Hello! Sorry we haven't written anything in ages we have spent most of the time in the middle of nowhere with no access to computers/internet and believe it or not this hostel in San Francisco is the first chance we have had in the past few weeks to blog, but thanks everybody for still reading!

Ok, so in Miami we rather stupidly fell asleep on the beach and both got quite painfully sunburnt so weren't able to go on a night out because we could barely put clothes on. Apart from that the beach was nice, although Miami South Beach itself was very touristy and a bit tacky in places. The following day we picked up a silver Yaris from Miami airport. Both very worried about driving it; the sat nav took a while to pick up our location so we spent about 20mins just following the car in front and then pulled up into a Wendy's to figure out where on earth we were. That same day (Ailsa peeling) we drove to the Everglades, about an hour frrom Miami South Beach where there was an alligator farm. Saw loads of alligators, held a baby one and went on an airboat ride (just the two of us) across the swamp with alligators in. Spent the next day in the National Park which was really beautiful, very humid and very hot. We went down to the southernmost point of the mainland, saw many more alligators, a couple of crocodiles, turtles, stingrays, ospreys and a manatee (just), and went on another boat trip into the Gulf of Mexico (just the two of us again) and saw the keys, but couldn't go swimming due to the amount of salt water crocodiles and sharks. THEN GOT BITTEN ALIVE BY MOSQUITOS. Honestly the most horrific experience with insects so far. Even with insect repellent on we had to run to the car and time our entrance because these things were coming for us like the giant wasps in jumanji. Horrible. Two bites on Ailsa's leg have only just disappeared - massive bullseye rings of which photos have been taken (they both spanned 2 inches).

That night we slept in the car in a hostel car park and paid $10 to use their showers etc. Then drove back to Miami and Ailsa realised she had left a load of stuff at the hostel including a toothbrush, bra, pijamas, hairbrush. So we had to drive BACK to the everglades to pick these things up which were just lying on the kitchen table. Nice one. We found a cool hostel and met some really nice Australians and a few british people (and some crazy crackheads from Texas). We went out to a bar and then a club which was really expensive and had alot of crazy naked dancers/men in chainmail on podiums.

The following day we started our journey down to the Keys. It is just one straight road with the sea on either side and was a really beautfiul drive, stunning sunsets. We stopped at Key Largo and went to a nice, quiet, small park with a view of the sea. Ailsa interrogated a tramp about the snakes and sharks and then moved on to Key West. We found a nice motel to stay in in Key West (where accommodation is quite expensive). It was only $5 more expensive than the hostel. The next day we had breakfast at the southernmost cafe (located at the southernmost point of USA). The beaches in Key West are all man-made beacuse the Key is all coral hence no sand; however we found a really nice, unusual, quiet beach which we spent the day at. The sea was clear and warm with the occasional barracuda. That night we went out on Duval street (the locals call it 'crawl st' because you end up crawling between bars by the end of the night). Started the night drinking Four Loko - $2 a can, 12% alc but tastes DISGUSTING. Grim. Moved on to cocktail bar and then to Sloppy Joe's (where Ernest Hemingway used to drink). There was a really good band playing and had bit of a dance. Met a few strange people that night incl. one OLD creepy dutch guy refusing to believe we were english and another weird asian man who bought us loads of drinks with, fortunately, no consequences. After the band finished they came down to the bar and the same weird asian man bought them loads of drinks, so we bonded with this band over the general awkwardness of the situation. Then moved onto another bar with the band where we (Ailsa) did karaoke. Cringe. Then in the toilet there appeared a parrot (massive, blue and yellow, and talking). Ailsa became quickly obsessed with the parrot and there followed several hundred demanded pictures of Ailsa and the parrot in multiple positions. Then Anna was forced to hold the parrot and it bit her. (The next morning we literally had hundreds of scratches on our arms and shoulders; no blood was drawn and the parrot didn't have rabies). Many photos to come of this.

The next day we woke up to our motel phone ringing telling us that it was past checkout time as our alarms 'didn't go off'. That day we went to the Little White House - the holiday home of the presidents (except Obama) that was renovated by Harry Truman. Really lovely house, calm, uncluttered and really interesting to look around. We went past Hemingway's house and spent the rest of the day at the beach mentioned above. In the evening we started our drive towards New Orleans; there followed several days of ropey nights sleeping in a car and washing in service station McDonalds. Grim. Stopped at a beach in Clearwater, a national park in Tallahassee where we swam in the lake (where there were alligators but didn't see any) and went around some pretty gardens. Following day drove to Montgomery Alabama and visited the Rosa Parks memorial museum, probably the best museum we've been to, certainly the cheapest! we had a quick look around the town (met lots of 'I love y'all accents') then drove through Mississippi to New Orleans. Dropped the car off at the airport and had an IMMENSE shower (having not washed in four days. Nice.) at a motel.

On 26 May we began an organised tour/trip with 8 other people, so we had to meet up with them and our tour guide in New Orleans. They turned out to be really cool, fun people (3 british girls Alex, Sarah, Sam; 1 Austrian Jakob; 1 Swiss Andrei; 1 Norwegian Anita and an older Indian couple (names still unknown) and our group leader Ryan, also cool. From Kentucky.) Went out with them all in New Orleans to a blues bar, good music. New Orleans was very cool (lots of art work on streets, galleries etc.; sat on banks of the Mississippi) but we didn't really have enough time there. And it was extremely hot. The next day we drove to Houston Texas. So began the next few weeks of camping. Enough. Said. We have put up a tent more times in the past few days than we have ever done in our lives. Anna had never put up a tent before in her life and still managed to be better at it than Ailsa. There followed obsessive checking each night for insects and spiders, and snakes (accompanied by hysterical and unintentional voodoo chanting by Ailsa at a spider- will explain in person). So yeah, well equipped for Australia. Ha...

All the group then travelled together to San Antonio (texas) where we saw the Alamo (texas battleground/town frrom 1800s); Carlsbad (New Mexico) visiting underground caverns and then went to a drive in movie which was a really great American experience. Apparently drive ins are dying out in the US so felt privileged to go to that. The campsite in Carlsbad was really beautiful - slightly mountainous with a lake, but loads of HUGE grasshoppers/bugs and vultures. Also many sprinklers which sounded just like rattlesnakes, so that kept most of us up during the night.

Then had a long drive to Santa Fe, New Mexico. Town of huge historical importance to the development of the west with a lot of Mexican influence in architecture, culture etc. Hard to believe it was in the same country as New York City. Had lovely Mexican food, went to some museums, chapels etc.

From Santa Fe we got to Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado. We hiked around the cliff dwellings of the ancient Pueblan tribe (really interesting, photos to come) and the same day arrived in Monument Valley, home to the Navajo tribe. That night we all took a jeep tour into the valley with its huge sandstone monuments and our own navajo guide (Ira). We had some native food and entertainment, and camped in the valley. It was a stunning place and one of the best experiences we have had so far.

From there we all drove to the Grand Canyon, Arizona. Hiked around the rim (there is no barrier so stayed reasonably far away from the edge). Our campsite near the Canyon had a massive male Elk in it when we arrived which got a few of the girls scared but still quite cool (and rather that than a mountain lion). Then on to Las Vegas where we stayed in a really nice hotel and had ALOT of fun - first night went in hummer limo around everywhere and then out. Next day spent by pool/sleeping then went to all big casinos (sorry no money won, only lost), some of them were amazing - Bellagio light show stunning. Some were so drunk that they got tattoos. (Not us). After Vegas we then headed to Death Valley, possibly the worst place to be with a hangover, although compared to the others in our group think we got off quite lightly. Stopped off at several viewpoints; very hot and salty. Then headed on to a campsite in Bishop, California

The next two days we spent camping next to Yosemite National Park. Went on several walks/hikes - saw Sequoia (spelling?!) trees, hiked up to top of Vernal falls v. tiring but very rewarding. A few of us then hired bikes and cycled around the valley. Didn't see any bears :(

So. Finally. We drove from Yosemite to San Francisco which is where we are now. Spent the first day having a guided tour with Ryan and then we all went out for dinner to say goodbye. Today we have been to Alcatraz which was really cool and went on a cable car ride through the city; tomorrow we are planning on doing a bike ride over Golden Gate Bridge before catching our flight in the evening. Hopefully it won't as long before we blog again! And hope everyone at home is well!

p.s. we do have loads of postcards to send to people, so if you haven't received any yet it's because we haven't actually managed to send them. But they have been bought, and will reach you soon!