Badlands

Badlands is just out of this world. In fact, in the 60s, NASA tested the Moon rover here to mimic what the surface of the moon would be like. It's no surprise why.

What did it for me was the silence. Just. Absolutely. Nothing. Nothing at all. No noise, very little wildlife, no plants or trees, or people. So still.



We took a hike up to a pinnacle which gave breathtaking views, but it just wasn't enough for me. The Teva sandals lived up to their expectations and I created a new path through some loose rock, and one near death experience later and I'd made it to the top of a higher peak. Just me and stillness. Unbelievable and definitely the highlight thus far...

First few days Trek America

ok, it's past 1am, and it's the first Wi Fi i've found time to use so this is going to have to be pretty sharp, but sum up what a first few awesome days have been like with Trek America...

So here goes...

photos are here in three albums thus far:

(1 - Niagra) http://dur.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2161083&l=d2f01&id=61205739
(2 - Chicago) http://dur.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2161084&l=857d9&id=61205739
(3 - Towards S.Dak) http://dur.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2161086&l=1cc3a&id=61205739

Saturday August 25th -

First day, long drive towards Niagra Falls. Camped in a state park on the shore of Lake Ontario. B-E-A-utiful! Next day, got up early and went for 30 minutes steadty down a road which didn't look like it'd ever seen a car. Then off to Niagra which was spectacular. Maid of the Mist went right up close to the falls which was awesome see album 1 for pics...From there it was a long drive to a KOA campsite (basically much nicer and has WI FI!) in Ohio.

Sunday August 26th - Next day Ohio then Chicago...

Up very early and managed to bag in a session, 5 x 3 minutes to the sunrise over the corn fields. Now that's how to see America! It was a stunning morning. Then a long drive via Amish country (not that's odd, bit kinda cool!) to Chicago. The pictures in album 2 are pretty good, and show the horse drawn carriages they use instead of cars. Though we did see one cheeky amish buying a blender and hence using electricity. Wanted to point out that she was BAD AMISH! But felt she may have taken it the wrong way!!!

Tuesday August 28th - Into the Chicago, and a hotel for two nights - which made a nice change from the cam"page". This city is so much nicer than New York, clean streets, taxis don't honk every 10 feet and the people seem a lot more approachable. Gichan and I rented some bikes and chalked up 40 miles up to Evanstown, north up Lake Michigan. 90 plus, so it was baking, but a great way to see Chicago. I went out later, shuved the ipod in and tucked in behind some guys on racers doing a training session up Lake Drive, a 7 mile look around part of the lake (which is huge and stretches into Canada). Not sure how they took to a guy on a rented mountain bike trying to keep up with them! Went up the sears tower later on, used to be the higest building in the world til '96 - though if you count the antennae at the moment, it pretty much still is. Again, pics on Facebook. Oh, better mention the group. There's 13 of us, and the banter is pretty good.

Wednesday - today we left Chicago and took a 550 mile ride up to Jackson almost into S. Dakota. The plains out here are quite spectacular, just nothingness, and I love it. I'm sat now in the middle of the campsite writing this, full moon and stars above me, its absolutely silent and everyone's asleep. I suppose it is 1.13am, should probably get off into the tent really. But last thing, there is sooo much I can't write here simply cause we've done so much already (and we've only been gong 5 days!!). Though I have just had a moww Hawwwk...suppose I had to join the rest..?

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Last day New York

checked out of the Harlem B & B, went down to the Little Lap Top Shop and parted with some cash, making what I hope, is a wise investment in a thin lap top at a knock down price....my reasoning being that over the year I'll spend less on this 250 quid ($500) than on tinternet cafes once it all adds up....

it doesn't weigh too much and is going to allow me a bit more flexibility on keeping this blog up to date and also allow me to add lots of pictures too...

early start tomorrow (6.30am), meeting everyone I'm going to spending 64 days with tomorrow!

Far, Far Away

Took the subway far, far, away. Well "Far Rockaway" actually. Now this place doesn't just have a cool name, it also has a massive beach and BIG waves!



Perhaps not big waves by Hawaii standards, but certainly by Majorca standards! Felt safe enough being tossed around by them when there was a life guard every 100m for mile on mile! It certainly wasn't Whitley Bay... Apparently New Yorkers flock here at the weekends - which is certainly no surprise.

Went for a run around lunchtime while Carly was sun bathing, 15 minutes out, 15 minutes back. Blister finally gave ZERO pain...all good... Along the beach decking, 30 + degrees, fantastic.

Got back to NYC afternoon, straight to an appointment I'd made at the Ipod store - a women with quite possibly the biggest teeth I've ever seen managed to fix the photo problem I had with it. Crazy place, open 24 hrs and has literally thousands of people using free internet on hundreds of Imacs - It's huge!!

Then down to Central Park and a session with Coach Ruiz, who I'd e-mailed back in the UK, and Central Park Track Club. 5 mile tempo run at half marathon pace. Half marathon pace? You've joking? The high humidity made the first mile (5.55) hard enough, but the second agony (downhill 5.05!). Needless to say, I hung on for dear life past (what they say was) the 3 mile marker (16.04)...managed 29.05 over 5.1 miles. Quite pleased considering the heat, even at 8pm!! Great to meet some like minded guys down there....though their insistence on calling it a "work out" and not training is beginning to grate on me!

Harlem!

Checked out of Hostelling International - NY at 11.

Killed three hours trying to read past half way in "The Blair Years," Alastair Campbell's comprehensive diaries... need to finish this book ASAP cause it weighs a tonne and I'm not going to be able to lug that around the world!

Checked into Sugar Hill, on Harlem Hill. Jazz. Jazz. Jazz! A huge portrait of Louis Armstrong adorns the wall in our room. Good choice Carly (and she's paying too...shhhh...., she might not ask me to chip in!!)

I quite like Harlem, the mix of cultures, and especially the characters that sit outside shops on the corners of the streets around here. I rekon they could have, possibly, the best conversation in the world. If I could understand them. They may as well be speaking Geordie from what I over hear... I wish I could play the



trumpet cause I'm sure it'd sound great round here (...whhaao! Just had a cat jump three feet from the sofa behind me onto the table with this laptop on at the B&B - it's just walked across the keyboard and no kidding, it's just told me that Facebook has performed an "illegal operation"!! His left paw hit ctrl, his back right alt, and if his tail had hit delete I'd have been nicht impressed!!

Took this picture in Central Park today, quite like the B&W effect...

Carly's got her eyes on Fish and Chip shop in the B&B restaurant guide. I want "batta" and mushy pease though.....!

Tuesday

Rain. Rain. Rain. Rain and MORE RAIN!

Woke up to rain, about to go to bed with rain splattering the windows. The US news casters are going bonkers about it. "storm force winds...3 inches (inches!! What's wrong with mm!)

Today was therefore a bit rained out. Tried to see Roosevelt Island, but wearing tonnes of wet weather gear it wasn't exactly easy going.

Went back into NY and spend a few hours in the New York Public Library - inside, and free! Dried off nicely and went on a tour. The biggest room there is the size of an American football pitch, the whole building cost $500,000,000 by today's prices when it was completed back in the '20s. Quite impressive.

We walked from 31st all the way back to 103rd st. through Central Park trying to keep out of the rain by walking under the trees! A long walk, but a bit nicer than the subway - and cheaper!

Finally got to meet our sleeping neighbours...or should that be "neighbors"...(just with my spelling of queue, "cue" and the subsequent uproar I'm having to be extra careful!!). Spanish. Only one can speak English. Don't mind the Spanish, but if they were German.......

Monday

Bit of a cloudy day which was a shame.

Checked out of the Carter Hotel as we've got two nights booked in at HI (Hostelling International) New York, up on 102nd street. Quite a nice hostel, bustling and lots of people about - right next to the subway right into town.

Possibly the world slowest hostel at checking in though.

Went straight back out into the city, ha a 16 inch pizza. We managed 3/4 - almost there!

Carly wanted to go to Macy's where she bought some strange things made by Bed Hair or something like that. Apparently they straighten your hair?

Then went up the Empire State Building!! Views - Amazing! Will try and get these pics up over the next few days. At the moment there are two albums:

http://dur.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2158432&l=8047d&id=61205739 (London and NYC)
http://dur.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2158440&l=e943e&id=61205739 (NYC)

Steakhouse!

OK TWO THINGS STARTING TO ANNOY ME...

1. There's no orange squash/cordial. And when you ask in supermarkets they don't have a clue what you are saying or what you want. How do these people live without Robinsons Fruit and Barley?

2. Queues!. Americans just don't cueue!!! It's just a mad charge, one man for himself and all that...

Ok rant over..!



Up early. Can't seem to wake up past 7.30am! Must be the hustle and bustle of NYC. Long walk down to Brooklyn Bridge - over a mile long, and once the worlds biggest suspension bridge. Some great photos.

We tried to find an internet cafe, searched for ages, but in a city of 19.2 million every internet cafe was shut! Like an English village on Sunday morning, New York...

On to World Financial Centre to see the plans for the Freedom Tower (to replace WTC). Fox News, CBS, all the television crews outside reporting on the dead firemen from yesterday.

To the Steakhouse for some food later on. Now listen. Carefully: 9 quid = 15oz steak, garlic bread, potato, chocolate fudge cake and a pepsi. Impressive.

Starting to rain. Heavy. So onto Facebook...

First full day NYC

Up at 6.30am. Had to throw flannel over Carly - dead to world.

I was fine. Still operating on GMT (11.30am!)

Straight on subway to 102nd street transverse, Central Park. Arrived 13 minutes before start of race (New York Road Runners Champs). Was running in colours of New York Harriers, a good bunch i met for the first time after the race.

5 miles, ran 37.34. Not too bad considering the start was 8AM !!

Great way to see Central Park, it is HUGE!! Brilliantly blue sky all day. Though Carly looks tired from her Trek despite all the sunshine.

Got subway down to Staten Island ferry terminal after the race (sore blister from them damn Mizuno Wave Riders though!! Should have stuck with the Pegasus, Nike is the Bible...never mind) Staten Island ferry takes 30 minutes, but is free, and gave awesome views of Ellis Island and that Statue of Liberty. Shame you can't go up inside anymore..."security concerns are cited..."



Got some fantastic pictures looking back towards NYC, then got the ferry back and walked back uptown, Wall St. NY Stock Exchange, WTC site. WTC site is huge. Didn't expect the gap left by them to be so huge. But the amount of sunlight which now comes in dwarfs that which other areas get. Massive building site. Slightly disrespectful place though, I thought...guys trying to sell 9/11 postcards of the planes going into the towers right next to the memorial...despite signs up saying that this is not allowed. Began to notice though, the adjacent building was, rather ironically, on fire. Smoke billowing from it. Considering 9/11 it's no surprise that it was drawing a huge crowd from mid town and the surrounding areas descending onto the site. Turns out it was the former Deutsche Bank HQ, which was almost totally destroyed on 9/11 and which they are now dismantelling floor by floor...

Writing this a day later and having read the New York Post, turns out a building contractor was smoking and 14 floors caught fire. Didn't realise the scale of it when I was there, but turns out two fireman died when we were there. The first since 9/11. Newspapers full of "our Bravest" etc.... and comparisons to 9/11....seems weird that the day we go is the day this happens.....

Went out for PASTA meat balls in the evening....Less than 5 quid ($10)!! And again, it was HUGE!!! Then lots of sleeeeeeeeeep...

Heathrow - New York

Got up 5.15am. Slept pretty well. Got hotel bus to Terminal 4. Took 40 mins - may as well have walked!! All the bad press about BAA. 100% Right.

Cues. Cues. Cues!



Got to check in and asked why I wasn't able to check in online. Said it was because I had an upgrade. Belters. Club class on the upper deck of the 747. Fully reclining bed, three course meal x 2! Top bombing. (not that I said that on the plane mind). )Put on the Travis on the entertainment system, blanket over, and it suddenly occured to me. I was actually flying!

Arrived JFK, met Carly (who had been waiting 2 and a half hours - in the wrong terminal...well there are 9!) Got to Hotel Carter (25 quid a night, or $50, I'll leave the rest to your imagination. Got room on 22nd floor. Got in, ceiling had collapsed in bathroom, plaster all over the floors, no running water, dust 2 inches thick under the bed....asked to be moved, which we were. 4th floor. This new room is perfect. Excellent.

Went out that night, Pasta Bolog., four quid, including drink! And tax!! And it was HUGE. But it started to rain! Carly said it was the first rain she'd seen in 21 days travelling from LA to NYC! Looks like I brought it straight from England!

Lots of sleep, 22 hour day...and I'm knackered!

Leaving!

It's 9.12 am. Finished the last and most important part of packing. Ensuring the Mizuno Wave Riders are scholl sprayed and packed.

Got Mum to sit on the landing floor and taught her chest resists with the med ball - good banter. 3 x 2 sets. DUAXC boys will know what I mean.

Flight to Heathrow takes off at 12:05. Checked in online as it lets me choose my seat. Got 2A right at the back. I'm always watching "Air Crash Investigation" on Sky and they say that 99% of the people that survive plane crahses are seated towards the rear of the plane. And, hey, it's true, what's the first bit of wreckage that is often photographed - it's the tail!

Anyway, I'm flying BA, and the plane's not registered Russian so should be OK.

Right, I'm off. Good byes said to Mam and Dad, Grandma, family etc etc. Will be back in 328 days! Ciao Baby!


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Arrived Heathrow in the afternoon

Found hotel after 30 minutes walk / jog

Just dawned on me that I have to survive a whole year without Facebook. Crikey. A whole year without instant access. Considered turning back to Newcastle, but phoned Dear Deidre in The Sun and she said "not to worry" and to read over one of her "free guides" with today's Sun. That did the trick.

Off to Climate Camp at heathrow. Killed a few afternoon hours. 1000s of tree huggers and police taking pictures of everyone. Hilarious. Compost toilets were the best sight.

Off to bed...

Fuji!

Wasn't going to put a new post on until I left but chuffed today as one of the pictures taken by Durham grad Andy Moreton during our time training in Portugal made it onto the front page of http://www.fuji.co.uk/ today - just 1 of many thousands which could have been! I've boshed it on below!