Saturday, July 16, 2011
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Goodbye USA
Left New Orleans on Saturday night. There's so much more to NOLA than just the French Quarter/Bourbon Street and I wish I could have stayed there much longer. Had my flight to Canada not been booked I would have done just that!
Kerry and I were back at the USA Hostel in Hollywood for our last two days in America. Went to the Whiskey and Viper Room on Sunday night, and then saw Steel Panther at the Key Club on Monday night. The Steel Panther show was crazy - I have never seen anything like it (and I don't think I ever will). We also managed to fit in a couple of tours during the day. First was a walking tour around Bel Air and Beverly Hills, where we saw a ton of celebrity homes (including the Playboy Mansion and the house that Michael Jackson died in) and then we finished up on Rodeo Drive. Second was a tour of the Warner Bros. studios in Burbank (someone we met in San Diego had suggested doing this). Excellent tour!!! I have a photo of myself sitting on the Central Perk couch used in Friends (will post later)...
And now I'm sitting at LAX ready to say goodbye to sunny LA and hello to cold Vancouver.
Kerry and I were back at the USA Hostel in Hollywood for our last two days in America. Went to the Whiskey and Viper Room on Sunday night, and then saw Steel Panther at the Key Club on Monday night. The Steel Panther show was crazy - I have never seen anything like it (and I don't think I ever will). We also managed to fit in a couple of tours during the day. First was a walking tour around Bel Air and Beverly Hills, where we saw a ton of celebrity homes (including the Playboy Mansion and the house that Michael Jackson died in) and then we finished up on Rodeo Drive. Second was a tour of the Warner Bros. studios in Burbank (someone we met in San Diego had suggested doing this). Excellent tour!!! I have a photo of myself sitting on the Central Perk couch used in Friends (will post later)...
And now I'm sitting at LAX ready to say goodbye to sunny LA and hello to cold Vancouver.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Thanksgiving
Well I am stuffed! Today is Thanksgiving and our hostel had a free lunch full of turkey, chicken, roast vegies, pumpkin and pecan pie, which we had in the backyard. It felt like Christmas day to me. The weather was warm and everyone shared drinks and travel stories. I have no clue where the afternoon went...
French Quarter & Tipitina's
Travelled by streetcar down Canal Street (same as San Francisco's cable car but much cheaper at $1.25) and visited the French Quarter yesterday. This is the oldest neighbourhood in New Orleans and it's a very touristy area. I had a delicious shrimp creole for lunch on Bourbon Street. I LOVE Bourbon Street - it's full of bars, restaurants and shops, and there are no dry zones so you're allowed to drink anywhere you like (in fact the whole of New Orleans is like that). I would love to be here during a festival, I just think it would be so much fun! Kerry and I spent most of the afternoon in the French Quarter, browsing in shops on both Bourbon and Royal streets. So many of them sell Mardi Gras beads and Voodoo dolls. I didn't buy anything.
Further north of the French Quarter is the oldest cemetery in New Orleans, the Saint Louis Cemetery #1. The cemeteries in New Orleans have always been tourist attractions - the above ground tombs make them unique from most others. We were told not to go on our own because the #1 cemetery is located next to a violent public housing project and muggings/assaults are common within the cemetery grounds. Kerry and I used common sense (i.e. we went together, we didn't have our purses on show) and we were fine. I thought the place was fascinating - I loved it! Many famous people are buried there (including Voodoo practictioner Marie Laveau).
Later that night we went to a bar called Tipitina's in uptown New Orleans. One of the girls in our hostel (Anna) was going there to see Anders Osborne (a rock/blues musician) and asked if Kerry and I wanted to come along. What a fun night!!! Anders and his band played some awesome southern rock for over two hours. Then, to top it all off, they invited a special guest to play guitar on a few songs...turned out to be Pepper Keenan!!! (he plays in the bands Corrosion of Conformity and Down). I love Down so I was stoked to see him up there. I was buzzing!!!!!!!!! After the show finished around 2am, Anna, Kerry and I went to a cafe for some beignet. Anna was driving back to Iowa that morning so she wanted to have some before she left (she'd been bragging about this dessert so I thought I'd try some too). Beignet is a deep fried dough covered in powdered sugar. Very yummy - a great way to end the night.
Further north of the French Quarter is the oldest cemetery in New Orleans, the Saint Louis Cemetery #1. The cemeteries in New Orleans have always been tourist attractions - the above ground tombs make them unique from most others. We were told not to go on our own because the #1 cemetery is located next to a violent public housing project and muggings/assaults are common within the cemetery grounds. Kerry and I used common sense (i.e. we went together, we didn't have our purses on show) and we were fine. I thought the place was fascinating - I loved it! Many famous people are buried there (including Voodoo practictioner Marie Laveau).
Later that night we went to a bar called Tipitina's in uptown New Orleans. One of the girls in our hostel (Anna) was going there to see Anders Osborne (a rock/blues musician) and asked if Kerry and I wanted to come along. What a fun night!!! Anders and his band played some awesome southern rock for over two hours. Then, to top it all off, they invited a special guest to play guitar on a few songs...turned out to be Pepper Keenan!!! (he plays in the bands Corrosion of Conformity and Down). I love Down so I was stoked to see him up there. I was buzzing!!!!!!!!! After the show finished around 2am, Anna, Kerry and I went to a cafe for some beignet. Anna was driving back to Iowa that morning so she wanted to have some before she left (she'd been bragging about this dessert so I thought I'd try some too). Beignet is a deep fried dough covered in powdered sugar. Very yummy - a great way to end the night.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
New Orleans
Up early Tuesday morning for the first flight out of Miami (6:20am). Four hours and two plane trips later we had arrived in New Orleans.
The drive from the airport to the hostel was a real eye opener. Roads were bumpy and full of potholes, footpaths were cracked and uneven, houses were falling apart and abandoned...it looked like a third world country. We're staying in a place called India House, which is an old two story house converted into a hostel. It's in a residential area (just off the busy Canal street) and has a quiet and relaxed vibe to it. I had an afternoon snooze then met some of the people staying here. The weather is warm in NOLA and that evening we spent some time in the hostel backyard and ate Gumbo for dinner. Gumbo is a traditional New Orleans cajun stew - there are variations but the one we had was dark in colour and with sausage. Okra was used as the thickener. Everyone agreed it was good Gumbo!
I didn't leave the hostel that night. By 10pm I was tired and in bed. A few of us are going to see a blues singer tonight (can't remember his name). I love live music so I'm really looking forward to it!
The drive from the airport to the hostel was a real eye opener. Roads were bumpy and full of potholes, footpaths were cracked and uneven, houses were falling apart and abandoned...it looked like a third world country. We're staying in a place called India House, which is an old two story house converted into a hostel. It's in a residential area (just off the busy Canal street) and has a quiet and relaxed vibe to it. I had an afternoon snooze then met some of the people staying here. The weather is warm in NOLA and that evening we spent some time in the hostel backyard and ate Gumbo for dinner. Gumbo is a traditional New Orleans cajun stew - there are variations but the one we had was dark in colour and with sausage. Okra was used as the thickener. Everyone agreed it was good Gumbo!
I didn't leave the hostel that night. By 10pm I was tired and in bed. A few of us are going to see a blues singer tonight (can't remember his name). I love live music so I'm really looking forward to it!
Key West
Thank god I had a day away from Miami! I hate to whinge but the same old routine (beach then club, beach then club) was getting boring. It also seemed like the good people were leaving the hostel and the annoying people were arriving. I could kill the four Chinese girls we shared a room with.....but that's another story.
Key West is about a 3 hour drive south of Miami. Kerry and I were the only ones from our hostel that did this tour. On our way there we passed the Everglades (swamp land) and some major islands in the Florida Keys (Key Largo, Islamorada, Marathon and Big Pine). We arrived in Key West around 11am - the island is beautiful and so was the weather. Three cruise ships had arrived that day so the place was packed with tourists. After lunch and some shopping, Kerry and I signed up for a snorkeling tour called "Reefs & Ritas" (I didn't get the "Ritas" part until later). The 50 minute catamaran ride was rocky, but thankfully I didn't feel sick! The water was warm but choppy, and I struggled a little trying to snorkel whilst being lifted up and then down by the waves (some people considered it too rough and refused to go in). I'm happy I went in because seeing the coral and hundreds of colorful fish was amazing. On the boat ride back they served us Margaritas (so that's what the "Ritas" part meant!!!) and after 3 three cups I was ready to fall asleep.
Prior to leaving Key West I bought a slice of key lime pie (so many people had said this is a must when visiting the island). WOW! It was so delicious and not as tangy as I had expected. After that it was back on the bus for a 3 hour drive back to Miami. Looking back I would have liked to have spent less time in Miami and more time in the Florida Keys. Nevermind, maybe I'll get back there again someday.
Key West is about a 3 hour drive south of Miami. Kerry and I were the only ones from our hostel that did this tour. On our way there we passed the Everglades (swamp land) and some major islands in the Florida Keys (Key Largo, Islamorada, Marathon and Big Pine). We arrived in Key West around 11am - the island is beautiful and so was the weather. Three cruise ships had arrived that day so the place was packed with tourists. After lunch and some shopping, Kerry and I signed up for a snorkeling tour called "Reefs & Ritas" (I didn't get the "Ritas" part until later). The 50 minute catamaran ride was rocky, but thankfully I didn't feel sick! The water was warm but choppy, and I struggled a little trying to snorkel whilst being lifted up and then down by the waves (some people considered it too rough and refused to go in). I'm happy I went in because seeing the coral and hundreds of colorful fish was amazing. On the boat ride back they served us Margaritas (so that's what the "Ritas" part meant!!!) and after 3 three cups I was ready to fall asleep.
Prior to leaving Key West I bought a slice of key lime pie (so many people had said this is a must when visiting the island). WOW! It was so delicious and not as tangy as I had expected. After that it was back on the bus for a 3 hour drive back to Miami. Looking back I would have liked to have spent less time in Miami and more time in the Florida Keys. Nevermind, maybe I'll get back there again someday.
Miami
Finally I have internet! Now I can blog about Miami.
Arrived Tuesday afternoon on the 16th November. We stayed at the Miami Beach International Travellers Hostel which is about two blocks from South Beach. The hostel was great value for money - excellent location, free meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) and a TV in the room too! So many young party people and it's definitely the kind of place where you DON'T get much sleep. Kerry and I decided to extend our stay another 4 nights.
Tuesday night was a big one. About 40 of us took 2 limos to a local club (with VIP entry thanks to the hostel). The clubs stay open until 5am - every night is a Saturday night in Miami. I woke up with such a bad hangover on Wednesday. Spent the morning at the beach and then the afternoon in bed. Needless to say I was out of action Wednesday night.
Thursday, Friday and Saturday were much the same - beach during the day and a club at night (but no more hangovers). On Saturday night a huge group of hostel people went to the club Mansion. This is supposed to be one of the top 5 clubs in the world. Roger Sanchez was dj-ing that night so the place was packed. Such a great night, but I was so exhausted by the end.
By Sunday I was a little over Miami. I only spent an hour at the beach and the rest of the time at the hostel. Didn't go out that night because we booked a tour to Key West the following morning, which left at 7am. Plus my liver can't take any more alcohol.
Arrived Tuesday afternoon on the 16th November. We stayed at the Miami Beach International Travellers Hostel which is about two blocks from South Beach. The hostel was great value for money - excellent location, free meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) and a TV in the room too! So many young party people and it's definitely the kind of place where you DON'T get much sleep. Kerry and I decided to extend our stay another 4 nights.
Tuesday night was a big one. About 40 of us took 2 limos to a local club (with VIP entry thanks to the hostel). The clubs stay open until 5am - every night is a Saturday night in Miami. I woke up with such a bad hangover on Wednesday. Spent the morning at the beach and then the afternoon in bed. Needless to say I was out of action Wednesday night.
Thursday, Friday and Saturday were much the same - beach during the day and a club at night (but no more hangovers). On Saturday night a huge group of hostel people went to the club Mansion. This is supposed to be one of the top 5 clubs in the world. Roger Sanchez was dj-ing that night so the place was packed. Such a great night, but I was so exhausted by the end.
By Sunday I was a little over Miami. I only spent an hour at the beach and the rest of the time at the hostel. Didn't go out that night because we booked a tour to Key West the following morning, which left at 7am. Plus my liver can't take any more alcohol.
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