L.A, Elijah Wood and Glow worms

So, we were at the airport in Santiago ready to get a flight over to New Zealand and this guy comes over wearing a uniform and asks if we would be willing to stay in Chile for another night because the flight was full. The deal was that we were to stay in the Sheraton hotel for the night and the following day, with meals, plus $300 (or $800 off LAN flights). Errr lets just think about that for a minute.

So, back at the Sheraton, in the pool after having a decent nights kip in a luxury room with top notch fodder and ….wait for it… a bath, things are pretty cushy. Being paid for lounging about in a hotel, playing my guitar and watching films is something I could get used to. On arriving back at the airport that evening to take our flight we were approached once more by the same chap who asked if we would be interested in doing the same again but we pulled faces and ummed and aaghed and so we got $400 (or $1200 off LAN flights) and again I found myself in a hotel, sleeping, playing a bit of tennis (in skinny fit jeans) with the superlative king Andy Merrington and Jacqui Walls and generally getting paid for chilling out.

The following night…….yep you guessed. Same chap but slightly different deal. Would we fly to L.A where we would be given a hotel room for the day and then a connecting flight in the evening to Auckland. We got paid $500 (or $1600 blah blah). I am gettin on the plane and next to us in the Queue is Elijah Wood. Obviously I gave him my autograph when he asked. It was a bit strange really and It was fairly difficult to get John Watson to stop whispering “dirty little hobbitsis!”

So, there I am in Beverley hills and down Hollywood Boulevard among Jack Nicholson’s hand print, various Batmen, freaks and Elvis. The Hotel was a suite and had no less than 2 wide-screen TVs and a bar. We had complimentary meals again…welcome to the US…enough to feed the 5000. After a whirlwind trip around the 100 mile city and an impressive stop at the observatory in the Hollywood hills I got the flight to New Zealand.

Although the arrival in NZ was delayed, it was worth it (I was Skint!). Now I’m here though, this country is off the scale when it comes to breathtaking views and wildlife. I have been here 3 weeks now and have travelled the North Island, been in Caves and floated under glow worm constellations, biked 100’s of km across mountainous ranges and walked empty moonlit beaches. Its like a giant film set. Funnily enough the Dirty little Hobbit we encountered on the plane featured alongside New Zealand in its big claim to fame as the starring role in The Lord of The Rings. Its not difficult to see why it was chosen, with its smouldering volcanic landscapes and colourful thermal lakes and pools.

We are in the South Island now and plan to do a bit of extreme stuff as this is the capital of all that extreme stuff. A giant bungee jump might be on the cards but we’ll have to see what Mr bank manager says. Everyone from back home is talking about the credit thing but its difficult to get a grasp on it all when yer in the great outdoors. I might just have to live in my tent for the rest of my days using the money from a bit of busking and hitching the planet. I Just read “Into the wild”. Its the story about Chris McCandless, the chap who abandoned his life to live on nothing but his ingenuity and resourcefulness in the Alaskan wilderness. Its quite inspiring and struck a chord somewhere deep inside.

My album is officially out now in all the proper digital places and stuff which is cool, Play.com, Itunes blah blah. (see top of page) Its a bit of a struggle to get anybody to giv it a listen at magazines or owt like that but fingers crossed…

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