BEACH BUMS

EVEN THOUGH ACAPULCO IS A TOURIST RESORT ONLY A 20 MIN HIKE FROM LA QUERDABA WE FOUND THIS SMALL LOCAL BEACH.

LA QUERDABA

LA QUERDABA ACAPULCO WHERE THE CLIFF DIVERS DO THEIR THING.THEY DIVE FROM NEAR THE LITTLE SHRINES. AMAZING FEAT.

MAIN TOURIST BEACH ACAPULCO.

JUST SPENT FIVE MAGIC DAYS AT THE BEACHES OF ACAPULCO AND PUERTO ESCONDIDO.(THE NZ HARNESS HORSE OF THE SAME NAME HAS JUST RUN 2ND AND 3RD.SHE IS OUT OF OAXACA LASS WHERE WE ARE NOW).

WHAT A CONTRAST.PE IS A FISHING VILLAGE WHERE THE TOURISTS FIT IN. ACAPULCO IS A TOURIST RESORT ON WHAT WAS A FISHING VILLAGE,

SURREAL SWIMMING WITH PELICANS DIVING FOR FISH ALL AROUND YOU.

SPOT THE ODD ONE OUT. (THE ONE ON THE LEFT. IT IS A YOUNG MALE)

PE

EACH MORNING THE FISHING BOATS OFF LOAD THEN FULL THROTTLE ONTO BEACH.SMALL ROUND STICKS ARE LAID DOWN TO LUBRICATE THE PASSAGE.

"RUNNING OF THE BOATS"

RUNNING OF THE COWS

WE MET THEO A LONDONER OF GRENADEN EXTRACTION WHO IS TRAINING TO BECOME A MATADOR.AS WOULD BE AFFICIANADO OF SORTS WE HIT IT OFF.AFTER A FEW ROUNDS OF TEQUILLAS THINGS TURNED INTERESTING. THANKS MATE!!

WITHOUT GOING INTO DETAIL WE PURSUED OUR INTEREST AT THE PLAZA DE TOROS IN ACAPULCO. GOOD STYLES BY THE FOUR YOUNG MATADORS BUTTHE FINAL DESPATCHES DISAPPOINTING. SCORED A BANDOLIER THAT HAD BECOME DETACHED FROM IT'S HOST!

THEO DIDN'T SEEM WORRIED -I WAS TERRIFIED!!

FOOD

SPORTING HER NEW $8 HAIRCUT GLADYS TOOK HER HUSBAND'S ADVICE AND INDULGED (TO HIS REGRET) IN THIS MOST SCRUMPTIOUS OAXACA DELICACY.CHAPULINES-GRASSHOPPERS FRIED WITH CHILLI,ONION ,GARLIC AND GENEROUS SQUEECHES OF LIME!!

THE MANA ITSELF.

THEN WE DISCOVERED QUESILLO A MOZARELLA TYPE CHEESE BUT STRINGY LIKE ROPE.YOUNG LADIES SHRED IT IN THERE DELICATE LITTLE FINGERS BEFORE LACING ON TO HOT HEATING TORTILLAS WITH A SPRINKLE OF CILANTRO,SALSA AND OH MY!!SOUNDS BETTER THAN CHEESE ON TOAST!!

THE REGIONAL SPECIALITIES ARE VERY MARKED.WASP INFESTED DRIED PRUNES MAZATLAN MADE FAMOUS BY JACK KEROUAC IN ON THE ROAD.

MAGIC TWIST ON THE OLD COCONUT TRICK. DRINK JUICE HAND BACK TO VENDOR WHO SCOOPS UP FLESH THEN ADDS CHILLI,SALSA,LIME JUICE--TO DIE FOR!!

ORDERLINESS OF THE AMECEMECA MARKETS.

MEXICO CITY HOT DOG VENDOR-GAS BBQ IN BOOT READY TO DO A QUICK GETAWAY WHEN THE PERMIT POLICE ARRIVE. HILARIOUS TO WATCH ALL THE IILEGAL VENDORS TAKE TO THEIR SCRPAERS TO RETURN A FEW MINUTES LATER WHEN THE ALL CLEAR IS GIVEN!!

MEXICO CITY VERSION OF A GORDITA WHICH MANIFESTS IT SELF IN VARIOUS FORMS ALL OVER. MY PENCHANT FOR HOT AND SPICY HAS ALWAYS TAKEN ITS TOLL THE NEXT DAY(AS BILLY CONNELLY USED TO SAY HOTTER COMING OUT THAN GOING IN!)PERSISTANCE SEEMS TO PAYING OFF -MAYBE MY GUT IS MUTATING!!
PS THE THREE BASICS OF MEXICAN FOOD ARE THE COLOURS OF THE FLAG:RED-TOMATO,WHITE-ONION,GREEN-CHILLI-BRILLIANT!!

TO THE SOUTH

RED MILE RACEWAY PENNSYLVANIA HOME OF THE LITTLE BROWN JUG

PART OF THE HUGE TRAINING RACING AND SALES COMPLEX AT KEENE RACECOUSE LEXINGTON KENTUCKY

KEENE RACECOURSE

CHURCHILL DOWNS LOUISVILLE HOME OF THE KENTUCKY DERBY.ARRIVED FOR THE LAST RACE. BACKED THE WINNER AT ONE OF TOHUSANDS OF COMPUTER BOOTHS THEN HAD TO GO TO THE THIRD FLOOR OF ONE OF THE GRANDSTANDS TO FIND A HUMAN TO CASH MY TICKETS.

SPENT THREE HOURS TOURING THE GETTYSBURG CIVIL WAR BATTLEFIELD AFTER THE EXTENSIVE MUSEUM .THERE ARE HUDREDS OF STAUES,MEMOIALS,PLAQUES COMMEMORATING EVERY CORPS THAT FOUGHT AT THAT SITE WITH CAUALTY,WOUDEDE INFO. THIS IS THE SCENE OF THE FINAL BATTLE ON THE THIRD DAY. CONFEDERATES UNDER PICKETT CHARGED THE HILL DEFENSES OF THE UNIN. 25000 DEATHS LATER LEE RETREATED AND THE CIVIL WAR SWUNG THE UNION WAY.

NEARLY CAUSED AN INTERNATIONAL INCIDENT. THIS IS THE MAIN GATE AT FORT KNOX. I FRONTED TO THE VISITOR'S CENTRE HOPING TO GET A DISTANT GLIMPSE OF THE BULLION STORE. NOT A THING TO DO SO WHEN LEAVING WENT THE WRONG WAY AND HAD GURDS YELLING AND BLOWING WHISTLES. THEY TOOK IT IN A GOOD SENSE AND I EMBARRASSEDLY SCARPERED.

MAMMOTH CAVES.INTERESTING TOUR .SALTPETRE WAS MINED HERE BACK IN THE 1812 WAR TO MAKE GUNPOWDER. IT IS THE LONGEST CAVE SYSTEM IN THE WORLD AND MANY MORE MILES DISCOVERED EACH YEAR.

LOTS OF WEIRD SECTS FOUND SANCTUARY IN THE US. THIS IS A SHAKERS (BREAK AWAY ANGLICANS IN EARLY 1800'S. THE BUILDINGS ARE MIRROR IMAGES MALES TO THE LEFT AND FEMALES TO THE LEFT. THEIR BIG THING WAS CELIBACY . SO NEEDLESS TO SAY THEY SLOWLY RAN OUT OF RECRUITS.

GATEWAY TO THE WEST (AND RELOCATION AND ANNHILATION OF THE INDIANS) ST.LOIS MSSOURI

HARRY TRUMAN'S HOUSE INDEPENDENCE KANSAS CITY

JESSE JAMES FAMILY FARM. THE FIRST BANK THE GANG ROBBED IS ALSO A MUSEUM.INTERESTING CASE STUDY OF HOW SOUTHERNERS AND SLAVE OWNERS WERE TRATED BY UNION STATES AFTER THE WAR.THEY WERE DISENFRANCHISED.

AT THE HELM!

COTTON FIELD NEAR THE END OF THE CHISOLM TRAIL WHERE CATTLE WERE DROVED TO THE RAILHEADS OVER HUNDREDS COF MILES.
S

OKLAMOMA CITY SITE OF THE FEDERAL BUILDING BOMBING

ONE OF THE BEST MUSEUMS I HAVE EVER VISITED .THE COWBOY HALL OF FAME IN OKLAHOMA CITY. THIS IS BUFFALO BILL.

HOTSPINGS ARKANSAS .BIRTHPLACE OF BILL CLINTON AND HOME TO MAGNIFICENT VICTORIAN BATHHOUSES. WE INDULGED IN THE ONLY PUBLIC ONE STILL OPERATING.

LOVE BLACK CYPRESS IN ARKANSAS RIVER NEAR TACOMA INDIAN MOUNDS. THERE VERSION OF STONEHENGE.

TO MEMPHIS. THIS IS SCHWABS STORE ON BEALE ST AMONG THE BLUES BARS AND RESTAURANTS.A TIME WARP BACK TO THE 1850'S. I BOUGHT THREE SCREWS FROM TRAYS AND TRAYS OF STUFF FOR 10CENTS. I AM SURE IT IS THE SAME STOCK FROM WHEN WE VISITED 13 YEARS AGO!!

INSIDE SCHWABS

BEALE ST

THE INNER SANCTUM AT GRACELAND.ELVIS PLAYED ON THIS PIANO THE NIGHT HE DIED.

FLORISTS ARRIVE THROUGHOUT THE DAY EVERY DAY DELIVERING FLOWERS AND GIFTS TO HIS GRAVE.

GRACELAND. PLEASED WE CAME BACK. THE HOUSE WAS CLOSED WHEN WE LAST VISITED.HE WAS TRULY THE KING!!

ELVIS BIRTHPLACE TWO ROOMED HUT TUPELO.MISSOURI

CAFE DES AMIS CAJUN RETAURANT NEAR LAFAYETTE LOUISIANA.SAT MORN CRAWFISH OMELETTE AND GRITS WITH THE BAND PLAYING AND LOCALS AND Y'ALL DANCING. THANKS CRAIG HARRINGTON FOR RECOMMENDING. HAD A BALL.

MARIE LAVEAU THE VOODOO QUEEN GRAVE NEW ORLEANS.

BOURBON ST.6 INCHES OF RAIN IN THREE HOURS. WE WERE SATURATED. SLEPT IN VAN ON ROYAL ST BECAUSE OF FLOODING. HAD AWESOME EVENING IN A CAJUN BAR.

ROYAL ST THE NEXT DAY.

BIG APPLE

LOVE NEW YORK IT'S CRAZY PACE AND HORDES OF PEOPLE.IT IS A NON-STOP ADRENALIN RUSH. WE MAINLY STAYED OUT AT VARIOUS WAL-MARTS ON LONG ISLAND AND COMMUTED IN EACH DAY.THIS IS YONKERS RACEWAY WHERE NZ'S CARDIGAN BAY GAINED FAME. DURING THE DAY A 5500 SLOT MACHINE CASINO WITH BUSES TRANSPORTING PUNTERS FROM THE HUGE CARPARK THAT WAS FILLED WITHIN 30 MINS OF US ARRIVING AT MIDDAY.

ROCINANTE PARKED UP ON 42ND ST STOOD OUT A BIT!!

MAGICAL TIMES SQURE SO MUCH HAPPENIG AND CONTINUOSLY CHANGING.

EASY TO FIND SOLITUDE IN CENTRAL PARK DESPITE THOUSANDS WALKING,JOGGING,SKATING, CYCLING,ROWING, PLAYING ICE HOCKEY ,MAKING MOVIES....................

OUTSIDE THE MET.GREAT TO VISIT ELLIS ISLAND AND STATUE OF LIBERTY .WERE CLOSED WHEN WE WERE HERE LAST. THE BIG HOLE ON THE MANHATTAN SKYLINE
VERY EERIE.