After clearing the Canada/USA border (with great ease!!), we arrived into Seattle. We were staying at the Green Tortoise Hostel, opposite pikes place market. Within 10mins of venturing out of the hostel we had found the first ever starbucks!! Although we managed to resist temptation, and saved it for the following day. Tom is making it his mission to have a starbucks everyday while in North America!
While in Seattle, as well as visiting Starbucks (a few times), we checked out the Experience Music Project (EMP). It was a museum dedicated to music that had come out of Seattle (Hendrix, Nirvana to name 2). You could also record your own CD, and/or make your own music video, which we did! As it was so funny we bought it! Me and tom rocking along to 'I love Rock n Roll'. Twas very amusing.
We didnt check out the space needle in Seattle, because it was quite pricey. We did go to Bainbridge island for the day, and we also went to watch a Seattle Mariners baseball game. That was good fun, we just got rowdy and joined in with the crowd!! God knows what people must have though of us!! We got a lift down to Portland from someone who was driving that way. It worked out much quicker and cheaper!
Wednesday, 22 August 2007
Vancouver
Arrived into Vancouver on the 8th Aug, after the longest day of our lives. We had crossed the date line, so we had breakfast, lunch and dinner twice!! Wierd! On the first day we were feeling lazy, we put it down to jet lag, but it probably was the Fiji bug!!
While in Vancouver we went up the Tower at the Harbor Centre where we got a good view of the City at night and at Day. As we didnt have much time in Vancouver we did the Big Red Bus tour, like the one you can get in London, but obviously this one is in Vancouver!! It was the quickest way to see the city. We also checked out Stanley park, and went to the Rainbow Rubber Condom Shop. We thought it was gonna be a factory. Thats what the guide book had led us to believe, but it was actually a shop. A very entertaining one at that!
We thought about going to the casino in Vancouver, as we were old enough to drink and gamble in Vancouver, but in the end we were too tired to actually go!
We headed to Seattle next on the Greyhound
While in Vancouver we went up the Tower at the Harbor Centre where we got a good view of the City at night and at Day. As we didnt have much time in Vancouver we did the Big Red Bus tour, like the one you can get in London, but obviously this one is in Vancouver!! It was the quickest way to see the city. We also checked out Stanley park, and went to the Rainbow Rubber Condom Shop. We thought it was gonna be a factory. Thats what the guide book had led us to believe, but it was actually a shop. A very entertaining one at that!
We thought about going to the casino in Vancouver, as we were old enough to drink and gamble in Vancouver, but in the end we were too tired to actually go!
We headed to Seattle next on the Greyhound
Sunday, 12 August 2007
Welcome to paradise...well its about time!!!
We arrived onto Beachcomber island!! Home of the Bula dance and there own version of the classic Venga Boys choon, "We're going to Ibzia", (Oldies will remember this as "We're going to Barbados"), except we were all going to "Beachcomber, back to the island. Fly away on Air Pacific, flying high, Fijian Sky!" Not sure how Air Pacific rhymes, but it worked some how!!
The Bula dance is a funky version of the macarena, but a much better song to accompany it, not so neurotic!!
Beachcomber was the party island, and party is what we did. For 3days and 3 nights we partied in the evenings and then recovered on the beach. Well we baked on the beach anyway!! It wasnt that relaxing, but it was great fun, and we met some great people. We moved to Mana island after our 3rd night. We stayed there for 3 nights. We met Ellie and Jules in Beachcomber and we went with them. We had alot of fun! It was less party like and more chilled out!! They beach had nicer sand, and there was a hammock between the palm trees. This truely was paradise!! We also managed to go scuba diving as well. We started by snorkeling for 40mins, and the coral was so much brighter and there were so many more fish here than on the Great Barrier reef. To be honest, i would have been satisfied with just the snorkeling. Saying that the scuba dive was incredible. We thought we would just see alot more coral, and a lots more fish, but we were lucky enough to see 5 sharks!!! It was crazy. One of them swam within 4 meters of me!!! That was barmy!! Loved every min of it! It was a sad day when we had to leave Mana, we had had such a great time. Also an irish chap had showed up an he looked like sam from lord of the rings, so that gave us great entertainment!!
It was time to embark on our 2nd longest flight of the trip so far!!
The Bula dance is a funky version of the macarena, but a much better song to accompany it, not so neurotic!!
Beachcomber was the party island, and party is what we did. For 3days and 3 nights we partied in the evenings and then recovered on the beach. Well we baked on the beach anyway!! It wasnt that relaxing, but it was great fun, and we met some great people. We moved to Mana island after our 3rd night. We stayed there for 3 nights. We met Ellie and Jules in Beachcomber and we went with them. We had alot of fun! It was less party like and more chilled out!! They beach had nicer sand, and there was a hammock between the palm trees. This truely was paradise!! We also managed to go scuba diving as well. We started by snorkeling for 40mins, and the coral was so much brighter and there were so many more fish here than on the Great Barrier reef. To be honest, i would have been satisfied with just the snorkeling. Saying that the scuba dive was incredible. We thought we would just see alot more coral, and a lots more fish, but we were lucky enough to see 5 sharks!!! It was crazy. One of them swam within 4 meters of me!!! That was barmy!! Loved every min of it! It was a sad day when we had to leave Mana, we had had such a great time. Also an irish chap had showed up an he looked like sam from lord of the rings, so that gave us great entertainment!!
It was time to embark on our 2nd longest flight of the trip so far!!
Welcome to Paradise...Not!
Our first impression of Nadi in Fiji was not a good one! We had been greeted in the Airport by a traditional fijian band, and then after that it went down hill. We were in the Mini bus to go to the hostel, and the one we wanted to go to was fully booked, so the very smelly driver took us to another hostel, called 'The Holiday Inn'. Well i have never stayed in a holiday inn quite like this one. It was being held together by the paint work. It really was dirty, seedy and just horrible! They wanted to book everything for us, and i did not want to give them my card details! It was dodgy.
Thankfully we woke up!! We were slightly worried that we were going to be taken in the night!! We were quite suprised that we had got so far in without having any seriously bad hostels, so i guess we deserved it!!
Nadi (a main city in fiji), was dirty and crummy. Everyone that walked the street seemed dodgy. We got straight out of there and off the main land!!
Nadi seriously gives you a false impression on the real Fiji
Thankfully we woke up!! We were slightly worried that we were going to be taken in the night!! We were quite suprised that we had got so far in without having any seriously bad hostels, so i guess we deserved it!!
Nadi (a main city in fiji), was dirty and crummy. Everyone that walked the street seemed dodgy. We got straight out of there and off the main land!!
Nadi seriously gives you a false impression on the real Fiji
Saturday, 11 August 2007
Auckland
Auckland was pretty cool. We stayed with the Woodman family, friends of the Jays. Simon used to go to school with Robert Woodman. Roger, Paula and Rob were really hospitable and we had a great time staying with them. On the sunday when we arrived Roger took us up One tree hill (although someone chopped the tree down), and also Mt Victoria. They both gave great views of Auckland. We checked out the museum later on in the afternoon. That evening we had a roast, a lovely big of New Zealand lamb!!
On Monday Rob showed us round auckland. We did the Auckland Bridge climb and went up the sky tower. Thankfully the weather improved for us just at the right time. That night we went to the pub with a group of robs mates. It was a rare treat at the pub as they had Stowford Press cider!! Sadly not from somerset, but Hereford will have to do! I want Thatchers!!
On Tuesday we went sailing with Roger and his friend colin. We went out on Colins boat. We went to Rangitoto Island, Aucklands newest (by 600 odd years) volcano. On the way back into the Harbor we were lucky enough to see 2 lots of Mother and Calf killer whales!! that was pretty crazy!! That night we took the woodmans out for a meal to say thank you for having us.
On Wednesday (our last day in New Zealand - sob sob), we went to Mission beach where we were treated to lunch, and Fejoa Sorbet. Fejoa is apparently a fruit that only grows in the North Island of New Zealand, and no where else in the world, so it was a rare opportunity that we had some! That evening we left for fiji!
On Monday Rob showed us round auckland. We did the Auckland Bridge climb and went up the sky tower. Thankfully the weather improved for us just at the right time. That night we went to the pub with a group of robs mates. It was a rare treat at the pub as they had Stowford Press cider!! Sadly not from somerset, but Hereford will have to do! I want Thatchers!!
On Tuesday we went sailing with Roger and his friend colin. We went out on Colins boat. We went to Rangitoto Island, Aucklands newest (by 600 odd years) volcano. On the way back into the Harbor we were lucky enough to see 2 lots of Mother and Calf killer whales!! that was pretty crazy!! That night we took the woodmans out for a meal to say thank you for having us.
On Wednesday (our last day in New Zealand - sob sob), we went to Mission beach where we were treated to lunch, and Fejoa Sorbet. Fejoa is apparently a fruit that only grows in the North Island of New Zealand, and no where else in the world, so it was a rare opportunity that we had some! That evening we left for fiji!
Wellington
We arrived in wellington and i was still feeling rough. It was quicker to fly in New Zealand and as we were only doing 2 flights in NZ it was within our budget. We didnt do much for the rest of that day, we just chilled out.
For our first full day we took the cable car up to the top of a hill which i cant remember the name right now, but we wandered round the botanical gardens, and then had a look at the city before heading the Tu Papa Museum, NZ's national museum. It was quite interesting, all about Maori heritige, volcanos and we did a cluedo style treasure hunt as well, very childish, but very entertaining.
The next day we had a day wandering round the town. To be honest, there wasnt as much in wellington as i had imagined, but it was fairly chilled out. We were up early on our last morning to fly to Auckland. Thankfully we didnt drink the night before!!
For our first full day we took the cable car up to the top of a hill which i cant remember the name right now, but we wandered round the botanical gardens, and then had a look at the city before heading the Tu Papa Museum, NZ's national museum. It was quite interesting, all about Maori heritige, volcanos and we did a cluedo style treasure hunt as well, very childish, but very entertaining.
The next day we had a day wandering round the town. To be honest, there wasnt as much in wellington as i had imagined, but it was fairly chilled out. We were up early on our last morning to fly to Auckland. Thankfully we didnt drink the night before!!
Queenstown
Queenstown was brilliant!! We had a couple of drunkun nights there, well it was rude not to!! We had really got into the 'Goon' appreciation club!! It was great! Also while in Queenstown we had a days skiing up on Coronet Peak. This was great fun. Tom had a lesson in the morning to learn the basics while i headed off on my own, and then i draged him up the mountain with me for the afternoon. He did really well. That night we met up with Hodge, and then we met loads of people from the trip he was on. We had quite a few lazy days in New Zealand - this travelling stuff is very tiring, its as if we need a holiday when we get back. On out last full day we did a bungy jump. That was crazy!!! We were attached at our waists so we had to run off the ledge and plunge about 47m!!! Nuts!!! We went out that night and we really got quite hammered. We havent uploaded those pics yet, but they will get there soon!! Then we flew to Wellington. Its fair to say we were feeling a little sheepish that morning!
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