Mon 20th Oct

Left Lima on Sunday but was unwell. Had a 4 hour journey on a very hot bus and it was one of the worst ever.. Was glad to get to hotel in Pisco and I went to bed. Jim and Robin went on the orientation walk while i slept. Pisco had an earthquake last year and not much is rebuilt yet and Jim said the people seem a bit dispondant. I tried to go and sit with everyone at the evening meal but when i asked for some toast i was told no, have some chicken soup and would have lost my temper probably if i had felt well but i just crawled off to bed instead.

Tuesday 21st Oct

Feeling much better this morning. Had an early start and a quick look round Pisco. Jim wanted to go check on some of the building sites but had to get on the bus instead. Was at the Ballestas islands by 8am and it was brillant. Saw the ´candelabra´etching in the rock on the start of the mainland and then went further out to sea to see the island from which they sell the bird poo! for fertilizer as they have so many birds there. Apparently this is their biggest export but we did see loads of birds and seals. We saw humbolt penguins, boobies, 3 types of commerant, pretrels, pelicans etc and all in quite big numbers! I was a really great trip and the fresh air made me feel so much better though i think a few others felt a bit sick as it was quite choppy! We then went for a walk along the beach Jim Robin and I (all the others went shopping!) and as we disturbed the sand the swallows were vacumming up the insects around our feet, it is really nice to get so close to all these animals and the swallows are so beautiful it was sort of magical.

Then back on another bus. We have 15 on our tour and they all seem nice but will go into detail later rather than put down first impression in blog. I broke the law in Peru by not wearing a seat belt (only because it was broken)

We arrived in Lac and had some lunch and then went in dune buggies and did some sand boarding. Had a great time though the first run when i was pearched at the top of a high gigantic dune and looked down i may have backed out but could not do that in front of robin so i went and it was exhillerating abosolutely fantastic. Robin had a great time and was the fastest of course!
Jim got sandburn on his arms! Perhaps he will keep them off the sand next time! We then got cars to Nasca and the drive there was quite beautiful through vineyards and farms as well as mountains and desert though all the villages are extemely basic and very poor. Arrived in Nasca about 7 so dard and we just had dinner and put robin to bed. Jim is out having a beer with the group while i sit with robin and write this. Am looking forward to the flight over the Nasca Lines tomorrow.

Tues 10th
Got up at 6 and went up in a 4 seater Cessna to see the Nasca Lines. Pilot and myself in front and Robin and Jim behind. What a ride, was very nervous as everyone who was coming back looked white and loads of them had been sick. However we all thought it was fantastic, really cannot put into words, the pilot was taking his hand of the controls to point out the drawings and we seemed to be flying into the mountains before he took controls again we went over to angles of over 180degrees. Scary and the first time my tummy nearly went but opened the window to get some fresh air and was ok. The drawings themselves are unbelievable and saw a film afterwards with theorys as to how and why they were made, but no one has proof of any of the theorys!

Friday 17th
Went to Miraflores yesterday to a site that was only found in 1989, they have moved loads of earth since then and you can see the pyramid and lots of pottery from the Lima peoples of around 400ad. It was quite interesting and quite nice that the government saved some of the site because a lot of the site had been built on. There are lovely new houses all around it but Lima still assults the senses. I have had a headache since i got here cause the cars are very noisy and they are always honking everything is noisy and also a bit smelly. Still i suppose i have worse to come. My own fault. The bright side is that we leave lima on saturday so i am hoping that pisco will be a little quieter and i am sure the jungle will be.

Just want to say hi to everyone who is following blog and to some who left me a message, I have not got your email address but congratulations!!! Fantastic news, very happy for you.

Wednesday15th
Have spent the day walking around Lima. Needed fresh air as was on plane all day yesterday. What a journey left our hotel at 4.30am and reached hotel in Lima at 1am following day. Still at least I am still on holiday and not returning home.

First impressions of Lima last night were awful with rubbish everywhere and the night dross out and about but did not seem so bad today. Went to San Fransiscan Priory and Catacombs and saw all the bones of people burried there made me quite upset but jim and robin enjoyed it. Its such a shame they cannot look after their works of art properly I dont think they can afford or appreciate what they have but i suppose they are doing their best. Peru are playing Paraguay in the world cup today so you can guess where the boys are at the moment! The difference between the rich and poor here is so noticable already with slums on one side of Lima and palaces, real palaces on the other. Everything in between seems to just be decaying. Am quite looking forward to starting my travels on Saturday. Jims been surprised at how nice food is I think he expected everything hot and spicy but he has found a mac donalds already.

Speak soon

Friday 9th
Zoo all day, bit disappointing as not as educational as London or even Colchester. Robin and Jim very tired and keep complaining they never get a day off. Keep telling them there is too much to do and see!!

Sat 10th
Library shut, but did some shopping, got haircuts and went to an American Football Match in the evening (gave them day off) Jim could not get a drink at the footie as he had no i.d on him. I did share mine! Does he look under 21?? Match was a bit slow but great atmosphere with airplanes buzzing and banks playing and dancers. Fireworks afterwards were great, went on for ages.

Sunday 11
Went to Bilboa park and the united nations village. They have all these little houses from different countries. The English one just had recent and current royalty. The American one food. The Irish one had dancers that were good but not as good as my mate at Irish dancing and they did not have the accents either Tina! The Spanish were fantastic with loads of them all dressed up and paella smelling wonderful.

Monday 12 Did you know its Columbus Day today? Am at library to finish my blogging and she has just called out i have 10mins left. The librarys here are great and free and the museams and gardens are also free on certain dates so its worth planning your trips at the begining of the week. I do like freebees!! I am leaving for Peru tomorrow so do not know when i will get the chance to blog again but i will keep a diary and copy when i get a chance meanwhile i will be having a great time and missing you all too. Speak soon
Love Angela Jim and Robin xxxxxxxxxxxx

Wednesday 1st
Disney all day. Robin very excited couldnt wait. up very early. great day, very long!

Thursday 2nd
California Disney, great, even better than Disney as lots of cowboys etc. We are all exhausted.

Friday 3rd
Laid in for a while but hotel very noisy with kids all excited about going to disney. Went to las beaches and spotted dolphins off Huntington Pier. Magical. Cannot believe the days are going so fast and every day is different and wonderful.

Sat 4th
Disney again. Gay Pride Day. All gays wore red shirts, unfortunately so did Jim and Robin! I laughed all day Jim just looked worried. Fireworks were amazing but a very long tiring day.

Sunday 5th Day of Rest and then to LAs walk of fame, hollwod bowl and sign and Rodeo Drive. Bought a shirt in the Nike shop just off Rodeo Drive.

Monday 6th Universal, fantastic and we went to the cinema at citywalk afterwards and saw a chiuaua movie.

Tuesday 7th Oct
Drove to San Diago stopping at lots of nice beaches on the way. One place called San Clemintin was particulary nice. Apparently its claim to fame is that Richard Nixon had a house there but it really was a very pretty and very friendly place. Checked into Travellodge for rest of stay as Jim was very tired when we got here quite late.

Wednesday 8th Oct
Seaworld was absolutely fantastic. Robin and I went with the dolphin trainer fo a which and got up close and learned a few hand signals and fed them when they did as we asked. It was great as was the rest of the day memorable and indescribable

Thursday 9th. Woke late but at Seaworld again by 10.30. Great day with great shows. Shamu Rocks. Left the park about 5 and went for an explore in downtown. a great town with old bits like to gas lamp quarter and new bits like the massive convention center that was state of the art. Saw the baseball stadium and the port where you have aircraft carriers alongside cruise liners and fishing boats. All clean and nice. At zoo tomorrow, ball game Sat and Bilbao Part sunday but hope to come back to town on mon before we leave.

Would have gone in the redwoods forest (drove off route 1 to see some) but nowhere for refreshments and Robin was hungry. Anyone coming here should bring a cool bag. You could fill with propper food rather than crisps and fries



We have finally stopped a Motel 6 again at San Simeon. Felt so tired that i book 2 nights Tomorrow we will visit Hearst Castle and probably go back and see the elephant seals again they were all laying on a beach just before san simeon. I do hope the rest of the route1 is a little nicer drive than the first bit. How can you want to be near the sea and not in in?


Friday 25th
Spent day at Hearst Castle which was very interesting. Robin was very impressed by their swimming pools. I was not impressed when Robin Jim and I were in the museam bit and it was as quiet as a library and Robin blew off really loud. Oh how I wish I had not been standin nex to him as everyone looked at me!! Couldn`t help but burst out laughing. How commen are we but it was funny and Robin did own up to it! Had to be there to appreciate. Well done Robin put a bit of houmour into a very serious atmosphere.

The Castle really is quite impressive and I bough a book of W R Hearsts life just to learn a little more. Would have encouraged local (American) talent if I had been designing rather than importing all the French, Italian and English antiques, which are all awe inspiring and work together but would have wanted an original spending that much money rather than copying ancient ideas.
Went to beach for a walk. Saw a turkey buzzard soaring as well as my old favorites the pelicans at the sea. Saw first walking/fishing pier, have not swum in ocean yet maybe tomorrow.. Hope Jims arm is better. Found Jims lost credit cards in his lost wallet (after cancellling all of them) Sods law.

Sat26th Oct
Went to Aquariam at Morro Rock, fed seals and sea lions. Spent day a Morro Rock, was really foggy so went to museum first and it was sea otter weekend. Jim siad his head hurt where he had learned so much and it was a really good hands on museam. Did loads walking, saw sea lions, sea otters, pelicans, gulls and loads of other sea birds. Could not sleep because of the noise of the sea lions.

Sun 27th Oct
Went out canoeing, fantastic, was inches from pelicans diving, sea lions surfacing and sea otters eating. Great fun. Saw the fishermen catching loads. The sea here is like a luch table and when you are in canoe nothing is scared of you. Started driving towards Ventura and had to stop in San ----(will look up name later) near Lapoc to go to a Mexican Rodeo. The guys riding the bulls were fantastic but the horses were so beartiful that I never even noticed the cowboys. Everyone there was Mexican except us and it was in Spanish so we were trying to understand. Bands were great. Tequilla flowed.

Mond 28th
Spent night in hotel 6 in Lapoc and left for Santa Barbera this morning. Long Beach was a nice clean town. Ate Maine lobster (Robins 1st lobster) at the Moby Dick restaruan t on the Pier. Played on the beach and then made our way to Ventura for the night.

Tuesday 30th Sept
Went to Ventura horbour museam and observation tower (to try to spot some whales) Tried to book whale watching as they said quite a few had been sighted last week and I know Jim would love to see a blue whale. Hope to catch up with the whales lat as unable to book. Stopped for a quick splash on Malibu beach, lovely long sandy beaches. Went to Santa Monica and then up through LA to Ainhaim. Got hotel right opposite Disney and have booked 4 nights so that my barclaycard can be delivered here. Went out to downtown disney and had a lovely walk. Will have to get up early tomorrow as Robin has to eat loads of free breakfast before we go Disney!

Friday 24th Why oh why did no one warn us about route 1. Simply the worst! Went to Carmel this orning which was nice although you cannot swim on the beach there. The beach is absolutely beautiful but apparently the currents and rip tides are deadly so everyone uses this lovely mega strip of beach to walk their dogs. Carmel itself is beautiful and quaint but a bit artsy fartsy so we only did the beach but it was a lovely walk and the paddle was great with enormous crashing very noisy waves.

Looked at the map and decided to head for Big Sur or somewhere along the `senic` coast for tonight and tomorrow. Started to get worried after we left Carmel and didnt find another beach for ages. You could see the sea from the car and admire the beaches but you couldnt stop or get down to them. We stopped at Big Sur for lunch, a wonderful place on the river, they actually put chairs in the creek so you could sit with your feet in the icy water. Robin and I explored the creek and went down the rapids!! (Exageration, but we were playing in our world) Then back in the car for ages and ages. It was the most frustrating drive ever, would not recommend it to anyone absolutely awful with windy cliff road and no where to get down to the beaches. How frustrating to have all these wonderful places and not be able to reach them. Having read books set in Monteray, Carmet and Big Sur I must say they were all lovely but the drive between them awful. Worse than death valley cause the expectations were more.