This isn't Ecuador!

Oh dear. We have only been gone 5 minutes and already I have posted the wrong link!

Our Ecuador blog is here:

click here

Dream machines

So on last stretch of road after beaches and nature trail we saw a
sign for dream machines. Strangely we have some time to kill so why
not we thought.

Very cool - martyn now thinks he is married to a petrol head. I
thought this would be a plus on the 'wife evaluation list' but maybe
with the train spotting in japan and the fact I found him an apple
store later it's all getting a bit much for him. Poor bloke.

In SF now just waiting for flight.rang again but no joy before May ah
well keep trying. We do want to come home. Honest. No we do really.

Missing home, weather is rubbish

So, what to do when the sun is shining And the sky is blue ...... Such
a dilemma. so we walked and watched the surfers for a bit. Guess what
- we had sushi for lunch - missing japan after all. Sat on beach in
afternoon using last pieces of unused clothing mentioned yesterday. It
must be a while since we have done this as we have apparently
forgotten all skills associated with keeping sand out of things ! And
having remembered to buy suntan lotion we apparently can't put it on
right either as we are both a bit pink in places - not bad enough to
require emergency after sun purchase though so that's okay maybe well
just sit on beach in jeans and t shirt tomorrow.

Off to san Francisco tomorrow we think as we have plan to see
Alcatraz and the bison again and Kay has found a walt Disney museum
which there is a family obligation to go to - All things tacky and
Disney must be participated in or fear the wrath of mother !!!!!!

View from walk 'home' below - Anyone know any ways of delaying
flights. we thought of setting off a volcano but we hear that's been
done !!!!!!!

Friday? We have lost track

We had better fix that, would be 'bad' if we actually missed that
flight we have been wanting so badly!

So as we have no guide book and are skiing "off piste" as some would
say, we found a leaflet for the monterey
bay aquarium - it was ace. Jellyfish the best or maybe the sea
horses not sure it's too big a decision - bit like what to have for
dinner or where to go next ........

No beach really at monterey although the harbour seals made good
entertainment and as we felt it was almost warm enough for our one
remaining item of clean clothing (swimsuits) we headed for the beaches
of Santa Cruz later in the day.

Nowhere booked to stay but were used to that now ! Found somewhere in
the end but complicated a bit by timing our stay with a surfing
competition........ it's not quite Hawaii but it'll do.

Knuckles

So, on up highway-1 we continue. I have decided to bring back some
bottles of unleaded petrol* on our way home, our car needed a fill up
today $30 for an entire tank! - i could make nearly 50% markup on that
at home

*this is a joke for those who think i am
being serious

We stopped at Julia Pfeiffer-Burns state park, and snapped this lovely
view. Taken from the site of the former home of Roosevelt's best man's
ocean view home- he donated it to the state of California when he died
so everyone could enjoy the view.

Kay closed the car glovebox on her hand today, kind of like Dobby the
house elf in harry potter. I have no idea why...

From large to small and back again

So not quite sure what our last blog entry said but no doubt we
sounded bored and just slightly stressed. The burger and apple pie we
are currently consuming is helping a lot with the second of those and
we haven't had time to be bored recently.
So a summary of events and explanation of the title of the blog for
today !

At some point last week volcano erupted - we had no idea until we
arrived at the airport. Flight home was cancelled so we were put up in
hotel for three days. When we went back to airport we were given fly
back date of 5th may everyone in Tokyo v stressed to say the least due
to uncertainty etc. Had option of flight to LA with link to UK from
SAn Francisco on 2nd May so hire car and off we go. So far Airline
have said don't even go to airport for standby list as there are too
many emergency passengers to get back so with a bit of luck we'll be
back sooner than we would have been but definately after martyn's
parents who went on holiday after us but will be back before us as
they're flight has not been cancelled.

Anyway had to buy emergency pants in Tokyo pleased with being
equivalent of large Japanese person. Now is US had to do more
emergency shopping - toothpaste shower gel shampoo and clean clothes
so that we can go out whilst all other clothes in laundry. So title of
today's blog using myself as comparison - large japanese = small
American. I'm still pleased !
And the back again - we'd forgotten American portion sizes - small in
japan and v large in US martyn is happy and stuffed and we shared !

I need a lie down now....... It was probably the apple pie that did it
but soooooo necessary !
See how much sleep we get tonight wide awake at 2am last night love
that jet lag........

Washing

Well today has been a chill out day we've stayed around hotel and
sympathised with lots of people. we have found out that our current
hotel is full tomorrow night so we have to go to the airport and see
if there are any vouchers for any others or if we are on our own - how
exciting.
we did take a nasty photo of the colour of the water from the washing
I did this morning on the basis that as we don't know where we are
sleeping tomorrow night we better have clean undies. Not sure exactly
what the link is there but it seemed important at the time.
instead thought I'd show you leaflet we found advertising the local
museum of aeronautical engineering. kind of ironic really.
ah well day three for us and day "lost count" for others so were still
smiling. some are very stressed and running out of money so if no
hotel vouchers tomorrow they are stuck,.......