laws of physics (and bill gates) would conclude from this that we must be in Seattle ...and they would be correct -we are indeed in Frasier's home city and have wasted no time in acting like the locals in heading for the nearest coffee shop as the rain lashes outside (its not particularly hard to find one when there is one in your hotel but hey i am romanticising here). from what we have seen so far its a pretty cool place - especially at night when the skyscrapers are all lit up, it makes the downtown skyline quite spectacular to see when you first enter the city on a bus. we had actually intended to get the train from vancouver but unfortunately there was a rockslide on the track which halted proceedings, so we got AMTRAK's finest bus service instead. It was an excellent journey apart from the severe grilling we got from US customs officials at the border - anal and thick are the only descriptions which spring to mind which i can actually put into print. to be fair i got through no bother but mr murray obviously looked a trifle dodgy - i tried to tell them this was how he usually looks but they let him go regardless.

we were so sad to leave vancouver - we had such a great time there, it was a really beautiful, clean place and the locals were so friendly. i think we saw most of the main sights and even though we were in a city we took time to relax and made the most out of the hotel's spa facilities (even though i nearly end up with heat stroke in the sauna as i couldnt get away from a chatty local who was very passionate about what we should see in washington -i think our itinerary is going to be a busy one). On the final couple of days we explored further afield and visited Granville island and Kitsilano, 2 great and very different districts.

we took your advice jim, and visited the brewery at granville island where we were treated to some really nice (and strong) ales and lagers. I had forgotten what afternoon drinking does to you and we soon found ourselves rather steamin after probably not even 2 pints - i did mention the beer was strong didnt i ?? we then headed back to the hotel for a wee shower in order to wake up (ie sober up) before going back to the pub to watch the ice hockey on the telly - it was a really important game for the Vancouver Canucks, which incidentally they ended up losing so are now out of the cup. Maybe Ricky and I's patronage did not come at the best of times - 2 games we watched and 2 games they lost, and apparently their season was going from strength until we turned up!!!!!!! i think Canucks fans are happy to see the back of us.

the next day after waking up with rather sore heads we returned to Granville island although this time it was to visit the public market (amazing food) and the surrounding artist studios. ricky headed for a walk in order to try and clear his hangover, whilst i spent a very pleasant couple of hours just strolling about wishing i had ricky's credit card to clear. i think we have got to that point where everything is starting to fall apart and needing replaced - in the last few days i have "had" to buy a new handbag, a new watch and a new book. seriously though our clothes and shoes have taken a good bit of battering through the continual usage and crap washing facilities, so it looks as though time in new york will be spent buying some new togs so we look respectable when we get home, shame eh?

After tearing ourselves away from vancouver, we bussed it to seattle (only takes 3.5 hours and this includes a very enjoyable 1 hour stopover at the scenic US border) and found ourselves back to earth with a bump in our very non luxury hotel. It is however a really friendly place and we are only a couple of blocks to the space needle, which we visited this morning for some cool views before the rain descended. we then made our way to Pike Place market, where we scoured for some nik naks before we sampled the delights of the cafe culture. hopefully it will clear up a bit before we head out tonight, we are aiming to get to Belltown (home of Nirvana, Pearl Jam, smashing Pumkins and grunge culture - ricky is in depressing teenage music heaven) for some food and perhaps if we are lucky some live music. Tomorrow we head to washington which we are both really excited about - we are looking to catch a ball game on sat night so it would be nice if we have lost our losing curse before then.

until then i shall quote the late, great Dr Crane's and bid you.......Goodnight Seattle xxx

Out and Aboot

Hi Folks,

Well now we know why the "O" appears before anyone says Canada. What an amazing place - and we've only explored Vancouver. We've spent the past few days exploring what is without doubt one of the nicest cities we have ever visited.

Despite getting the cable car up to the top of Grouse Mountain for cracking views across the city and surrounding area, aside from staying in some amazing hotels (including the Fairmont), irrespective of exploring the huge Stanley Park on bikes (which is 20% bigger than Central Park), the highlight has undoubtedly been seeing an ice hockey game.

We saw the Vancouver Canucks play the Chicago Blackhawks in the play-offs for the Stanley Cup (which was a very generous surprise which Emma organised - honestly, it's amazing what trouble she can get up to when i leave her alone for 5 minutes). What an amazing experience it was, even though our knowledge of the sport was a 5 minute look on wikipedia and a mis-spent youth playing EA NHL on the megadrive. That didn't stop us from getting right into the game - joining in the chants of "bullshit" every time the ref made a dodgy decision and "Puck off" when things weren't going their way (unsurprisingly that was my personal favourite).

We were probably the only folk to leave the stadium happy as the Canucks lost 4-2. However i definitely think that we could get into the sport in the future.

Aside from watching sport and sampling the city's different beers, we have been putting the finishing touches to our final few weeks of travelling. We had thought of extending our stay in Canada, however a quick call to Delta soon changed our mind - as it would have cost around $2000 to change our flights to Washington!! So we head for Seattle (with my new bag in tow) by train on Tuesday night before flying to Washington on Thursday night. After a few nights there, we hope to stay in a nice wee cottage/shed in Cape Cod. Then it's off to the Big Apple to max out our credit cards before heading home.

Anyway, I'd better get back to watching the ice hockey on TV.....

Ricky

P.S. I had thought to entitle the blog "Puck Off" but i thought that might be a bit offensive. So instead I thought I'd insult the way Canadians speak.

oh canada........

aaah the land of the maple leaf and of course more importantly maple syrup. we arrived this morning after a rather hair raising flight in the world's smallest plane. i tell you after this holiday i dont want to see another plane for a heck of a long time - its train and ferrys for me all the way from now on - well thats what i say anyway. we landed safely although we cant say the same for ricky's bag -it arrived in a some what disheveled state with a massive tear up the side and his smalls hanging out - oh dear. i dont think masking tape will save this one, think we will need to make a trip to the nearest shopping mall (shame eh???).

first impressions count and we are not disappointed from what we have seen so far, it is a really beautiful city and we cant wait to get out and explore more. we are just hoping the weather holds so we can get up the mountains for the stunning vistas we have been promised. at the moment its a bit cloudy and colder but we are enjoying wrapping up for a change as ricky is looking a wee bit sunburnt from our escapades in california, even the man at the front desk commented on what a wonderful "tan" he had.

we were mingling with the rich and famous alright in the california sunshine and we seen some mighty prime real estate (not to be confused with sub prime). First we took the 17 mile drive out of Monteray around pebble beach (ricky was particularly thrilled with our visit to the golf club although wouldnt bring himself to pay $25 for a cap - i dont blame him, it was yellow after all), we then made our way down the big sur coastline which was absolutely stunning and was made all the more atmospheric by the pockets of fog that kept on wafting in from the sea. we decided before hitting LA to spend a night in santa barbara, where we saw the fire raging, it had just started that day and we saw the eeriest sun set with an huge orange and black cloud and sun peeping through it - weird right enough. on wed we finished our time in california by visiting malibu for a walk along the beach and then took a drive along sunset strip, rodeo drive and santa monica boulevard, i was trying to do my best paparazzo impression but i dont think i should give up the day job as we didnt see one single celebrity. i didnt even see the hollywood sign. i must be the only person to go to beverly hills and not see that damn sign - i wasnt happy - i had my glasses on and everything.

so anyway back to canada, we are in vancouver for at least the next 4 days, ricky by mistake managed to book us into the most expensive hotel in vancouver - he says it was a romantic gesture but i know that last minute obviously offered up a decent rate as he seemed mighty shocked it had designer shops in the lobby and mumbled something about how we should explore and find a starbucks. i'm not thinking our budget stretches to the restaurant, but hey i am happy just to be eating something other than american fare. i didnt think i could ever have such an aversion to eating cheese. happily though the food front is already looking better with lots of sushi, italian and fusion places within easy reach - they also have pubs here - thank the lord - speaking of which i hear a pint of liquid calling me, i had better go and make sure it has some peanuts to keep it company, catch you all soon xx

city of love

my feet ache - i forgot what city walking was like - after all of these days being chauffeur driven around the big attractions, i fear i have turned into an american - walk!!!!!!!!!! no no no no no!!!!!! why would i want to do that when we could take the lovely dodge called hank we have parked outside???? because ricky says 1. that is lazy and 2. no damn way am i driving in this frigging (please excuse his american dub swearing) city ever again :) i am of course exagerating, its a joy to walk the streets of san francisco (and boy have we walked), however i am not exagerating the pain i feel in my feet nor am i exagerating about ricky's hatred of city driving in the states - to be fair to him it is quite a stressful past time.

what a beautiful city. i will even forgive it, its monumental hills, for they add such a character to the place, especially when you are whizzing up them on the front of a tram car hanging on for dear life. what a ride (ricky was too chicken and actually walked up the hills - even the drivers in the tram car thought he was mad, these hills are so steep, no one wants to walk them apart, from obviously ricky). the houses and architecture are so immense and the locals are a very friendly, very laid back mix of people who have made our stay a very warm one, despite the rain that has fallen. my only sadness is that of the amount of homeless people who are wandering the street. these are not your edinburgh festival seasonal beggars with the latest nike trainers but truly impoverished people who trudge the streets with their shopping trolleys, raiding the bins and muttering away to themselves. it is really heart breaking to see them, however what i find most awful is the amount of them. there are literally hundreds and those are just the ones in the city centre, i hate to think how many more there are. you think easter house is poor, think again.

still it makes san francisco a very real place to be, one where you get the impression that every day counts, its not fake and its so relaxed and cheery, if it wasnt for those damn hills it might have had a new couple of residents (that and the cold rainy weather). we have seen so much in the couple of days we have been here - of course the golden gate bridge (which was very eerily shrouded in that famous fog), alcatraz (a very bizarre establishment - its so much closer to land than i ever would have thought), union square for some shopping, fishermans wharf, chinatown, SOma, north beach (where ricky was once again exposed to the delights of strip joints and toples bars thanks to my usual directional sense - again he didnt complain) and the castro. The castro reminded me so much of morningside in the way its lined with cafes and boutique shops although the mainly young professional gay crowd were a lot more welcoming than the usual edinburgh blue rinse brigade fighting you for the last scone. it was a really cool place to spend a couple of hours and sample some more delicious food.

the food is the highlight -people had said to me before we came the it was a gastro delight of a place - they werent wrong - so much choice and such good quality - we are at present sitting trying to decide where we fancy going tonight -its such a hard life eh???

so sadly we leave tomorrow and we will find ourselves once again hitting the road and driving down big sur (or highway 1 to those not in the know). a lot of people have tried to tell me (including ricky) that it is one of the most amazing stretches of road i will ever see. i find this difficult to believe having seen so many wonderful things over the past couple of months, i will however keep an open mind -this is the only time i wished we had got a convertible as it would seem a highly appropriate background for our best best mamas and papas harmonising (we have been practising) .... California....... California Dreamin.......

Bearing Up

Well Folks,

We managed to make it out of Vegas with at least a few dollars left in our travel fund, despite our pathetic attempts at gambling. I've never lost $60 so quickly - mind you I don't think our strategy of getting drunk in an Irish bar in New York New York (the hotel) before heading over to Monte Carlo was such a good idea. I was very tempted to throw caution to the wind and place the keys to the Megane on the table, but thankfully I came to my senses before making an even bigger fool of myself.

Relieved to have escaped Vegas, we made our way to Yosemite which proved to be the perfect tonic after the crazy/sleazy world of Vegas. What a fantastic place - amazing water falls, stunning cliffs and endless paths throughout the valley. It was while we were strolling along one of these quiet paths minding our own business when we came across a bear!

No doubt Emma will upload a photo of the bear in due course (as I don't know how to!), but it was a cute wee thing which was just minding it's own businesses next to a river. It didn't seem to mind the small gathering of people who seemed intent on getting a close up of the bear. Now I'm no animal expert, but it seemed a slightly dangerous thing to do to aggressively follow the bear as if he was some famous Aberdeen football player. Anyway, Emma risked life and limb to get that killer photo!

After our close shave with the bear, Emma needed a stiff drink to calm her nerves. Now here's a wee tip when asking for a gin and tonic in the States - be careful when requesting it in a tall glass. Before Emma knew it she was drinking a pint of G'n'T! Mind you, it didn't stop her from ordering a second one!

Having sobered up, we dragged ourselves away from Yosemite and made our way through the torrential rain and heavy traffic to San Francisco. We're here for three nights which should hopefully be enough time to get sent to Alcatraz and then escape so we can make our way down the coast towards LA. Hopefully the weather will clear up as it is particularly Scottish at the moment.

Hope you're all doing well.

Ricky

capture that moment

some new photies for you - http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=90806&id=732850985&l=57fe966b6e

we left vegas this morning and are now at the edge of yosemite national park which we will descend on tomorrow - v excited, hope your all well xxx

Going to the chapel ...........

yes thats right folks ricky and i have bowed to the pressure and finally done it........ yes thats right we actually got it together and gambled whilst we were in vegas - what a cliche - what thats not what you thought i was going to say?????? haha sorry to dissapoint all of you who have sent us emails asking if we tied the knot but no the deed has not been done.

vegas is a bloody weird place - kinda seedy, kinda freaky and really bloomin expensive in a completely over the top Cher kinda way. and no i have not caved in a saw cher yet although bette midler and barry manilow are competing for my attention - i have already seen the mighty nose job so perhaps bette is in with a better chance.

i am loving it though, its actually a pretty chilled place and we have been bowling/ to the cinema and lapping up the sun by the pool and thats just been in our hotel. i cant believe the size of the hotels here. last night we visited the bellagio for sushi (raised a glass for you there col), to paris and to ceasars palace, they are so massive its ridiculous.. ricky came very close to actually visiting a strip bar when i obliviously walked into a place called shadows thinking it looked like quite a cool place for a drink. i didnt have my specs on and didnt notice the naked silhouttes dancing behind the screens oooooops - still i think ricky enjoyed my faux pas he was looking a wee bit flushed afterwards anyway.

i think vegas opitimises everything i have been thinking about the US for the last couple of days - its a place where it is right to be morally wrong. as is my bag i have been paying attention to the hilarious tv and radio adverts that are promoting extendez, viva viagra and shops where you can buy all the adult entertainment you could ever wish for however at the same time the films have been stripped of all swearing (the use of the word "frig" is a personal favourite) and man/womanly loving. its a strange concept, i can advertise sex but i dont want you to see it - it is rude afterall. i have also been loving the sheer imagination of some entrepreneurs who call their businesses "happy floors" !!!!!!!!! and"the liquor store" - have you ever met a happy floor - its not two words i would really ever put together.

as much as i am having fun though and loving the food options (the last few days in the canyon were quite hard -i couldnt eat anymore red meat or gravy and no i dont want eggs with that) i will be pleased to leave las vegas as will our bank balance. its fun to have some craziness but its also going to be great to get back on the open road, we head for yosemite tomorrow which i am so excited about and then on to san francisco on friday for 3 whole nights. its all good. - anyway i will upload some of our photos soon - i dont think however they will do justice to the amazing sights which we saw. till next time - her name was lola .......

Monumental

Hi Folks,

After chilling out in Fiji for a week, we've hit the road hard in the States and have already covered a huge amount of ground (3 states and counting). As usual I've managed to slightly underestimate the distances between places but our cause has been helped by actually having a decent car for a change. We upgraded on arrival in LA and were simply told to pick a car from a section of the carpark! We couldn't quite believe that they expected us to get in and drive away whichever car we fancied. I resisted the temptation to get a huge jeep and went for a mean looking saloon. So far it has been a dream to drive.

Anyway, Emma mentioned that we spent a day and a half at the Grand Canyon. It is no understatement to say that it is the most immense place I have ever seen. I really don't think anything on our trip will beat the first sight of the huge canyon and watching the sun set.

Having torn ourselves away from the Grand Canyon, we headed a couple of hundred miles to Monument Valley - home of the Wild West films. We were able to drive round the rather bumpy track which enabled us to see some of the most amazing scenery. We then made our way to Lake Powell whereby numerous canyons have been flooded by a dam. The Lake is now a huge tourist attraction (amazingly attracting twice as many visitors as the Grand Canyon), with loads of very ugly house boats. Although we enjoyed a boat trip on the lake, there was something very unnatural about it all and we weren't sorry to leave the place.

Next on our "to do" list was Bryce Canyon which we've visited today. We were slightly scared when someone in the tourist information office said that you can expect a good deal of snow up there. Obviously we had forgotten that Bryce Canyon is some 9,000 feet above sea level! True enough, we woke up this morning to see our second snow shower of the holiday. Thankfully it was only a light dusting - no need for those snow chains yet!

Tomorrow we head to our final canyon at Zion National Park before making our way to Vegas in the hope of securing funds for the rest of our trip! If unsuccessful, we may be home sooner than planned. Fingers crossed we can get some decent food there as so far we are struggling with the lack of choice: burger, steak, pizza or burger.

Anyway, hope you're all doing well.

Ricky

new photies!!!!!

sorry for the late arrival - finally managed to get some photies uploaded emx

rest of new zealand http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=90801&id=732850985&l=e9b7297ab8

fiji http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=90804&id=732850985&l=c13a79e845

grand canyon - there will be more http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=90806&id=732850985&l=57fe966b6e

didnt make monument valley today as we explored more of the canyon - couldnt get enough- so will make it tomorrow - will blog soon with the chat x

what a coup!

well guys - its been a while but i have finally managed to regain controls of the blog once more from the tyrant that is mr murray - i cant believe the propaganda he was feeding you in his last post - honestly he is such a dictator:)

well all i can say is fiji - what coup????? we saw and heard nothing and have come to the conclusion that there was some dodgy reporting which seemed to be making more of it than the fijians - what a lovely bunch they were. we had such a great time and made some cracking new chums - big shouts out to cody/leena and char - you made the holiday what it was. the resort was really cool and relaxed and apart from some rather hairy large spiders (even bigger than australia) and a lot of giant midgy bites we have come away with brilliant memories. Our bure was really cool (actually it was bloomin roastin due to the humidity), it had an outdoor shower which flooded every other night due to some tremendous rain storms but hey living in scotland prepares you for the washing in the rain with ricky flinging soap at you as you dodge it .

we managed to go handline fishing and caught some big no i mean huge, even bigger than huge baracuda (and some poisonous fish, but we will ignore that for the time being) which we had grilled for lunch the next day - bloomin genius. we also got in touch with our godliness and had a visit to the local village church to hear the choir sing - it was so breath taking - enough to make you want to go every sunday - well maybe not. the kids , just made it though, it was so much more relaxed than our type of service as they ran about everywhere, laughing and having so much fun - it was really humbling to see kids act like kids - so innocent, with such huge mischevious smiles and not a playstation in sight, only bibles which to be fair were being used in a rather unholy way, maybe god would prefer the video games.

the evening entertainment was just as good and we joined in the international crab racing, although i am sad to say our crab did not make it past the first round (could be because i dropped it twice on its head-well it did try and nip me). we also watched some films under the stars, munched some pretty amazing food, drank a few rather potent cocktails and took part in a potato pooping competition which incidently we won - could be because we had a lot of irish on our side ha -

so think you can see we had an immense time - i will upload some photies when i get a chance to sort them out.

yesterday we made the fun journey with turbulance included for free to LA where we arrived to blistering temperatures of 34c - whats that all about. anyhoo not complaining, we picked up our beast of a hire car and drove for a few hours before crashing in a nice motel. this morning, jet lag dispersed with we made it to the grand canyon and i have to say no simile, adjective or metaphor will ever do that place justice it was simply stunning and made me at a loss for words - rare i know. we stayed behind to watch the sunset over hopi point on the south rim and it was just a once in a lifetime thing - i thought the trip couldnt get any better - and then we had steak and beer - what a day.

tomorrow we are off to monument valley where we are hoping to do a tour with the native nevajo indians around their settlements, so better hit the hay, will catch yall later xxx

Radio Silence

Alright Folks,

Like the Fiji media, there has been radio silence from myself under the repressive Cowan Administration. Thankfully I've managed to escape and post a long-overdue blog.

Well we are currently in Auckland on our final night in New Zealand before heading off to the slightly politically unstable Fiji (though at the moment the Foreign Office still say it's OK to travel there). What a time we have had in New Zealand. Emma has covered most of the things we have done in previous postings, though she admitted that she didn't quite give sufficient attention to the Milfort Sounds which we saw last Thursday. Not wanting to exaggerate, but it is one of the most amazing places I've ever seen and definitely the highlight of our time in New Zealand. If you've never heard of it, then just Google it.

Overall, we thought New Zealand would struggle to live up to the amazing time we had in OZ. However to be honest i think it is about on a par, given the complete contrast in the landscape in a country the size of the UK.

After slumming it in a white van (or rather campervan) these past few weeks, we are currently enjoying some luxury in a quality hotel in Auckland. It was an emotional farewell to the van this morning before flying up from Christchurch. The van has become a close friend these past few weeks and has opened up new career opportunities for when i get back home as a whitevan-man. All that cutting people up and causing long tailbacks has been great fun!

We had a great time staying with Mark and Fiona (and Sophia) in Dunedin and thoroughly enjoyed our we visit to see some pengiuns in the wild. They seemed perfectly happy with us sneaking about in a war-like tench taking photos of them as they sat enjoying the afternoon sun. Certainly better than watching them walk zombie-like in Edinburgh zoo.

Anyway, I'd better head off before Emma spots that I've managed to sneak on the computer without her supervision! Hope you're all doing well back home and that you had a great Easter.

Ricky

P.S. It's unlikely that we'll be able to update the blog for the next week or so in Fiji, but normal service will resume when we get to the US.

Happy Easter

hope the easter bunny has dropped of lots of chocolate for everyone. i couldnt eat another thing, we have just returned from a lovely meal with mark and fiona in dundedin. its been so awesome catching up with these guys after not seeing them for so long - i cant believe its been 5 years and so much has changed within that time and some things just havent changed at all. dunedin has been a cool place to spend a few days and today we went to see some yellow eyed penguins in the wild. it was pretty immense to see them so close (perhaps not so nice having to smell them), they didnt seem in the least perturbed about us being so close as they were moulting, which to be honest made them look a wee bit mangy, not the sleek wee black beasties we are used to seeing, but they were cute in their own way. we also saw some seals and to rickys delight more sheep.

Dunedin is a really funny city to be driving around in as it resembles edinburgh in so many ways what with the street names being the exact same, i feel as though i could walk around without a map and find exactly where we were going. the landscape is also so like scotland and well it rained so we cant get any more like home.

we will be really sad to leave here tomorrow and hope its not another 5 years before we catch up with these guys again - thanks so much for having us, we have had the best of times and will miss you loads.

tomorrow we are heading towards christchurch which will be the last leg of our journey in new zealand. we are really looking forward to dropping off the bus which to be honest seems to have started falling to pieces. its all getting a bit wiffy and i think the toilet is leaking - thats what ricky keeps telling me anyway - we got a bit of a fright on friday when we heard a massive bang and then some suspect rumblin noise - turned out the fridge had accidentally opened and a bottle of wine had fallen out - thankfully it didnt smash and we didnt loose any of the lovely nz wine which we had been saving.

on thursday we made the trip to milford sounds which was just breath taking - the weather couldnt have been any better and i kinda struggled to take it all in - there is a reason they call it the 8th wonder of the world. promise i will post some photies soon.

next stop is fiji where i am hoping the political situation may have calmed by the time we get there otherwise we may have to prolongue our time here in nz - what a pity eh?anyway i need to go to bed as we are knacked and another big drive beckons - enjoy the holidays folks and we will chat soon xx

a visual reference

After fighting with the internet connection i have finally won -some new photies have been uploaded here http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=88015&id=732850985&l=ed0b7c901b

there is no more 24 to watch -what am i to do with myself

snow joke

what a difference a few miles and mountains makes eh? the weather has changed completely and we have gone from wearing our sun tan lotion a couple of days ago to buying beanie hats and walking around with our jackets and boots on in the snow. its really cool although my feet are not liking the change in temperature and are as we speak trying to defrost against our heater in the camper van (it comes with all mod cons this up market mini bus does). its not just the temperature that has altered though the scenery has changed too from lush green forests and roaming meadows to massive mountains with snowy tops and lakes.

after very nearly floating away down a river because of torrential rain during monday night, we set forth to view some glaciers on tuesday morning and man they didnt disappoint, it was so cool. i was never really into geology at school and so my knowledge of how they form etc is pretty rubbish but it was awe inspiring to be seeing one for the first time and to learn about its movements. we tried to walk up to it and do some ice cave walking but unfortunately because of the rain we couldnt get near it as the face was unstable so we had to make do with seeing it from a distance.

we then moved about 30km south to fox glacier, we just managed to get a glimpse of it before the weather closed in and the rain started again. the mist descended so quickly and its such a shame because on a clear day you can see right across the southern alps from there, however it was not to be and we bought a postcard with a view on it to console ourselves. rather than hanging about and hoping it would clear we pressed on towards queenstown and had an amazing drive through the haast pass (through the alps and national forests) again because of the mist we couldnt see much but it was so atmospheric and because of the rain the rivers and waterfalls were in full speight.

we stayed the night at a brilliant wee campsite next to a lake - we obviously had gone to higher ground during the drive the previous day as it was absolutely freezing the next morning and we woke up to snow on the mountain tops (good thing about the cold is no midges - i am still scratching from the last attack). we packed up the van and headed to wanaka for breakfast and some excellent coffee and did a bit of sightseeing beside another lake which was surrounded by more mountains.

we made it to queenstown this afternoon and headed up on the gondola's to bob's peake which is the best view in town - it didnt disappoint - what an amazing view across the valleys and mountains and then to top it all off it started snowing - que a trip to the shop to buy some winter woollies. on the way down we noticed the place where ricky will be doing his bungee jump and i think it spooked him a bit - he is already saying he thinks its too cold to do it haha we will see whether he actually does it or not. maybe he just needs a helping hand or push - i will be happy to assist in whatever way i can :)

tomorrow we are heading to milford sounds and taking a bus trip to give ricky a bit of a breather from the old road - i am so excited about it, it looks light a pretty amazing place even if it going to be 4 hours there and then 4 hours back. on friday hopefully ricky will do the bungee jump and i will try some jet boating down the shotover river - conditions will dictate i am sure. we then hope to get to dunedin in the evening to see fiona, mark and sophia which will be fab.

i was trying to upload some photies but the internet is a tad slow so will try again tomorrow night, i am off to do my best julie andrews impression in this alpine environment - all together now - high on a hill was a lonely goat herd ........

misty eyed

hello from the south island where at the moment its rather misty and raining. dont really care as to be honest i am following in my west coast roots and havent had a shower today so perhaps the rain will wash me clean (along with some of my tan)...... actually there is a reason for not showering and that is because i actually think that i might have come out of the shower dirtier than i went in it this morning - to say they were a bit rustic might be putting it politely and you had to pay $2 for the privelage... i dont think so. so i saved myself (poor ricky) until we got to our new campsite where we have just arrived so i can have a free scrub.

the last few days as usual have past in a bit of a blur. on friday we went to the nz v india cricket game which was great fun. the sun shone for us all day and we had a picnic and a few beers and enjoyed the day. we left wellington early on sat morning for the ferry across the marlborough straits and although we had been warned it might get a bit choppy as it can be quite windy we had a near perfect crossing with no sea sickness from mr murray - i am starting to think he has finally found his sea legs. the views across the straights were absolutely stunning and reminded me of sailing up to mull.

once we landed we wasted no time in driving up to abel tasman national park on the top of the south island. the drive was a bit hairy in places for ricky ( a few tight corners) however i was sitting back and enjoying the view - pretty immense - its like scotland a lot but more extreme ie everything is bigger, greener and right in your face. we found a lovely we campsite right next to a cool we beach and then we headed out for a walk and some beer and sampled the local macs gold - cheers for the tip fi - it certainly did the job.

yesterday we got up bright and breezy and decided to test those sea legs again by doing some sea kayaking up to split apple rock which was brilliant fun - arms are still a bit achy today but it was definetly worth it. we were in a double kayak and ricky was getting his own back on me by soaking me with his paddle (no dodgy comments please jim) every five minutes. we passed so many we isolated beaches and the water was so tranquil - we then got on a boat and headed further up the coast to do a bit more exploring of the park. we got off and did a bit of a hike to an amazing vantage point where we could sea across to the north island - it was so clear. after a frantic walk back to make sure we caught the boat we manged to have a wee paddle, the water was freezing but so nice and refreshing after being roasting from climbing up way too steep hills for my liking.

we packed up and ventured a little south where we found a recommended campsite - recommended my arse - it was manky and to top it off it had loads of midges - but i did however for the first time manage to get a full mobile reception to enable me to phone home as it was my dads birthday - happy birthday dad - even if i did misjudge the time difference - sorry everyone.

today we drove down the coast, where the weather has changed a wee bit, however i am sure it will clear by tomorrow. we are basically at the foot of the franz josef glacier and are hoping to get out on to the glacier tomorrow for a bit of a hike before heading for a view of mount cook. we will then be pressing on to queenstown where ricky will contemplate giving up his life all in the name of a bit of fun to do a bungee jump - pray for him people.

so its all good - hoping i can get some pics of the kayaking up soon - keep me updated with whats going on your end - big shout out to em k and mark who are celebrating birthdays this week - hope you have a good one xxxxxx

in search of frodo

i know what a miracle eh? two blogs in three days - and what a three days it has been. i truly feel as though i am reliving lord of the rings around every turn. from mordor to the shire - its all here and looking every bit as cool. think ricky is getting a bit annoyed with the continual gollum impressions and the me sighting everything as "the precious" but hey i still find it quite funny. think i might find myself tipped in to mount doom and not the ring if i am not careful (i have some great photies of it by the way which i will upload next time i am on).

since i last blogged we have become pretty steeped in maori culture - we went to a traditional hangi feast the other night and the food was just immense. ricky learnt the haka which was so funny, his rolling eyes and thigh slapping kept everyone entertained. i didnt escape lightly however and was invited to learn the traditional art of poi dancing - whatever training i had received in the past escaped me big time as i was useless - it was so difficult - will need to sign up to classes when i return, i wont let a ball and string get the better of me.

yesterday was pretty much spent driving south and we passed through some pretty spectacular countryside as the sun was still shining. after staying at a really nice spot near a beach on the east coast (where incindentally the beach was used as a road and people let their dogs out drove on about a mile so the dog could run behind them and pick them up!!!!!!!!!) we got on the road nice and early this morning - making it into wellington at about 12.30pm.

we had a nice saunter through the center and then took a cable car trip to the top of the hill where the botanic gardens are to get an immense view of the city. we then strolled down through the gardens and ended up at the really cool beehive parliament building. wellington really is a lovely city, very european with loads of coffee shops and cool wee alley ways. we have another day here tomorrow as we are hoping to get to the nz v india cricket test match, something which we are both pretty excited about before getting on the ferry on sat morning to head for the south island.

its all go and its a great feeling not to have a clue where we are going to be staying the day after tomorrow - we are just going where the road takes us. and with that i shall leave you with the words of that great hobo who whistled and then sang - theres a road, keeps on callin me, down the road thats where i'll always be - every step i take i make a new friend...................................................................................... (cant remember the rest but sure you get the gist) ....... maybe tomorrow i'll wanna settle down, until tomorrow i'll just keep moving on, do do de do do do xxx

ps some new photies for you http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=86885&id=732850985&l=3c573a3a1e

wif, wifi, where for art tho wifi

well hello from sunny new zealand, as seems to be the norm these days i have had to find a computer with internet as no where seems to want to provide wifi, it would seem the laptop we brought might have proved redundant had it not been for the fact we are using it as a dvd player to keep ourselves amused at night. we are in the middle of the first series of 24 - i soo cant believe we have never watched it before - we are quickly becoming very addicted and are straining ourselves not to have to watch too many episodes a night so we can stretch it out further.

since i last blogged we have had a change in scenery again and arrived in new zealand on saturday afternoon to lovely sunshine. makes a change from the rain that almost seemed to follow us around in sydney however we did have a beautiful day on friday for our bridge climb, it was an amazing thing to do although our legs felt a bit weary afterwards and the views from the top were breath taking - i am only glad that the photos they provided were complimentary as i wouldnt have paid to recieve an image of us both in the extremely attractive grey jumpsuits you have to wear although i think ricky was quite taken with his, he looked less so of a michelin man in his than i did.

auckland was a completely different kettle of fish to sydney and a lot more hilly - very hilly actually, but it did lend itself for some lovely views across the bay to the islands in the distance. we went to the auckland museum where we spent a very educational afternoon learning about maori culture and history and it made us really excited about getting to explore new zealand and learn more about its people.

the fun started when we picked up our van on monday - i wouldnt exactly call it modern and ricky still hasnt got the hang of putting it into reverse without using two hands. to say it is a bit of a beast is an understatement but its quite cool in a mini bus kinda way. we had a lovely (if a tad stressful) drive through the kiwi orchards and vineyards heading towards rotorua where we stayed at a campsite last night. its basically a thermal area with lots of natural thermal springs and boiling mud pools which is pretty cool although the air does resemble picnics when you were a kid as there is something of the egg sandwich about it. obviously this is coming from the sulphur in the air and not ricky (well at least i hope it is)

the van decided not to provide us with any power last night and after a lot of swearing and screaming (it dawned on ricky we wouldnt be able to catch up on the latest episode of 24) we phoned for help and got the owner of the site to come and see what was wrong however everything seemed to be fine, que a trip to the garage this morning (all is now resolved but it was pretty annoying way to start our trip)

however we didnt let it bother us too much and we visited wai o tapu which is a kinda volcanic thermal wonderland, there were geysers and lakes coloured the most amazing blues and greens through minerals coming through the surface. tonight we are off to maori performance and traditional feast and tomorrow we will make our way south to lake taupo before heading for wellington on thursday. as usual time is running out so will speak to you soon - fiona will give you a buzz soon to make plans for next week - so excited about seeing you

speak soon xxx

whitsundays or the wetsundays???

apologies for the lack of communication over the last few days, finding an internet connection has been a tad difficult but i am at the airport killing time in cairns before we hop on a flight to sydney so i have plenty of time to fill you in on what the chat is.

we moved on from trinity beach last sunday after enjoying our last few days chilling on various beaches and visiting cape tribulation on friday. this trip was spent cruising down a river trying to find crocodiles and we did see a baby but we saw more snakes and spiders than i would have liked - the spiders were mammoth and you didnt even spot them till you were underneath uuurgh. my heart nearly gave out a few times but at least they werent poisonous. (seems to be the only thing not life threatening in this country after the bloomin sharks, jelly fish and crocs). we then went on to emmagen creek (very aptly named) for a swim (no crocs i was assured would be there, i thought i was very brave) and then on to cape tribulation to the most amazing beach you have ever seen. unfortunately we couldnt swim in the sea because its stinger season but we did take some lovely photos and i did see a bush turkey - that didnt really make up for the lack of swimming but i suppose it was rather amusing.

on sunday we had a 7.5 hour drive down to airlie beach - it was kinda a boring drive but we had made a grand playlist for occasion and we laughed at the very amusing creek names such as humdinger creek!!!! you could see some of the damage which had been done by the cyclones and floods which had ripped through the area a few weeks back but it didnt seem too bad.

when we reached airlie we went straight to the pub as we needed a drink and some food after being in the car that long - airlie was a really cool place - full of young folk partying so it had a nice laid back vibe and the beer and food were cheap. it was great being in amongst it again as we had been in quite a quiet area in cairns so it was a nice contrast. after quite a session on sunday night we managed to get up very early on monday to board the Alexander Stewart for 3 days cruising round the whitsunday isles.

now whenever i see folks pictures of being in the whitsundays its always amazing white beaches, azure blue waters and lush green tropical plants - on the first day the only thing i saw which was lush green was ricky's face - poor soul was a bit icky on the crossing over to the islands - mind you it was a bit rough. we also saw no bright yellow sunshine that other people claim to see however we were bright yellow through our wearing of yellow raincoats as the heavens opened and we got pelted. however lucky for us it wasnt to last and we enjoyed some good snorkelling - didnt see anything particularly nasty which was nice - i half expected to come face to face with bruce from finding nemo rather than nemo himself (unfortunately he was hiding so we didnt see him either). we did see some sea turtles and cute wee coloured fish in the water as well as sea eagles, cockatoos, lizards and more humungous spiders out of the water.; we also fitted in time for some bushwalks to see some aborigine drawings and a visit to the beautiful whitehaven beach where the sun finally came out and shone for us making it the best day ever. we met some lovely folk and ate some great food as well as seeing the clearest skies i have ever seen - you could see the milky way and some planets without the need for a telescope it was so immense.

sadly the cruise had to come to an end and we had to endure the drive back up to cairns so we could catch our flight back to sydney which is where we are now. ricky is spending his time trying to work out where we will be for the scotland match on sat - i think we will be in auckland already however i have no idea what the time difference is between there and the uk yet. we arrive back in sydney tonight and we have a full day there tomorrow when we will climb the harbour bridge and then meet up with goggs and his missus in the evening for a wee farewell session. we head to auckland on sat morning - cant believe we are leaving australia already, have absolutely loved it here however i am sure new zealand will be equally as amazing. will try and get some of the many pics we have up soon but for now will catch you soon xx

humid schumid

well its been a few days since i blogged and man it feels as though we have seen and done 101 amazing things since then. the pace has slowed quite a lot and its brilliant to be in our own apartment overlooking the coral sea. its run by a man named bruce who says stoked a lot - honestly you couldnt make it up, he is a real character. the weather has changed quite a lot and its really humid and we are expecting storms tonight and rain which will hopefully clear the air a wee bit.

we are staying in a beachfront apartment in the town of trinity beach which is just a long the road from cairns. we arrived after a very quick flight and picked up the car no probs - think ricky is just getting to grips with working a manual car, its a rather rubbish car, we have nicknamed it frumpy flo but its getting us from a to b. the first day was spent just catching up with ourselves and lazing by the pool and yesterday we took a trip to port douglas and 4 mile beach. what a stretch of road that is to drive by the way - beautiful white beaches around every corner -we are hoping to explore more of them tomorrow.

today we took a cable car up to kuranda over the roof of the rainforests for about 7.5 km, it was amazing and the views were spectacular. seeing into the rainforest was just brilliant, some of the trees grow to 50m can you believe that. we managed not to get eaten by beasties on the board walk around part of the rainforest by putting on industrial strength bug spray - i think it would even keep the midges at bay its so bloomin strong. when we got to kuranda we had a stroll through the shops and then went to a koala sanctuary where we were able to cuddle a koala - it was an immense experience, she was so cute and actually awake and we got some good photos. i will remember that forever.

after lunch we got the scenic railroad back down and were hit by some more amazing views - of a different kind this time as we were going over bridges which i have no idea how they built and had sheer drops on either side - those with a disposition for heights may not have enjoyed it quite so much. anyway i have uploaded some more photies for you to see and you can find them here http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=84211&id=732850985&l=9afaf650db

hope you enjoy - loving hearing all your news from back home - congrats to kelda on the date setting - cant wait ma dear and to joe who has become and uncle to Luke, looking forward to seeing the photos - also a big mention to my mum you make me laugh every time - love you lots

till next time
x

another glass? oh well i dont mind if i do

sitting in an airport hotel before we jet off to cairns tomorrow and i thought i would write a quick blog to update you on the last few days. its going to be quick mind as the internet here is bloomin expensive and i think we have free wifi in the apartment we will be staying in for the week so will write in more detail then. its also taking an age to upload photies so will need to post them later in the week.

the last couple of days have been spend in a kind of drunken haze as we have been touring the vineyards of the hunter valley. the sun finally shone for us and we found ourselves ala sideways touring the various winereies and drinking as much free beverages as possible (you can take the girl out of cumnock and all that) and boy was there a lot of free wine, not to mention olives, olive oil, cheese and chocolate, talk about food heaven. we didnt disgrace ourselves though even though we met a nice man from edinburgh who worked at one of the wineries and insisted on giving us large measures (he also gave us proper glass glasses and not plastic ones since we were from edinburgh and not glasgow, i didnt let on about my west coast roots.) our accomodation in the hunter valley was just immense, such an idyllic setting and with great food and more free wine and cheese, they also had a pet kangaroo called chloe who was and still is the first kangaroo we have seen.

the couple of days before that was spent in the blue mountains just north of sydney which were just amazing. i have some really good photies which i will hopefully post during the week. we saw so many wild cockatoos which was pretty amazing.

so anyway i had better go - we fly to cairns tomorrow so are up early, we have an apartment for 6 nights at trinity beach so it will be nice to catch our breath, eat some home cooked food and just generally chill at the beach.

Just want to say Big Happy birthday to Zoe who is 2 today - hope you have a brilliant day, we love you and miss you lots xx

anyway, i am off to sample some of the wine we bought yesterday - it helps me sleep, honest governor xxx

closer each day

whats the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of australia - sun? beaches? sharks and spiders perhaps? beer? bbq? or would it be.............. Home & Away - well guess where we got to go today - yup you guessed it Summer Bay - how cool is that, i couldnt stop myself from singing the theme tune and even tried to get ricky to duet with me but he claimed he didnt know the words. unfortunatelty for us there was no filming going on as it was pouring rain or Alf to shout Flamin Kids at but it was nice to be there nevertheless.

speaking of home and away, did you know young sam (bobby's adoptive kid for all you's not in the know) was a lifeguard on bondi now (shows child acting never pays off). we were at bondi yesterday but didnt get to see him, or take any pics as the camera had run out of battery ooops

Bondi was lovely and roasting, we had a beautiful day yesterday, think i managed to crispen myself up a wee bit but not too bad. today was very overcast and rainy but we still managed to get out and about to manly -you are right dave, it is an amazing place- russell i nearly bought you a pair of speedo's with manly written across the bum but didnt think sands would approve.

we are off out tonight since it is our last night in sydney (well for a couple of weeks anyway) so we are hitting the town, hopefully going to the harbour so we can see it all lit up at night since we havent got a chance to do this yet. we cant thank Andrew and Christine enough for having us and for showing us around. we have had such a brilliant time and have loved spending time with you guys.

the good news is after using a coin, a pair of tweezers and some cellotape (a bit blue peter i know) we managed to get the memory card out of the laptop and i have now uploaded some photies so you can check them out.

tokyo here http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=83118&id=732850985&l=ea187

and sydney here http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=83119&id=732850985&l=3b16c

we are off to the blue mountains tomorrow which i cant wait for - will keep you posted, mwah xx

keepin sharks at bay

hey guys -hope you are all well - thanks for all the lovely emails we have been getting, its so nice to hear how you all are back home. keep em coming!!

things are good here - as you will have read from ricks blog we are loving sydney, its a stunning city although i cant believe we have had rain - it seems to be following us about so hoping thats not going to last, although as we speak there is a hurricane battering queensland which is where we are off to next week so hoping it clears a bit otherwise we might be the only folk to come to australia and get worse weather than you are having in the uk - well maybe not - at least its warm here - just thinking of snow makes me cold

this is just a quick one to apologise for the lack of photies at the moment - the memory stick is stuck in the laptop at the moment and i cant get it out or access it so we have operation tweezer planned for when i get off tinternet so hopefully we can get it out and bring you up to date visually on where we are.

hoping to get to the beach later - i can walk no more, my feet are in shreds and need a bit of a rest as well as a clean - they are mocket - a nice wee dip in the sea will do them good as long as no fat deformed foot munching shark gets in the way - i am sure the smell will keep them at bay anyway- and thats just ricky i am talking about :)

ricky is just back in from his jog with goggs - pair of weirdos, its only 9.15am, still apparently they are feeling good for it, i feel good for the fact i have got an extra 40 mins kip. apparently though its a beautiful day outside so i will shift myself into the shower and slap the factor 30 on - enjoy the snow, hopefully there will be photies up later xx

G'day Mate

Hi Folks,

Well we've recovered from the crazy city that was Tokyo and have fallen in love with Sydney. What an amazing city - no wonder so many ex pats find themselves here. Despite the weather being a bit dodgy so far, we've had a great time with Andrew and Christine being fantastic hosts (and tour guides!).

Today we went on a tour of the Sydney Opera House, the Botanical Gardens, Sydney Tower, the Rocks, and rounded off with a great meal at Meat & Wine restaurant. After a few glasses of wine, i somehow agreed to go for a jog with Andrew at 8am tomorrow. That should hopefully work off some of the cow i devoured!

Planning to go off to Manly tomorrow (weather permitting) with the Blue Mountains and Hunter Valley later in the week. If they are anything like what we've seen so far in Sydney, we're in for a cracking time.

Anyway, that's all from me for now. Hope you're all doing well. Ricky.

P.S. I've started to put on some weight after toiling to use chop-sticks these past few days in Tokyo....

i hate japanese keyboards

hey guys - quick one before we jump on the plane to sydney. i am typing this at the airport and the keyboard is not getting any easier, i have no idea what i am doing.

i am gutted to be leaving tokyo - we have had a fab time here despite mixed weather, got absolutely soaked yesterday again but it has been lovely and sunny today - we went to shinjinku and shubiya districts yesterday basically to hide in the shops as the weather was so mingin - girls what a place for shopping however mucho pricey - they do shopping malls in style though - 14 floors and underground streets of shops as well - i have never drooled at clothes so much in my life . ohoh keyboard is doing something weird again, hopefully this will come out ok - it maybe underlined though. think its fine - sorry about that, where was i fine - sorry about that, where was i - when it finally did dry up we got to see the most neon i have ever seen in my puff in shubiya-seriously you could see this place from space it was so illuminated - like times square but 20 times bigger and with 20 times squares going off it in each direction and with about 1 million people running around. i have never seen so many people or so many brollies. tokyo obviously gets a lot of rain though as everyshop has an umbrealla stand for you to put your damp brolly in when you go into the shop, how mental. shubiya was very cool though and what i had envisaged tokyo to look like.

today we got a taste of something completely different - the old tokyo by going to seinso -ji a very old shrine quite near to where we were staying - quite awe inspiring to be honest and very humbling when you see everyone running to pray at it. after this we took a boat trip doon the water and got some perspective on how big a place tokyo actually is - fecking massive i think is the official statistic.

we also had our first taste of noodle slurping yesterday, ricky:s scoop and shovel technique may work for rice but it came up kinda short when dealing with slippery soba - did you like my illiteration there - i thought it was very impressive. food was ace but think we ended up wearing most of it, although it was good to be able to slurp away and not feel too embarassed as everyone else was doing it.

really should go - just wanted to say thanks so much to everyone who has written, soz dont have enough time to reply individually today but hopefully in oz will get wifi and can be on for longer - send me all your news. will post some pics soon promise - there are loads of them - you might actually be sick of the sight of tokyo by the time i am finished. sayonara for a final time from japan sob sob speak soon x