USA and Canada

Ferry to Statten Island past the statue of liberty

We flew with Spirit Air from Colombia to Fort Lauderdale Florida. Arrived late so they put us in a hotel for the night. Great hotel with a pool for a night time swim. The $7 dinner voucher didn't go far. Arrived a day late in New York. Pan American hotel in Queens was good. Subway to Manhatten then hot sun as we walked amongst the sky scrapers and sailed past the Statue of Liberty. Dinner in China Town of the best dumplings since Melbourne.

4 days in New York were great then bus trip to Washington,Niagara Falls,Toronto.

New York

Central Park, Times Square which is a district not a square (very confusing for europeans),Wall Street, 9/11 site all very exciting. Then met Carla and Stephen at a korean restaurant near Rocherfeller Centre. Carla worked at the Virgin Gym in Melbourne before moving to New York last October and meeting Stephen. They gave us a wonderful time including a late visit to Times Square with the crowds. Fantastic.
Breakfast everyday at the Nevada Diner near the hotel. Great breakfast,service and price. Dave was so happy. More coffee sir? Most waiters spoke spanish so it was like a very comfy south america.

Strawberry Fields Central Park John Lennon memorial

With Carla and Stephen who looked after us for two evenings in New York. Magic time

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Catching up with Carla and Stephen in NYC

Met Carla and Stephen again that night at their Queens apartment looking over to Manhattan. Better than Frasiers apt. What a view.Dinner with them looking across the river to the skyscrapers. Good luck to you both in the big apple. New York was exciting, friendly and much easier than we expected. Museums were $25 to get in so we only visited MOMA on the free Friday night. About 200,000 people had the same idea so it was packed but great fun.

Empire State Buliding, Greenwich,New York Library and United Nations in the rain then back for introductory meeting of our two week Intrepid Tour at the hotel. Welcome from Alex and request to sign a form. What is it? Standard disclaimer everyone signs. It said we took all responsibilty for injuries on the trip including when travelling in the van. We refused to sign and got the original terms and conditions from our booking. These said they were the entire contract so this form was a change and not for our benefit. You may not be able to go on the trip if you dont sign. We are not signing. A bad first night. We were also asked for a higher kitty payment than in the booking and told camping in Boston is no good so we should pay extra and stay in a hotel. This was worse than South America with lots of unexpected changes and costs and it was much more expensive than South America at AU$ 1560 for two weeks camping with food extra.

The morning of the departure and the leader says we can go on the trip without signing their acknowledgement of risk and lets have a good time. We were not impressed with Intrepid and will go to see them when back in Melbourne.

Philadelpia

Philadelphia lovely historic city from indepence days. Rocky steps and Philly steak sandwich.

Washington DC

Washington great campsite with hot tub.

Breafast three sugary cereals. I put on booking form dietery requirements I am diabetic.We can buy something else for tomorrow. Lack of organisation from Intrepid.

Good day in Washington seeing museums, capitol hill, White house and Lincoln memorial. Red hot and livened up by an Occupy demo. Pretty relaxed but police had tear gas ready.

Long drive through Pennsylvania seeing Amish people in horse and cart on the way. Camped near Niagara and saw the falls at night. Next morning into Canada and only a small stamp in Youngmis fast filling emergency passport.Maid of the mist  boat tour is excellent under the falls but on stepping ashore Dave realises he has lost his money belt. Panic.He last saw it in the toilets when he moved it to the inside pocket of his rain coat but this wasn't a pocket. A lady at the ticket office near the toilets says to a near crazy Dave I think we have good news for you. A chinese guy handed in a money belt he found in the toilets and it was Dave's. So lucky and grateful.

Algonquin National Park

Niagara Falls

Toronto is huge and hot. At the campground we meet Daves cousin Neil, Aunty Marion and Uncle Derek.
Marion and Derek have lived in Toronto for thirty five years and Neil is visiting them. Neil drives us in hid dads beautiful Jaguar car through Toronto and to their house in Oshawa. Although this is a suburb of Toronto it is about 50kms away. Lovely chat at their house and see a photo of Jenette.We try to go to a pub for a meal but there is an ice hockey game on TV and the pub is packed. Big as aussie rules football in Melbourne.Dinner at the Boston pizza diner then back to Marion and Derek's house for a cup of tea.Thanks to Neil for driving us all over Toronto

Totonto

Red hot as we leave Toronto then colder and greyer as we go north into the forests. Pouring down in Algonquin park. Lunch in visitor centre then rain stops and we put up tents. Cold and windy as three people go canoeing. The rest of us go for a walk. We hear but can't see moose in the forest. Dave tries to imitate a bear sound by breaking a branch but merely succeeds in hitting himselg in the face with the branch bending his glasses and cutting his cheek.

Dinner around campfire and snow during night. Our giant $30 sleeping bags from New York keep us warm while one of the swiss guys freezes.

Next stop Ottowa and a helpful optometrist to straighten Daves glasses. Big buildings and a huge tower to go up in the parliament building. Locks on the canal just like Bingley but bigger

Montreal

Raining in Montreal but we are in a hostel which is nice and warm. Dinner in the blind restaurant which is completely dark. Can't use a nice and fork but fingers work well in dark.Explore the city the next day in the rain.All signs in French and many people speaking french. Old city and harbour full of character. Big old warehouse has many art exhibitions one of which is serving free wine-great art. Climb up hill to a chateau overlooking city. Great dinner in a korean restaurant that night. All koreans except Dave.

Quebec City

Still raining as we continue to Quebec. Rent cabins on campsite.Quebec old city on a hill next to St Lawrence river. Saw the site of the battlefield and General Wolfes death. Grand chateau type hotel and old streets. Said to be having dinner at a street market but there isn't one until July.

Acadia National Park

Back to the US and little towns have flags out for veterans memorial day.Sun shining as we reach Acadia.

Next day big walk through national park along Rockerfeller roads, lake shore and surprisingly big rocky climb to highest point. Great view over hills and ocean.Excited as the path down has iron ladders but the biggest only has 10 rungs.Get water at visitor centre and rangers are impressed by our big walk.
In town have a lobster sandwich in waterfront bar. Back at campground Alex puts live lobsters in big pans of boling water with potatoes and sweetcorn.After a few minutes the lobsters are pink and delicious. The best meal.
Drive to mountain top for sunrise over Atlantic. Very beautiful but early.

Boston

On again for a few hours to Boston. Lots of characters and things to see. Walk the Indepedence trail to Bunker Hill site of fight with British. Cheers bar is worth a visit but the Irish pubs nearby are much better value. $2 pints, chicken wings and entertainment Dave is in heaven. People remember it is Dave who insisted on camping as we arrive at the campground in thunder and lightening about 11pm to put the tents up as it starts to pour down.

Next day have breakfast in a Diner in Plymouth. The diner breakfast is again superb. Plymouth really nice in the sun and we visit the rock where the pilgrim fathers stepped ashore. Camp at Providencia on Cape Cod. Go swimming in the ocean and watch seals bobbing up and down.

Back to New York and Pan American. Hot again so off to Central Park. Lots of dancing.On tube to Staten Island ferry next day meet a guy with cowboy boots who is from Texas. Reminds me of the Midnight cowboy character.

USA and Canada really good but get time we hire a car and do it ourselves.