I set out from Falmouth for California on Tuesday 13 February at about 10pm.
 | | John Greene |
I travelled on the sleeper train, narrow berth, bumpy, and noisy to Paddington. The flight on Virgin Atlantic was very good, assisted by my having three seats to myself. There were some great views of Greenland during the flight. I arrived in San Francisco on time, 24 hours after leaving home, though local time was 2pm. So after a quick brush up I headed off to an Irish bar I know, to try and temporarily drown the jet-lag.
 | | Views of San Francisco |
Success. I met great couple from Green Bay, got drunk and had fun. The evening ends with a taxi back but I get confused [sic] and get as far as the fourth floor of the wrong hotel before understanding my mistake. Oops! I awake with screaming hangover and jet-lag, but it's a beautiful day, clear sky, nice breeze and temperatures reaching 62 degrees. I haul myself up to Fisherman's Wharf to look at seals and tourists looking at seals etc and also Alcatraz. It is so close, it's said the inmates could smell the food from Fisherman's Wharf when the wind was right. I go back to the hotel and my afternoon is spent listening to George Harrison doing 'I, me, mine' Sunday 18 February 2007 On Thursday I went to Avis to get a hire car. they make a huge mistake and give me a brand new one (22 miles on the clock). Don't they read my file! I drove down the Pacific Coast Highway, having stopped at Fireside Cameras for supplies (good store). I ate breakfast in Davenport and then headed on to Santa Cruz. Later I arrived at The Brittania in Aptos where i was greeted with a cry of 'does this country have no immigration controls'? Thanks Roger! There was a a country band playing, and a good time was had. Friday was a driving day. I headed east to Mariposa and then through foothills and back to overnight at Manteca, the big valley.
 | | Pizza in Oakland, USA |
On Saturday I headed back to the coast via San Mateo bridge and on to Half Moon Bay where Neil Young once played in a small bar for fun. The new car mileage is now up to 600 odd miles (the fools). The car is dirty and covered in dead insects. Hooray! Sunday I went en route for Oakland Airport because I'm going to Hawaii. I got to the hotel early, had room service and stayed in. Oakland may not be as bad as the worst parts of LA but if you think you heard a gunshot you probably did. Nuff said. PS: Why does American pizza taste so great, and why does it stay warmer longer? Tuesday 20 February 2007 So you leave the San Francisco area and fly for five hours at approx 500mph over nothing but the Pacific and you're not even half way across it! The flight was full and slightly marred by the 2 curses of air travel:
 | | Aloha from Hawaii |
a) the screaming child b) the person in the centre seat next to you that needs more space than there is so tries to take yours. This guy had the complete kit, (mp3 player, shades and one of those blow up neck supports!?) He also had the tray table down and gripped it firmly with both hands, (and this is going to help how?) Anyhow we arrived at Honolulu airport. The actual surface area of Hawaii (the eight or so larger islands + the small ones) adds up to about 6500 sq miles (roughly the size of Yorkshire) It is one of the remotest places imaginable being at least 2300 miles from any notable land mass (no claustrophobia for me)
 | | Indiana Jones was filmed here |
From Honolulu to Kauai was a听 20 minute flight. I sorted a rent car, got to the hotel and went straight out again to see a friend of mine play the guitar. He wasn't there but another guy听I'd met before was, and that was good. I got loads of tips on where to go to see other Hawaiian music. The place he was playing was a restaurant in the Princeville Hotel, near Hanalei. This hotel has a lobby which is possibly the biggest hotel lobby in the world (I kid not) Friday 23 February 2007 I am adjusting to life here on Kauai. I'm staying on the east side of the island about half way up. Two miles away is the river where Indiana Jones flew off in a seaplane pursued by natives (in the movie) The island is about half the size of Cornwall but as you may see from the map, much is mountainous. Here is my daily routine, pretend you care: I get up early, 7am, do computer work etc as it usually rains in the morning,
(the NE trades are blowing 15mph all the time), and the air is so fresh as you would imagine being 2500 miles from the vast majority of mankind. I walk on beach, take photos, go for a drive, take photos, go to a bar, eat, drink, listen to fantastic music, sleep, then repeat... | 
