Sarah and Emily - Living The Dream

Sunday, 02 September 2007

Location: New York, USA

So we made it to New York! Our last stop before home and we were going to do it in style! Simon joined us for the 12 hour journey to New York from Greensboro and lived first hand the traveller life.

Poor Simon, just not used to long journeys! As we keep reminding everyone, we did 3 days on a Greyhound, 12 hours is not very long at all, and we had the whole packed train to amuse us! We decided to travel on the Friday of a bank holiday weekend, so it was like playing a game of sardines with a bunch of worryingly unhygienic people on a questionably cold train. So Simon was living the dream with us now, and had booked us into a nice cheap hotel near Times Square. It was cheaper than our hostel for the Labour Day weekend, so we hopped off the train, grabbed our checked luggage and grabbed a NYC cab, living the dream!

Not quite so when we got to the ‘no questions asked’ hotel in Times Square. We were a littel bit concerned by the make shift ‘security desk’. It was similar to something we would put in thew home corner at school as it was two desk shoved together with a phone and a filing tray, nether the less, we were given our key and showed to our room. Well told to get in the lift.

One should always get a strange feeling about a place when a police man greets you at teh life door, but we were tired and excited to see our home for the next 3 nights. Well, we have stayed in some interesting accommodation (including a stock room floor for new years eve) but this was incredible. The smell and the size were worrying but the hair in the bath kind of topped it off. As Simon said “you can take the time to fold the loo paper into an arrow, but you can’t swill out the bath?”. Indeed, but this is all part of the dream so we headed out for a look around, and put our heads down for a mad weekend.

The next day we were up early to hit the sites. While watching TV we could only get a decent reception for the news, and were greeted with the headline “Brutal murder at budget hotel”. Oh yes, that was our hotel. The very same. The reporter (stood outside our room) carried on to tell us that the day before a woman was found chopped up in bags under her bed on floor 6! Never fear, we were floor 9 so we were very safe... let’s go shopping!

Simon warned us that the queue (sorry line) for the Empire State Building stretched for miles, so we were ready for a long wait, but because we always land on our feet, we were in and out in no time. The views were great and we had time to hit Central Park. Simon’s feet were mangled from all the walking. After a year of poverty and no cash for transport we have feet like a rhino’s behind, and nothing can cause blisters but the most hardcore of adventures, but even we were struggling. Popped into Tiffany’s to buy some treats and then we headed back to the death hotel to get ready for the night life!

Simon’s choice of bars is somewhat different to ours, but we were happy for the change, so we jumped at the plan to see the meat packing district of NYC. Let’s just say that we didn’t stay tee total for long and after a visit to a psychic, a bar with no lighting and peak into a leather a bar, we were warmly ensconced in a little bar giving away caps and t-shirts to any beer drinking people. In that area, we were the only ones downing pints. What happens in New York stays in New York, let’s leave it at that.

Sunday we were worse for wear, and all we could manage was a trip through Greenwich village to see the markets, Soho for the crazy tacky gifts and China town for it’s manic hussle and bussle. We took the walk over Brooklyn Bridge and returned back, blisters and all for Simon to pack, ready for the very early train home. And we were moving hotels. Surely the next one can’t be that bad...can it?!

Thursday, 30 August 2007

Location: Washington D.C., USA

So luckily for us Southwest did not lose our luggage, which apparently is quite rare and we managed to navigate our way on buses and metro to find our hostel. Oh yes we were back in a hostel again and believe us when we entered our room we soon wished we were back in the luxury of Mark's house. We were sharing a room with a Brazilian man named Philippe who we decided wouldn't offend us too much. We felt the need to get out of the hostel straight away so walked the streets trying to find decent shops - they weren't to be had in this area of D.C. we seemed to be in the hippy/gay area and there wasn't a McDonalds in sight. We eventually came to the end of our map so turned back and got some 'Western Fries' for our trouble, they turned out to be wedges so we were happy enough. We got an early night as we were still recovering from a week of drinking solidly in Bradenton and bless him Philippe was very quiet when going to bed.

We weren't blessing him the next morning when we were woken from our extremely broken sleep by his alarm, he clearly wasn't woken by it as it continually went off and was shortly joined by his phone ringing...oh joy of joys! We eventually rolled off our double bed bunk bed (yea really not the comfiest thing to sleep on and maybe the squeakiest bed known to man) and headed off for a day of sightseeing, we had monuments to see, places to be.

We whizzed round the sights, discovered we weren't allowed in the White House even when begging with the guards on the gate and daring them to run after us if we clambered in (always a risky business when you're not sure if an American will understand our humour). We'd missed all the tickets to go up the Washington Monument so sat outside it in the shade reading a leaflet about it, I think we gained all we could from that! Then off to look at the lake that is so often featured in films in Washington we've found though obviously we just remembered it as the lake in Forest Gump that hippy Jenny waded through...ah that film as often been with us through these travels! We walked up and down the Mall which had an array of free museums (we did wander into one but it was no Te Papa so we soon wandered out again) and onto the Capitol where we did our usual take a few pictures and swiftly move on. Then the evening consisted of a trip to Safeway, which is always a highlight and we met many 'special' people on that journey. But hey we had to get snacks for our train journey to Greensboro the next day - that's right we weren't about to get the Greyhound again!

We were ready for another early night but it was put slightly on hold by a Hungarian girl who insisted on talking to us to improve her English, which would normally be fine but hey we're sure watching the T.V. would have the same impact! Oh well we got our laughs watching her trying to get in and out of the top bunk without a ladder...simple things simple minds!

So a lovely train journey was our plan for the next day, we were stocked up on snacks and books so all would be well. We did eventually manage to get seats together on the train (luckily they reserve some 'for couples only') and settled in for the 7 hour journey. Obviously we were sat by some magical people, there was the 19year old boy with a 4year old kid and a woman of similar age trying to become our best friend by commenting on the 'hotness' of guys that walked past and a small child that kept talking to sarah whenever he got a bit scared/bored. But it was O.K. as his mum asked us if we were 'professional travellers' when we hadn't even been talking about travelling, we said that we'd been doing it a year and she wondered which channel we were working for...if only people if only!

After a 2 hour delay we eventually pulled into Greensboro to find our poor friend Simon had been waiting for us, we were extremely pleased to see him, a great reminder of a our good old York days. He even cooked Shepherds Pie for us with Bisto gravy and everything....ah a little bit of home! He left us to cruise his internet the next day and do yet more washing (it does seem that's all we do in other people's homes) before taking us around the Dollar shops - you gotta love them! Then home for another lovely meal, this time cooked by Corey and then we headed off to Laser Tag but doh it was shut, so we headed off to Celebration Station - Fun for all the family but doh that was shut to so it was home for a film and more Margaritas (they are appearing more and more in our lives!!). But we couldn't get too drunk as we were making a large sacrifice the next day and getting out of bed to head into school with Simon...

Yes we got up at 6:15 to head to school, which starts at the ridiculous time of 7:30 here (yes that's right we would never teach here purely for that fact) but then you have a lot less children in the class to hassle you but hey their kids so yes they do still hassle you! We were again reminded of the horrors that sent us packing in the first place, we're sorry but we love not working and think that's the way life should be. It was also a stark reminder of what we had to do when we got home...get jobs...eugh! Simon's class were lovely but full of characters. When one boy's t-shirt says "warning, mind closed until further notice" you know you're in for trouble. But we made the most of it after all we were only there for a day and when it came to acting out a play for the kids we were in our element - if only Hollywood was watching. We can understand why all the teachers in Simon's school were heading out for drinks that evening...and hey it is a pastime we sometimes partake in so we are happy to join them!

Monday, 27 August 2007

Location: Sarasota, Florida, USA

After unpacking and washing all our clothing (a tradition when entering anyone's home) we were slightly refreshed. Mark took us for a ride around. Not realising how hot Florida was we didn't spend too long at the beach voted the best in the world (Siesta), but enjoyed people watching in the shade - especially when most of them weren't wearing much or what they were wearing was very tight (lots of budgie smugglers).

Sunday was for relaxing some more and we had a leisurely swim in the pool where Emily became friends with a man from Nairobi. Even after telling him that we had never been there he still didn't offer to lend us his house, but we did get to understand that people who lived in Mark's complex lived double lives. One place for the winter and one for the summer, sounds like a good plan!

We have missed so much football since we have been away from Asia that we had almost forgotten the start of the season so we were thrilled when Mark said he knew of an English bar we could go and watch the Villa and Blackburn games. What he failed to mention was that it was a porta cabin, lacking in light yet with it's own unique English-pub smell. Beggars can't be choosers and it was nice to be around people who asked where you were from and didn't say "England? Do you live in London? Have you met the Queen?". As the clientelle were all British it was easy for Emily to say that her and Mark were from Solihul. There were other people from the West Midlands in there so they wanted to know where abouts - "Shirley and Knowle" Emily said pointing to herself and Mark "NIce to meet you" said the Dudley Lady, "but where are you from?", yes a circle of Emily saying 'Shirley and Knowle' and the woman thinking it was their names ensued for quite some time until she got it.

Watching 'soccer time' just isn't right and the American presenter was (quite rightly) being hurled with abuse from the English fans for smiling far too much and saying "socc-arr" but it added to the atmosphere, topped off with a steak and kidney pasty, gravy and chips for lunch, we were getting a feel for what going home would really be like.

Mark had to go to work on Monday (tee hee) so we tried to catch up on some of the sleep from Buffalo airport and the nights we couldn't sleep because of the adrenalin rushing through our bodies from terrifying ourselves. Then we got up and had a swim, then we watch telly, then Mark came home. That was the pattern of our days in Florida - life doesn't get better!

Mark and Sue told us that we would have to hire a car or we'd get bored. Really, we spent three days on a greyhound bus, we don't get bored easily anymore, but we did start to watch the door for Mark coming home as the highlight of the day... Mark took us out for our tea nearly every night and it added to a life that we could get very accustomed too. Doing nothing all day and going out all night, coming home is going to be horrible - we will have to become footballers wives!

The one day we ventured away from the DVDs and pool we thought we could walk the short way to the shops. Big mistake, we think when Mark's parents trekked their way there it probably was first thing in the morning and it wasn't in the middle of the day. Needless to say we nearly killed ourselves, 90-100 degree heat and not a bottle of water or sunscreen between us. We really should know better and when we had to stop in a kitchen showroom because we knew it would have air con the manager was keen for us to leave as we were scaring people away. We have never seen our faces that colour before. After a quick pep from Coca Cola we were well away to shop. We would get a taxi home, and never mention the sorry episode ever again...

When Stacey came back from her cruise she brought her friend Holden too, so Friday we went to see Holden's mum and go out on the boat. We searched for dolphins but didn't catch any (we swam with them in NZ, it's ok) and stopped off for a beverage along the way but there was a storm a brewing so we had to skiddaddle home pretty sharpish or be drenched trying to hide from fork lightening!

Home in time for tea and we ordered in pizza and drank beer. It was decided that we would meet Sean and Kelly in the pool hall, excellent a time to show that a year travelling the world wasn't wasted... No, we were still rubbish but luckily we had Holden who was just as poor to compare ourselves to. Until Sean arrived Mark had won every game and we had taken to drinking heavily to aid our abilities. Not a good idea, especially when poor Sean and Kelly came and we found they didn't drink at all. Oh dear, imagine having to put up with us drunk. Not good.

Well, there was nothing for it after drinking the pool bar dry we had to go to Hooters. After ordering many pitchers of beer and 50 chicken wings we settled in and met Rebel, the manager and told her our story of how we conquered the world (we were very drunk by then). Rebel then produced the one thing in the world we never knew we wanted. The one thing that in a whole year is the one thing we are most proud of. Rebel made us Hooters Girls and gave us our very own Hooters T-shirts. You may see from the photos that once they were on they were never coming off. Our families must share in our pride, 365 days of travel and our greatest achievement is a T-shirt that says "Delightfully tacky, yet unrefined". Life really doesn't get any better!

With a heavy head the next day we headed to the water to go jet skiing and tubing. Luckily we were with others who had experience, but this also meant that they had very little fear too, not a good combination when there are no speed restrictions and a vast amount of open water (not like Lake Windemere...). So on we hopped and had the best time ever! We are still amazed by 'firsts' and were genuinely shocked by how cool tubing and skiing were, maybe living in Florida and having this as a hobby wasn't such a bad life after all (throw in a job at Hooters and it'd be heaven). Saying goodbye to Holden who was off home to San Fran, we had our final meal out (could really get used to this lifestyle) and headed home to finish off our bottle of vodka and our light beer because we knew Mark wouldn't have wanted to finish them off for us...!

Sunday brought another flight (our 20th for the year) and as we said goodbye to Mark and the surreal Florida life, with a heavy heart we left another friend and realised our adventure is nearly over.