Am in Memphis! These are some of the pics so far, sorry its not more










tiles outside the world trade centre made by kids

Me and the dress outside radio city music hall

Hersheys chocolate shop in Times Square




Am sitting in internet cafe in Memphis! I got to Nashville and spent 2 days there learning every kind of dance in the world (including the one on top of the bar in cowboy boots!)Nashville is a totally cliche, its so funny really. Guys on moterbikes, girls covered in scary tattoos, the works!!Its the friendliest city I have been to though, I really like it.
On the first night we went downtown and everywhere there was music and life. When I say we I mean most of the people in the hostel (about 5 of us) including a couple of guys who work there (with lovely southern accents) who showed us the sights. We got to a bar called Coyote Ugly and inside there were girls dancing on the bar (including us!) and was lots of fun. The second day we went to the Jack Daniels distillery (check out www.jackdaniels.com and enter 26th August and you should see my picture). Then at night we went to an open air swing dance where we jived and cha cha'd and was so much fun!!
Then i met 2 spanish guys who were doing a 4 day trip to Memphis and Mammoth caves so I decided to join them as they had a car and its cheaper and more fun to do it this way. Got to Memphis and spent yesterday in Sun studios and Beale St. Today I am going to sit and chill by the Mississippi river. Then tonight we are going to a place called Mammoth caves (largest cave system in the world) and then back to Nashville for another week or so.
Its so hard to describe but in Nashville and Memphis you feel like the cities (or large towns as they are) are actually alive. They have a rhythm, a soul and a movement that makes you realise why they are known for their music. Its incredible and hard to describe, but its a wonderful feeling and makes you feel so relaxed. When I arrived in Nashville I spent 2 days just being in Nashville and I feel more relaxed and at ease than I have felt in a long time. The only other place I feel like this is Scotland and only then in specific places.
Memphis and Nashville is what you think of as typical south america, small diners, coffee, everyone relaxed and taking life at a very slow pace indeed. I like it and didn't realise that the pace of Scotland is comparable to the pace of New York, its amazing how totally relaxed I feel here taking life at a much slower pace.
In the south there is a very old fashioned nature and charm to people. Everyone was dancing at the bars to the live bands and men are not self conscious the way scottish men are. They are relaxed. They take half an hour off from mending the fence to play gitaur and teach me a song. Men compliment women in a very honest and truthful way and there is no hidden agenda. We went out one night and I said that often when I go to 'make myself beautiful' people in Scotland would say 'we don't have a magic wand Amy'. After that I went to get ready and came out and one of the guys said 'well whadda ye know, the wand sure worked'. There is a very friendly nature to southerners as there is with scots but here it is underwritten with old fashioned romantic and honest gestures and in scotland it is underwritten with a hint of cheekyness.
I have been advised not to spend too long in New Orleans as the devestation is still quite bad and I am keeping an eye on the next hurricane that is in Miami at the moment!
You will all be pleased to hear that it is raining on and off here in Memphis today (but it is still 84 degrees....) The weather report advised that 'it will be a chilly 84 degrees here in Memphis today with some rain' - A contradiciton or what!
Think thats all for now. Will try and upload photos as soon as i possibly can. Love to all.

Dear all
Have been in Washington DC for the past 2 days and it is not at all what i expected. Due to the fact everyone wants to come here I am in my third hostel in three nights! Wouldn't be so bad lugging my stuff around if I didn't have burnt shoulders!
Washington DC is a very poor city, majority of population is black (I was the only white person on every bus I got onto) and there are people sleeping rough everywhere. Not what I expected at all!
Most things to see here are free, there are about 10 museams all down the side of the mall with the capitol building and the washington monument.
I am here for another 2 days, today I am going to the engraving and printing museam where they make the money and yesterday I saw the bill of rights, the consitution and the declaration of independence.
Day before that between I went to see Mr "will kill for oil' yesterday (and saw his wee hoose and back garden - very nice!!!)

I'm going to Nashville on Thursday overnight by greyhound bus and staying there for a week or so, then Memphis then New Orleans (hopefully!) and going to try and get to the smoky mountains, then memphis and then New Orleans.
It is 7am in the morning here as thats about the only time you can get online without waiting for an hour or so! Sorry about the lack of pictures but none of these computers have place to plug in to get my pictures off. Will email some as soon as I can!
The water here in the taps is so chlorinated and horrible and you have to drink gallons every day as its so hot. Thank goodness for air conditioning is all I can say! I am brown as a berry already!

Post Script written 6th Sept.
When i talk to other americans about DC they are very accepting of the fact that their capital city is very poor, very ghetto and is second only to Chicago for gun crime and murder. There were a lot of people sleeping on the streets and the bad and good areas were right next to each other. One street from the white house there is a church with benches in a circle where homeless people slept every night. It was not safe to leave the hostel after dark on foot.
Also very interestingly in Washington and New York all the homeless people and beggars were all black (without exception). The people who worked driving the buses, builders, fast food workers, and things that tended to be manual labour were all black as well. Just an interesting point. In Nashville its not so much like that but I've noticed that white americans are very anti-black. They are not racist as there is so many spanish/indian/african americans here that they don't prejudice against but most people I have talked to are very anti-black.

Well here I am in NYC!
Over the last few days I have done ALL the touristy stuff. Ground Zero was actually quite emotional with loads of plaques up by kids saying things like 'daddy we will miss you'.
Went up the Empire state building and the Rockafellar Centre (would definitly recommend the latter even though its lower as you can see more).
Did chinatown, greenwich village (where SJP lives), wall st, brooklyn bridge and today we sunbathed in central park! Its just so hot!
Tomorrow we are doing a 'movie tour' of New York, going to places that the films were made and shot on location. Sunday I get Greyhound bus to Washington DC.

Dear all,

Well tonight I go to the hotel at the airport with Mum and some champagne!!!!! Over the last wee while i feel like I have said goodbye to so many people and it has actually been incredibly hard giving up my whole life over the past few weeks.
I am looking forward to this trip so much and I hope that it is everything that I have dreamed it would be. Thank you all for the lovely messages and cards, I will miss you all.
Eleanor saying goodbye to you was one of the hardest things that I have ever had to do. I will miss you lots, I hope that you are having an amazing time in South Africa!!!
I will email all and post another blog as soon as I get to the states
Love to all