TravelStream™ news feed for member vicaroo on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/vicaroo en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Wed, 02 Jul 2008 03:17:35 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/vicaroo/1/1214966100/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/vicaroo/1/1214966100/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/vicaroo/1/1214966100/tpod.html Wed, 02 Jul 2008 03:17:35 -0400 Travels With My Neurosis - Vicky's American Adventure

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San Francisco, California, United States

Armed with my secret weapon - a particular Puerto Rican's personal insights into the best of San Fran - I headed out into the city for some fun.

Started off with a walk down through the Tenderloin area.  It's not quite Uppermill, that's for sure.  Full of homeless people, but some nice cafes and stuff.  I was aiming for the Civic Centre.  Here their is the famous UN square.  Some education for you people:  the first UN treaty was signed in San Fran.  Now there's a pretty cool fountain and the principles of the UN are engraved onto the floor.  Adjacent to this is the spectacular City Hall, which was glinting beautifully in the sunshine.

My next stop was Hayes Valley which had a much more friendly, much less homeless feel, and plenty of lovely shops and eateries.  Almost bought a $300 dress, then remembered I'm not mental!  I had a vegetable wrap instead.  I caught the bus back to Powell and hopped onto one of the famous cable cars.  Actually, hopped makes it sound like a care free exercise, done to the soundtrack of the Mamas and Pappas, with bunnies at my feet.  In reality we were all squeezed on there, some of us suspended from the ceiling, others tied by our hair to the windscreen wipers!  Yeah, it was a bit busy.  Damn tourists.  The views were brilliant.  So far  I haven't had mush to do with San Fran's hills, but met plenty today.  Now I know why the trolley was so busy.  It was incredible really, that a city could have been built like this.

I got off at Lombard Street to look at the 'World's Most Crooked Street'.  It's the one that's used in car adverts and films, with the zig-zagging and lined with gardens.  It was funny.  Filled with tourists though, who invited them?  Tsk, don't they know this is my road trip?!

Next it was a cursory visit to Fisherman's Wharf.  I really didn't like that either, that was touristy.  But I'd been forewarned by my insider.  There were some Sea lions at Pier 39, but they were so much further away than my ones at Santa Cruz.   Said that to a few people and again, almost got punched.  I mean, the tourists here, they just don't appreciate anything!  (I'm kidding by the way Mum, I neither said anything, nor got punched!!)

Next I caught the Street Car to Embarcadero, which is the edge of the financial district in San Fran.  Looking at the buildings here, I imagine there must have been some controversy surrounding their development as they look just like any other city, and it's a corner of San Fran that has a very different style and vibe to the rest of the city.  Cept for the gays, bless 'em!

Finally I caught the BART (train - what is this Vicky, a 'lets see how many forms of transport we can utilise in San Fran' day?!) to Mission. This is the Latino district.  It also had a bit of a rough and ready feel to it, but I loved it.  Lots of colour and murals on all the walls, and so many different things to eat.  Unfortunately, I think it's the kind of place you really need to be with friends to enjoy.  So I ate some tea and headed back to the hostel, a pretty pooped person.  Still enough energy for alliteration though.  Hell, there's always enough energy for alliteration!
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San Francisco, California, United States

Booooooo hoo hoo hoo hoo. Booooo hooo hoo hooo hoo. It's my last day in America, my last day on holiday...But the first day of my new life. I know it's a cliche. but traveling really does change you.

Got my day off to an early start thanks to a phone call from a little someone, who didn't quite appreciate the time difference. Thanks darling. So I started off with a jaunt to China Town. I'd like you to all picture me "jaunting" for a moment; go on, breathe in the skippety swagger, take it in, that's it, and relax! China town is pretty close to my hostel. I usual avoid Chinatown due to a certain Chinese food phobia, but I braved it today. Was overcast but I could still appreciate the colourful facades of the houses. On a little side street there was a small inconspicuous factory where they hand make fortune cookies (a San Fran invention apparently). The lady I spoke to had worked there since 1965!

Next I retraced Ginsberg's and other Beats steps through North Beach (groovy) on my way up to Telegraph Hill, where there is now a tower. My lickle asthmatic lungs were very glad it was an elevator to the top for a change. Minuscule compared to Rockefeller, but still a great view of the City. A view similar to that offered by Twin Peaks I would imagine, but without the fog! Golden Gate Bridge really stood out against the blue ocean background at this time of day.

If you had sped up my walking pace and played the Benny Hill music, it would have looked hi-larious as I went up and down some of San Francisco's biggest hills. I would have used the cable cars but I lost my three day pass. Bugger, worth $18 that. Enjoyed watching everyone else hang off the cars though. And, I went into the cable car museum where you can see the machinery and mechanisms that control all of the cars in the city. Pretty clever stuff, although, it actually kind of put me off using them knowing how they worked!

After the biggest lunch I've eaten in my entire career as a lunch eater, in a 50s diner (yes, it was that cheesy. And yes, I loved every second. And yes, my milkshake was delicious. And yes, it did bring all the boys to the yard!) I caught the subway and the bus to...Golden Gate Bridge itself.

It's beautiful, and I've wanted to come here for so long, so it was another teary moment on my trip. I walked out onto the bridge and looked East and thought 'damn, heading that way tomorrow'. But that didn't spoil the beautiful, crisp view, and a very reflective moment. Just think, it wasn't that long ago I was stood on Brooklyn Bridge. So much has happened in between then, I can't believe it. I thought about leaving the hat on the bridge. It's pretty dead now, and it would have been a fitting closing ceremony. Was hoping it would blow off of its own accord really, but it held on, just. I guess it wants just one more trip with me, over the Atlantic.

Pretty pooped, I headed back to the hostel for some dinner. My last American dinner. I had tacos, arriba!

I really don't know what else to say, just like I don't really know what to do with myself. Start planning my next trip I guess...

That's all folks

xxx
Vics
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San Francisco, California, United States

So, that's it, I made it, coast to official coast across America. I think a fanfare is in order, if you'd all care to take a moment to do so...!

Turns out, someone in San Francisco must have been forewarned about my arrival as they held a parade to say how proud of me they were. Lots of gay people and transvestites there for some reason, but I still appreciated the gesture! Thanks San Fran.

So yes, I have left Santa Cruz behind me and arrived at my final destination. So glad I left Santa Cruz earlier than originally planned as it meant I got to join in with Pride in San Francisco. This is a huge annual weekend of events celebrating erm, alternative lifestyles, culminating in a huge parade down Market Street. I was going to dump my bag at the hostel first but I thought 'sod it, lets blag a spot by the barrier. Homos won't steal my stuff anyway', and I'm so glad I did. It was brilliant. I was so full of pride and I'm not even gay ("what? With that hair? And those shoes?") Yes people, I know it's hard to believe.

The parade began with motorbikes, then came the cyclists, then lots of people on foot, then cars, and floats. It was so colourful, and well, joyous really. I was so full of Love and World Peace. Some participants were more hair raising than others. Holly would have loved the 12 torsos float, with the twelve torsos that make up a calendar. I found the San Francisco leather brigade a particular favourite, and there sure were some clever things being done with balloons!! Got loads of freebies too: a t-shirt, beads, a pom pom, condoms. Mmm, sounds like a recipe for something, or maybe a future Blue Peter Make. For this weeks make you will need...!

After that I headed to my hostel which is by far the nicest one I've stayed in on my whole trip. It's also in a great area for exploring.

My first port of call was down to Powell St to get a three day transport pass. This is also where the cable carts get turned round by hand, pretty cool technology going on there. I got the subway out towards the suburbs, then took a bus, then had a little walk, to get to Twin Peaks, where I'd been told the views of the city would be unforgettable. And they were, my my. Yes, I've never seen such beautiful fog in my life. The sheer scale of whiteness was breathtaking. Beautiful, just beautiful.

OK, so I'm being slightly sarcastic. It was foggy but I could still see enough snippets of the view to piece together how awesome it would look. And who wants to come to San Fran and miss out on experiencing the famous fog? I tried suggesting that to a few disgruntled fair weather tourists and almost got punched. Clearly (or should that be foggy?!) not everyone shares my optimistic spirit. But then, not everyone has just traveled all the way across America on their own. Neh neh, I WIN!!
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Los Angeles, California, United States

The Beginning of the End :(

So today's plan was this. Get up at 6am and get on 7am bus, arrive in LA and spend rest of late afternoon/early evening on beach. Yeah, great plan. Today's actual events went a little like this: hear alarm at 6am, switch it off. Wake up at 9am and go 'good grief'. Leave hotel without showering, just about remembering to change, throw my stuff onto pavement outside Greyhound bus station, spend muchos precious minutes tutting as the Greyhound counter staff move slower than a three towed sloth (I saw one in Cincinnati. It rolled over maybe, once, in twenty minutes!) And just make the bus by the skin of my teeth. Then fall asleep for the next five hours.

There are plenty of buses to LA but I didn't want to arrive too late. And here's why. IT'S HORRIBLE! Ah, it was like being back in Mugphis, with a nice healthy dose of 'please don't shoot me or kidnap me in your cab'! So many people hassling you. Got on the bus (a bold move) and had to change once in Downtown (a foolhardy move). Another bus, another hour, and I was in Santa Monica. Now this was a little bit more like it. Beachy, considerably less giant transvestites drinking out of brown paper bags, and a beach.

I checked into my hostel then headed for the pier. It reminded me of Eastbourne or something, except with Baywatch style lifeguards.

I gotta say, when I saw that ocean, I got a little lump in my throat. It means I did it. I've actually gone coast to coast across America. It's not official as anyone familiar with Vicky logic will know, it's the wrong bit of the ocean. But it is the beginning of the end. Took some celebratory photos to amuse myself, and the locals.
"Look at zee crazy English girl, taking photo of self"
Yeah, look at crazy local wearing a dress that doesn't quite cover his testicles. People in glass houses!

Then, as is only fitting, I watched the sun go down from the beach. My camera battery died just as the light was starting to get good, so once I talked myself down off the end of the pier ("what's the point to life if you can't photograph it? Why God, why?!") I could actually enjoying looking at something not refracted through a lens for once. It was nice. A very contemplative moment.

A mood that was to come to an abrupt end once I stepped on to Santa Monica Boulevard. There's lots of street entertainers singing, break dancing, fondling balloons, and plenty of surf shops. I was only in the market for food. Went to a restaurant called the Buddha Belly which served Asian food (I know Loro, perhaps it was the shock of photo cold-turkey!) Sat at the bar next to a very attractive barman, but they're all like that in LA. Just as I'd finished eating and was about to leave a group of three American men and a Tongese lady (that well known film) came and sat next to me. We got talking, as happens with anyone who realises I'm English, and they wouldn't let me leave til they'd eaten. Then they wouldn't let me go to bed and made me go bowling with them. They were really funny actually. When I got in the car "the leader" got out his satnav and typed in 'desert', 'secluded'. Oh yes, there were plenty more 'kidnap the English chick' jokes.

I got exactly 100 in bowling.

This is the third night in a row I've been to bed after 2.00am. I'm soooo tired, damn Americans!
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Saint Louis, Missouri, United States

ST LOUIS IS AWESOME! HAD SO MUCH FUN TODAY!!


As it was a Saturday, I thought I'd start my morning off with a jaunt down to the nearby Soulard Farmers Market. There's been a market on this spot since forever, although the original buildings have been replaced. Again it was buzzing, with musicians, people stocking up on fruit, just chilling out. I myself purchased some much needed vitamin C and a croissant. Spent a lot of time oochi-cooing over some kittens too. It was really very nice.

So I was feeling in a much better mood when I headed back to the hostel, quietly singing to myself, when I guy lept out of an alleyway in front of me!!! OK, that's not entirely how it happened. He was stood in the alleyway, in a perfectly innocent manner and I was just day dreaming. If I was a Catholic, it would have been a perfect moment to cry "Jesus Mary and Joseph", but as I'm not I just yelped and, being English, apologised. Anyway, the lurker turned out to be Edrik, a 28 year old Puerto Rican who was to be my companion for the rest of the day. It may have been the guilt at shortening my life by about three years!

One of the main reasons for coming to St Louis, other than its staggeringly high crime rate, was to see the Budweiser Brewery, so that's where we headed. It was huge. And the tour was kind of like being indoctrinated into a cult; lots of 'whoop if you love Bud' type moments. Good fun if you didn't take it seriously. The tanks where they store the Bud to mellow are enormous. If you drank a six-pack a day it would still take more than 130 years to empty one. Also saw the horses that make up the Bud caravan. At the end everybody got two free buds. I had a pepsi. Awesome! But I was witness to Edrik's first ever Bud - he'd been a conscientious objector until now.


Then we hopped into a taxi down to St Louis' famous archway. It is beautiful. And so big. I just wanted to stroke it, it has that kind of tactile quality. Spent quite a lot of time trying to get a shot that did it justice, but not sure if I managed. The site is on the bank of the Mississippi too. There's been a lot of bad weather in the US lately and lots of flooding, and here the Mississippi was coming up over the pavement. It took me a while to realise that it wasn't normally that high! And it was moving so quickly too.

Wandered round St Louis for a bit, past the baseball arena where a game was going on (St Louis won - yeah Cardinals!) and as usual was accosted by several weirdos!


St Louis is big on food so we headed into the Italian district called the Hill for a particular local specialty, fried ravioli. It's ravioli that's been coated in breadcrumbs and fried. And that's exactly what it tasted like! Nice though. More exciting was the dessert. We ditched the fancy restaurant and headed out to Ted Drewes on historic route 66. It was heaving, and with good reason. There specialty is frozen-custard called concrete (vanilla flavoured). It was still really hot so it was very welcome, and it was a little piece of heaven eating that as the sun went down.

Finished off what had been a very chilled day at one of the bars on Soulard. I got the drinks and afterwards came outside and remarked "that was the campest bar man I've ever seen". A bit later, two people walked past us and said "you know this is a gay bar don't you". So that explains why I had to pay for my drink this time! And why their music selection was so good.


All in all, I'm pleased to be able to say that my excitement at going to St Louis was, eventually, merited. (Thanks in no small part to Edrik!)
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Santa Cruz, California, United States

Last night did not go according to plan. I was meant to leave Santa Monica at 7pm, to get to Downtown at 8pm, ready for the 9pm bus, but some guys from my hostel accosted me and thought I was joking when I said I had to leave! So when I got to Greyhound the 9.40pm bus had sold out. D'oh! That was a pain as it was a direct to Santa Cruz, and it arrived early in the morning so I'd get a full day there. So I had to wait until 11.0pm for the next bus, then change at 6.15am in San Jose. The second bus was an hour late so I finally made it to Santa Cruz at 10.15am. No, Mr Thrills, I'll think you find that Santa Cruz is that far! I had 30mins to get to my hostel and dump my bag before I was stuck with it for the rest of the day. I just made it.

I wasn't in the most ebullient of moods then when I headed down to the beach. It was cloudy and a bit chilly. I was meant to be having a surfer day in Santa Cruz but my asthma is giving me jip so, combined with the cold, I didn't think it would be the best idea. Sulk. If only there was something to cheer me up as I moped around Santa Cruz wharf...but what's this, a pink car? Surely not! Is that the beginning of a smile I see? Hang on a sec, there's another classic car, and another, and another! Why, it's the Woodies on the Wharf festival!

Let me explain. Woodies are a type of classic car, I guess the closest thing we have are Morris Miners. And there is an annual gathering on Santa Cruz. Suddenly I was in photographer heaven! Snap, snap, snap, and the old Vicky is back!! Thrills, you were right. Oh Santa Cruz, no you're not the bad! Chatted to loads of people about there cars as I was snapping away, and totally began to believe I was the Liebervich of the car photography world.

As I headed back towards the beach for lunch, I though to myself 'why, that sounded like some kind of exotic wild life'. Sure enough, there is a group of sea-lions that stops of at Santa Cruz every year. So I photographed them too! They were kind of cute and gross at the same time, like when a baby throws up. Not to different to that either as they sound a bit like retching at times! Aw, but then they budgie budgie in an 'I hate you but I love you' way.

After falafel I went to the Santa Cruz boardwalk, the oldest one in existence. well, not to be a pedant but I didn't see a single board! OK, so it's the name of the fair. Bit weird going on rides on your own so I stuck to the cable car and tried to look like I was having loads of fun, not contemplating my own mortality! It was a lot like Blackpool really. Eastbourne? Blackpool? Do theses Californians have no culture of their own?! I'm kidding, it's ace!
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Los Angeles, California, United States

Today I have been mostly being Vivian from Pretty Woman...before she meets Richard Gere!

Got on a bus to Hollywood. That took an hour, but it was like my own personal, very cheap tour, as we went through Beverly Hills and Rodeo Drive (baby!). I silently re-enacted 'It's very expensive' sequence in my head, and looked downcast at my own shopping embargo. Then I hopped off the bus and hopped onto the subway. I'm so brave. And LA subway is so deep. Bit more straightforward than New York or the Tube though.

My obvious destination was Hollywood. I already knew it the glamour days of old were long gone, and yes, it was pretty skanky! Didn't see any hoes though, disappointing.

First I went to Mans Chinese Theatre, where the stars leave footprints of their hands and feet. I liked Julie Andrews (so dainty), the entire cast of Star Trek (so dorky) and Matt Damon (so Maaaaattt Daaamon!) As a subject matter, it was more interesting to watch other people's hands and feet, and how they interacted with the pavement.

Then I walked up Hollywood Boulevard for a bit (aka The Hollywood Walk of Fame). Again, sadly no hoes. I don't there is a single person left who doesn't have a star on Hollywood Boulevard cos this baby is huge. I wonder if they move people around too, so that as you fade out of prominence, so you're star drifts further out?

Then I went to the Kodak theatre where they hold the Oscars every year. This is kind of a mall actually, but it has a good vantage point for the Hollywood sign. Alas, with all the smog in the air today you could hardly see it. Enough, time to leave this place! So I caught the various transports back to Santa Monica and sat on the beach until it was time to leave LA.

I can't see why people would want to live here at all, it's pretty gross. Maybe if you could teleport, that might be just about bearable.
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Memphis, Tennessee, United States

Oooh, this was a busy day.

Survived my first night in Mugphis unscathed, and it didn't seem so bad really yesterday. Plenty of people willing to give you compliments...and then ask you for money!

Speaking of money, my first stop today was the Peabody Hotel. A little out my price league. In what is possibly the randomest thing I've seen (for a few days), everyday at 11am the Peabody Ducks come down in the elevator, walk up the red carpet, and climb into the fountain, where they remain all day. That's right, ducks. Not 'ducks' as in something called ducks but in reality a completely different, non water-based being, but actual ducks! And it was quite the crowd puller. All these people taking photographs as the ducks walked out, it was like they were being papped!

Had a quick look at the statue of Elvis and the Orpheum Theatre but there were a large (-r than the rest of Mugphis) number of men hanging around so I ran away pretty quickly!

To a land of less scary manly men! The Gibson guitar factory. Here I had a little tour. Again, I'm not going to tell you anything about the process as I couldn't hear a word the guy was saying. Suffice to say it was very cool and the people who worked there looked very relaxed: it wouldn't have looked out of place if they had a fag hanging from their lip and a can of beer in one hand.

Extortionate, cheesy, and horrifically decorated, but you can't really come to Memphis and not see Graceland. So I did! And it was! Funniest part actually was the people stood in front of me in the cue. They were two retired couples from North Caroline and there was the obligatory comedian of the group. Kept referring to himself as a 'redneck': "You tell the folks back home you met a genuine redneck" etc! And he kept offering to photograph me with my own camera in front of all the different rooms. "Taken by a genuine redneck this 'un!"
But back to Graceland. It was what you'd expect, although a lot smaller. Not really the ostentatious building I'd expected, and quite homely too. I mean, there was a soft ball room and a shooting range, but in itself the building wasn't OTT. And what I didn't realise was that he's buried there too. Somebody had put a twinkie on his grave. Sweet or ironic, I'm not sure?

On my way home I called in at Beale St which was starting to buzz. Let me tell you that is not the place to get vegetarian fodder, no sir-e! All the bars have windows onto the street with bar staff sitting there trying to tempt you with cocktails, and there was jazz music and people doing somersaults down the streets. I would have stayed but a) I was tired, b) it was getting dark and I'd left my steak in the hotel room! So I ordered some mac and cheese from BB Kings whilst Blind Mississippi Willy (HONESTLY, NOT JOKING) played the blues.

To round it off I watched a beautiful sunset over the Mississippi, while all the down and outs of Mugphis assembled in the very same park. The sun set and bham! I left hastily and without making eye contact. Hope the shots were worth it!
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Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

Vegas has one good point...it's proximity to the Grand Canyon.

Started off this morning with a buffet breakfast at the Billion. I honestly couldn't walk afterwards. May have overdone it a tad. But it was sooo nice, and they had so much fresh fruit, yoghurts, cakes, porridge, eggs...and I had to eat my monies worth (just to make sure, I stole enough for breakfast tomorrow!)

Perhaps such a large breakfast was not a good idea given today's activity: a helicopter flight over the Grand Canyon! You'll be pleased to hear I didn't chunder.

So, the helicopter. Well we had to go to the airport and check in. I drooled at all the private jets. And I absolutely did not drool at the pilots, honest!

We were in a chopper of five and I got a window seat so that was ace. Our pilot was really nice and funny, and he had an i-pod of themed music. We got Dances With Wolves as we set off, and Space Odyssey as we approached the Canyon. We all had earphones and mics too. HAd I been with Katie W I would have spent muchos time pretending to be in Top Gun!

The flight took us over the Hoover Dam (my favourite New Deal project) and Lake Mead: the biggest man-made lake in the wold, even though it is in the midst of an eight year drought. Then, the Canyon itself. You can't actually comprehend the size of it so I won't even try and describe it. Suffice to say, it is mega big. I looked down on the Colorado River and was like, 'swam that'! Everyone thought I was dead cool and daring. I bigged it up a lot. Well, they'll never know the difference!

We landed at West Canyon Ranch for a spot of cowboy action (control yourself ladies!) We had a horse and carriage ride down to the ranch, where we were treated to cowboy food. FYI that's not vegetarian either! Oh, and a cowboy sang to us too.

Then the lucky ones went on a horse ride. The allergic, asthmatic ones stayed on the ranch and chatted to cowboys and posed with cacti! Oh, and I had a go at lassoing too. I sucked big style, but only so that the boys wouldn't feel emasculated. I could have done way better, honest!

When the ponies got back, we were treated to a cowboy gun fight between bounty hunter and fugitive, and bounty hunter and bounty hunter! Drama! Ooooh, and then I got to hold their weapons. I looked well good with a gun!

We were meant to fly straight home but there was a problem with the chopper. Not what you want to hear, but fortunately it was just the a/c. So we got to hang around with the cowboys more. Yey! I went a bit snap happy (never) and played with their dog, Beanie Man.

The chopper finally arrived, complete with dead bird on the windscreen. Mmm, messy. That got washed off and we got in and set off. Then we landed again because...the blinkin' door came open. The blinkin' door I was sat next to!! Dad, you would have peed your pants but I was very brave. Take Two. And this time it was OK. It was ace flying into Vegas and seeing all the strip hotels, even Bills. And because of the delay, we had better light than we should have. Most fortuitous!
Cue disco nap and more of the strip by night. Be careful folks, this could get messy...

I like cowboys. Shame about the prohibitive nature of their diet!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/vicaroo/1/1213232700/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/vicaroo/1/1213232700/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/vicaroo/1/1213232700/tpod.html Fri, 27 Jun 2008 04:08:19 -0400 Travels With My Neurosis - Vicky's American Adventure

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Memphis, Tennessee, United States

Another day, another early start. Yeah, this is a very relaxing "holiday". I need another one just to get over it! Anyway, I set off to Memphis with some trepidation after hearing nothing but horror stories, mostly a little something like this 'oh yeah, I was mugged in Memphis, what you going there for?' But, in the words of one other hosteler (mugged in St Louis - my next stop) 'sometimes you gotta just go'. Yeah man!

Went straight to my hotel via a taxi so I could get rid of my bag which distinctly marks me out as a visitor. My pale complexion is not so easily cast off! Then I spent about two hours cowering in my room wondering why I needed to go out when really, I'd seen all of Memphis that I needed to!

Finally plucked up the courage and hopped on one of the cute little trolleys they have that go in straight lines across the city. So far, no muggings. I went to the National Civil Rights Museum which is based in the Lorraine Motel. This is the motel where Martin Luther King was assassinated. It was a fascinating museum focusing mostly on civil rights in the first half of the twentieth century. The most moving part was standing in the room King used during his visit, which has been recreated exactly as it was, and looking out onto the balcony where he was shot. It seems so easily done, but it's still unbelievable that another human would.

The second half of the museum is across the road, where there's an exhibition on the supposed shooter. I say supposed as there's some debate as to whether he did it, and whether he was working alone. Again, they'd recreated the bathroom from where the shots were actually fired.

Perhaps it was the relief at surviving a whole two and a half hours on the streets of Mugphis without a robbing incident, but I felt the need for treats. So I had a whole carton of hagen-daaz in bed. Oh yeah!
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