Monday, March 9, 2009

The day that wasn't there

Tuesday 03 March - no weather

Today didn't exist! There was no morning, afternoon or evening to occupy or descibe. I could make a case that by altering my watch on take-off to New Zealand time, some 21 hours ahead of Pacific Time in the USA, the 3rd of March lasted from 1630 to midnight. On the other hand, by not attempting to time-travel, if I had left my watch set on LA time, I could have experienced the 3rd of March from midnight to about 0530 at which stage it would have suddenly become 0230 on 04 March. It all makes perfect sense, really!

Crossing the International Date Line from East to West is one way of moving your life on quickly by about 24 hours. Strictly speaking, as we crossed the line, it was 0130 03 March on the eastern side of the line and 0230 04 March on the western side. Weird! Remind me to travel West to East one day and get the day back and don't ask me to explain that.

Beaches, taxis and planes

Monday 02 March - Overcast, bit of drizzle but warm, mid 60s

This was a day for wasting time and preparing to make the big flight to New Zealand. After breakfast, it was pack cases time, a task that you think will take ages but is done in just a few minutes. Usually, just when you are sitting back thinking that everything fitted in really easily, you find a drawer with a jersey in it or a pair of trousers hanging in the wardrobe, today was no exception.

Checking out from the hotel was easy as it had already been paid for and the receptionist kindly arranged to keep our bags until after lunch. With several hours to 'kill' the beach Venice beach beckoned once more. Although it was still warm, it was overcast and breezy, but there were still plenty of people out on the beach and pier. The surfers were congregating by the pier and a small film crew seemed to be making some kind of commercial down by the water. The 'actress' was dancing about flicking her hair around just in front of a cameraman. She was barefoot and he was wearing trainers. Somehow, despite her antics, he managed to stay out of reach of the water whilst she splashed around in it.

An early lunch in a beachside eatery provided another chance to watch life go on around us. A beer delivery driver got some grief from a parking warden about his choice of parking outside a bar, she told him to move, he ignored her entirely. This proved to be a mistake because she reappeared unexpectedly about 10 minutes later and the driver had to hurriedly abandon his barrel trolley and move his truck.

Back at the hotel, the free internet access provided some distraction until it was time to call a taxi to get to Los Angeles International airport. The hotel called a taxi and a fairly scruffy vehicle arrived which had been loosely modified to become a taxi by removing the front passenger seat. The driver, probably Persian by origin, talked on this 'hands-free' mobile phone for the duration of the journey, only interrupting the call long enough to ask which airline we were travelling with. He still managed to miss the Air New Zealand drop-off point, but on the good side, the fare was only just over $20.

Checking in was painless, the New Zealand girl was on her fourth day of employment in LA and clearly on a high. Security was chaotic. I'd say unusually, but US airports always seem to be overstaffed by TSA with very little direction to passengers. Should we keep our shoes on? Should belts be removed? Eventually, we escaped into the terminal which was very crowded, possibly because of delayed flights caused by bad weather on the East coast.

Once on the aircraft, a 747-400 we had a seat almost at the back, just two seats, aisle and window rather than the standard rows of three. Once good thing about these seats is the extra stowage space on the window side and room to stretch legs out up the side of the seat in front. The flight left at 1930 and was scheduled to take 12 hours and 15 minutes to cover approximately 10500km. Hoorah!

Monday, March 2, 2009

Heat waves and snow storms

Sunday 01 March - Weather very hot and sunny

As we watch the Weather Channel on TV and see the Tornado warnings in Tennessee and winter storm warnings as far south as Kentucky, Georgia and the Carolinas, we are basking in a heat wave in LA

A very lazy morning is in order as we do our domestic chore of laundry. Eventually, close to midday, we walk up to Lincoln Blvd and catch the 'Big Blue Bus' into Santa Monica. We were joined on the bus by one of those people that you pray won't sit next to you. This particular gentleman assailed other passengers with a long rambling diatribe followed by what can only be described as a wailing song sung in a croaking voice. Never a dull moment in LA.

Third Street Santa Monica is the centre of Santa Monica was alive with people. The shops were all open, the streetside cafes and restaurants full and the centre of the pedestrian precinct full of street performers. After buying an essential piece of fashion accessory, sun-glasses, we strolled up the street. Eventually we realised lunch was needed and we found a seat in an open-air French-style restaurant. We had a front-row view of the street and everything going on as we ate Nicoise and Caeser salads washed down with 1664 beer from France.

New shoes for me were next on the agenda as my sandals were split and falling to pieces. Just to fly the British flag, we headed for Clarks shoe shop. One assistant very keen to make the UK connection wanted to tell us about the Clarks MD visiting each year!

Loaded with shopping we headed down to the sea again and explored Pallisades Park along the bluffs above Santa Monica Beach. Beautifully laid out and very green, there was a very pleasant sea breeze which helped moderate the temperature which was in the 80s! Rather strangely, in the midst of the park, we came across people setting up a 'Soup Kitchen' for homeless people. Longing around in the middle of the well-dressed sunday strollers were lots of homeless people waiting patiently for a free hand-out. Finally, we wandered back up opulent Wilshire Blvd back to 4th street to catch the bus again.

Back at the hotel, the hot tub beckoned again prior to an expedition to the near-by Thai restaurant for dinner. The TV is forecasting up 12 inches of snow in Boston and much of the east coast overnight as we wander back the hotel with the temperature still in the 60s.

Lazy morning, laundry, bus to Santa Monica. Shops, sunglasses, lunch, shoes. Pallisades park, bus back, hot tub and Thai food for dinner

Canals and Ice-cream

Saturday 28 Feb - Weather hot and sunny

With the sun shining as we pull the curtain, it looks like a day to be outside. After a leisurely breakfast, we set off down Washington Boulevard again. Crossing to the other side of the street, we discover a small area set aside as a nature reserve with several interesing birds sitting by a small pond. In addition to a regular sized egret there was also a much smaller snowy egret and at least one shag-like bird. A lady stopped to talk and suggested we might like the wet-land reserve at Marina del Reay. After consulting the rudimentary, but free, map provided by HI, we realised that it was a car journey away.

Having turned into the marina area, we followed the road past a couple of smart restaurants to a small artificial beach surrounded by BBQ stands and picnic benches. Is just UK where this sort of amenity would get vandalised or misued?

Back on the main road, we reached the foot of Washington Blvd and Venice Pier. The day had warmed up and the temperature was into the 70s and a drink was called for. Saturday had bought everyone out to enjoy the warm weather on the beach so all cafes were full, but luck was on our side as the Ice Cream parlour was just opening for business and tables and chairs were being set up outside. We were the first customers of the day and watched as our ice-creams were created in front of us. Both were works of art and involved taking ice-cream, and the various other ingredients and chopping them altogether on a marble slab. I'm not sure how we managed it but we sat outside for at least an hour watching the world go by.

People watching is great entertainment, especially so at Venice as so many people were set on enjoying themselves in different ways. Surfers strolling and cycling down to the beach in wet suits, cyclist by the hundred on so many different types of bikes, rollerbladers and rollerskaters and so many cars trying to find somewhere to squeeze their huge cars into.

Eventually tiring of this free entertainment, we strolled into the Venice canal area. One hundred years ago the area was laid out with lots of canals, but only a small part remains now. Footpaths follow the canals with beautifully kept houses and gardens alongside. Many houses have a mini-pier onto the canal with a small boat or canoe moored up. The area is a delightful oasis of colour and although it was hot, it felt slightly cooler walking by the water.

Back at the hotel the hot-tub was calling again followed by a lounge in the courtyard garden to dry off.

The evening food expedition took us back into the marina where the Tony P restaurant provided a meal. An all American style menu provided steaks and ribs in large portions washed down with Fat Tire Ale. This the way to relax American style.

Beach Life - Californian Style

Friday 27 Feb 09 - weather very warm and mainly sunny

Although I had read about Venice Beach, I was still suprised how the stretch of ocean front between Venice Pier and Santa Monica Pier can vary so much in character. From smart picture-windowed sea-front houses to a stretch of tattoo parlours, t-shirt shops, dope paraphenalia emporiums and street vendors and entertainers and then back to grassed areas with picnic tables and childrens playparks; Venice and Santa Monica beaches have it all.

The stroll from the hotel down Washington Boulevard to Venice Pier was pleasant with many well tended gardens alongside the footpath. Just before the pier a selections of food outlets and beach shops preceeds the beach and pier. A film crew had set up on the approaches to and on the pier, providing some chance to join in with movie making. The scene they were shooting seemed to involve lots of people on the beach lying aimlessly on the beach, a number of surfers lying face down in the sea pretending to be dead, whilst the only 'dry' actor, on the pier, is seen responding to a call for help from two live surfers. We kindly played the role of unpaid, background onlookers!

The route between the two piers follows the beach with a choice of using the bicycle or pedestrian path. There are bike rental outlets every where where bikes, trikes, tandems and recliner bikes can be hired by the hour. It is forbidden by local statutes to walk on the bicycle path which is heavily used by cyclists on every type of bike you can think of in addition to roller bladers, roller skaters and skateboarders. Whilst using these forms of transport it is acceptable to be pushing a baby-buggy, exercising your dogs, talking on your phone or indeed playing a musical instrument. As we left the Venice Pier area, the beach walk was lined with houses opening straight onto the beach, many with picture windows and extensive decks, some are clearly very expensive. Soon, however, the path starts to pass t-shirt shops and shops that cater for those wishing to smoke 'weed' where you can buy anything you might conceivably need to support the habit apart from the raw material, presumably! Tattooists also seem to be making a living from the passing trade as there are dozens of them beachside.

'Muscle Beach' is situated in the midst of this peculiar mix of commerce along with a few quirky souvenir shops and eateries. A stop for coffee here allowed us to listen to a piano player who had managed to get a full size understrung piano on the beach and when he finished, a boy/girl band tried to drum up support for there music. The muscle part of the beach was regretably deserted.

Away from Venice, there is a suddenly a change from the hippie, surfer and beach bum look to an altogether more refined atmosphere. A quick look at the street signs comfirms that we have entered Santa Monica. The beach is the same, but now it is backed with grassy areas and blocks of appartments which continue all the way to Santa Monica Pier. The pier has a 'kiss-me-quick' feel to it and indeed has a big wheel and rollercoaster on it in addition to restaurants and fast food vendors. The pier is busy and since it is lunch time, we duck into 'Bubba Gump's Shrimp House' which is very busy with families eating vast quantities of shrimp cooked every style imaginable. Nonetheless, we find a table and proceed to demolish lunch as we calculate that we have walked a further 2 miles from Venice Pier.

After lunch, we follow the ramp up on the bluffs, aka low cliffs, and find ourselves in the commercial centre of Santa Monica. We decide to leave exploration of this pleasant area to another day and take the 'Big Blue Bus' back along Lincoln Boulevard to our Hotel.

Not content with all this walking, later we walk almost back down to the beach for dinner. Here we find a Mexican restaurant which is absolutely heaving. Clearly, valet parking is normal in restaurants here and we feel a bit out of place arriving on foot. Once inside we are quickly shown to a table. A quiet dinner this is not, the bussle and noise is all pervasive, but the food is good and later we wander back up the road to the hotel full of enchilada and burritos and pleasantly tired.

Saturday, February 28, 2009

Crossing the Pond

We set out from Bristol Temple Mead railway station on Thursday 26 Feb. The train left on time at 0900 and we rapidly headed for London. The journey didn't take long and on arrival at Paddington, we only had yards to pull our luggage before we were onboard the 'Heathrow Express'. The journey from Paddington to Heathrow only took 15 minutes, a far cry from the painful journey by underground on the Piccadilly line. Overall, considering the combined rail ticket price of £27 each, it was excellent value for money and an easy way to get from Bristol to Heathrow.

We joined the check-in queue for Air New Zealand and within 30 minutes were checked in and through security. We decided to eat whilst waiting for the plane as we were very early. After eating and browsing the shops in Terminal 1 we headed for our boarding gate.

The flight took off just after 1600 and the flight route took us over the middle of England and southern Scotland before heading out over the Atlantic. We flew just to the west of Iceland, which like the UK was shrouded in cloud. After about 4 hours, the cloud cleared and we crossed the coast of Greenland. The sea pack ice was a little broken up, but the land was covered in snow. The route then took us across Greenland and on into northern Canada crossing Hudson Bay to reach land just north of Churchill. The remainder of the flight was fairly clear and we could see lots of snow and ice-covered lakes.

Finally, after nearly 11 hours we arrived in LA. Although it was a long flight, it was quite comfortable in our back row and the staff and service were excellent.

After facing the pleasures of US immigration, which went smoothly, the customs people wanted to x-ray every piece of luggage, a rather time consuming exercise. Once free of this we decided to take a shared van ride to the hotel. It all started well, we were the only people in the van, but then we called at all 7 other terminals at LAX and gained an extra two people. We then expected to head for Marina del Reay, but the driver had other thoughts and decided to visit all 8 terminals again, just in case there was any one else there! The traffic was dreadful and this extra circuit was very frustrating especially as we didn't pick anyone else up!

The journey to the Holiday Inn Express at Marina del Reay took about 15 minutes and we checked into a great room on the third floor. Tired as we were, as now it was 2100 local time (8 hours behind UK), we walked round the corner to a small Italian take-away that had a few tables and had a small dinner. After that, it was back the hotel and bed at 2230.

Friday, February 27, 2009

The Journey Begins

Perhaps, to borrow a rather famous song title, "A long and winding road", might be more apt title for this first attempt at blogging.

I'm not entirely sure where this particular road started and have no idea where it will end, but I am looking forward to enjoying the journey wherever it leads.