That wonderful town... Chicago

Carol singers in Union Station - in July!

Christmas came early in Chicago despite the sun shining and it being July!!! But what a difference from when we were here in January '08! Back then the temperature was -15 c and it was freezing... this time, it was certainly t-shirt weather.

Our new couch surfing host Laurie took us for a lovely walk around the local woods near her home in the Palos Park area of Chicago and it was beautiful seeing the unspoilt woods and sloughs in the vicinity. By the time we got back to her home we were dripping! (and not from the slough!) But the shade of all the trees was lovely.

The following day Chris and I went into Chicago and enjoyed seeing all the sights we'd enjoyed the last time we were here and getting to know more of the areas the 'locals' enjoy. But we didn't even get out of the Union Station for the first 3 hours! The Christmas Carol tour train was in town and promoting the forthcoming animated film of Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol'. As it was free, Chris and I just had to have a look and although the line was really long (just under 2 hours) we did meet some lovely people in the queue and also got to see how this film was made - and it should be good.

One of the attractions were original letters and books on loan from the Dickens' museum and another attraction was being able to morph your face into one of the characters!!! Below is Chris' result!!!

Chris as Belle! Rather attractive eh?

So after enjoying messing about with the photos, we finally got to leave the train station and explored more of Chicago (not done in the one day), we enjoyed the cultural centre, where they have the largest Tiffany dome in the world, we had a lovely downtown tour by an 84 year old man who has lived in Chicago 72 years! We got to find out facts about the buildings and other little bits and pieces which we'd have never know. It was lovely.

Chris is standing where our friend Karen and I had made snow angels!!!

After that Chris and I headed over to the Millennium Park where the place was swarming with people where last time we were here is was covered in snow and only about 10 humans around!
From the photo you can't really see all the people, but the children were playing in the water and the grown ups were wishing they could!
A walk down the Magnificent mile was in order and a look at all the stones in the Chicago Tribune building too - about 70% of the stones were from places we'd seen, so that was really cool. After having a photo by the suitcast, we walked back to the park and took our photos by the Bean!

Click in and see if you can see us!!!! - the Bean

I wish our case was this big!!!

When Chris and I returned to Laurie and her husband Mike's house the BBQ was on and we'd some lovely food. Our feet were sore from all the walking we'd done and it was lovely to sit down for good food and chat. The evening finished with a lovely ice-cream from their local store which has been open since 1937!

The following morning, Laurie took us to the airport and our time in Chicago was over - for now. We've loved seeing the city in the summer, getting to know things only the locals do and also... getting to see Mike's fantastic Santa collection! (he has so many Christmas things that I'm already wondering what card I'll make this year!!! - well there are under 5 months to go!!!)

Chris and I with Laurie, Mike and Santa!

Kentucky - Bike polo and other entertaining events...

With doing quite a lot of couch surfing, we've not been online too much - too much chatting with our hosts and seeing the places we're visiting, so here's what we've been up to so far...

You just can't get away from those horses!!!

From the heat of Dallas we flew North East to Lexington, Kentucky and into the lovely home of couch surfer hosts Tiffany and Chris.
On arrival we were invited to come down to the local park and see some bike polo... not knowing what this was, we jumped at the chance and with one dog each - Chris, Tiffany and I (accompanied by Cleo, Betty and Elliott) decided to see what this was all about.

As you can see, it's a very interesting sport. We helped to construct an enclosed space so that two teams could compete at once and it was great fun meeting all of Chris and Tiffany's friends and see how the game was played. (6 people in total - one on each goal mouth and two in the field). It doesn't last for long it depends who scores more goals but no longer than 14 mins a team. Good fun and afterwards a trip to the local bar for food and sweet potato fries!!!

The reason Chris and I contacted Tiffany requesting we surf her couch was due to the fact that she ran a doggy daycare in Lexington called Dogtown. As I have been wanting a dog, this would be a good idea of what's involved in looking after it. This place was something else and we spent two days (not full days) helping out and playing with the pooches! Some days there are only around 20 dogs and then it goes into the 30s! And yes, I could remember all their names!

Chris keeping some of the doggies company!

We saw some of the other sights of Lexington (there weren't too many on foot) and had a lovely stroll around the cemetery which has some interesting tales and facts - and some lovely headstones! - they do actually cater for tours!!! (and I do like cemeteries!)
In no time at all our time in Lexington was at an end and both Chris and I had a ball staying with Tiffany and her partner Chris. They certainly went further out of their way when we discovered there wasn't an easy option to get to the airport in Louisville, so Chris (the other one!) did the needful and drove us over in the morning.

Tiffany and Chris

Kentucky was fun and we tried the famous Bourbon Beer - hmmm, Chris liked it, me... nah!

Dallas - where do we begin???

What can we say about Dallas??? We've been thinking or quirky titles and quips about JR and JFK, Cowboys, Long Horns and Texas Rangers, but... It was a City beyond our expectations and a couch surfers dream!

We had the opportunity to stay with a brilliant guy called Rob who allowed us to stay in his fantastic condo for over 5 days, showed us around his neighbourhood and fed us cocktails, deep fried Oreos, Steak and homemade pasta. Having trained in the Paris Ritz-Carlton, his cooking was incomparable and he also loved to mix you drinks or serve you any cuisine regardless of it being 2:30 in the morning!!!

Having a BBQ with Rob

View from the Balcony onto the nightlife

Dallas was not what we imagined. A huge city, very spread out Dallas is actually in several sections interspersed with Suburban housing. We ended up in Downtown, couchsurfing with Rob and it was a very different experience to normal suburban life. The small number of inhabitants who live in the downtown business area like to party. There are not many shops but there are a huge amount of bars and clubs. The streets are empty during the day, something to do with the 105 degrees Fahrenheit/ 40 Celsius temperatures... in the shade ! Our first night we were entertained at the sports bar with Cheeseburgers, deep fried pickles and stuffed Jalapenos. The normal procedure is to bar hop so we headed across the road for a drink in Rob's local. This is THE spot downtown to people watch. Big trucks, big people and some fantastic looking people others not!

The Grassy Knoll (if you click in, look for the white marks and x's to mark the 2 shots!)

Our time in Dallas was spent relaxing by the pool or taking a leisurely walk down to the Grassy Knoll to hear the conspiracy theories about JFK's assignation... these guys have 36" flat screens showing frame by frame footage!!! We also had a bit more culture at the Nasher Sculpture Center with some Picasso's and Rodin's to appreciate.

Not a Picasso or Rodin, but 'Walking to the Sky' by Jonathan Borofsky

No doubt we should have gone to see Southfork or some other places in the County, but this place is vast and there was enough to see in the close proximity.

We are now in Kentucky and enjoying the variety this place brings - Bike polo anyone??
update to follow!

America - our penultimate country

At the needle

When we looked at traveling around the world there was a lot to organise and a lot to pay for. Moneysavingexpert.com was a vital source of information on ways to save and one suggestion was couchsurfing. It's not just about free accommodation on someone's couch. It's a community of travellers who want to share their city, their stories and their homes with like minded individuals. I signed us up and apart from lunch with a young student in Vietnam we haven't really gotten around to surfing with anyone until Seattle.

We searched the hundreds of people in Seattle who belong to the couchsurfing network and one young lady stood out as being pleasant and accommodating. We had a few things in common, she was used to the whole couchsurfing thing so we thought, as first timers, to see if we cold stay. She said yes and our experience was fantastic. Not only did she pick us up from the bus station, she fed us, vacated her bed for us, gave us access to her fridge, her friends, the Internet AND she made brownies. Directions around Seattle, things to see and do, drove us to some of the best viewpoints for Seattle city and made us feel so welcome. Emma is a fantastic, kind and considerate person and if couchsurfing is like this all over the states we are in for a great time in the US. Her housemate Amy was also great company and even went out of her way to take us to the airport. Opening your home to complete strangers may sound weird but for us, having a home cooked meal and relaxing in a home not just a room was such a pleasant experience. They even let us show some of our photo's and listened to our various stories.

Us with Emma

The Seattle Skyline

Pike Place market - the famous fish throwing

Seattle itself is a large city. We managed to arrive just as the first cloudy days of summer rolled in. Fleece's and Jumpers were needed and the sunshine of our days in Vancouver were but a distant memory. The Space needle, is the most distinctive part of the Skyline and looks nothing like a needle. It is surrounded by modern sculptures and a couple of weird looking museums and after a quick look around we headed for the down town. Pike's place market is home to the infamous fishmongers who throw the various fish and crabs across the market watched by lots of tourists with camera's Their impromptu routines make for interesting watching. Fruit and vegetables of various shapes and sizes are located throughout the giant market warehouse (think St Georges market at home, but much bigger) with stalls intertwined. The original Starbucks is also a famous attraction in the area and although we went along, they didn't have any seating so another branch around the corner was rewarded with our custom.

Seattle has a lot to offer and we were just not there long enough to fully appreciate it. It will be another place to go back to in future years at least for the hospitality if nothing else.

They speak English here!!!

We arrived in Vancouver 7 hours before we left Japan. It was weird crossing the international date line. We would have loved to have stayed longer in Japan, if not just to chat more with Sharon and Mitsu. We will definitely be back.

Oh Canada!

Vancouver was interesting on arrival, we had to think about what to say to the Passport control officer, he spoke to us in English. After many months of Ni hao, Konichiwa, Sawadee, Sabadee and all the rest if was strange to have English, with English music over the PA. Tim Horton's coffee, Starbucks, McDonald's, signs in English, Bus timetables in English. Snippets of conversations from people walking past, in English. And then the swearing from the young locals waiting for the bags, the builders walking to a construction zone or a guy not able to find his way. At least in foreign countries you didn't know that they were swearing, we didn't miss that.

Anyhow, Vancouver is a beautiful city with such a diverse of neighbourhoods. We didn't see any moose in the streets but the typical buildings in Downtown Vancouver that you see in the Canadian TV shows are instantly recognisable. We did arrive during a bit of dull weather. Both Jude and I pulled out the fleeces for the first time since Nepal and I even ended up in my jeans. The next day was a lot better.

Sleeping patterns were very messed up but after a day of rest, some proper food from a proper supermarket we hired some bikes and headed for Stanley park, THE place to go for a bit of exercise and to see the city.

Beautiful boats near Stanley Park

The weather turned fantastic and it seemed everyone headed for the beach. Walking your dog in a bikini seems to be the thing to do here, it was a different sight to normal and North American, non backpacker figure. People of all ages dressed in various forms of beachwear.

At a Vancouver Canadians baseball game

We hope to get to quite a few sports games in America, the opportunity arose for a local Canadian game (Hockey season is over at the moment), although they were not major league, the atmosphere in the park, dancing the birdie song half way through the game and a chance to learn some of the rules was beneficial and shod set us up for the Yankees in a months time.

Seattle is our first couchsurfing experience. More details in the next post.

see Disney Sea

The staff are very friendly, lots of waving and lots of talking....

Even though they realise you don't speak the lingo, these guys love to talk, bow and talk some more, 20000 leagues under the sea, we could have drowned!

Journey to the Center of the Earth - a surprising ride

The small touches, like the scratch marks on the cars above made this place really authentic. As far as Disney's go, the Japanese have excelled in effort. And getting the front seats on this ride was the bonus.

People do wear Kimono's

It's weird to see but many locals wear kimono's to work, weddings, special occasions and Disney. Not sure about the practicalities on some of the rides though.

The Nautilus submarine

Disney Sea is not for kids

We just had to ride the carousel, two tiers as part of the Arabian port. The 3D Aladdin show was very good also with Subtitles in English.

BraviSEAmo (that's what it's called !)

The last show of the night (fireworks were cancelled due to wind) saw this fire dragon thing rise from the water with coloured water jets and splashes, fantastic show. Disney Sea closes at 10:00pm which made for a long day, late night and sore feet. Didn't quite make the tower of terror by the exit for a second time, the first was hilarious, the Japanese love to scream!

Tokyo Disney Sea, because we could!

The Japanese start young with Technology

Our trip to Disney started quite late, we are not morning people. First stop the train station where a group of 4 girls caught our eye, all of them on their mobiles and on their own - they weren't older than 5!!

Even the train was Disney

70 minutes on the train and we transfered to the Disney line. This is wear the Disney experience starts and the magic comes to life.

It's called Disney Sea for a reason

Disney Sea is one section of the Tokyo resort. Originally designed for Long Beach, California (who were outbid by Anaheim for Disneyland - nowhere near the sea) the resort has 7 (I think) ports including the American waterfront (above), port discovery, Mermaid Lagoon and others.

The multi-talented Mickey Mouse

The park is geared towards adults and the shows where spectacular. The first, Big Band Beat with American Jazz and Swing music was very well done.

Mr Donald Duck in his cruise ship clothes

You never know who you'll meet around the corner. Jude was so happy to see Donald, it's the first time she's been taller than any of the characters (except the 7 dwarfs).

すべての魚をありがとう (thanks for all the fish)

When we first thought about where we where going on our trip I wanted Sushi in Japan for my birthday. It wasn't my birthday but I finally got the Sushi. We knew Japan was going to be expensive and we were right. Distant relation Sharon (cousins' sister-in-law) is married to a Japanese bloke so we managed to scrounge a night on their blowup bed, sample some Japanese hospitality (I don't think that cheesecake is authentically Japanese, but it was homemade and it was lovely), have a tour of the local temple before a feast of Sushi. Sharon and her husband Mitsu (who is learning Japanese sword fighting, very impressive) were brilliant hosts for the night before we moved into the big smoke of Yokohama.

Sharon, Chris and Mitsu enjoying sushi

Kamakura Temple, Yokohama

Japan doesn't seem as harsh as China in terms of language, writing (Chinese is very square, Japan curvy) and manners. Everyone queues for the train, they wait at the lights to cross even with no cars coming. They are pleasant and smile and wave a lot. We followed the locals and went to Disney, the most visited theme park in the world. Two parks make up Disney resort Tokyo and we only had time for Disney sea which was fantastic. As nice as Florida but with a bit of a language problem on some rides. It's not owned by Disney but the attention to detail everywhere makes for a brilliant attraction. The shows were spectacular, the night time fire and water display was superb and the cool breeze from the pacific made for a really nice day to wonder around. And the number of children in the resort could be counted on two hands - the number of OAPs in wheelchairs on your toes!!!

Yokohama itself is small compared to Singapore and Tokyo in terms of big buildings but beware of rush hour. Tokyo station carries 2 million people through it's door, EVERY DAY !!! Yokohama was bad enough with the constant throng, the trains where fast, efficient and amusing places to watch commuters packed in, listening to MP3 players, playing on mobiles, games consoles and reading books all while swaying with the train.

Yokohama waterfront

Funniest part about Japan, the toilets. Dubai was the first toilet with instructions I say, that was nothing to this. Water temperature, air temperature, water pressure, flushing noises, deodoriser and more which I couldn't understand. Everything you need for a pleasant number two experience was on an arm at the side of the toilet - or for a simple number 1. Too lazy to reach by your side, they have remote panels at head height. I wanted to see one with an Ipod docking station and newspaper holder but didn't have time to find one.

This is no ordinary toilet.... (but not the fanciest)

Our last few days in Japan was in an authentic Japanese hostel. I said Japan was expensive, accommodation is really expensive but deals can be found. We got a room, about 1.5m x 3m (in old money that's (5 ft x 9 ft) with aircon and a tv for £30. It was big enough for our needs and when you stored the dining table and rolled out the beds you could get very comfy.

Tea for two, with bed roll, airon and TV

Vancouver is our current location. We arrived about 7 hours before we took off and have to admit, watching loads of movies on a plane is not good for your brain. We've 4 days in Vancouver and have already booked tickets for the baseball on Saturday with fireworks (11th night celebrations.... I don't think). Seattle next week the start of our 6 weeks in USA before back to Canada in September. Disney sea photos to follow after some sleep - a 16 hr time difference is something else.

A Chinese odyssey - part two

The large collection in pit #1

A very stretchy acrobat in Shanghai


The Shanghai skyline

Us in Tian'anmen Square

At the Great Wall

In the Forbidden City

At the 'Birds Nest' Stadium

A Chinese Odyssey

Now we're no longer in China, we can finally see our blog to update it, rather than sending an email and hoping for the best!
So, here are some of the photos from along the way...

The lovely lime stone mountains in Yangshuo

The visitors at the 3 gorges dam were loving us westerners! We'd to get used to this!

The 3 gorges - part of one of the gorges anyway!

Chris and I at the Teracotta warriers

One of the seven farmers who found the warriers in 1974