So we’re in calgary and our odometer shows a figure of 175,000 which means we’ve driven ten thousand miles around north America!

ok so i just tried to make the route in google maps, and google maps couldn’t manage it, it found it too big and the page crashed, wicked google!

i have had enough driving for now, and we’re only 1,700 miles from where we started in Los Angeles, but we did take the scenic route, which has been great fun. i don’t think i need to recap here, as everything we have done is down below in this blog. i just have to show some photos!

i’m sat in some dingy econolodge, the radiator wouldn’t turn off, so we have the air conditioning on, don’t tell the environment, but somebody has removed all radiator controls, and the only other option was to sleep with the door open, but maybe the -4 outside would make it too chilly in here.

alan’s just woken now, so i guess time to do stuff.

regina was cool, we had no number or address for the guy who we were staying with, but we did know where he worked, and it all worked out as we arrived when he did, and he even got the night off. so we went and had dinner and saw some bars, alan picked up this pretty but really stupid girl and well it was fun.

yesterday we headed off out on the road for what was the hardest, most boring drive of the trip. we had 500 miles on prairie lands to cross. we had to do all we could to keep from passing out while driving. this involved absolutely horrible music, throwing grapes out of the window to have them crash on the front of the car and general being annoying to each other, but we made it here to calgary to drive past a bar showing the kiwi’s playing wales on tv.

so rugby, pie mac and cheese and a pint made for a nice finish to the day.

there seem to be a noticable number of english, ozzy and kiwi people around here, and i guess it’s the close proximity to the snowy mountains.

so alan has to goto customs and beg for his ski bag to be released and then off we go to banff, can’t wait, mountains, snow, and the lifts open wednesday!!!

photos: alan trying to play patience in the car, our greek breakfast yesterday and the nothingness expanse we drove across yesterday. i notice the iphone photos aren’t great quality, buggar!

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Alan and I have just been to the mall in Winnipeg, narrowly escaping the busyness. I bought a cover for my iPhone because I have seen so many iPhones with smashed screens. I went for the recycled plastic option. We also got some thermals, it’s going to be a cold winter.
So winnipeg was interesting. Out couchhost was a fun girl, plenty of time having recently been made redundant, along with most of her crazy friends but we spent most of the time partying, there isn’t much else to do in that town. It is the grain trading capital of north America.
And the people there are crazy, many of whom walk around making wierd sounds, screaming or talking to themselves. There’s too much winter, no excitement or hope, not even any population growth, the gun crime capital of Canada so we are told.
So we are now in the real prairies, you can see for miles and miles, forward the road dissappears on straight to the horizon and to the sides are endless yellow field where crops grew in the summer.
It’s so straight and boring that they have giant signs to keep you mind active like odometer checks. But no worries if you fall off the road asleep, there’s nothing to hit.
It’s barely above zero degrees and they’re still harvesting.
So wawa was no too interesting, lots of goose statues.
Thunder bay, out host wasn’t too talkative until we got him a bit drunk, and he hit on us.
So the most important thing we did was go to an employment centre to canadianise our resumes. We’ve applied for several jobs now. Not much response yet.
The car is super dirty because I decided to do some off roading just to wake me up from the boring drive.
Oh and I got myself a lovely yellow hat, mmm warm

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Last night super tired after I love you man
Nightmares underground growing progressing each time I fell back to sleep
Then this morning and disaster dreams
To top it off the road construction going on from early.
All in I’ve seem thousands of people die in my dreams, too much bad energy.
I sooo need sleep some day soon.
Well on a lighter note, Halloween was great fun, always great getting dressed up.
So alan went in a suit and my pig mask, a corporate pig. Some of the guys at the party just didn’t seem to understand this concept, stupid.
And I wen as popeye, simple, fun but with a can of beer instead of spinach.
We all had fun playing cards and drinking before we went down to a house party. Then an after party back at courts and well that led to waking up feeling pretty rough yesterday.
But having pizza in a restaurant around the corner, it felt good to see plenty of the employees had been having fun the previous night, not looking tip top.
Alan, Cara, Laura and I went for a walk to Kensington Market, toronto’s Camden style area. We had the idea to have a contest to see who could have the most interesting costume collected on our tour of the shops, and if the picture shows then you can see mine, and I won! So they all owe me a burger from this excellent veggie restaurant across the park, I’ll cash in later and have a great breakfast tomorrow.
So off we’ll go today to see niagra falls, so it should be cold and wet.

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Was the best personalised plate I’ve seen in a while, on an Audi S4, nice.
So now we’re in Toronto headed out in the car to go and see courtney’s dad, the dentist, because has cavities which need sorting now.
So back to the other day and our journey away from America. With ian in the car we had a gorgeous drive up through Vermont to the border, the car clean and tidy we expected the worst. I guess it was a bother that we had to cross the border on the highway, putting us an extra hour out of our preferred route to the cottage.
But upon talking to the border guard, she seemed so overwhelmed by these English guys asking for their work visa that she didn’t even care about our lack of car registration, let alone check our vehicle contents, score 1.
Then inside the building we had to await for a grand 8 minutes and were issued with a Canadian work permit, score 1. It couldn’t have gone more smoothly
So we spent a couple of nights at ian’s dads cottage on lake mamphemagog, peaceful, beautiful totally chilled.
We had a hike up the ski hill, showing us how unfit we are, but the views were awesome.
Then we all had a campfire in the Cold and a BBQ, damn my garlic aubergine steaks were killer.
Wednesday we went up to Montreal. Ian spent all day stressing having left his phone charger in the states, we not having a place to crash, so we stayed in a hostel, so great to meet some random people. And later we met ian’s uni mates for a few drinks, finished off with a tour of mont real to see the city from above at night, stunning.
It’s a nice city, an the girls are gorgeous, but it was time to move on.
So on the boring drive down the 401 to Toronto we got the blue and red flashing lights of trouble. So we got pulled by an unmarked police, very amiable man. But still he issued us with a $170 fine for driving with a radar detector, fair enough, but if we’d known then we wouldn’t have driven with it. So now he has it and we can only guess that in general it’s saved us money on speeding fines on our 7000 mile drive around the states.
So toronto. It’s obviously pretty wealthy compared to most places that we’ve been to on our trip, I’m judging by the abundance of nice European cars and expensive fashion around here.
So the city skyline is nice especially at night with the CN tower pulsing with different colours.
Hangind with courtney and laura and their friends we are getting to see the cooler side to the town, bars and music and it’s great to hang around with some lovely ladies.
So far we’ve been having a great time, though it’s been a while since I’ve not felt tired, maybe linger since we’ve had a night off from partying, but good times.

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Sat on the loo in a dreary motel near lake Charles, a beautiful oil refinary of a town in Louisiana, drained from the last few days.
I have to say the the haunted house that we went to last night was the best haunted house ever. Maybe because I’ve never been to one that you actually walk around, you don’t get those in th UK. It was interesctive to the point of no touching. Basically you walk through a dark, fake smokey, strobey, creepy maze while props jump around, jets of air burst in your face and ghoulish monsters chase and jump out at you. Three girls, three guys together was a great fright out, ah ha!
Then emily, sharleen, alan and I went out for a quick drink down 6th, cheap and busy. I still seem to find partying with so many Americans strange. I definately enjoy it, but guess I don’t feel quite a part of it. The grinding of girls, breakdancing guys just is different than I’m used to. Give me another month and it’ll be like home!
So what to say, we were going to go and chill a while at emily’s. Emily and I got out of the car, alan slammed the door of the car and shirleen squeeled the tyres and they were gone. No need to wonder whether they premeditatively arranged to ditch us, or why.
No complaints from me, I slept in a super comfy bed with the company of a lovely girl.
So today after some pumpkin bread, fresh enough to burn, alan and I set off yo leave Texas. It rained all the way, tired we had a sketchy drive, but made it safe to Louisiana. The radar detector is soo useful, not that we care to drive our beast fast anyway.
So time to get ready for new Orleans tomorrow!

I am being walked over by a little ladybug. A squirrel just came up to my feet to ask for food. A red squirral sat a foot away watching me walk. And a heron perched just three feet away.
I’m in regents park amongst the ponds and willows. Pretty cool!
Yesterday we had a biiig gathering in and around Glastonbury to say farewell to Nam. First off, we were gathered at a special place for a fire ceremony, and chanting. It was a totally new experience, and not just for the family, but the whole group of those who loved Nam. It was pretty intense, and fun trying to walk through a crowd with a dead leg after being sat for so long. Also, it was a perfect sunny afternoon so all the more excellant. We finished with a fire lantern which floated off up to the sun.
Then after a pint in town we had a party up in Glastonbury. Bands, music, fire and much loved talking of nam, and other fun, even dad dancing
Afterwards, trixi and I went for a long lost walk with much nettles, brambles, lostness, wine, fields, stars, shootings stars, fun and sleep deprivation.
So now I have time to kill so I’ll head to Selfridges for some ice cream, mmmm

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Ben’s party was nice. Excellent to chat with people.
I had naughty thoughts about a friend. Never before. Well was a strange weekend in all.
I came back to the boat to go fruit picking with Amythest, but I read some dive homework and passed out in the sun on the deck. I’m nice as brown again.
The past two days, martin and I have been on out dive course at Andark near southampton. It’s going great, didn’t matter too much that martin and I hadn’t done all of the homework in time, we’ve caught up now.
The only sketchy thing wad martin guiding me about without my mask, in a murky pool, getting lost. All fine.
We splashed out, mind the pun, and bought snorkel, mask, fins and boots, not too costly, but now we look like raving trouts!
So off on Thursday to Frome in Somerset for our lake dive.
I feel good this evening. I’ve walked and bought cider, local, for drinking in Switzerland. I finished my homework. I have time to sleep early.
Good night.

21:12:2012???

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Today was a glorious sunny day, for the most part.
It was great to have the day with my other family. After a hearty breakfast we went for a walk along the coast, with much Fronk play, channel swimming and a pic nic on the beach.
Deb managed to put us half to sleep with a fire at home.
So I ran off before my eyelids fell. And now I’m back near Chichester.
I’m very happy to have managed to get down to kernow and the draganfly cottage.
So an early rise tomorrow, and time to see if this big boat can float!

I’ve been trying to sleep in the shade in the park, but the shade is moving too fast and just as I pass out of consciousness the sun falls on my body, roasting me. I give up.
Yesterday I had a curry by oktogon after my walk around the big park. I had a lie on margit sziget island.
After I caught up with bobby, we saw an environmental, futuristic park. Then we had some beers and chats in a park, I can’t find the name on the map. It was fun, there was even a bum diving and swimming in the 30cm deep water.
Later, leslie, bobby and I went down to A38 the club boat. Quite an experience, many young people. And I woke up on the other side of time.
So today bobby admitted to me that I wad taken in for just two days in case I was too much of a wierdo. Pre judgements based upon my couchsurfing photo. I have to change my photo as this is obviously affecting peoples decision on whether to ahve me. Well he liked me and offered for me to stay longer, however he has two French girls, and I’d already booked to stay at the suite hostel, so I’m booked into the hostel. But I’ll stay with leslie, or maybe a Dutch girl after tonight.
So now I’m waiting to feel better free last night. Humous hasn’t helped. Two litres of pineapple juice hasn’t helped. Sleeping in the park hasn’t helped. Maybe some booze will, but I’ll wait til later for that.
And I lost a phone. The new phone I bought three days ago. At least it only cost me £25, but I’m now without my normal phone number. Oops!

I’m on a wizzair flight from Luton to Budapest. Super tired, I had to wake at half four to take a bus to the airport, which I almost missed. I find myself cutting things quite fine thes days.
Yesterday was pretty depressing.
To start off I saw the mess that was the front end of my car, after hitting the animal, destroyed bumper, broken windscreen/headlamp washer system. Great so that needs fixing as well as the exhaust and windscreen.
It was raining most of the day.
I went to the hair dresser to get a hair cut and was told by a hair dresser of thirty years to wait for somebody else to cut my hair. He couldn’t get his mind around cutting my hair in a non-classic, unconventional fashion. Well now I have shorter, more normal hair, than I can remember having. I like it.
So on the up dad alan and I went to the cinema to see Pelham 1-2-3. It was very Hollywood and predictable, and fairly entertaining, but not something that I’d usually pay to watch.
To heat up the damp day we went for an Indian, so the day was not the worst ever.
This seems to be the trend when I return to the uk, damp, dark, drab, dull. But that’s only because I just came from the beach. I still love the place, just probably couldn’t enjoy living there.
Off to the sun, dentist and fun I go.