crickets in dallas

right well i just wrote a huge witty informative blah blah blah bit about the 'whats the worst that could happen' tour of america and the stupid computer suddenyl deleted it. which makes you feel like you really dont want to write it all again but instead throw the computer on the floor. unfortunately we are in our lovely hotel lobby so i dont think it would be too appropriate. so what i had just written and was about to...
Giant flying crickets in dallas... only made it out of the hotel for some nightlife spotting (hmmm) for about an hour before we had to return, well run and jump and scream, to the hotel because they were so horrific. cant describe how bad, people prob thinking bit pathetic but they are EVERYWHERE. and HUGE. i've decided i actually like cockroaches after enduring those for a night. shudder.
So much more need to tell from before, missed out a huge chunk... so back in time, not sure where to start... vegas, amazing, too hot, rank hot dry wind, cant go out during the day, (original casino owner is a genius) but fun in casinos, although everyone v serious about the gambling and me and laura know very little and putting bets of $20 (high rollers), go to studio 54, see hundreds of brides and wedding parties, stay at the mgm, beautiful room, unfortunately dont make our millions or see george or brad. little disappointing. see hoover dam and then back to poor mike's for a bit after im sure he thought he was rid of us for good! have bit of worrying jounrey for a bit when the 'engine transmission exhaust or sth' light comes on telling us something is wrong. decide best way to deal with it is to keep on driving as quickly as possible to get back to LA. miraculously, no idea how, the light turns itself off so the clever car sorted itself out (i think it was my excellent driving which did so).
back in LA, chill, try to sort rest of stay out for a bit. meet laura's friend's friend's friends (yes really) out in LA, go to mood bar again for some harry potter thing. all get drunk and persuade them to change their whole plans while theyre travelling around in cali for a few weeks and come south with us to san diego. so team spaz is born and road trip begins two days later! san diego, v nice, love fact big going out bit with all the bars next door to each other, more like home, called the gaslamp district and close to hostel. hiddeously drunk surprsie surprise on the first night, big game of ring of fire at the hostel, make it out about 1 when everything closes about 2! not much memory on everyones behalf (i certainly hope).. couple of days there, the world famous san diego zoo! pretty fun. felt like watching anchorman! then head down to mexico.. ensendada for fiorst couple of nights. really nice, actually feels like a mexican town, end up at this amazing salsa/samba club where they had live band and people dancing on stage. puts us to shame with our wiggling of the hips and hands in the air (yes all the cool kids dance like that)all absolutely amazing dancers, as in just the locals, not professional dancers or anything. we completely fitted in! became fluent in spanish again obvisouly. loved speaking it, determined to have lessons when get back... fi?! flea market, blow hole, margaritas.. head up the coast a bit to rosarito,also nice though more touristy, apparently is the new TJ... $10 all you can drink night. big mistake. heinously drunk yet again and this time no memory at all. same for eveyone else... i hope. am going to have to start those chris tarrant memory books when i get home. head up to Tijuana, last stop in mexico. feeling horrific/def still drunk. dont even realise i have one of my contacts in when wearing my glasses. TJ pretty horrible, feels too magaluf style, way too aimed at the tourist and people literally dragging you into their bar/restaurant offering free tequila shots at about 1pm. not too tempting/feel a bit like an alcoholic even if sober, feeling hungover then mention of the word almsot makes me gag. 'i swear im never drinking again' (i have to say actually i've kind of stuck to that so far, def havent had a night like that.. i went behind the bar of the club we were in and started making cocktails while speaking perfect mexican and jumping on the bar. oh dear.) leave mexico next day, back to hostel cat in san diego for a night. to joshua tree national park next day to camp... watch out for snakes and bees. mmm my favourite. funny night of 4 man ring of fire with wine and leftover margarita mix. am clever and start drinking water towards the end. feel slightly smug and v happy the next day when its about 90 degrees at 7am and the others are feeling pretty shocking. dont think i could handle a hangover in that heat. next day drive to flagstaff in arizona. smaaalll town, everyone feeling v tired and bit ill.. still recovering a bit from mexico, cleverly drank the tap water without even thinking... navajo indian reserve and monument valley the next day, amazing scenery. monument valley where all the western films shot. went on a horseride through it, local taking us 4 out, not matter the boys had never riden and me and laura werent exactly experts, we were galloping along (the guy had no time for strolling through, had to keep up with the wild horse he was riding bareback!) through the shrubs and sand alongside these massive red rock formations. truly spectacular. the aching thighs, layers of skin taken off of my ankle as my shoes kept almost falling off and walking like john wayne for a bit were totally all worth it. i have also decided i want to take up horseriding when i get back too. back to flagstaff for night and then grand canyon next day to camp again. beautiful and something like you've never seen before.. we are all indian jones style v brave and climb onto some outer rocks, make you feel a little sick and sweaty when you look down (even though was doing so on my belly pulling myself along!) camp, FREEZING all night, barely sleep, watch sunrise, back to flagstaff where boys drop us off and we have an emotional farewell as they leave for vegas and us for phoenix. phoenix bit crap. get overnight coach to roswell, v fun. but at least had our own seats to stretch-ish out on. shocking 'sleep' though. spend the say walking through the town... ie. walking about 15 minutes from our motel room to a parade of a couple of cafes, souvenir shops, clothes shop, v small town type stuff and EVERYTHING geared or related or have a picture of aliens. go to ufo museum, nothing like the one in the prog and im very sad to see it looks nothing like it (yes yes i know its filmed in LA) as the woman behind the gift counter at the museum says, 'they make it look a lot nicer in the programme', so she clearly thinks a lot of the town! almost dont make it out of roswell as forget to purchase our ticket from the teeny desk which shuts at 5.30 (most others open all night, although cant really expect much!) luckily bus driver gives us one (oi not like that you dirty minded people) and we have another fun overnighter to dallas, we did have to ask is this the way to amarillo as we had to change there. it was so we tried to fall asleep hugging our pillow, dreaming dreams of amarillo. got to dallas, nice and humid, feeling rank and tired from long journey and then to realise we had nowhere to stay and no number to call. A LOT of yellow paging it later and then having to make a trip to the library, which on route to, my suitcase that i bought in san diego (when we dragged the boys into target, and then where they spent $150 and we had to drag them out. what a place) after my other one broke, bloody tesco value, so felt like i was literally dragging rocks, in my smelly and hot tshirt and tracky bums in horrible humid weather. think quite a few swear words were shouted which i obvisouly cant repeat here and will never say again. which brings us here top tonight, to hotel indigo which is really beaut and really not helping with our 'we really have to tighten the purse strings' beginning. but as i said, we got cereal and milk so i am happy for brekkie, lunch and dinner. should prob get some fruit as well. anyway, tired of typing, some crazy old women in recption screeching, and we have to try and get up early to do lots of touristy stuff (jfk shooting scene mainly, little morbid but has to be done as we're here) so sorry this is a bit rambling, doesnt really flow or make sense but internet time is precious and flies by! will try update more often and less. off to austin for a day then new orleans after here, so looking forward to some jazz and blues dancing!!