Usa

2nd May 2010 The best and perhaps only way to get off the tourist trail and see the real Vietnam is by motorbike. This morning we met up with Quy and Tam, our Hue Riders who quickly secured our big packs to the backs of their bikes. We took the “Horrible Highway 1” from Hue to a place called Quang Tri. Quite a lot of the roadside here is just scrub, nothing really growing. This area was heavily bombed during the war and some of the most fierce battles occured here. As a result there are still quite a few areas with unexploded bombs and landmines. ...

17th October 2009 We were only driving 20 miles south today to our final motel before flying out on Sunday, but we decided to take the scenic route. We headed back to our old friend the Pacific Coast Highway and drove through Malibu with its roadside beaches and beachfront homes. Then we saw a pier with a ferris wheel on it heralding our arrival in Santa Monica. We parked up for a few hours to wander along the pier thronged with people enjoying the unseasonably warm weather. There were also plenty of people on the beach and in the water. Before returning to the car, we walked along the promenade above the beach. ...

13th October 2009 Watching the weather last night we were warned that the west coast was in for a soaking as a result of the tail end of tropical typhoon Melor which hit Japan a few weeks ago. We hadn’t quite appreciated how much rain and wind this meant we would get. When we opened the door this morning, this is what we saw!! ...

27th & 28th September 2009 Yesterday we drove from Death Valley up to Mammouth Lakes through some stunning scenary. Various mountain ranges formed many millions of years ago through volcanic activity and shaped by subsequent ice ages. We arrived at our lodge in Mammouth Lakes, basic, but clean and with its own cooking facilities (well a microwave, fridge and sink) but enough to cook for ourselves for a few nights and have some fruit and yoghurt for breakfast. ...