I'm a cold-weather person, so how I ended up in Phoenix in Spring is one of life's little mysteries. Yep, some may like it hot, but I became an airconditioning addict.

So what is there to do in Phoenix? Not a lot, especially if you're not the outdoorsy type and don't have a car. So I spent a lot of time hiding in a cool dark room, bonding with my new Sony Vaio notebook.

The best thing about Phoenix is the Mexican influence. More specifically, good tequila. Never again will I be able to drink those tainted golden wannabes - it's clear 100% blue agave for me. Although I have to admit, on my budget, I drank a lot of frozen House Margaritas, which are usually cheaper than beer and perfect for the 100+ degree weather. Just as well there was a cool little restaurant/bar Aunt Chilada's within staggering distance of where I was staying.

Phoenix is known for it's UFO sightings, and I met some people who run a great site Alien Zoo. Only in America, as they say. Didn't actually spot any weird things in the sky myself - but then as I said, I didn't go outdoors much!

Highlight of the trip was a concert by Beck at Mesa Amphitheatre. Awesome. If you want to read more about it, here's my review.

In my last week in Phoenix, I did some serious partying. Went to a Karaoke bar and sang "These Boots Are Made For Walking" quite successfully, but followed that up with a few too many tequilas and then totally massacred "Please Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood". My friends left early, but before they went, they got this cute cop to promise that he'd make sure I got home safely. Apparently they didn't specify my home, or so he told me the next morning.... Gee, if you can't trust a cop, who CAN you trust?

April 2000