Fishy on a dishy...

Bach to the future...

I know, it's been a while. Pen hasn't made it to paper, or in this case, finger tip to keyboard, for a while. Since I last wrote, way back in Flagstaff, Arizona, my journey has taken me through Vegas, through Death Valley, through Bakersfield, through Paso Robles, through Monterey, back to San Francisco, through the Muir Woods, through Santa Cruz, on a 13 hours flight, into Auckland, and now into rural Ruawai on the North Island. Much has happened, little has been typed. I have got a load of ramblings on my computer regarding my final 10 days in the USA, so I will post that up once I've had a chance to go through it. But for now, here I am in New Zealand.

I landed in Auckland and was picked up at the airport by Anna, who I would be staying with on the farm she lived on with her parents. But I wasn't staying on a couch, oh no. I was staying in the bach. This refers to what was originally a 'bachelor pad' but is now a common term for second home, or in this instance, another lodging separate to the main house on a farm. Quite brilliantly there was British flag flying high when I got there. My first few days were laced with jet lag, and Anna showing me a few spots around Auckland, and Silverdale, where we were staying (about 30km north of Auckland). On Wednesday we went to a great weekly couchsurf event in downtown Auckland by the bay, where upwards of 80 people attended, a mixture of foreign and local travellers and hosts. Thursday night I had my first ever taste of shooting. Dave, Anna's step dad, let me shoot some of his rifles, and it was quite an experience. In total I had a go at four of his weapons; SKS 7.62 Assault rifle, Semi Automatic .22, 16 gauge shotgun and an FM Browning Semi 38" Barrel. I still have the empty shells. I'll still have them when I get home if they're not found in my checked luggage.

The British Bach...

Security...

Annoyingly, by Friday I was starting to get ill, and soon developed into a rather nasty chest cold, the full works of coughing, sneezing, running eyes, aching body, blah blah blah man cold you know the story. So I won't bore you, but I spent pretty much 4 days in bed, sleeping, and sneezing and coughing, and, oh, I said I won't bore you.

So, somewhat delayed, and possibly with a touch of cabin fever, I decided to rent a campervan on Tuesday and head out into the wild. I had planned to attend an awesome sounding couchsurf event, the 18km Tongaririo Crossing, where about 100 couchsurfers were expected, but with the remnants of the cold still with me, I doubted I would make it. So I decided to head north, probably towards the Bay of Islands, and then up to Cape Reinga, the northern most part of New Zealand and where the Pacific Ocean meets the Tasman Sea.

I made my way up the Highway One, but very soon was feeling rather bored on my own, and started to wonder whether I had made the right decision. The scenery was beautiful, especially the coast line area around Tutukaka, and then out of the blue, I just decided that I should go to the Tongariro crossing. Worst case scenario I'd camp with all the couchsurfers and just not do the crossing. So, I decided I should start driving south again. So I cut across from the east coast to drive down the west coast (just for a change of scenery) and then stop towards sunset and find a camp site. Miles went by without a campsite, and eventually I came across the very small and sleepy town of Ruawai (population 426 in the 2006 census) where a small hotel appeared to offer its carpark free to campervans. I also asked if there was somewhere nice I could go watch the sun set, and literally 200 yards away there was a little boat wharf. I drove up and saw the glowing orange sun in the distance not far from disappearing below the horizon. There were also a couple just loading their little boat back onto their trailer. They said hello and we started chatting. Before 2 minutes had passed by, Brenda turned to Evan and said "why don't we take this young man back to our place, he can camp at ours?". And thus, for the first time on my journey so far, I found a couch to surf, without the use of the website. They are in their sixties, and it turned out they aren't actually married, but both out of previous marriages and engaged themselves to marry in November. This morning I got up at 6:30am so Evan could drive me down to the next door farm to watch the cows getting milked. There are 700 cows in total, and it's quite a sight. I got involved and help load the machinery onto the cows (pretty much 4 little hoovers that are attached to the udders). They start collecting the cows at 4:30am, start milking at 5am, and are normally done by about 8am. They then repeat that again at the end of the day. At their height they had about 1200 cows producing 25000 litres a day, but no they produce about half that. The rest of today has entailed fixing some fences somewhere else on the farm (they have over 100 acres) and building a shelving unit for Evan to put up in the kitchen. Later on when Brenda comes back were going fishing, and tonight we're having a barbeque. Then tomorrow morning I head off for the 6 hour drive down to Tongariro. But I may head north again, and have been invited to stay on the dairy farm next door for a few days. I'm seriously contemplating it.

East coast view...

Wing mirror view...

Ruawai wharf view...

Rear moo view...

My Pink Floyd themed campervan, henceforth known as 'Gonzo Too'...

There's no place like someone else's home...

I woke up Sunday morning unsure as to what I wanted to do next. Other than eat breakfast. Renee, whom I had met in Tempe the previous week invited me for breakfast before I left, so I drove to her place. She cooked a great breakfast and I showed her some stuff about England and Europe before I left as she's hoping to travel next year. I had messaged Scott in Flagstaff to see if I could go back there as I thought it would be nice to stay with him again, and perhaps I could make a decision on what to do next. My drive up the I17 was a breeze compared to my previous trip down it (a massive snow storm, did I mention that?). I returned to Flagstaff and immediately felt at home. Whatever it was about both his home and Scott himself, and his house mate Felicia, it had a very homely feeling and I felt very welcome there. Michelle came round for the evening and we had a great time, Felicia showing me how to roll sushi, Michelle taking some great shots on my camera, a few rounds of Yahtzee, some boggle and eating sushi with (lots of) wasabi. After a few days of solitude, it was great to be back amongst people. I made plans to leave, and possibly go up to Zion National park, or across to Vegas, but I'll be honest, I was really enjoying the company of everyone in Flagstaff, and I ended up staying until Wednesday. I loved the snowy surroundings and refreshing crisp air. Despite the cold, when the sun is shining, snow is beautiful to be around, especially the crunch of it beneath your feet. I hung out loads with Felicia and Michelle, and on Tuesday Scott took me Cross Country Skiing, which was great. It took a few minutes for me to get the hang of gliding across the snow, but I soon figured it out and really enjoyed myself. More films were watched, and by Wednesday morning I was ready to move on. I checked the weather and the west coast was once again basking in sunshine, with the rain and storms of 2 weeks previous seemingly a distant memory, so I decided I would head back west to make the journey up the Highway One I had originally planned on doing. I checked maps, google, miles, timings, and decided it could be done. I could see it all in my head. I'd go to Vegas Wednesday night, Thursday I could drive through Death Valley and stay somewhere, and then drive due west to hit the Highway One on my way up to San Francisco. I made a few couchsurf enquiries, and with a couple of them accepted, my plan came to fruition. I decided to stay in a hotel in Vegas, and both Scott and my dad had coincidentally stayed in the same place, California Hotel, so I booked a night there at just $40. Following that I had set up a place to stay in Bakersfield on Thursday, and Paso Robles on Friday, allowing me all day Saturday to drive up the Highway One and back to San Francisco. I made my farewells, and back into Gonzo One I got. Vegas was in my sights...

Roll with it...

Sushi Yahtzee...

Baby face...

Dog thoughts...

Frozen in time...

Michelle & Felicia...

Sugar coated...

Follow this link for a spectacular transmission: http://i55.tinypic.com/rs8uvt.gif

My extended family and the hot tub dilemma...

December 29th 2010 / December 30th 2010

I've known my longest standing friends for 10 years now. I met them when I was at University in Manchester, and even though I don't see them all that often now as we all live in different parts of the UK, I still feel a very close bond with them all. Prior to University, I haven't kept in touch with anyone, other than the customary 'facebook friendship'. So when I describe my dad's friendship with Alan as long standing, it really is long standing. They've known each other since they were 10 years old. They both attended the same school when growing up in Manchester, and despite Alan ultimately moving to America where he has lived ever since, they have stayed in touch throughout. It was Alan that I was going to visit when I was in San Francisco. I had arranged to visit Nicola (his daughter) and her family, along with Alan and his wife Carol. But with the opportunity to visit them in Scottsdale, I would also get to meet Lisa (their other daughter) and her family. The last time I saw any of them was about 15 years ago, so it was a long time coming. But here's the interesting thing. I've heard an awful lot about Alan as my dad has told many stories about and involving him. I also have very early memories of Nicola, as she stayed with us in London when me and my brother were young children and used to read us stories before bed. So, despite the number of years since I've seen them, and the fact I was much younger, when I walked into the house, it really felt like I was walking into a room full of family. It's hard to put into words the science of it, but I felt a particular connection with Alan because of his close connection with my dad, and in turn a close connection to his wife Carol, and Nicola and Lisa, and in turn their families. Whilst Alan is now much frailer than I remembered him due to the onset of Parkinson's, he is still very much the person I remembered from many years ago, a very gentle and kind man, with a passion and interest that very much resembles my dad. It is no surprise they have kept in touch all these years. In fact it wasn't until Alan told me the story that I realised it was actually my dad, who was working and living in America at the time, who had invited Alan and Carol to visit him in America. They did. Dad eventually moved back to London, but Alan and Carol never left the States, living here and starting a family.

The evening I arrived (you know, just after that snow storm, did I mention that?) I met Alan and Carol, Lisa, her husband Brooke and son Josh. Nicola was busy that evening but I met her the following morning, along with her husband Paul and children Camille & Ryan. The Wednesday evening I shared a couple of beers with Alan and spoke in length about my trip, and he retold stories involving him and my dad. Lisa cooked dinner, and after a pleasant dinner, we all retired for the evening. Next morning, using Oovoo on Josh's computer, I video called home for the first time since I'd been away, and it was both great and strange to see and hear from my parents, but it was particularly special to be alongside Alan whilst talking to dad. Later that morning Nicola arrived with her family (they were staying very near by in a villa/apartment they had rented for the week), and it was great to be with the entire family together. That afternoon I joined Nicola, Paul, Camille & Ryan on a short hike out in a National Park not too far away. Yet even that was a peculiar experience. There we were, out in the middle of the desert, surrounded by cacti and such like, when the heavens opened. But not rain. It was a strange mix of hail and snow. I never thought I'd see the day when I was stood in a desert and it snowed on me. Even here, many miles south and lower than Flagstaff, I was still feeling the effects of the cold front crossing Arizona (and many other States). It didn't last long and it was pretty spectacular standing side by side with the Saguaro, some of the biggest cacti you will ever see, and specific to Arizona and only a few other places in the world (they have hug arms, and look like they're pointing up to the sky).

The rarely seen 'snowflake on cactus'

Ryan hugs a huge Saguaro

That evening they had planned to eat at a local Greek restaurant, and I was very pleased to join them. I sat with Alan throughout the meal and had a wonderful evening. I was so pleased that I had made the journey down from Flagstaff, especially knowing that had I left any later on the Wednesday, they would have closed the highway, and I wouldn't have made it down at all. Sometimes luck really is on your side.

Alan and I...

The extended family...

Alan, Carol, Nicola and family were all leaving on Friday to return to the Bay area, and that's when the next bit of luck arrived. Whilst they were leaving on the Friday, Nicola had their apartment booked up until the Sunday, and they were more than happy for me to stay there for the 2 nights it would be otherwise empty. Friday was New Years Eve. I had planned to drive back to Flagstaff to bring in the new year, but the weather would put a stop to that (it was still snowing and temperatures were reaching as low as -25, CELSIUS!). I felt perhaps I should really get back in touch with some of the people I had met in Tempe just a week earlier, but there was a little something inside my head telling me to just relax. Why not go against the grain. Instead of doing what I've done on so many previous years (go out get drunk get home get up get painkillers), why didn't I just relax. Having spent almost 3 months on the road travelling the States, perhaps New Years Eve this year could be about taking it all in. Thinking back to all the people I had met along the way. All the experiences I've had. All the friends I've made. All my friends back home. My family in London. The distant relatives I'd met in the States. The drives I'd done. The food I'd eaten. There was so much to take in and digest. Oh, and also, they had a hot tub.

Deal done.

Hot tub it was.

December 31st 2010 / January 1st 2011

This picture tells you the story of my New Years Eve and Day. There was also food involved. And ice cream. And many films. And lots of Boardwalk Empire on HBO. It was a very self indulgent 24 hours.

Happy Belated New Year Everyone.

Goodbye and thanks 2010, hello 2011...

The Englishman who went up a hill and came down a snow storm...

Wednesday December 29th

I awoke to a white exterior. It had indeed snowed overnight. I knew straight away that I would not be heading north into Utah. My other option was to go to Vegas, but I didn't quite feel like it. I started to think maybe I would stay in Flagstaff for a few days. It would be kind of fun to be snowed in for a few days. A forced stop on the unknown road. Then I remembered something. I had planned to visit some friends of the family in San Francisco on the 2nd January. I also knew that they were going to be in Scottsdale, near Phoenix, up until December 31st, and had extended an invitation to me if I wanted to. Originally I had said I would I'd be fine meeting them on January 2nd, but now I had an idea. If indeed I did visit them in Scottsdale, I could then extend my car rental, and stay on the road a few more days. I sent an email and made a phone call. I left a message and hoped for a quick reply. If I was to leave Flagstaff, it would have to be soon. It was still snowing.

My phone rang, and it was Nicola (I will explain the full story of how I know them later). She said I could go and visit them and they could provide me with a bed. I quickly chatted with Felicia and Michelle as to whether I would be best to go straight away or in the morning. They advised straight away because by tomorrow the roads might be closed, and it's also safer to drive in fresh snow than to wait overnight when it might ice over. I decided to go for it, and as I was driving south the snow would soon clear. I scraped the car, set the heater to blast, and made my way. The GPS predicted just over 2 hours, though I expected longer as traffic would probably be slow. Not long out of Flagstaff I started to wonder if I'd made the right decision. Within 10 minutes I had passed one pick up truck on its side, and a car that had spun off the road, and an accident between two cars. The speed limit on the I17 was 75 mph, but I had so far gone no faster than 40mph. But the roads had been ploughed and gritted, so I reckoned it would be ok. Ten minutes later traffic came to a standstill. Something must have happened up ahead. I sat there, windscreen wipers going to keep the fresh snow away, Blur playing on my ipod, and nowhere to go. People started to get out of their cars and take photos. And throw snowballs. Then a fire engine went past. And the highway patrol. And a recovery truck. And an ambulance. I had no idea how long this could be. After about an hour and half, things started to move. They must have cleared the accident. We edged forward, at about 5mph. I passed a number of cars stuck on the side, with police attempting to winch them out. Still at 5mph. No faster. As the accident had held up traffic for an hour and a half, so the road had filled up with snow for an hour and a half. It was treacherous ground. Still at 5mph. Then out of no where I went into a spin. Only a little one, but I knew I was no longer in control. I only slid a little, but I could feel the back of the car beginning to spin out to my left. Before I had a chance to do anything the car had spun 90 degrees, the front of the car was now in the snow to my right, the rear of the car sticking halfway into the lane. I put the hazard lights on and got out of the car to assess the situation. A number of cars drove by with people starting out of their window, but no one stopped. After about 5 cars there was a large gap before the next bunch of cars, so I thought I'd see if there was enough traction to reverse back into the road. With my fingers crossed, I gently put my foot on the gas, and to my relief the car backed up. I slowly realigned the car and continued my journey at 5mph. I passed a number of other that had spun heavily into the snow, and two full articulated lorries that had been abandoned on the side of road, no driver in sight. I eventually got to lower ground (Flagstaff is at 7000 feet) and the snow disappeared.

Then the rain arrived. It rained all the way to Phoenix. At times I could hardly see in front of me. Especially when passing a truck. After 5 hours, I eventually arrived in Scottsdale, pulled into the drive, turned the engine off, and for 2 minutes I just sat there, staring out of the windscreen. Now I'm not overly religious, but I certainly thanked someone for keeping me safe on the road. Who I thanked I don't know. The Good Lord? Moses? Eric Cantona? My parents? Whoever it was, thank you. I got out of the car, sheltered from the rain, and knocked on the door...

Gonzo One (my name for the car) snowed in.

Preparation...

Trepidation...

Reflection...

Toleration...

A journey through time & space...

As, er, grand as the Grand Canyon was, Tuesday was spectacular in a different way. I managed to squeeze a lot into the day. I started with a drive along Snowbowl Drive towards the Snowbowl ski resort, before being forced back around 7 miles up as they were only allowing skiers any further. I then took a trip to Walnut Canyon, a small canyon (everything's 'smaller' compared to the Grand Canyon) which still has hundreds of visible dwellings embedded into the rocks from when native Americans inhabited it. Some of them are dotted along the trail, which you can actually walk into. I followed this with a long drive through Wupatki National Monument, situated on the edge of the Hopi Indian Reservation. Within it are contained many ruins and just an amazingly vast open space which you drive through. Eventually you reach Sunset Crater, part of a series of cinder cones that have developed over many many years of volcanic activity. I finished the day with a hike up the Lenox Crater Trail, getting to the top just in time to watch the sunset behind the distant mountains.

Snowbowl:

Walnut Canyon:

Wupatki National Monument:

Sunset Crater:

Lenox Crater:

When I returned to the house, Felicia was there with her friend Michelle. We had a pasta dinner and then played Yahtzee into the evening, and finished by watching the film Fire in the Sky, a sci-fi based in Arizona and on the supposed true story of a relative of Felicia. Before bed I was trying to work out my next move. Either a move north into Utah to visit the Zion National Park, but the weather didn't look too good, or perhaps a visit to Las Vegas. Michelle and Felicia were tempted by a road trip to Vegas, and we decided we'd reconvene in the morning and see which way the wind blew. I went to bed unsure as to what the following day might bring...

I'm in a wide open space...

"The wonders of the Grand Canyon cannot be adequately represented in symbols of speech, nor by speech itself. The resources of the graphic art are taxed beyond their powers in attempting to portray its features. Language and illustration combined must fail."

These are the words of John Wesley Powell, the first man to lead a European American expedition through the Grand Canyon, in 1869. I have to say, I agree with him. Words won't do it justice. Photos won't do it justice. But in an attempt to give you an idea, here are a few words. And a few photos:

Scott's housemate, Felicia, would be free from 12:30, so she decided to join us with a friend of hers, Jodie. Her dog, Tobin, also came along for the ride. We set off and took the wonderfully scenic route up the 180 to the Grand Canyon. Much of the route was along beautiful snowy scenery, and we stopped off at the amazing Holy Dove Chapel, literally just on the side of the road, open 24/7 for anyone to go in. We drove to Amanda's house so we could pick up her car (it has a pass to get us into the National Park for free) and made our way to the Grand Canyon. There are many once in a life time experiences, and if you have never seen the Grand Canyon before, those first split seconds when you see it and realise the sheer size if it is an experience you will never repeat. My jaw literally dropped, and I had no words. It's absolutely impossible to truly comprehend the size of it unless you go there. If you haven't been, go. There's no other advice I can give. Scott took us down to a great little look out called Ooh Aah Point, about 3/4 mile down into the Canyon. We even passed a mule train on the way down, and we stood to one side, because here, mules have right of way.

Roadside chapel...

Inside looking out...

First impressions of Earth...

Mule train...

The view...

Peering over the edge...

Looking back whence we came...

That evening we returned to Amanda's place where Scott made some home made pizza. Scott stayed at Amanda's as he hadn't seen her in a week, and the rest of us drove back to Flagstaff. I was planning another day in Flagstaff to see the local sights, namely Walnut Canyon, Wupatki National Monument and Sunset Crater. The Grand Canyon may have been the biggest, but there was still much more to see...