Well I have finally stopped talking about it and jumped on the plane to the US. The flight was pretty good. Did the usual crap watching a few films, but before that had a few beers with Colin O'Connor to get the dutch courage I needed to get on! When I got to New York I had no hotel booked and immigration wouldn't me me into the country without an address (that I was supposed to be staying at) - Doh! A cop told me the name of a hotel and I put that down on the form. I then got my backpack and took out the details of the hotel where the trek starts from. Got a shuttle bus from the airport to that hotel only to find out it was fully booked - Doh again!! Spent the next two hours waliking around New York trying to find a hotel with a room. I must have checked at least 10 different places and was getting pretty pissed off. Central Park was on the cards for the night when a lovely lady at the Carlton Ritz searched on line for me and phoned the New Yorker hotel who happened to have rooms available. I jumped in a taxi and 10 minutes later was paying nearly $300 for a suite on the 24th floor. Nice views and a free breakfast, but you almost want a woman in the room for that money!!! Tonights the same story only the New Yorker is fully booked so I am looking again. Tomorrow I am getting a bus to Boston and have my hotel arranged for two nights there. Back to New York for Tuesdasy evening to begin the trip on Wednesday. I'm off to do a bit of shopping now and maybe a helicopter tour over the statue of liberty - its a hrad life. Hope you are all well in England and Irleand. Mick