Rowan's Amazing American Adventure

...I have now made it to my final port of call, Santa Monica! Yosemite was absolutely stunning, featuring among other things baby squirrels (well, I had to find some somewhere!), wandering deer, and moonlight tours of the park where we saw the lights of the climbers camped out on el capitan (a huge cliff face that takes 5 days to climb), which looked like fireflies, not people hanging thousands of feet up in more-than-perilous hammocks!!! I also took my first watercolour painting class - much more fun than just sketching! I may venture out into the world of colour more often...

Thankfully have survived the bears unscathed.

Jetting back to NY tomorrow night, and then will be in UK Sunday morning! Will see most of you at a combination of church services, and the rest hopefully some time later in july!!!!

Blogging pretty much over.

x
row

Touched down once more, mid Rocky mountains, in a crazy hostel with a living room full of old lp's and a dorm full of the Irish. We also have a arge forest fire on the other side of the muntan, and jazz in the park tonight. A mix, you might say, of good and bad.

Left Chicago yesterday at 2, and got into the station here at 4pm. hankfully had ome train company - a new zealand bloke clle Car who works for McLaren and had many amusing pit-stop tales to tell, and a student from the university in the town who filled me in on the localit. SPnt this morning in the cafe car with Bobby (89) and her grandson (still older than me) learning to play 'skip bo', an american card game you shall all doubtless be introduced to when I return, if I can lay my hjands on a deck.

Have boosted my sun burn with a few hours in the hot springs this afternoon. Booked a day of whitewater rafting for tomorrow. Will be nice to see some other people, other than travelling boys. Getting a little bit lonely out here, but I'm sure Col will cure me of that fairly imminently and I'll be glad to finish off alone...

Off to the park for some free jazz now.

xRow

Train ride 1 is accomplished! Cannot believe more people don't travel by Amtrak. They have huge almost fully-reclining seats, the most legroom in the known world, and only moderate numbers of screaming children! Downside is 30hr journey length and actual freezing nighttime temperatures. Have reworked my proposal to DAS: in order to save the world's environment, America's offices need to stop pumping every last piece of warmth they contain out into the atmosphere. Then a) I will be warm and b) I will not be drowned by rising sea levels.

Made it to Chicago about midday today, having used train-time productively to read several novels and practice my cold-management skills for any future arctic expeditions. Went to the Aquarium and saw some thoroughly disgusting looking fish (let's face it, the only reason any of us go...) and dolphins doing tricks! Very excited. Have just gopt back from my evening architectural boat tour, and now understand the difference between art deco, modernist and post modernist buildings, with a bit of classical modernism thrown in. Highly educational and much fun. I hope to bore you all thoroughly with my new building-spotting techniques.

Tomorrow my plans include several exciting elements:
A) trying not to patchily burn any more flesh. I shall be piebald by the time I get home. Much like a pony (but less smelly)
Going to the natural history museum to see the DINOSAURS! Raar.
C) Going to the Gallery of contemporary art to sneer at / admire it alternately.
D) Buying a blanket before I get back on the train. Or a tent. One or the other.

Next stop, a mattress on the floor in Glenwood Springs (they have abiker convention there, and it was the only way they could fit me in. At least I pay reduced rates!!!)

PS. Zoe - I went to Chipotle! It rocks!

The end!
Bye!

After many days of proclaiming I would go on an expedition to hunt down some sand, the event has finally occurred! Hit Long Island today for some surfing. Was late - seem to have developed a disturbing trend for this over last few days, including theoretically missing flight (only theoretically, thankfully, as flight was also late. Good coordinating tactics, methinks). Anyway, lovely instructor waited for me to start lesson. Yey! Sea was fantastic - loads of huge waves. Lost sunblock to the water within about three point five minutes - not much withstands a full frontal assault by the Atlantic. However, did manage to 'catcha wave' a good few times, and for the first time ever got that experience of being a good metre above sea level when you're actually standing on the crest as it breaks. Hoping to have another session in Santa Monica when I get there. Eliot (instructor) is also coming over to the UK in September, so if anyone's up for a surf trip to Devon, let me know!

Otherwise, packign in a rather bedraggled fashion for train tomorrow. Getting on 'The Cardinal' at 6.55 (disgusting) at Penn Station. It takes a mere 26 hours and 30 minutes to get to Chicago, via Washington, Cincinati, and some mountains.

In other news: Zoe's facebook addiction continues; we all await Brandon's gorilla-beating-him-over-the-head-with-a-tree pictures with eager anticipation; Sophie continues to devour weird and ugly things on an almost daily basis.

Will try and upload some pics. Computer finally accepting internet. yey!

Yo! Have migrated south (?) to DC for a few days. Staying in a fantastic hotel, with whole suite to myself (thankyou Kamila!!!). Today's highlight has been a job offer -as a receptionist. Grrr. Trying to avoid offence . Zoe dragged me to Capitol Hill yesterday, so I feel thoroughly politically informed. Tomorrow I shall go take pictures of the white house, and try not to get shot. Logically, as a white western female I am surely the prime candidate for a terrorist in disguise, and therefore I feel I must be careful. Following that comment, the CIA are probably on their way already...

Weatehr hot, food good (Went to 'Bangkok Joe's' last night. had to be done.) Going to go sit on the waterfront and read political manifestos. They amuse me.

xxx
Rowan

Yey! Having fled the English heatwave only to encounter rain (to a flooding-the-streets level), we have sun once more. New York is a blissful and glorious place. I've conveniently managed to find a few hours between meetings to investigate the local parks - all in the interest of cultural learnings, of course, and have found them to be of a satisfyingly high standard. Photos to come once my computer starts playing nicely. Also found an amazing jazz bar last night, which I may well return to before I go. Have befriended the barman so am getting super-large G&Ts, and someone to chat to into the bargain. Plus amazing jass. All good.

Met one of the partners at an agency over here today who's done exactly the same rail adventure as I'll be going on, and says it is utterly awesome. Am looking forward to the trains through canyons, indian attacks etc (well, they happen in the adverts!)

During these many adventures, I've finally read The Handmaid's Tale - Becky, you'll be happy - and declare it one of my favourite books ever. Read it. NOW!

My major success of the day is to have avoided shopping so far. If I am lucky, i will keep this up for another hour whilst in my next meeting.

No other major events to report. I saw a rat today (filthy city). Am also sitting in the ING direct banking cafe!!! In the very midst of a brand experience! How adland am I?

Thinking about going surfing at the weekend, weather allowing...

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Row