"Rachel's travel chat page" rhopkins70's Profile

Hi everyone, my name is rachel and I live in Adelaide, South Australia (Australia). I have just joined as a virtual tourist. I haven't travelled to all that many places yet...but I have lots of plans to. I have been to United Kingdom (incl england, scotland, ireland and wales) twice, singapore (once) and United States (east coast) (once). I am planning on many more! I love travel, catching up with friends, reading, watching sport, keeping fit and listening to music/live bands. I also collect key-rings from my travel and at the last count had over 150! I will try and get a photo of them very soon.
UPDATE 7/6/07.... I have arrived back from my south-east asia trip. But unfortunately I have NO photos to update for this site - my camera went missing from Kota Kinabalu to Adelaide - would you believe on my way home! I had almost 600 photos on the camera and now someone else has it! (I believe it was stolen, but I cannot prove it of course). I feel very upset about this, but at least I am healthy and safe and that
maybe I could get my camera replaced (the photos mean more to me than the actual camera).
UPDATE 13/10/2008 - BANGKOK SHOPPING TRIP. Just a short note to say that I have arrived back from my short shopping holiday to Bangkok. Had a great time. Will update bangkok page with lots of photos in the next few days. A VERY BIG THANK YOU TO WINSTON (Travel agent for thailand) for his hospitality!!

Me cross the "famous" cross walk on Abbey road, London. Outside the Abbey Road Studios and scene of that famous Beatles album cover "abbey road"

Me at Old Trafford, Manchester

My love for Manchester United. Visitied Old trafford in Aug 2005. Unbelievable!!

my favourite group at the moment. I love 60's music, in particular british 60's music.

- First plane trip longer than 4 hours - to Los Angeles.
- Marina Del Rey. Marriott Hotel - perfect location, great hotel.
- LA traffic - absolute madness!
- Saw the Chicago Bulls play, including Michael Jordan, Dennis Rodman & Luc Longley.
- Beverley Hills: Some shops you had to have made an appointment to actually get in! Great shopping (if you had a gold credit card)
- Disneyland: what can you say - every childs dream. I lived it! Absolutely fantastic time - great rides. A dream come true. Food is a little xpensive in Toon town. met Mickey, Donald and Goofy!!!
- Venice Beach. Went at 6am...beautifully quiet.
- Las Vegas. In the middle of nowhere! Surrounded by desert. Totally different at night than during the day! Stayed at the MGM Grand (a city in its own right - had its own theme park). Great outlet mall shopping.
- San Francisco. Absolutely beautiful city. Went to Alcatraz (amazing). Hotel in Union Square - so went on a trolley car down to the Wharfs. Pier 39 - Gump Restaurant - had to have fish and chips! Saw Golden State Warriors.
- Portland. During Thanksgiving w/end. Had a brilliant thanskgiving dinner - over 5 courses - with my first clam chowder and pumpkin pie! Saw Portland (NBA).
- Seattle. Great city. Great ambience. A little cold. Stayed at the Seattle hilton (beautiful hotel). Central. Great music scene.
- Phoenix/Arizona. Stayed in Prescott, a town about 2 hours north of Phoenix with a friend of mine and his wife who drove me around Arizona for a week - saw the Grand Canyon (absolutely amazing), saw snow for the first time at the Grand Canyon, Tuscon (where they shot the old western movies), went on to and native indian reservation (a rare honour, my friends new the family, members of the public/tourists cannot go). Saw my favourite country music stars (Brooks and Dunn) in Phoenix.

Booked an Insight 22 day tour of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales.
ENGLAND:
London - stayed at the Kensington Hilton (brilliant, most helpful staff I have seen). London Eye, Tower of London (a great eye-opener on my first day), Oxford Street, Harrods, Buckingham Palace, kensington palace. Madame Tussauds (had my photo taken with the Queen!)
Stratford - Shakespeare country. Saw Shakespeare's birthplace, swan theatre.
York - York Minster, the Shambles, oldest pub in england (can't remember the name right now).
SCOTLAND:
Gretna Green - a great introduction to scotland/scottish life.
Edinburgh - a most beautiful city. Walking tour of city. Went to the castle - awe inspiring, historical, 1 o'clock gun, royal scots dragoon guards. Walked down the Royal mile. Holyrood Palace - wonderful. Walked down Princes Street - Jenners is an institution! Went to the Taste of Scotland show - brilliant (tasted haggis for the first time - not bad).
Newtonmore (highlands) - Went to a dog obedience demonstration. Tasted haggis again!
Thurso - a small town right at the top of scotland. Stayed at the Royal Hotel (some of the best service you could ever want - most helpful staff). Went to the Orkney Islands for a day - but unfortuntely it rained heavily for the day!
Isle of Skye - some of the most beautiful country imaginable. Stayed in portree. Wonderful hotel. Again (as with the rest of scotland), some of the most friendliest and helpful people you could ever meet!
Glasgow - beautiful city. Stayed only one night.
IRELAND:
Giants Causeway - a truly amazing piece of natural history.
Derry - scene of the troubles (but not any more, but you could see the signs).
Sligo - a quiet little fishing town on the west coast. Beautiful scenery.
Killarney/Ring of Kerry - some of the most beautiful scenery you'll ever see. Went on a jaunting car.
Waterford - Of course went to the Crystal factory (amazing). Visited one of the oldest pubs in ireland.
Dublin - one of my favourite cities. Guiness Brewery (free pint of guiness after tour - tasted very good, but not the best at 11 am), jameson's irish whisky distillery (my favourite drink now - fantastic tour), Trinity college & the book of Kells.
Cardiff (wales) - stayed only one night. Cardiff castle - astonishing! Had a lovely and memorable welsh dinner/show in the castle grounds. A top night all round! Saw the millenium stadium a week before the FA cup final and wanted to stay on!
ENGLAND:
Plymouth - a beautiful city with lots of history (the mayflower departed from here). Cornwall/Devon - some wonderful scenery (again).
Bath/stonehenge - Roman Baths (amazing). Stonehenge (historical).
SUMMARY: Some of the most beautiful scenery I have ever seen. Lots of historical sites (some a lot older than my own country of Australia). Exquisite little villages that I could just live in! I would really love to go back and explore SCOTLAND in a lot more depth very soon.

This trip was mainly to coincide with Beatle Week in Liverpool 2005.
London - Stayed in Bloomsbury and South Kensington (Rydges kensington plaza - a great location). I love staying in South Kensington - great shopping in kensington high street, great location to the museums, parks etc. Went to London Zoo, shopping in Oxford Street, Beatles walking tours (abbey road etc).

Manchester - OLD TRAFFORD (of course!). Stayed only one night. Went straight to Manchester United's home ground. Went on a walking tour (including lots of behind the scenes) - amazing, particularly for a fan like myself, a privilege to sit where some of the greatest footballers of our time sat in the changerooms. A massive highlight - but spent way too much in the massive Mega Store!

Liverpool - Beatle Week! A must for any Beatles Fan if you can get there. A week of Beatles celebrations. Went to Strawberry Fields, Penny Lane, beatles story experience (very emotional), john lennon's old home, paul mccartney's old home, thousands of beatles fans and bands from all around the world converging in one place to celebrate one of the best bands of all time! Not to mention the Cavern!