Well despite my run in with the local sandal wearing, tree hugging, almighty deity belevin freak this afternoon, we decided to go to Red Lobster for a really nice nosh up with our oh so friendly waiter (tip, tip, tip) Scott, who after tellin us he had a slight speech impediment, to which I pointed out that talking like an American wasn’t much of an impediment, more a way of life (in a rather loud tone). Way to hush an entire restaurant in one sentence.

Anyway town alienated (see what I did there) Mrs Fogg decided to debate the bill for the sake of mash potatoes. Wow what a debate ensued, as Scott tried to explain that the asparagus and mash was two sides, and the main course only comes with one side included. Mrs Fogg pointed out that since the mash was one side and therefore included, she should only be paying for the extra asparagus ($2.49). Scotty tried arguing that he was actually saving her 40 cents by the way he had put the bill through, but Mrs Argumentative refused to have any of it and demanded he go away to recalculate. Scotty tail between legs duly did so begrudgingly. Whilst he was away Mrs Fogg read the small print claiming that one side would constitute a “substitute” and therefore was not as part of the meal.

Scotty returned looking rather sheepish after finding that if he had added the items in a different order we actually would save about 70 cents off the bill. Mrs Fogg sat looking rather smug and accepted the unoffered apology.

Roswell we salute you, the Fogg’s have hit this town, hooh yah!

Picture the scene, Mr Fogg all contented having been immersed in lots of alien stuff, toys, pictures and the like, exits the UFO museum to wander back into downtown Roswell. As we are walking back to the RV a gentleman approaches him with another guy videoing and asked if Mr Fogg had just been into the UFO museum, and if so could he ask a few questions while videoing. Feeling obviously not his usual self, Mr Fogg happily agreed.

He he he, it started well enough:
“Where are you from?”
“The UK”
“Did you come to Roswell just to see the UFO museum”
“Well yes, as part of a holiday”
So what do you think, government conspiracy or something out there?
“Gotta be something out there”, says Mr Fogg
“So you believe in aliens then, how about angels?”
“Sorry?”
“Do you believe we all have angels looking after us? Because there are good and bad angels”
“I thought this was about the museum, not about religion, I’m not talking about religion to you”
“Well I’m not religious, but I read the bible, do you sir?”
“Erm, if this isn’t about the museum then this interview is over”
“Ah sir but you have a soul don’t you, do you believe in the bible?”
He was very persistent.
At this point I got the giggles and had to walk away.
Mr Fogg very politely ( I was very impressed) pointed out that this was not an interview that was going to continue. At which point his interviewer turned to his amateur cameraman saying:
“And there my friends is the evidence that the people who come here to visit the UFO museum are non believers with evil in their souls”

You heard it here first! I can only imagine some church somewhere sitting down to watch a video of a UFO worshiping non believer from England who just happened to be wearing a tee-shirt which read “Eejit”, with a giggling lunatic stood behind him. Funnier still, it might make You Tube!

Oh we get all the crazies….

Ooh how bizarre a picture of me in a really weird room at Roswell New Mexico, I guess Red Bull really does give you wings!

Even better than this, on the way down the skylight blew off the RV, a cupboard door fell off, the roof on the shower leaked in the rain and the microwave started to drop out, Aliens me thinks?

We drove 300 miles north out of our way because I wanted to visit historic Santa Fe. I wished I’d not bothered. The campsite ( see picture) is pleasant but I’m afraid I was not impressed with Santa Fe. It’s claim to fame is largely historical, the infamous Navajo Long Walk came through on the old Santa Fe trail, Billy the Kid was temporarily imprisoned here before being moved and escaping and some of the buildings are supposed to be some of the oldest in the US.

However, despite pretty plaster buildings the actual centre consists of five main aspects: Overpriced and oversized jewellery in expensive boutique shops, overpriced expensive clothes with very odd designs in overpriced boutiques, unwashed hippies galore with overgrown beards, scabby unwashed kids and well dressed beggars with cardboard signs (all ages from teens upwards).

It’s also an artists meca, large art galleries with odd pictures, sculptures and the rest abound in Santa Fe. You want a full size bronze of an Indian complete with buffalo to stand in your house? You got it! Or you can have random bits of metal contorted into large shapes with what looks like breasts welded on, want two? No problem.

Needless to say the place did not have a pleasant feel to it, there was limited to see – unless to be fair you wanted museums because there are at least 5 huge ones which may or may not be good ( didn’t bother). We lasted 2 hours here, one of them was waiting for food.

A 600 mile round trip for nothing. Disappointing.

Oh, but I did see the site of the jail where Billy the Kid was imprisoned – it was knocked down in 1907. Sums it up really.

Well after a late rise this am (9.30), we eventually headed into old town Santa Fe following the rubbish KOA map and got lost in a 7.5 tinned motorhome down one way streets, not good.

We then stopped for lunch at Burro Alley and Mrs Fogg’s face was a picture after seeing everything was spicy Mexican grub (she don’t do spicy).

In the end she settles for a Chicken Burrito where she declared it was just chicken in dough, how to insult a national dish.

So what do you do with your spare time in a campervan at 8pm, Wude Word Scwabble of course, where Wude words are worth 3 times there actual value.

Worryingly Mrs Fogg won hands down.

Now those of you that know me, know I am a complete culture hound and history buff, err no that ain’t me is it, that’s the Mrs.

Oh well apparently I have some uses, one of which is a cup of tea brewing in the am and the poop emptying cos I can undo the slop tank (oh and I am a fantastic hubby as well).

But anyway for all my wonderful traits after our US brekky in Holbrook Arizona, we drove over 300 miles and 6.5 hours to Santa Fe, New Mexico so the Mrs can do that geeky thing (oldest town in America, lost of dead injuns, 7000 ft above sea level, see I do listen sometime).

Tonight local pizza scran, tomorrow lots of history things and then Monday to Roswell New Mexico to the Alien Museum (no not the illegal type either).

On the interest points and not just westerns or injun things, Easy Rider, Wild Hogs, No Country for Old men, The Book of Eli and Apaloosa were all filmed here, plus Val Kilmer and Shirley McLaine all live in Santa Fe,

So tonight we are going to watch the sunset, enjoy a drink and raise our glasses to our really good friends and of course the folks who should have returned from Spain.

To you all, cheers and goodnight, morning, afternoon and evening.

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You can also catch us on SKYPE as Mr Fogg

We made it to Holbrook after a brief stop at Winslow. The KOA is fantastic in the petrified forrest, the staff are very friendly and they have a camp cook out, so last night was a New York steak and this morning sees us with a traditional American breakfast of pancakes.

Next stop Santa Fe, a mere 6 hours drive away.

In 2013 to celebrate my ahem 40(something) bday I am going to drive the US coast to coast on a Harley motorbike, including what is left of historic Route 66, either with my biker chick on her own bike (or even trike) or sat behind me on a fat boy.

Now that will be another trip and a half.