General Next Panda Adventure......

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General Next Panda Adventure......

I'm at 8056 miles total from starting out in New York...

Not sure yet when the boad docks but the Panda Positioning System will be back on next week so we'll have a better idea then!

Jim
 
e505jpy said:
I'm at 8056 miles total from starting out in New York...

Not sure yet when the boad docks but the Panda Positioning System will be back on next week so we'll have a better idea then!

Jim
boad docks ... why you already talking like a new yorker!
next it'll be "waz duh madda wit dew?" and who can forget the "Hello officer Dibble"
 
Leave me alone, I've no spell checker on this lap top! (Alan went home, remember!:p )

Today was a bit different as I had a lie in (yea!) and then got on the Freeway towards Washington but after the first 100 miles I got bored of looking at the arse end of a MACK semi so had a look see at the map and seent that there was this 'Scenic' road marked that ran over the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia (Yeah, I was looking at them from Salem and didn't know:eek: )

Anyway, it ran thou the beautiful Shenandoah National Park and is part of the Appalachian Trail. It cost 15 bucks to get in but was well worth it as you got 105 miles of fairly trafficless roads and stunning views.

Thou Fred was a bit unhappy about some of the park rules:(

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Had a great time charging round the bends (at about 40:eek: ) and stopping off for pics... I took some phone video which looks ok on my handset but really crap on here but you can have a look if you want. Just make sure that you turn the volumn down as I'd forgot that it was right about the speaker...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UCzsjvSCEk

The Park Ranger came over to see how I was getting on (Ranger Pattie, apparently) and she let me take some pics of the two cars while she delt with a slightly broken down car...

Stopped off late there in Washington and am staying on Pennsylvania Avenue aabout a mile from the Whitehouse.

Got out and about a bit tonight but I always get lost everytime I come to Washington so didn't go far. Found the big pointy thing and the Watergate Hotel but I'll leave the rest till tomorrow:D

BTW, Fred took some of the photos but I soon realized that he's not really tall enough....

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After that we got him to sit on the roof when he wanted to take snaps....

Jim
 

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Oh, just incase you've not noticed theres an addition on the Parcel shelf of the panda... Yup, just in case you thought I didn't have enough bears in the car I bought a Panda called Ling Ling after the first ever panda to ever come to the United States from China as a gift to President Nixon... I wonder if George would like a panda from the Peoples Republic of Northern Ireland...:p

Anyway, back to Ling Ling. I kinda got talked into it by this crazy californian lady in Big Sur:eek:

Well, she told me the story of how the pandas got their colours....

Well, there was this shepard boy who went travelling and met an all white panda (All pandas where white then) and he got to like the panda and it went with him on his adventures.
One day a mountain lion attacked one of the boys lambs so he went to save it but got mauled himself. The panda went to get all the other pandas and they came to see if they could help but the boy wouldn't wake up so the pandas mourned him by putting black bands on their arms made from soot. They started to cry and they rubbed their eyes, held their heads and hugged each other causing the soot to leave marks on their fur. The boys parents heard the pandas crying and came to the mountain to see what it was and found the boy surrounded by pandas, all weeping. They where able to tend to the boys wounds and bring him round and he told them of what happened.
The pandas, now knowing the boy was safe all left the mountain side to go deep into the forest and vowed to keep the black marks as a reminder of why they should never again befriend and travel with humans....

Anyway, I thought it was funny but then she started telling Alan the story of the Roadrunner, and something about the firegod and her mother and rainbows and then about writing to Alaskan Airlines and funny enough they didn't write back, etc... And Alan made his 'Crazy person' face and legged it to car leaving me, my wallet, the $30 panda and Crazy woman behind the till...

I think I've actually bought real cars that cost less than $30:eek:

Jim
 
About those people in the deserts of California... they say aliens landed there and they are all affected...

i think they have something :rolleyes:
 
Jim don't be washing Sylvia now until you get her home. Like the Morocco trip I'd like the pleasure of cleaning her up and servicing her just as a welcome home. It would be ok for you to have a good scrub though :D
 
Mmmm....

Tony M said:
has no-one car jacked you yet Jim!?

No, but then again they may have the same problem that the valet parkers had here at the hotel with the steering wheel on the 'wrong' side. They couldn't work out which one was the clutch either!:D

In the end they got a guy from Pakistan to come and take it to the hotel carpark!

Jim
 
Finale` in Sight!

Bravo Jim!

Blue Ridge Parkway is extradordinary. Glad you ran it. We've had a few Freak Outs down there and have had caravans along it. Spectacular views and driving, though slow speed limits. Then again, why would you want to rush past that gorgeous scenery?

I'm quite busy here, but ready to adjust my tasks and accomodate you to help.

Allan is no longer with you?

I'm standing by.....

Bobb Rayner
 
Tony M said:
About those people in the deserts of California... they say aliens landed there and they are all affected...

i think they have something :rolleyes:

I think you'll find it is New Mexico that is famous for aliens. Does Roswell ring any bells?!!! ;) Most Californians are crazy enough without aliens adding to the equation. Los Angeles is not called "La La Land' for nothing :D
 
Look, I thought we'd all got off Dave's Ass....:confused:

So after last night and the mainly south american hotel staff struggling to drive a Fiat Panda 2 blocks I went to the front desk this morning to tell them I needed the car out of the lot and they sent 'Dawit' round to get Sylvia... Now me being the well travelled one started to try and cover the basics of RHD to Dawit with lots of slowly spokens words and hand signals in the way that only the british abroad can do... Ask Alan how cringe worthy it was in Africa when I tried to explain the concept of areoplane travel to a hotel manager (that spoke 5 lanugages) by me standing there, making jet noises and flapping my arms:eek: (thou I was a bit under the infulence on that one:D )

Anyway back to Washington... So at this point Dawit thought it would be a good time to tell me in mid pationisation that he was from Bradford and his sister used to own a panda...

Ground open up and swallow me whole:cry:

He was a good sport and wants a copy of the photos!

So went for a cruise round Washingtion with the windows down and it's sooo funny. Every intersection or crossing someone would always shout over something (and not w*nker like back at home!:p ) like 'Hay buddy, who's driving?' and todays best one 'Excuse me Sir, but is it really difficult to make right turns in that?' was from a police man who then asked what order the peddles where in... That's the great thing about travelling in a panda here, everyone thinks it's really neat and very very cool and just has to tell you that. Excellent when your on you own and enjoy the craic!

Anyway did the touresty stuff for an hour or so, did the museums but found this might and thought it might appeal to the panda owners (it's very panda fan sort of thing:p )

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This is the spare wheel of the Lunar Rover from apollo 17. When they where unloading it out of the ship the fender got damaged and fell off so when they drove it on the moon it kicked up so much dust they couldn't see where they where going so they went back to the lunar module and got some maps and some tank tape and made a fender up!

Total panda technology!

Then came up to Philly to see Bobb before I left the US and thank him again for all the help that he's given me over the last 5 weeks. When for tea with his friend Sherman and he sorted me out with a motel (and talked me into the Jacuzzi suite... I've not been able to get Fred out of the bloody thing all night!)

Kinda weird thou.. Remember the photo of the panda outside 2 garages with 'Fiat Drive' on the wall? Well that was Shermans yard 5 weeks ago when Sylvia landed and we where back there tonight after an 8457 mile round trip of the USA

Speaking of which I did let him drive a little today so that I could get a nap...
Think all went well but you never know with these bears:chin:

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Right, I'm off to go kick him out of the funky bath and get to bed:sleep:

Jim
 

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