Their first stop after landing on the West Coast was San Francisco. They went to the Golden Gate Bridge, then visited the Japanese Tea Garden and the harbor at PIER 39, where they had some delicious Mexican food. When they went to see the famous Lombard Street, Hristina said they were very surprised. While they were walking, they saw a film crew and a singer shooting a music video for his song, but unfortunately they couldn't recognize him. During their tour of the city, they rode the famous San Francisco Cable Car. It was a big attraction for all the tourists, because they got on and off almost while it was moving, and they literally had to hang off the vehicle. Then they visited a chocolate factory and had some very tasty chocolate ice cream. They also took a ferry tour around the island where the famous Alcatraz prison is located.
Then they left for Los Angeles. When they arrived, they first visited the town of Santa Monica and went to the beach. They managed to see the Walk of Fame, Beverly Hills and the Hollywood sign. But the most exciting part, according to Hrisi, was the visit to Universal Studios Hollywood – "It's like entering a wonderland." They spent a whole day there and saw all kinds of attractions – they watched a 7D movie, visited a re-creation of 'Moe's Tavern' from 'The Simpsons' and drank Butter Beer. But the most interesting and exciting part was the tram tour, which took them through re-creations of various scenes from famous movies. "We literally stepped into the movie!" They became part of "Fast & Furious" and were surrounded by holograms of the main characters. They were also in a jungle like the one in "Jurassic Park", where 3D dinosaurs "attacked" them. Then they found themselves on the set of a scene from "Earthquake in the Subway", which was very realistic. At the end of the day they watched a water show and were full of emotions.
Next stop – Vegas! Five days in this magical city awaited them. They had the chance to visit two big clubs – one at Caesars Palace and the other at the Bellagio, Club Hyde – and were very impressed by the luxurious surroundings. The view from the club looked out onto the singing fountains.
Spontaneously, however, they came up with the idea of renting a car and taking a trip to Death Valley. The car they rented was a BMW convertible, and together with 7 or 8 other cars they set off on their little journey. Hrisi drove, the music was "at max" and they had fun the whole way. They reached the desert – Zabriskie Point – took photos, danced and made videos. "When you drive for 3 hours in a car with no roof, you start to realize that a convertible isn't the best choice for traveling through the desert." They also forgot to bring enough water, and it was very dry and hot, and they were running low on fuel "...it really was an adventure." Fortunately, they made it back to Vegas safely.
In the evening they drove around the city, since they still had time to use the car. But here is yet another interesting incident that happened to them. Carried away by all the excitement, they forgot that the next day they had an organized trip to the Grand Canyon and the bus would pick them up from the hotel at 5 in the morning. The question was who would return the car to the place they had rented it from. Hrisi was very worried, because a BMW is no small responsibility. Luckily for them, at the last minute she found out that the car could be left in a designated parking lot and the keys dropped into a special box, so that an employee could go and pick it up from there. "It was a big worry. Had I left the car in the right place, was everything OK with it? After all, a day later I was going home to Bulgaria, and I was leaving a rather expensive car in the USA, in a place completely unfamiliar to me. Fortunately, after a few emails and a call from the rental company, they reassured me that everything was fine with the car. Well, it really was a weight off my shoulders, and I could calmly continue my trip."
Their last destination in the USA was the Grand Canyon. On the bus they met people from all over the world – Chinese, Vietnamese, Indians. When they arrived, they walked to a spot with a great view of the canyon and took lots of photos. Unfortunately, it can't be explored in one day – "it's something enormous, and we had to go back to Bulgaria."
When we asked her what feelings she was coming back with, she said: "Oh, very mixed feelings. Honestly, after the last emotions of the trip around the States, I didn't want to come back to Bulgaria at all. But I really am very energized, happy and satisfied with this WAT summer."