Long time no post

Well some of you already know what I've been up to in the past two weeks since my last post.  Well I've been on six different time zones, five different flights, four different countries, and three different continents.  Phew that sound exhausting, and I think I have only just about recovered after only waking up at 12.30 this afternoon.

Well I suppose I should start off from where I left you in my last post, so New Zealand.  So my flight over to LA was quite pleasant really, this was very much helped by the fact that I had four seats all to myself so could stretch out and lie down.  Well what to say about LA, well their winter is very much the same as an English summer except for less rain.  That's just about as positive I can be about LA though.  It was a very grubby and run down city. Also very spread out and no real centre to speak of.  I took me the best part of a day to find a book shop, well it was a very nice book shop when I eventually.  I guess people in LA aren't all that big on reading.

After LA I headed to Houston in Texas to visit a school friend Claire and her husband Adam.  For those of you who nothing about Houston, like me before I got there, it is near the coast, the fourth biggest city in the US and it is unbelievably flat.  Houston was huge and the only possible way of getting round it was by car, well can you really imagine the Texans being into public transport!  I just stayed there for a couple of nights, just enough time to get a brief overview of Houston and to eat lots of food.  Will definitely have to go back for longer later on this year.

So after Houston I headed for New York, and that was a shock to the system after nearly a year of sun.  -6 degrees in the evenings and a few foot of snow.  So in New York I did most of the touristy things, so walked through Central Park although it was covered in snow so I can't tell you what it really looks like.  I went up the empire states building, walked around time square, went to Macey's.  I also met up with Jeff who I first met in Cape Town, so I got an evening out in New York with locals.  It's always nice to be able to go out with the locals in a place as you get to see the real side of a city.

So you're probably wondering why I was in New York as it was the last stop on my trip.  Well I had a change of plans.  No now I'm in France having been via London.  I decided I wanted a break before heading down to Mexico and South America, some time to visit friends and family. Especially the little ones who change so quickly.  Matilda, Owen, and Barney (Who I hadn't met yet a he was only born just before Christmas).  Well I thought why does a trip around the world have to mean you have to stay away for the whole of that time. Nothing wrong with coming home in the middle, it's nice to be staying in a house for a while  where I can unpack my clothes and get a room and a double bet to myself for a while.  So here a some pictures of those little people I was particularly eager to see.....

Matilda (AKA Monster)

Owen (AKA Wrigglesworth)

Barney (AKA Barnicles)

So what are my plans from here, well true to form I can't really say yet.  I'll head down to Mexico, then into Belize and South America.  When will I leave, in a few weeks, in a month, in two months who knows.  Knowing me I'll decide and then leave the day after!  Well whatever my decision I'll keep you up to date via my blog.