Howdy partners!
Excuse me whilst I get off my horse and drink my milk!
We avoided the slot machines in the airport, but crumbled when we saw the roulette table on the airport bus (only kidding). We managed to get cheap accomodation at the Stratosphere hotel on the strip. Love it or loathe it, Vegas is certainly an eye opener, and its better than Blackpool. We spent a few days walking up and down the strip, saw the fountains at the Belaggio, watched the free show at Treasure Island and avoided the - all you can eat buffets. A first for Pete was to go on his first ever rollercoaster at the New York complex, and survive with his lunch intact! We also went to the top of the Stratosphere viewing deck for the full panoramic view of the city, but didnt go on the rides on top of the building that dangle you 800ft over the side. One rollercoaster a week is enough.
Later we found a lucky three card poker table at the hotel where pete won $250. Get in! and free drinks all the time you are playing. Winner winner, chicken dinner! or Bud light, or white wine.....
After a few days we hired a car to drive out the the Grand Canyon. By the time we got to the Hoover Dam the power steering had packed up, but we had gone too far to turn back. So we spent the next three days building our biceps trying to steer the car. Its a good job most of the roads are straight. The Grand Canyon certainly was impressive and Grand! and we spent a day there walking around in the desert heat, with the millions of other tourists. We didnt see any Condors but did see a Mountain Lion run in front of the car on the drive away.
The next day we drove to Zion national park. On the way there, the car in front kicked up a stone that put a 50p sized chip in the windowscreen, which was nice. We spent a day there and it is equally as impressive in its own way. We returned to the car after dark to find a flat battery as Pete had left the lights on, but fortunately managed to get it started again after 10 minutes. The next day we drove back to Vegas to return the car and confess the incidents, but they havent got in touch since so I think we have got away with it. So if you ever need car hire abroad go with Avis! All in all, a eventful road trip, and really good time in a beautiful part of the country.
We then got on the worst greyhound bus journey in history to San francisco........
Hope everyone is well and love to all.
Pete & Urvy
XXXXX
Saturday, 17 July 2010
The Big Easy - Peasy
Hello all,
Hope everyone is well. After leaving Wisconsin we flew to the deep south of New Orleans. There was a noticeable increase in the temperature, humidity and the size of the cockroaches. We spent a few days mooching around the French Quarter, rode the streetcar, dodged the rain showers, and ate a lot of Gumbo of variable quality. It was good for pralines though, of excellent quality and we also discovered Peteypops which are marshmallow, rice crispies and white chocolate on a stick. We also discovered a recipe for what could become our family´s famous desert - Bananas Foster. I wonder if Grandma knows how to make it?
We went to the famous Bourbon Street and received some coloured beads from ladies of the lady bars. We also visited the grave of the voodoo queen herself - Marie Lavaeu. We left some money as instructed by the superstitious hostel landlady because we didn´t want our legs broken - as was what happened to a guy she took on a graveyard tour. He decided to steal from the graves and when she asked him to leave - he was immediately hit by a bus.
So when we went we left plenty of money just in case.......as we like our legs!
The Hurricane Katrina tour was the most interesting part, around all the previously flooded parts of town. The tour guide informed us after the hurricane many people decided not to return to their homes and left them derelict. Also many people had crawled into their attics during the floods, without adequate food or water, and no escape route. Sadly many perished before emergency services reached them. Luckily this tour was fully booked out and seemed to help raise much needed money for the relief effort. We will never moan about rain again.
Whilst there we met a couple of wonderful people from couchsurfing. Thanks to Heather and her friends with whom we made a lovely meal, and also learned how to make animals from balloons (don´t ask us when we get back - sadly we will have forgotten how and our dogs will have deflated!).
So with our bellies full of gumbo, and a taste of fresh oysters (aphrodisiac??¿¿¿ - this keyboard has upside down ones too!!¡¡??¿¿) - we flew to Las Vegas. Come on Black 20!
I wonder if we will get Gumbo or pralines for the in-flight meal?.....
Love Urvasi and Pete
XXX
Hope everyone is well. After leaving Wisconsin we flew to the deep south of New Orleans. There was a noticeable increase in the temperature, humidity and the size of the cockroaches. We spent a few days mooching around the French Quarter, rode the streetcar, dodged the rain showers, and ate a lot of Gumbo of variable quality. It was good for pralines though, of excellent quality and we also discovered Peteypops which are marshmallow, rice crispies and white chocolate on a stick. We also discovered a recipe for what could become our family´s famous desert - Bananas Foster. I wonder if Grandma knows how to make it?
We went to the famous Bourbon Street and received some coloured beads from ladies of the lady bars. We also visited the grave of the voodoo queen herself - Marie Lavaeu. We left some money as instructed by the superstitious hostel landlady because we didn´t want our legs broken - as was what happened to a guy she took on a graveyard tour. He decided to steal from the graves and when she asked him to leave - he was immediately hit by a bus.
So when we went we left plenty of money just in case.......as we like our legs!
The Hurricane Katrina tour was the most interesting part, around all the previously flooded parts of town. The tour guide informed us after the hurricane many people decided not to return to their homes and left them derelict. Also many people had crawled into their attics during the floods, without adequate food or water, and no escape route. Sadly many perished before emergency services reached them. Luckily this tour was fully booked out and seemed to help raise much needed money for the relief effort. We will never moan about rain again.
Whilst there we met a couple of wonderful people from couchsurfing. Thanks to Heather and her friends with whom we made a lovely meal, and also learned how to make animals from balloons (don´t ask us when we get back - sadly we will have forgotten how and our dogs will have deflated!).
So with our bellies full of gumbo, and a taste of fresh oysters (aphrodisiac??¿¿¿ - this keyboard has upside down ones too!!¡¡??¿¿) - we flew to Las Vegas. Come on Black 20!
I wonder if we will get Gumbo or pralines for the in-flight meal?.....
Love Urvasi and Pete
XXX
Monday, 5 July 2010
The Windy City, Wisconsin, and Family and Friends
Hello everyone. Hope you are all well and enjoying the heatwave! Typical - just when you leave the country - hhmmff!
After arriving in Chicago we met up with Urvy's other cousin Bharati, her husband Pravin and their Daughters Tulsi and Priya. They put us up (or should that be put up with us) for 5 nights at their amazing home in Rockford, Illinois outside Chicago.
Firstly congratulations to Priya on graduating from school - The IMSA (maths and science academy to the rest of us!). Hello to Tulsi - who is due back to the UK to continue with her medical study in Oxford.
Hi to our cousin Dipika who kindly drove from Michigan and back in one night - just to see us, and her husband Balu. we hope to meet up with their son soon!
It was a windy and rainy city, which didn't bother us at all coming from Bolton. We went to the Willis Tower, Millenium park and saw the Bean (actual name Cloudgate), and the Navy Pier. Pete had beans which didn't help the weather any....
The next stop was Winsconsin - and there 'nothing tips like a cow!'
Spent some quality time seeing Stuart and his family - Stephany, Collin and Allie in Tomah. We watched the England 'v's USA match - Collin still hasn't learned the art of rolling with the punches for English football and soon defected to shouting for USA (little traitor!). We had a trip to Winsconsin dells and enjoyed some slow baked marshmallows on some smores - mmmmmm!
Between the fire flies sparkling and the cyotes howling for company, we were made to feel at home!
Next stop - we flew from Madison to New Orleans for some old fashioned southern hospitality!
Yee haaa to ya-all!
love from Pete and Urvy x
After arriving in Chicago we met up with Urvy's other cousin Bharati, her husband Pravin and their Daughters Tulsi and Priya. They put us up (or should that be put up with us) for 5 nights at their amazing home in Rockford, Illinois outside Chicago.
Firstly congratulations to Priya on graduating from school - The IMSA (maths and science academy to the rest of us!). Hello to Tulsi - who is due back to the UK to continue with her medical study in Oxford.
Hi to our cousin Dipika who kindly drove from Michigan and back in one night - just to see us, and her husband Balu. we hope to meet up with their son soon!
It was a windy and rainy city, which didn't bother us at all coming from Bolton. We went to the Willis Tower, Millenium park and saw the Bean (actual name Cloudgate), and the Navy Pier. Pete had beans which didn't help the weather any....
The next stop was Winsconsin - and there 'nothing tips like a cow!'
Spent some quality time seeing Stuart and his family - Stephany, Collin and Allie in Tomah. We watched the England 'v's USA match - Collin still hasn't learned the art of rolling with the punches for English football and soon defected to shouting for USA (little traitor!). We had a trip to Winsconsin dells and enjoyed some slow baked marshmallows on some smores - mmmmmm!
Between the fire flies sparkling and the cyotes howling for company, we were made to feel at home!
Next stop - we flew from Madison to New Orleans for some old fashioned southern hospitality!
Yee haaa to ya-all!
love from Pete and Urvy x
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