So you may have noticed that we've been a little slack on the blog front for the past three weeks. The truth is that we have been running around like headless chooks trying to see and do as much as we can.
We began September in Banff, a small ski village in Canada's Rocky Mountains. We were there to celebrate the wedding of some very close friends and rediscover this incredible country we have both been fortunate enough to live in years ago. Both the wedding and the surrounding areas were stunning and we enjoyed catching up with some friends we hadn't seen since before we left Sydney.
We were then off to New York City for 10 days. We stayed at an incredible boutique hotel just near time square and were upgraded to a large room on the top floor with views of the Empire State Building because we were on our honeymoon.....yes we used that old chestnut!
We managed to fit an incredible amount of sight seeing, eating and exploring into such a short amount of time. We enjoyed a 6 hour historical tour of downtown and midtown New York and a Hip Hop tour of Harlem hosted by an old time Hip Hop star JDL from the Cold Crush Bos. JDL taught us the 4 pillars of hip hop music and more importantly, how to steal electricity from a traffic light pole for your DJ decks if you ever wanted to throw a big hip hop party in a school yard.
We made it up to the top of the Rockefeller Tower and were blown away by the view and the magnitude of this incredible concrete jungle. Other highlights included seeing the latest Broadway sensation Memphis, the Bodies Exhibition with displays of numerous preserved cadavers, a trip to the Jewish suburbs of Brooklyn for some Matzaball soup, a romantic stroll through Central Park, two nights at a local comedy club and catching up with some of Rich's school friends.
We also spent time exploring the trendy suburbs of Soho, East and West Village and the Meat Packing District. Highlights here included the high line - an old above ground train track that has been turned into a park and the people watching in Washington Square Park. While we didn't spot any celebrities walking the streets of NY, we did stumble across a film shoot for Law and Order which was exciting for a couple of Ozzies.
The museum of Modern Art was "interesting". We loved the paintings by Picaso, Chigal, Dali and Monet but there were also numerous pieces such as " the hanging knob" and the breakfast table that were a little disappointing after the calibre of art we enjoyed at the Louvre and the Uffizi...what can we say...we've become art officianados since Europe.
We were also fortunate enough to watch the men's semi finals of the US Open tennis. As it so happened, the top 4 seeded players had made it through (Nadal, Federer, Djokovic and Murray)....what a treat! We were there from 11am - 9pm and loved every minute of it. 
We even got a great shot of Natal picking at his behind, his signature move before every serve. Flushing Meadows lived up to its reputation, providing a loud, excitable and vibrant crowd for all 9 sets of tennis...it's a far cry from the civilized crowds of Wimbledon, but so much more fun!
Our stay also coincided with the 10th anniversary of September 11. While only those who's family were directly effected were allowed to visit the 9/11 memorial, we did see some ceremonies around the city and many signs and billboards up around the place. 
It was then farewell to the Big Apple and on to Havana Cuba. This city is something very special and definitely unique. Apart from the 60 year old cars that occupy the roads and the magnificent (but completely run down) colonial style buildings that line the streets, it is absolutely fascinating learning about the workings of the last communist country on earth. The average wage here is $20/month. 
People are struggling just to feed themselves and their families and they have all come up with inventive ways to earn a little extra on the side.
We enjoyed a tour of the city on a horse drawn carriage and a tour of the local cigar factory where each cigar is made by hand using the same techniques they have been using for centuries. 
Apart from this, we enjoyed all the live salsa music in outdoor cafes, bars and restaurants and relaxed by our rooftop pool. We were also privileged to see a performance by what remains of the original Buenavista Social Club...a Cuban salsa club from the 50's.
As it is not possible to fly from the USA to Cuba, we stopped off in Isla Mujeres on the way back. This is an idillic little island off the coast of Cancun and is the perfect place to relax under an umbrella on the soft white sand and swim in the warm turquoise water...a must for anyone who hasn't been there. Rich took the opportunity to do some diving and I made the most of the cheap massages at the hotel!
We're now off to Las Vegas where Richard will be left in the poker halls until he has won back all the cash we've spent on our trip. We also plan to take a helicopter ride to the Grand Canyon and have tickets to see Penn and Teller's famous magic show.This will probably be our last blog post.
This adventure has been everything we'd hoped it would be and more. After 40,000 miles, 29 flights and packing and unpacking our suitcases more than 45 times... WE'RE STILL NOT READY TO GO HOME!
We hope you've enjoyed following our adventure and we can't wait to catch up with you all when we get home next weekend.
You stay classy Sydney
Rich and Simone xxxxx
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