A nine hour flight saw us landing in New York. I have always wanted to visit the city but really had no idea of what to expect. I was immediately in awe!

The thing that most immediately hit me was the way every body on the busy streets (in cars, taxis, on foot and on bicycles) interacted with very little friction. The movies always portray the city as being full of rambunctious taxi drivers and crazy pedestrians, making the city look like any other city metropolis; but the truth is that cars, peds and bikes all co-exist as by way of some kind of common conciousness. Maybe I was just there on a good day but it really impressed me and made me feel at home in a way that only cities like Tokyo, Copenhagen and London have in the past.

On top of this good news was the individual culture of the city, unlike that of the America I had seen in the media, it really is a world in itself and I began to understand the story I had once read of a woman who was born on Manhattan 84 years ago and has never left.

A weekend of exploration took us to all of the usual tourist sites - Cantral Station, Times Square, the Empire State Building, the Brooklyn Bridge, Little Italy, China Town, a couple of Navy ships and of course Ground Zero.

I spent Sunday roaming Central Park and its surrounding museums and galleries. It is one of the most amazing portions of the earth I have ever had the pleasure of visiting. The highlight had to be MoMA (Museum of Modern Art), I'm thinking of taking long service leave just so that I can come back and see it all! Luckily, my day of searching was easily fueled by hotdogs and gyros - street vendors are something we really need back in Oz.

Our final destination was Las Vegas. Again, I had no idea of what to expect other than lots of bright lights and lots of loud drunk cashed up (or down) Americans. I was pretty much on the money.

Las Vegas really is an assault on the senses. Walking down the strip you are constantly surrounded by bright lights, street shows (such as the Pirate Battle pictured at Treasure Island), bars and explicit advertising for everything from hot babes to lawyers or guns.  Such a place really isn't my thing, but this didn't stop me from  making the most of what will probably be the only time I'll ever visit.

The highlights for me were  Cirque Du Soleil  and our visit to  the engineering marvel which is  the Hoover Dam (of course the sandwich with four different kinds of meats was quite impressive, the only sandwich that has ever defeated me!!).

Finally, the lost photos, believed to be from the last night of the trip.....in Vegas......found on my point and shoot.....hmmmm

According to witnesses, fish bowl sized drinks and Tim's yearning to win every cocktail auction at the bar, resulted in some fun times.

The last day was spent in Las Angeles. I didn't get to experience a whole lot of the place but did enjoy a huge final supper at Venice Beach.

Even though the trip was officially a work trip, I arrived home feeling well rested. The work acquaintances we made actually added to the fun of the trip as they were the local knowledge we needed to experience the real side of the cities we visited. We also spent many of our days in areas not part of the tourist trail, seeing the back-blocks of cities and eating and drinking with the locals. So next time you get asked if you'd like to go on a free trip around the world, why not say yes.........?