Facebook Post -California Trip

Here is Josh's post he wrote on Facebook back on Saturday May 2, 2009.

Places we went (on tour)

Firstly, there was Disneyland, which we were all really looking forward to. We arrived quite early and were shown backstage where we saw everything you're not supposed to see unless you work there or maybe got really, really lost on your way to the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh ride. Anyhow, I shouldn't say much because they liked to retain the magic - we weren't even allowed to film or take pictures.

The mini concert was great fun! We had almost become part of the Disneyland cast being on that stage!

After, we transmogrified back into normal people again and split off into groups for our day in 'the happiest place on Earth' as we kept being reminded on the loudspeaker! But I have to say, when queuing for a whole hour for Space Mountain (a <2 minute ride!) it certainly did not feel like 'the happiest place on Earth'! Despite this, utilizing the fabulous fast track system (random italics visually quoted from the tickets), we were able to jump - actually it was more of a mocking caper right to the front of some really long queues. And then we could definitely say that it was 'the happiest place on Earth'! Other highlights were the fantabulous Indiana Jones ride in which you are placed into a typical kaki coloured jeep and driven around some rainforest or something, all in the Indy style.

But whoever was driving was so bad that we were continually hurled from side to side, flinging our heads back and forth - I thought we were going to crash it was so realistic. In fact, the driving was so horrendous, I even had to check with Big Ben that it wasn't him (he is in fact an utter maniac behind the wheel).

We also managed to bag some fast tracks for Splash Mountain from a very nice man who worked there and saw us singing. Splash Mountain, is, I have to say, the most annoying ride ever! I refer, of course, to the exasperatingly extensive build up with all those lovely happy Brer-[insert animal name here] animals joyfully skipping around.

But then, the heinous Brer-Fox hatches his evil plans to boil them all and eat them for his supper. Anyway, this tomfoolery prevails for about three hundred years with some miniscule drops in the route added in just to keep you awake. And then finally you arrive at the big, big drop you've all been waiting for only to get totally saturated and spend the ride home with your own mini Jacuzzi in your lap, but just colder - and with no bubbles.

However, clever people like Rob and I sat right at the back and only ended up accumulating a puddle for the way back!

We also went to the sensational Laguna Beach, where lots of us partook in the digging of a colossal hole, by the end in which Mini-James could actually stand up in and not be able to see over the top!

Though saying that, it isn't really any feat considering the size of Mini-James! I mean, I did hear once that in his garden there are a number of rabbit holes, dug, of course, by actual rabbits. And Mini-James, in his mininess, has regular gatherings down in those burrows with them. And they have afternoon tea and elevenses and everything - you just can't trust small people! Anyway, back at the beach during the filming of the American pilot of Time Team, somebody had come to a realisation...and that somebody was me...and that realisation was this: What was the point? But I was fortunate enough to be apprised by one of them, that the intention was to reach Australia (or whatever the American equivalent to the other side of the world is. Russia, maybe?). Afterwards, we were all pretty sure that that hole would probably not be filled for another hundred or so years! Approximately the same amount of time that it takes to complete Splash Mountain!



Josh