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| ONE OF US IS DEFINITELY CRACKED |
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| A ONE HORSEPOWER VEHICLE |
The guide explained all sorts of fascinating stuff about the colonisation of America, the War of Independence and the foundation of the United States. It was interesting that the Liberty Bell was cast in London - were we actually trying to get rid of them? The Bell cracked when it was first rung in Philadelphia so, assuming it had a 12 month warranty, they probably didn't pay for it anyway. I expect we argued that it was broken by misuse, but I guess it wasn't worth starting a war over it.
After learning about minor American heroes such as George Washington and Benjamin Franklin, I was excited to visit the statue of a real hero, Sylvester Stallone's fictional boxer Rocky Balboa located by the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
The trip continued on to Lancaster County where we visited the Amish community in the village of Intercourse which, for all you mucky-minded titterers, means fellowship and community. They do have lots of children though, and the 55 year old buggy driver I spoke to had 9 grandchildren, which beats me. They were warm and friendly, and didn't seem to be suffering too much from their avoidance of cars, television and higher education. Indeed, their farmhouses were immaculately maintained and I got the feeling that they were smart businessmen - they were certainly adept at removing money from tourists.
