The Rose and Dragon: Life, the universe and everything

Well, this has been a while.

Life boxes on. I have to admit that I did enjoy my trip to the States, especially touring around with an Aussie colleague I met at the conference. A different world though...Arizona really is full of cacti, America is very big, they are obsessed with status and apparently trying to score foreigners is kosher on a conference. I was actually struck with how little training they seem to have as part of their residency - much more limited that Australasia or UK. The UK/Aussie contingent agreed - I feel smug :)

Tucson was an interesting spot, gorgeous weather. Really not a good place to be a pedestrian. I walked in to town on a Sunday and ended up on parts of the road as there was no pedestrian access! Also, town was SHUT on Sunday FFS. I was trying to find a decent coffee which I have since discovered is an impossibility in America. The coffee is so bad, like drinking dishwater. I resorted to pepsi (apparently coke is unobtainable in Arizona) and hung out for a good coffee on return to the Antipodes.

Bitchiness aside, the American crew were a really friendly bunch from the staff at the hotel to the attendees at the conference. Certainly couldn't fault being interested and welcoming - even if somewhat stunned that people from around the world are prepared to check out an international conference!

What a nightmare trip back though. 6 hours waiting for a connection in LAX...that was delayed for another hour. Finally left the US at 12.45pm...to have a screaming baby for 13 hours on the flight. Honestly, why aren't children taped onto the wing? They could cryo then defrost on landing. Or drop them over the ocean.

Here's some photos:

J W Marriott Starr Pass Resort - cheers work for putting me up here :)

Free tequila shots at 5.30! Epic.

Schooling in Arizona...love it

Wahoo! The yellow buses are real.

Starr Pass - how the other half live

San Xavier del Bac Catholic Mission. Wandered out here for an hour or so, just south of Tucson.

Tombstone, site of the "OK Corral" debacle..."the town too tough to die". This wee spot is about 80 miles out of Tucson and is vying for the tourist dollar. It's a maintained "western town" and every second building is a tourist trap. A fun visit, even if a little cheesy!

Tombstone "taxi"

Tombstone Court House

The gallows!

Boothill Cemetery and the OK Corrall boys

Love it

Wagged one day of the conference to go to Tombstone and then drove (on the wrong side!!) to Sabino Canyon which was a fantastic walk in the afternoon. I may have been a little inspired with the water on the valley floor. Awesome scenery, ironically reminded me of Milford Sound with the styling in the rocks, minus the Saguaros (cacti) though!

I'd rate Benson as a place to eat on the way back to Tucson - had an epic US sandwich in a roadhouse...without cheese. Awesome. Of note, the ants in Arizona are big enough that they carry cheeseburgers back to the nest, not just pieces of food.

Cool - even I, the arachnophobic, was impressed by the tarantula wandering across the path. Oh, and the mountain lion basking in the sun on the rocks. They even give you a pamphlet on how not to get eaten by a mountain lion. My strategy was to push my travelling companion into its path and run away. Operation human shield.

Finally, a trip out to Sonora Desert Museum before heading home. Essentially a wild life park set in "natural surroundings". Hard to avoid the American idiots though - there was a lizard on the wall of the aviary (?buffet lunch) - and one of them had to try and touch it. Sigh.