Day 29 - last full day and some driving around Los Angeles...

So an early start as we headed to Warner Brothers Studios in Burbank for the Studio tour. Visited the backlot, saw various sets (e.g. Chicago hospital from ER and the coffee shop from Friends), sat in on a scene from the latest U.S. sitcom (the New Adventures of Old Christine?) and then visited the museum, which featured costumkes from Harry Potter, the Matrix, Superman, Batman's car, etc. An excellent morning.

Then off to Santa Monica, a walk up the famous pier and a go on the ferris wheel! The sun was shining and what a great view of the beach.

Then off to Hockey Monkey in Anaheim to buy Shaun some new skates, before ending up at the Honda Center for the Anaheim Ducks v. Calgary Flames - after twice being behind the Ducks won 3-2 in overtime, so what a superb game to end up a busy but really good day.

Here's an idea to bring into British Ice Hockey - during the American TV breaks, six of the Might Ducks girls come on armed with shovels and clear the surface of surplus ice! Must mention it to the Swindon Wildcats...

So it all ends tomorrow! Pack up our things, check out of the hotel to get to LAX for the 5.25pm BA flight that gets us in to London Heathrow Terminal 5 at 11.35am on Friday morning. Thanks for following the blog - I hope you've enjoyed being on holiday with us!!

Day 28 - welcome to Los Angeles...

So the Queen Mary 2 rolled into the Port of Los Angeles around 6am. A really nice arrival with a great view of the sunrise over Saint Pedro with clear blue skies.

So a farewell to our room...

So we were ready for us to get off at 8am. Er... yeah right. After joining the queue of around 500+ people on board to be "inspected" by US Immigration at 8.15am, we eventually stamped at around 9.30am. We then managed to get off just after 10.30am. Then a lift in the Enterprise hire car mini bus, to get the hire car around 11.30am. But hey! For an extra $5 a day more, look at our car!!

So off out of the port and on to the Harbour Freeway all the way into Downtown in L.A. The traffic flowed really well and we were actually in the room in the Downtown Sheraton at around 12.30pm with the car parked, valet parked of course (!).

Then time for a wander. After the obligatory Starbucks and a few pastries, off towards the Staples Center to suss out arrangements for later. So outside - here we are outside a statue of the best and most famous ice hockey player of all time, Mr Wayne Getzky, who of course gave his name to our cat (hope he's enjoying his holiday with you Shaun!).

Then inside the shop to buy my Lakers t-shirt in preparation for tonight's game, but not before we investigated a certain L.A. Galaxy shirt that may soon need to be in the bargain bucket section...

Then time to get changed, ready for the L.A. Lakers v. Oklahoma City Thunder at 7.30pm but not before some nosh at ESPN zone! So here it is - wall to wall basketball and ice hockey (there must have been four different games of each on the giant TV screens) as you enjoy a burger and a beer. Not a place you should spend less than four hours in!

So off to the Staples Center - and what a great view. The only major bit of star spotting was the famous Lakers supporter Jack Nicholson - sitting around 30 yards away. A closer game than predicted, with the current #1 team in the NBA the Lakers eventually winning 105-98.

With free internet here at the Sheraton, the best deal we've had yet (!) and the keyboard in English!

Day 27 - last full day on the QM2...

So... a last day of getting around and taking a few final photos, a few other bits and pieces and then getting ready for the last dinner. Oh and another round of tea, scones and cakes in the Queen's room served by the waiters in white gloves. Oh how wonderfully quaint.

So here we are with one last session with our table mates, and Ralph and Helga:

Day 26, off Baja California (Mexico)

So we're almost into countdown mode with only two last nights to go. So what of today? Cloudy this morning and then some sunshine in the afternoon. And it sounds like the rain and only 14C in L.A. is moving away for Tuesday.

So had a bit of a "British" day today - pub lunch and fish in chips in the Golden Lion where we met Alex and Frances who were originally from Scotland but now live in Florida, and discussed curry houses in Glasgow amongst other things tartan.

Then we attended something so very British - an afternoon Tea Dance in the Queen's room. Unbelievable. An afternoon band, waiters go around with white gloves serving tea, sandwiches and cakes, and people dance on the dance floor all very seriously. Felt completely out of place in my shorts and flipflops and I'm sure had a number of critical glances. But every song the dance floor was full - including "gentlemen dance hosts" who invited the single women up to dance. Let me make it clear most of these ladies were not under-50 shall we say, but respect - they could do a rumba when they wanted to.

Then a late afternoon frazzle to top up the tan. Off now to have a drink and get ready for the last formal dinner. Until next update...

Day 25, going loco down in Acapulco...

... or so the Four Tops song goes!

Arrived like clockwork at 7.00am, and took the 8.30am tender boat to Acapulco. So here I am in the internet cafe still to see the place, but giving our blog followers time to catch up with last week's photos! Anyway here's a few from this morning already...

Some views from the ship, the QM2 looking back on the tender boat into the sun, and with Alan and Vivienne heading out to look for this internet cafe!
















So after a spell in the internet cafe, we wandered along the coast and spent some time on the beach watching the fishermen pulling the fish from their nets. Not much of a sight but the amazing thing was... around 50 huge pelicans wandering around only feet away! Watch out for the picture update when we get to L.A.!

We then wandered around the town, took out some Mexican pesos (20 to the pound), and had a look in the market. We then grabbed a taxi and headed up to the cliff divers, these nutcases who jump 40 metres down a cliff face into the water. An amazing spectacle. Oh, had to have a Corona in a local bar as it was so hot (understandably).

We then headed back to the town, bought some bits and pieces in another market, found our way back to the port and had a couple of Mexican margueritas (as you do). Spent the last pesos on another t-shirt and headed back to the boat (picture below). Nice place Acapulco!

Days 22 to 24 - at sea

So the ship has been following a straight line between Callao/Lima and Acapulco which saw us cross the equator and re-enter the Northern Hemisphere about 6.15am on Thursday. Interestingly the last two days have been a bit rough at sea as we hit the more open waters. Prior to that the Pacific Ocean (and for those of you who didn't know, named by the Spanish because it was seen as being so peaceful) was as calm as a millpond.

Yesterday brought with it cloudy weather and rain, but as all meteorologists would know this is the equatorial zone where convection creates clouds and rain (!). Today it has cleared up and we have a perfect blue sky and 28C or 82F - but with a 25 knot wind, the boat going at 28 knots and the rough conditions (8 to 12 feet waves), it's pretty windy and blustery out on deck! Nice for a salt water shower as you sit on the deck!!

Yesterday I succombed to something dodgy which I must have eaten (or the traditional dodgy pint?!?), so have not been feeling so great today. So an early night ready for Acapulco seems a good idea tonight.

Hope all is well at home - I hear ice hockey training has been cancelled tonight due to the snow - so things pretty bad in Bristol and Swindon I understand?!?

Look out for a longer update and pics from Acapulco tomorrow...

Oh, here's a nice sunset...

Day 21 - a day in Lima, Peru

So with military precision the boat pulled into Callao yesterday at 7am ready for 2,600 punters to offload and have a look around Peru's capital Lima and the surrounding area...

So how did the "Grand Tour of Lima" pan out?

7.45am - breakfast
8.45am - line up in the Grand Palace theatre waiting for your bus number to be called - we're yellow 25
9.00am - get on the bus with Eduardo the driver and Ernesto the guide
10.00am - arrive Monastery of San Francisco in Lima
10.45am - walk to main square in Lima and visit cathedral











11.15am - back on bus, told off for being late













11.45am - visit Miraflores, posh bit in Lima with view of Pacific coast















12.15pm - lunch in nice restaurant with good nosh and wine
13.15pm - back on bus
13.30pm - visit Indian market















14.15pm - back on bus
14.45pm - visit Lima Gold Museum; an awesome collection of pre and post-Inca gold
16.15pm - back on bus
17.30pm - back to QM2
18.00pm - boat leaves!

So no time for internet cafe I'm afraid, so I will need to leave the photo update to Acapulco, Mexico on Saturday. A great but busy day!!

So now for three days at sea - spent this afternoon sitting on the deck looking for flying fish, whales and dolphins... your snow (the Daily Mail had seven pages of it yesterday I see! We get the papers transmitted to us) looks amazing but with a blue sky, 26C and warm sunshine here it all seems a million miles away!!

Thanks for the messages - please feel free to send some more!!

Day 20 - off the Peru coast...

So it's warmed up, 24C or 75F so a bit of sunbathing off the deck this afternoon while hopefully looking for whales and dolphins! We're currently at 17N and 76W, if you can get your atlas out and find our position!

A bit of a disaster earlier - Ricky our cabin steward over zealously cleared an area around our bin including all Santiago postcards! So sorry guys, none coming from there!!

We have our second successive 25 hour day today as the ship readjusts its time from Santiago time (GMT + 3 hours) to Lima time (GMT + 5 hours), and more to follow as Los Angeles is eight hours different!

I'm now down at the internet checking deadline day transfers, sad I know... I hear you've got a bit of snow back home?!?

Oh, and off to the evening. Time to say goodbye to my two buddies from New Jersey, Al and Alan who I enjoyed a full evening of beer drinking and the Superbowl yesterday... and here is Chris and fellow barman from the Golden Lion...

Day 19 at sea, overcast and cloudy...

... I know, your hearts bleed for us! Apparantly due to a low pressure, the Lima current (you know it well) and the cool air coming down from the Andes. Oh well. Apparantly some dolphins spotted over the port side this morning.

So some more indoor activities and I finished my Rio at Night picture. Off to the pub for lunch soon and then will be watching the Superbowl, after attending the Commodore's cocktail party first.

A great day in Santiago yesterday - will post some more pictures when we hit Callao/Lima on Tuesday.

An early post today as I've just checked the Toon/Mackems result - 1-1 with a dodgy Shola penalty equaliser I read.

Thanks for the comments and please keep them coming - It's great to read them in dodgy Internet cafes in South American city back streets!!

And in the evening, time for the Superbowl... and what a game!

Two new foll0wers - hi Rosie - and Black Star, please tell me a bit more about yourself and how you got the link? Until next time...

Day 18 - Arriving in Valparaiso and the bus to Santiago!

Arrived in Valp´o at 7.30am, and arrived here in Santiago at around 10.30am. It´s 30C,clear blue sky and nice and hot! Have had a Starbucks (!), done some shopping and then found this cafe! So need to finish this post and then do a bit more walking around!






























Here we are in a park, with fantastic views of Santiago...





























Finally, time for a beer...














And then after getting back to the boat, time for the sailaway form Valparaiso... a good day!