Rotation
The tour guide does not like the idea of creating daily seating plans and so told everyone that he likes the 'move round 3' system! You basically move your seat three rows from the day before. This means everyone will be given a chance at the front and will end up next to different people every day! So A and L had to go from the front right to the other side of the bus and move back three rows! So....quite simple....but it means that for the next few days they will be moving further and further back in the bus before they can start moving up again!
Option Choices
Well, it would have been easier to pick our eight subjects for Standard Grades than do the 'option choices'! Basically it works like being on a cruise. You have the trip and a number of planned special visits and tours. However, if you want to do other activities as you go you have to OPT in to them! Simple! But, as you guessed that means buying into each one! So the rep let everyone settle in and enjoy the views of the Californian valley we were travelling through before saying, 'I need everyone's options by the time we get to San Louis Obispo! Well. We had looked at many of them and had decided we did not fancy many of them! So....this should be easy....until L heard about each one and would say....'Oh, that sounds interesting!'
The tour guide went through each 'optional tour' in great detail telling us what each one involved and WHY we would be silly not to do it and which ones he would suggest are not worth it!so, suddenly the list started growing! Before A knew it he was filling in the sheet saying they would do the Universal Film Studio tour in LA, the Rustier Rooster 'western night', a helicopter ride into the Grand Canyon, a trip to Hoover Dam, a 'San Francisco by night' tour and a tour to the Muir Woods and Sausalito! Suddenly his sun burn started to pale a little bit....but the 'sell' had obviously worked! The guide needed to know what people wanted to do so that he can start to book them in advance. They felt a bit for the family of four as if they were doing a few of these with four people it was going to mount up quite a bit! But they have a number of exciting things to look forward to as well as the planned parts of the organised tour. Keep reading for updates on each of these!
Bus Games
For the first time on the trip we hit a little bit of a traffic due to roadworks! Well, some of them felt they might get a chance to sit quietly while the guide collated all his 'option sales' to see what he needed to book! However, no such luck! He said that it was the perfect time to play a little game! They were going to play 'Name Bingo'! They were all given a sheet with 25 squares, but luckily I missed out, and over today and tomorrow morning they had to speak to 25 people n the bus and write their name and where they are from in each of the squares! Then the following day a prize would be awarded to the person who gets a line of 5 names in a row first when he reads out the names in a random order!
So, you can imagine A and L! They would HAVE to speak to the people on the bus! To be honest they have mixed well and have spoken to those round them in the bus and at times like breakfast time! But this time you had to get their names and note them down! However, it went well and soon people were moving round the bus trying to bag the required number of names! So, as of tonight they have two more spaces to fill! I am annoyed they cannot add me or that no one else has asked to add me!
However, the interesting thing is that even after two days some people are wondering when the guide will stop talking as we go from place to place! He is a bit of a character, as I suppose you would have to be to do a job like this, and he has a mix of 'official commentary' with the facts, figures and points of interest about each place we pass to the jokes, comments and Adkins that he throws in! L has commented that he is too like A for her liking and they appear to have similar senses of humour! I think she means that she doesn't get everything he is saying! Commentary is interspersed with musical interludes to go with the commentary! However, it goes to extremes when he plays cow noises and horse noises from his iPod when we go past herds of cattle etc! When we past the town where Michael Jackson had his 'Neverland Ranch' and where he stood trial we suddenly had 'Billie Jean' being played! And when he was surprised by the cloudy morning we had today he played 'Ain't no sunshine any more' and even more odd link ups! But it keeps everyone on their toes!
So, today we left Monterey at 9am. Our night in the 'Days Inn' was fine and the breakfast was basic but quite suitable! However, the guide was quite scathing of it and told us that this was the 'most basic' of the places we would be n and so that means the rest will all be very good!
They had hoped they would travel down the coast from Monterey to Lompoc but they took the highway from Salinas to Santa Maria. L complained that all the discussion of 'options' meant she missed some of the spectacular scenery! They had one stop on the way at a 'rest stop' ( loo) and the temperature by that time was in the high 80's! It is a very interesting fact that when you are on the north California coast the temperature is maybe only in the 60's or early 70's but by going a few miles inland the temperature suddenly jumps to the high 80's or into the 90's! We have been warned that we will now be facing regular temperatures in three figures until we make it back to Cisco! A had burnt arms yesterday - despite the fact it was a very cloudy and cool day! Things will only get more difficult from here on!
Anyway, they made it to San Luis Obispo for lunch time! We were told we would have around 1.5 - 2 hours here! It was a small town of around 50 thousand and was another well to do place! The shops looked very interesting but they did not waste too much time there and half the coach ended up in the same place for lunch as it had a nice outdoor patio area! They also visited the 'Mission' church which was one of California's oldest and original Mission's! You can see me with a 'monk' and having a special bear sized ice cream in the photos!
After leaving here they entered the county of Santa Maria. The houses were getting more and more audacious and our next stop was at Solvang! Solvang means 'Sunny Valley' and for the first time he can remember we got there on a day which was cloudy and not baking hot. Well, they seemed quite happy. Solvang is a Danish town and has been been developed over decades to look like a Danish town! The buildings were very interesting and it was like being back in Europe. The only thing was there did not seem to be many Danish people there running or working in the shops, cafes and attractions. L felt it was like being on a film set and wondered if there really were buildings behind the facades!
Anyway, after an interesting hour or so we were off once again to our final stopping point of the day at Lompoc! This seems to be a small place and is just a stopping off point for the night! However, the motel is very nice and they have a huge room with two king size beds! As long as they don't fall out I should have a huge bed all to myself!
On arrival everyone was invited to a special 'Happy Hour' reception in the dining room! Why do happy hours always last longer than one hour? But for $3 each they could continue with their 'Name Bingo' while enjoying a variety of nibbles and beer and wine! However, there was a limit of 2 drinks per person...depending on who was on duty! As we had been warned it was Miss Strict who was on duty and she was not for giving anyone more than their entitled two drinks!
The guide had gone over where you could go for a meal at night....but he would despair when most people ended up in the supermarket getting something to ate back to their rooms so they can veg out and have a quiet evening
So, a great day and I managed to see quite a bit along the way! I hope you enjoy some of the photos! Tomorrow they are preparing to hit the huge metropolis of LA - the city of angels! However, our guide is a native of LA and he assures us there are very few angels in LA!!! However, we will make our way there via such places as Santa Barbara, Hollywood, Malibu and the Strip! Roll on.......it may be my chance for fame and fortune!
These are now full of bustling shops and eating places!
At last a bear-sized ice-cream! Just don't take it on the bus!
Ok.....update you all tomorrow hopefully from.......Los Angeles! What times my audition on the casting couch! Better make sure I have all the bear essentials for my big film debut!
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