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Showing posts from January, 2010

In the Big Easy

Mardi Gras tree - Biloxi tourist centre Well we arrived in New Orleans tonight from Biloxi. Just had a wonderful dish of jambalya at a local restaurant here in the Garden District. Our B & B is so cute - more like a studio apartment. Biloxi was great - I did two walks there and especially loved Ocean Springs. Beautiful little downtown area with neat shops and restaurants - a return visit is in order! I walked over the bridge from Biloxi to Ocean Springs - 1.3 miles and it was great. This is a new one as the original was destroyed by Katrina. Had a wonderful day for walking. They are busy rebuilding from the devastation of Katrina. Everywhere you look is construction. In Ocean Springs I had a couple of donuts at a local place where the donuts are legendary. They were pretty good. I debated between lunch in downtown Ocean Springs or downtown Biloxi....well I opted for Biloxi and not many choices but I did pick a good one The Schooner restaurant where I had a shrimp p

Rocking in Little Rock

Well not quite...am at the library. Hey free internet.... Just had a meal of a catfish fillet with fries and hushpuppies at the Flying Fish. It was okay - not the best I've had though. It's clear and cool and wonderful walking weather. I did the 10km walk today and then took a trolley ride just for the heck of it. Little Rock is a nice city - visited the State Capital building (where a fellow from LA filming a TV commerical took my picture for me) and the State house. I went to the Peabody hotel at 11 a.m. and watched the duck master bring the five ducks down to the pond from the second floor - they came toddling along - and they get a red carpet put down no less. As I am just a couple of blocks away I will go and see them go back at 5 p.m. It is very very cute. I got a huge room - the St. Clair room - at the B & B. I forced myself to stay up an extra 90 minutes last night so I could sit and enjoy the sitting room downstairs and also my huge room. One problem...

Howdy from Sioux Falls South Dakota

Paying a premium price for half an hour internet but have an hour and a half to kill. No where really to eat except an Indian restaurant next door. I love Indian food but not when I am traveling. Luckily the driver stopped at an Arbys so grabbed a sandwich. Anyway am on the road at last. We left on time and while the road was icy in places (cars in the ditch) our driver got us this far safely - in between listening to the Vikings football on his earphones and phoning his buddies to hear every play. Oh well he's an experienced driver as I know I've had him before on this route. We are changing busses here - just hope they switch my luggage okay. I caught them taking my suitcase off the bus at Fargo when it was supposed to stay on...oh Little Rock he said - yeah it should stay on. DUH..... I go as far as Kansas City then have a three hour layover about 4:30 a.m.. What I can remember of the Kansas City bus depot is not good and the area is even worse. I go to Fort Smit

Let's try it again

Okay here we go again...same bellman/driver too so hopefully I make it as far as the bus depot. :) Adjusted my schedule to have a day trip from New Orleans to Baton Rouge to do the capital walk. If it doesn't go today well who knows whether it will be tomorrow or Tuesday...not scheduled to go tomorrow. A big storm is predicted for Winnipeg and the bad thing is it's working it's way up from the U.S. So we will be heading right into it but we're a bus and we're big....right? Anyway have to think of this as part of the adventure. What can I do? Nothing. Hopefully my next post will be from Little Rock. Nothing against Winnipeg - it has lots to offer but not when you want to be somewhere else!

Stuck in Winnipeg

Due to ice and snow in the midwest the highway in northern North Dakota was closed this morning so no bus. Will try again tomorrow but it doesn't look good. This has been the day from hell. Began with me squirting ketchup all over myself this morning at breakfast - the ironic thing is this is the first time I've ever used ketchup on my breakfast potatoes and that's what I get. That just seems funny now...but it was an indication on how my day would go... Got to the bus depot on the free shuttle from the hotel...despite skidding through a red light - he realized it was red as he entered it. Luckily being a Saturday only one car and it managed to avoid us.... Wait it gets better.....Checked in and got my ticket for Little Rock. Headed over to the airport to get another coffee.....came back and found out the highway was closed and the bus was cancelled. So call the hotel and get a shuttle back....and what does he do but slam into the back of a van. He asked me if he wa

On the road again....on the road again.....(thank you Willie Nelson!)

Well in a few hours (less than four to be precise) I will be off again on my new adventure. I will be taking the bus to Winnipeg, overnighting there then off on the hound south at 9:15 Saturday morning (due to only 50 minutes between busses - not enough time in the winter with a bus every other day) - I can't believe I am doing this again after my hound trip to the south two years ago..I have rocks in my head but hey I am still gonna write that book "Tails from the Hound" - believe me I have lots of "tails". Anyway my first stop will be Little Rock, Arkansas. You see I am on a mission to walk all the state capitals of the U.S.A. (a lifetime project) - I doubt I will get to them all but it's fun trying. I will hit four on this trip. (Little Rock, Montgomery, Baton Rouge & Oklahoma City) I am staying at a B & B in Little Rock that looks great... http://www.rosemontoflittlerock.com/greenbriar.html It looks nice - a little splurge. Check out th

Goodbye Mazatlan

This time tomorrow I will be back home...boo hoo. Had my last balcony sunset today.... Tonight I had a lovely meal in Plaza Machado. Shrimp fajitas that were to die for - plump shrimps, onions, peppers, mushrooms and cheese. Oh yummy....And a big honkin margarita. Staggered over to Revolution Square but the entertainment ended as I got there. Bummer. Oh well. Hung out on my balcony this afternoon. Will miss sitting there chilling and watching people walk along the Malecon. Maybe tomorrow I will see Sophia and her owner one last time - this older fellow and his ancient dog walk along the Malecon in the morning - the poor doggie can barely walk and he is not much better. You see all sorts of sights. Tonight I saw a golden Lab with a coat on...(I snickered all the way back here...) which is something I have not seen at home...yep they put coats on the doggies here in the evenings cos it is COLD...uh huh. 15C is real cold....YOu can tell the North American dogs...they aren{t w

Last day in Mazatlan

Well here it is the last full day in Maz. I had divorced eggs for breakfast '-- poached eggs - one with green salsa and one wit red salsa on tortillas along with beans. It was good. Just back from a walk to the cathedral (no animals at that service) then on a different street to the ocean and back along the malecon. I stopped and had a coffee at a shop and sat and watched the ocean. Could watch it for hours! Yesterday I went into the small swimming pool here and had a chat with some people from Alberta and got some more ideas for things to see. The Flamenco performance last night was spectacular - really enjoyed it. The square nearby was full of vendors selling jewellry, hand bags, etc. I got myself two new pair of earrings. I ended up having tortilla soup at a restaurant on the waterfront here as the square was packed. Tonight there is supposed to be a free concert in front of the cathedral as well as food vendors along the malecon so will check both out. So think it is

Another Day in Paradise

Well had a wonderful breakfast at a place called I Love Lucy - yes they show Lucy reruns and the place is a riot. Took lots of photos. I had nogales cactus with potatoes and refried beans. Tasted better than it sounds - rather like squashed green beans sauteed with tomatoes and spices - it was absolutely delicious. The owner there is from California and was a great source of local info. He directed me to a wonderful shop in Centro with local crafts. I got myself a lovely sunflower mug as well as another piece of pottery and some more napkin rings....like I need more. I am obsessed with napkin rings and coasters - wonder if there is a support group for that. Now I am back at the hotel (computer in the lobby if you are lucky enough to catch it empty) and then up to my room to dump my stuff and head out. Late this afternoon I will go the local theatre and see a Flamenco production so am quite excited about that. Then I will have a nice dinner in the square. I love this area. On

Stoned at Stone Island

No not really.....nothing like that was offered. Made do with a mai tai and a beer. Today was okay - it was a cheap tour and you get what you pay for. At least the company today was much better. It was a small group - two honey moon type eating each others face off couples,(they were really nice though - the one nice young man helped me up the steps into the truck and boat - between the high sidewalks and that I will need knee replacement surgery by the end of this trip!) a family of four with extended family from France and me. I expected lots of young drunks so it was a pleasant surprise. Loved the beach at Stone Island but I realize I am getting squeamish about being in the ocean. I keep thinking of all the people I know who have been stung by jelly fish and what could be in there and I get nervous. So I contented myself with walking in a bit and splashing and walking out again. This was a calm beach not a surfing beach like the one opposite. Anyway it was a pretty goo

Mountains, cactuses and banana cream pie

Went on a tour to the Sierra Madre mountains today - to three towns. It was a nice enough tour and I got some lovely photographs. However the people in the van with me were basically a bunch of a**holes and dolts but we won´t go there. The highlight was visiting a tiny village with cobblestone streets. I got to see my first huge cactus, can´t remember what they are called. But you see them in cowboy films! We had lunch (included) which featured banana cream pie for dessert - ¨the best you´ve tasted¨. Uh...I don´t think so. But it was okay. They were selling t-shirts to help the local kids go to school so I got one. All I need to buy now is some locally roasted coffee beans and some Kahlua at the duty free at the airport and I am set. Last of the big time spenders. I got myself a tiny little pottery dish for my jewellry (with a sunflower on of course) - which reminds me haven´t bought any of that yet. I buy the market hand made stuff. I have booked a booze cruise for

Back from the beach

Well wandered around this morning - I tried walking to the lighthouse but got misplaced so will try it again Friday morning. Someone told me the correct route so will try that Friday morning. I walked around the Old Town again and went to the market again but I love the area. Toured an old house until it got swamped by a bunch of damn tourists.... The old town is pretty quiet which is what I love. (except when you get to the market/cathedral area then it gets a bit nuts but hey, as I keep saying compared to India it is nothing) Just back from a dip and a bit of a relaxation at the beach across the street, then I am off to the Golden Zone which is the main tourist area. Will take the bus this time! A fellow I was talking to walked there and back last night - sort of put me in my place although he did not walk in the heat of the day. Then again he walked up to the lighthouse and back in the a.m. Oh well. My a/c is working - all they did was turn it on. I swear I did that over and

Four hours and twelve minutes to paradise

Well here I am in Mazatlan. Flight was good (thank goodness for Westjet!). I was cheap and took the shuttle for $7 rather than $25 for a taxi. So glad I did as I was the last one dropped off so was able to get a tour. Saw the resort section in the north as well as the Gold Zone and finally to my little La Siesta. The hotel is fine - right now no a/c - it quit working but they will move me to another room if need be. The ocean view is tremendous - worth every penny for that. Not only that but it overlooks the malecon so my view is the crashing ocean, people and pets strolling along the malecon and swooping pelicans. And of course the killer sunset. I explored a bit of the old town yesterday which is where my hotel is situated. Wonderful. I also walked the malecon (walking path) to the beginning of the Gold Zone. Damn near killed me as I got this brain storm around noon so the heat was intense. It took nearly two hours. I mostly walked the malecon although did walk the bea