Vegas and Bust!

Please send money...Stacey gambled it all away...HELP!!

Just Kidding! Well we finally found a computer so thought we better reassure you all that yes we are alive and well, and although we didn't gamble our life savings aways, we are equally disappointed to report that nor did we win up big despite high hopes and shattered dreams!
We are having an awesome time so far, can't believe how quickly time has flown already. Our first impressions of the US have been all good, we have been blown away by firstly how big everything is..... big freeways, massive cars that the freeways are home to, huge meals and huge prices to go with it!

Unlike the last blog of Croatia - this one has no photos of food...partly because of what it is but predominantly because the cable to connect the camera to the computer is...well...still at minnamurra! So, until we get a new cable at our next Walmart stop there will be no photos at all and you are stuck with our written descriptions. To be fair the food has generally been good and we would recommend a Spanish Tapas bar in Vegas to anyone visiting. The Pho at the Casino also passed...the burger last night didn't (well not yet...)

Have become accustomed to driving on the "right" side of the road, and the car remains intact. We hit Route 66 today - most of it has gone in the name of Progress....and driving out of LAX after a 13 hr flight with 2 hrs sleep was a challenge....we finally got to Vegas and started our stay with watching a tacky free show out the front of our Casino...we got free "VIP" tickets (which means we were the ones that got splashed on when they jumped in the pool in front of us!

Vegas = travelling the world in 3 miles...Paris,Ancient Rome, Ancient Egypt, Asia, New York and Venice - Canal and all...all they need is a Big Ben Casino...the place was offbeat in places, seedy in others (one can't walk down the Boulevarde without having business cards for "Hot babes direct to you" being flashed in your face! Our favourite place was the Venetian and it's fake sky roof and the canal...no need to go to the conference in the real Venice Jo (to those who don't know she's my 40 yr old sister:)) - you can come here!

Vegas equals light wallets, long walks, expensive everything (unless you want seedy) and Croupiers dressed up as entertainers (apparently the Michael jackson interpreter has just retired - he wanted to reinvent himself)...we had janet as our Croupier as the Blues brothers played. We won cash at that seedy place (same place human nature are playing - they think they're good or something??) We also saw a great show - Defending the Caveman...recommended. Vegas is also home to heaven on earth - a GIANT store that is a shrine to that black goodness known as coca cola!!!!

Today we spent most of the day driving West, Route 66 and the Interstate...punctuated with a stop at hoover Dam - that place (and not to mention the bridge they're building to bypass it) is quite impressive. We passed a cool town called Williams (cool by name and therefore must be by nature) and have now reached the Grand Canyon. Spent the afternoon watching the sunset and the everchanging hues created by the retreating sunlight. We took many photos but alas you can't see them. One of the most spectactular views I think you could ever see

We ate at a place tonight called "Spaghetti Western" and we thought that meant it was a take on the old films of the same name - italian food in the West...alas it just meant overpriced and crap - kinda like the films! Not to worry, we made up for having to pay an exorbitant amount by souveniring a "county fair drinking jar" (think jam jar with a handle)...good for beer. But we thought our experience was bad until we saw the poor English family at the table next to us complain that the lasgne was frozen (same meal that stace had) only to have the posters on the wall fall down on their heads!!

We better be off to bed now - up early for a helicopter ride through the Canyon, followed by a Digital photography tour of the Canyon (free - Thanks Canon) and a walk into the Canyon itself....and a 4 hour drive!! Told you this place was Big!

Keep the comments coming.

In reply:

Mum/Dad - Yes we are well
Chris - read above - we had nothing in Vegas - it's all yours
Rob - Oh well if they don't let us back in we won't have to work again - I hear we can get permanent residency in Zimbabwe pretty easily....
Deb - Here's the update - sorry it's late and has no photos...and as for Brett...well you get that...it's tough coming back from leave. By the way - have photos of Trailer Parks
Jowen - Great news - would much rather be near the tower than out at Heaffrow...if you need anything let us know (as for ca$h - read Vegas comments)..

Catch yas.

A New Adventure...coming soon

Hi all...watch this space. In a weeks time we will be heading of to the USA!! Bring it on. Can we survive the next week at work?? We're all booked and have even chosen a factory outlet mall to hit on the way from LAX to las Vegas...shopping is obviously a favourite American pastime and we intend to enjoy a bit of it.....

If you don't hear from us next week...here's hoping it's because we've won millions at Vegas!

See you soon

Jeff and Stacey.

Dalmatia Photos

Hello All,

weather for much of the cruise with only yesterdays rough winds and rain and high seas causin of Southern Dalmatia for much of the past week. We have been blessed with unseasonal goodWell we are back in Dubrovnik after having worked hard cruising around the islands off the coastg discomfort and sea sickness to many of the passengers, and to the rest of the crews delight poor old Mario the cook who was found feeding the fish over the side of the boat!.

We have added a couple of choice pics of some of the islands we have visited below.

Cruising the Croatian Coast

Hello all

After a few days sailing we have stumbled across an internet cafe so we can bring to you our latest episode of travelling. The bear and I had an argument and it"s now overboard somewhere in the adriatic...stacey somehow made it back...such is life!

We are both enjoying the sailing....not that theres any sails involved...its all motorised....but it has been fantastic and we have another 5 days onboard...today we were swimming in the adriatic in a little cove on a relatively deserted island. The swim required us to dive off the top of the boat...because well, you know you just have to do these things...the water is certainly warmer than Krka National Park and just as clear.

After kilometres of walking and sightseeing each day it has been a nice change to just lay on the deck, relax and catch a few rays of sun. We have been fed 3 course meals for lunches, completely undoing all our good work over the past couple of weeks. We of course then had to wash it down with a gelato once we made it to shore.

Yesterday we visited the Miljet national park.... an island consisting of two large salt water lakes and we docked this afternoon at Hvar. Looking forward to a good night on the town with a few of our shipmates!

Its just about beer o clock so better go..... will add more pics again next time. Dont forget to keep those donations coming!

Crying poor...donations welcome...the woe of the aussie dollar tumble

Contact us for details on how to donate to make sure we get home and can finish the trip. We may take a while to get back to you as we will be sailing the adriatic and being fed like kings *except we have to pay for dinner...so please do not hesitate to donate.....



We are in a little town called Skaradin at the moment enjoying a traditional breakfast as we type this...that being a thick slurry of cocoa called "hot chocolate" and a reconstituted orange juice....all you need to keep going....



The last 2 days we have been in National Parks fighting bears and wild cats...Stacey sacrificed herself for the good of humankind to the brown bear....but alas I am safe...besides it was in Plitivice National Park...and everything there is World Heritage Listed...I wasn't up to breaking the international law on the protection of endangered species!



Both parks were beautiful the second being Krka but Plitivice takes the cake...take a look at some of the photos below....it is an area only recently formed in geological terms and is known as the land of the falling lakes...the lakes are constantly on the move...albeit at an extremely slow pace and fall down the hill through limestone.....



Lisa Grant - we hear there is a Discovery Channel doco on the lakes and if you can get your hands on it we would love to see it...note we are poor and cannot afford Foxtel ...unless of course you want to donate to the cause above.



Here are the photos as promised:

Tommy lives...on Krk Island

Just a quick one...





We have been hearing from our puppy sitter (grandma White....thank you for your efforts) that our little tommy has been eating like a pig (and in her words this stretched to other members of the household....we think she meant abby)....was a typo we suspect....all jokes.





Anyway, it appears that tommy has had enough of eating hotdogs and pies at the local minnamurra shops and has swam out of the heads at minnamurra river and turned left...ending up in Krk Town....a smaller and leaner puppy...maybe he shrank in the wash of the waves......

PS...Not long now Tommy and we"ll be home...so no more hot dogs or pies and "Operation Skinny Tommy" kicks in...

Miss you puppy...

Why travel to Croatia?

A common question we have been asked before our trip and even during it is why are we travelling in croatia? Is it because we have croatian heritage? No...thats not it...Are we Deutschlanders coming back to our previous empire holiday retreat? No ...as we have said a few times on this trip...No...non sprechen de deutsch we are AustrALian (as opposed to Austrians who ran Croatia for a while and do Sprechen de deutsch...thats "speak german")

No we came here for a few reasons...we didnt get here when we lived in the uk...and we heard that the coast was quite an attractive place, the food was good...the vino and pivo just as good, the girls good looking (that was staceys reason for coming here)....and we might pick up a few new words and tennis tips....

To prove a few of these points...take a look at these photos below. T>hey are from the last week of travel...starting in Pula and Opatija and then going across on a ferry from Brestova to Cres and onward to a little town of Velli Losinj where we basically had the hostel to ourselves...on another ferry to Krk Island (thanks for the tip Herbie) and then a big drive to Zagreb where we are today and will be for a few more days...the latter was navigated by stacey who sent us around the world via a little mountain town called samobor...why you ask_ She told Jeff it was a nice place according to the book....what she didnt tell him until we got there was that it had an even nicer cake called kremsnita (like a vanilla slice) and that was the real reason we were there....it was worth the 2 dollars!

Anyway...we"ve had a request for more photos....so here they finally are...we will give a commentary in our next post tomorrow...the lack of internet access in the off peak season has caused our delays in posting....enjoy and dovejena (goodbye)

Above: Brestova Beach...well a little beach at the ferry port.....

Below: A happy but not yet fed for the day Jeff with Kalamar stuffed with pršut...or squid stuffed with ham. Not to mention the yum grilled vegetables.

Above: Stacey in the little town of Velli Losinj where we spent 2 nights...a colour coordinated effort by all. Not to mention staceys efforts at looking like shes in a mirror

Below: Eating like a local (either that or a tourist)...a big seafood lunch, beer and wine next to the water....we didnt finish it all.

Below (L to R): Krk Town on the island of Krk (original name) and Jeff protecting the local Pletnix girl"s modesty on the island of Krk (again...thanks for the tip herbie)..