THE view from Glacier Point

There you go Z, you're in my blog.

Vernal Falls

Thats me standing under Vernal Falls. The hike up there killed me. God I'm unfit.

Animuls

Yosemite

Our accom under the cliffs. A major rockfall happened while we were there not far from the camp. The place was nice with all the fallen leaves and stuff.
In true American style you could have everything you wanted in the valley. Despite the fact it is a national park you could take pets, get a fresh cooked pizza, eat at a fancy restaurant that required a suit for entry, and ride around on buses rather than walk.

Lots of big stuff

El Capitan. Yosemite Valley.

Whinge

I took a week off friday-to-friday on the week of my birthday. My first week off in longer than I can remember!
My tequila-drinking buddy Zoya came over from London on thursday to visit me for the week including four days in Yosemite. Being able to spend pounds and in need of clothes, I endulged her in a day of shopping. Big Mistake. We took in Valley Fair (owned by Aussie co Westfield) in Santa Clara AND the Great Mall in Milpitas in a 6 hour marathon/ordeal. My legs were killing me in the end but I suppose it was good practice for Yosemite. She spent a ridiculously small amount of pounds for a huge amount of loot. More bags than we could carry in fact.
I bought a jacket. Ahhhhh shopping with women....

Drool

Jag Fever. I didn't get any more before they drove away in it. Bastards.

The chapel.

More attempts at being arty-farty.

Macros from the Garden

Too easy.

Vertigo?

Seen Vertigo anyone? This is the mission where a lot of the movie was filmed although the clocktower was pulled down afterwards.

San Juan Batista

That's Saint John the Baptist to you. About an hour from home, this town has one of the most famous original missions still intact. The town was pretty cute too. There was a classic car show on in town as well. I took *lots* of photos but will restrain myself here.
After seeing the mission and the car rally what better to do in an American town with Spanish influences than have lunch at a German restaurant. In the corner there was a table of old Germans who were very drunk and spent the whole time singing German songs and talking about Hitler. Some stereo-types never die.

Carmel

This is Carmel. A rich sea-side town just down the coast from Montery. Nice streets, lots of coffee shops and art galleries, a beach. A nice day trip.

Obsessed with having breakfast even though it was 11:30 in the morning, we waited 45 minutes in a huge outside queue to have brunch at a cafe that claimed it did the best breakfast in town. And geez it was good. They almost served a proper bowl latte too.

Thanks

Thanks everyone for all the birthday messages. I was pretty overwhelmed with how many people hadn't forgotten me yet ;)

Yeah..

I'm so lame at posting lately I'm reduced to mentioning things that haven't happened yet.
Things that will be blogged:
1. Stanford Cardinals US football game.
2. Vegas
3. San Jose Sharks ice hockey game.
4. Vegas
5. Possibly the Grand Canyon
6. Vegas

Things that won't be blogged.
1. My failed attempt to park in San Francisco and see the air race on the weekend. MAN, parking sucks in that city.
2. My trip to the dentist (I can hear the sighs of relief).

Rafting pics

MY pics are still be scanned by a colleague but here are some of the official Tunnel Chute ones.