Running and running

This blog started as a travel blog, then it was all about cycling, but now it would be accurate to call it my running blog considering all my recent running activities.

Yes in recent months, in part thanks to my lovely colleague Alejandro, I have turned my attention to running in a big way.



I recently did the Run to the Beat half marathon which was my first proper signed up race.

I have just finished doing the slightly loopy Nike Grid which involved running from phonebox to phonebox across London's 48 postcodes in 15 days. I was never going to compete with some of the large teams of students who collectively managed to win the 'Crowns' in each postcode, but I managed to come 164th out of nearly 3000 runners and scored 9 'badges'.



Today I completed a 10km 'MoRun' in Greenwich Park for Movember, the men's health charity. There were some hilarious Mo's and fancy dress outfits. The hills in the park were punishing so it felt a lot further than 10km! My new ASICS GEL Kayano 17 trainers are proving pretty comfortable and supportive and I'd recommend them to any women with low arches and wide feet who do a lot of running. The synthetic fabrics on these are made from recycled materials, ensuring a more ecologically friendly direction, which is a big bonus.


As well as this, I've been running to and from work whenever I can using the RunKeeper iPhone app. It's only stopped on me once so far!

Does this all sound a bit smug? I hope not. I've always been a runner but now it feels like I've had my eyes opened up to a whole new world of running. I'm still cycling everywhere but there's nothing like a run to ease those stresses and strains and to release endorphins!

Baby Elephants

baby elephants

I've had so much fun this weekend cycling around central London taking photos of these gorgeous baby elephants.

They are part of a conservation campaign to save the endangered Asian elephant - http://www.elephantparadelondon.org/ - and 258 of the beauties will be making an appearance around London until July.

Tassie

Tassie - my baby, my love, my dearest friend, my confidante, my beautiful loving dog - died today.

After two nightmarish weeks of worry followed by hope, despair followed by relief, today the illness in her body, which we'll never fully know, got the better of her. And as she drifted away in my arms, I really felt something went out in me too.

My mother and I are totally heartbroken and cannot imagine life without her. How unfair that we must now talk of her in the past, that she is no longer in our present with her delicious smelling paws, her warm soft ears, her beautiful golden coat, always waggy tail and those huge sad brown eyes which could warm the coldest heart.

Everybody loved Tassie. A dog but a person, a family member.

Each day from now will be painful for a while.

Rest In Peace my darling.

Goodbye Willie Booth

Today I went to Westminster to celebrate the life of The Reverend Prebendary Willie Booth, a much loved friend of many and a significant figure in my own formative years at the palace.

It was a lovely memorial service, full of fond anecdotes as well as many musical and literary delights and this passage particularly struck a chord:

Success

To laugh often and love much;
to win the respect of intelligent persons
and the affection of children;
to earn the approbation of honest critics
and to endure the betrayal of false friends;
to appreciate beauty;
to find the best in others;
to give of one's self;
to leave the world a little better,
whether by a healthy child,
a garden patch
or a redeemed social condition;
to have played and laughed with enthusiasm
and sung with exultation;
to know that even one life has breathed easier
because you have lived -
this is to have succeeded.

attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson

Life meets Death at Wapping Project

It’s rare that we are actually made to confront death so boldly as we are at the Wapping Project’s Death Drive exhibition where nine evocative photographs by Dean Rogers meticulously capture the scenes of iconic celebratory deaths.


Rogers took the photos on the anniversary and at the exact time and place that Jayne Mansfield, Marc Bolan, Albert Camus, Grace Kelly, Eddie Cochrane, Princess Diana, James Dean, Jackson Pollock ad Helmut Newton met their end. The results are morbidly fascinating and eerily beautiful.

The show, which runs until 1 November also includes a fabulous ‘Crash’ type a-z by Deborah Levy..."a perilous road trip through death, celebrity and the automobile". Then, in the back room is ‘Signal 30’, an Ohio Highway Patrol road safety film for schools made in 1959. Nothing is spared and it’s not for the faint hearted. They’d never get away with it now, although perhaps they should. The horrid waste of it all. More here at one of the most irritating websites ever.

If that sounds a bit too sinister but you haven’t been to the Wapping Project, go anyway. Once a hydraulic power station, the gallery is such a unique space and free to enter, and the spacious restaurant, though a bit pricey, serves really imaginative food. The real draw though is that you eat surrounded by the original pulleys and machinery - a legacy of the building’s past.

I Love My Postcode

What a clever idea. There are so many different postcodes in London, each with their own character, history and fans.

Now you can share your enthusiasm for yours at ilovemypostcode.com.

Read an interview I did about E1 in the blog.

Autumn in my favourite city

Days and weeks and months have flashed by and now we are in Autumn.

So many days of sun, friends, fun and cycling around this marvellous city have passed, making it difficult to believe I've been back for over five months.

My new bfcf (best female cycling friend) Vanessa and I have explored canals...

cycled to city farms...

done the (Mayor of London's) Skyride, got stuck in to the Bicycle Film Festival...
and many other wonderful things besides; both of us, in different ways and with individual needs trying to figure out the course of our futures. Sounds serious but is proving a lot of fun.

I have greatly enjoyed working for Stacey and the rest of the bright, energetic, expert Lavish team and am proud to have helped, even just a little, with the development of the new charity arm of the business, Lavish Connect. However, although I have much to learn and would stay there for much, much longer if I could, I must turn to new ventures.

So now it's back to thinking about what I'm good at, what I want to achieve and how to get that message across to potential employers!

In some ways I feel far more knowledgeable about a plethora of creative services, project management and charities but I am woefully lacking in confidence, experience and purpose. I feel unskilled in these sectors, an insecurity which no doubt comes across in the workplace, despite the effort I put it. I feel I am always disappointing.

Having said that, it's apparent that the massive uptake of social media trends such as Twitter in recent months makes it a very exciting time to be in new media and the geek in me knows I will soon find my niche. Meanwhile, Lavish will continue to prop me up while I soak up as much 'inside knowledge' as I possibly can. I am so grateful to them.

So, while I look ahead to the future, I must add that I am loving the present and feel very lucky to be able to cycle around the capital making the most of these glorious, crisp and cloudless days of Autumn. Having decided against buying a new stead, instead I am pimping the old one with these from Bobbin Bicycles in Islington:


Much to my delight, I've also become Newsletter Editor of Southwark Cyclists. Check out my work on The Needle!

July...already??

Wow. It feels strange to be back on my blog after so long.

Can it really be almost a year since we first arrived in Australia, after all that traveling around Asia?

Have we already been back in London for 3 months?!

Things have been fantastically busy since our return. After several weeks of trying to elbow my way back in to the BBC, calling on just about every contact I still have there, I have decided to retrain in Project Management. I never wanted to be a civil servant anyway.

Stacey, my biggest supporter (aside from my parents) and inspiration, has bravely taken me on and is teaching me the ways of the Creative industry.

I know so little. My interest in all things geeky and tech related goes only so far when it comes to making steps in this new world. She and Mr. Madge are imbuing me with mountains of knowledge, born of years of hard work, and allowing me access to all facets of their business.

It's a very exciting place to be right now, even more so with this recession, and I am grateful to be here.

The weather, an ever-important subject for a cyclist, is erratic but hardly grey at the moment and I can ride in a t-shirt or frock every day and I am truly happy to be back in London.

I will write again soon but for now, I implore you kind friends to yet again sponsor me on a charity ride. This time it's for Leukemia. I promise not to ask again for at least three months!
Neil D'Souza is one of my team mates and he set up the JustGiving page.

ttfn xxx

Please Sponsor Me!

Photos

All my travel photos are now on Picasa!

http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/alexecrawford

Bank Holiday in the East End

I have a terrible pain. I think I have injured myself again. Too much running or cycling or something. Hip in agony and pain spreading down my leg.

So I must force myself to rest. This must be a Bank Holiday weekend of job applications and research and getting used to being in the new flat.

Outside are constant noises; familiar London peeps, sirens, honks, engine rumbles, clip-clopping shoes, screeches, shouts. The flat also has its own weird sounds - creaking pipes, rattles, bubbling boilers, footsteps up above, echoes etc.

These are the early days. I haven't been rejected from anywhere yet so the opportunities presenting themselves seem boundless. The recession has little to do with my life yet while I live in this bubble of hope and while I am enjoying seeing friends, reading the news and contributing (all to frequently) to various social networking sites.

While I was in Japan, Malaysia and Singapore I was on holiday, with a view to becoming a writer. In the Philippines I thought about making films. In Thailand I considered starting a PhD on my return. In Cambodia and Laos, I thought I was losing my mind. In China, I was longing to get to Australia. In Australia I found I was pretty good at finance and law. Now after New Zealand and California I am back trying to be determined, trying to be steady and decisive.

Writing has my heart but I do not have enough focus (or financial means) to write a novel now. Broadcasting is what I am trained to do and the career with which I define myself. The extrovert in me is desperate to put things out there, make programmes, share stories with the world and help others know truth, while the fragile child-like imp is hurt by criticism, stung by knock-backs, consumed by fear and longing to be approved of, valued, given directions and told that everything is going to be OK.

Skydive flash back

ha ha ha ha - skydive photos

I'll stick the video up too once I have swallowed my pride...

Please sponsor me in the Thames Bridge Ride

I hate asking for sponsorship and for suggesting that people should give me dosh for doing something fun, if challenging, but this is a very good cause and I need all the motivation I can get after a year out of the saddle (and so far all my 'Spokey Dokes' team mates have raised more than me!).

If you can spare a few squid, please just follow the links here:

http://www.justgiving.com/alexonwheels

THANK YOU!!!

swine flu?

I have a terrible cold.
Have been coughing and spluttering for days now.
Job hunting is a horrible, boring, soul destroying process.
All I want to do is ride my bike around town and play with my mum's new puppy...

Back in Blighty

So, we're back in that there London. At first we went to Camberwell and stayed with my mum, sister, brother and new puppy. In the first few jobless, homeless, jet-lagged days I showed Ric around Peckham, Walworth, Dulwich and other parts of south east London – poor thing really had no idea where on the map we were.

At least we have had loads of friends to catch up with in other parts of London.

We also spent a couple of days looking for a place to live and to our surprise found London not half as bad as we liked to remember it. It really looks rather old and charming, even Peckham. Better still, there's hardly been a drop of rain since we got back. We have been blessed with long, warm and sunny days. We quickly found a spacious two bed warehouse conversion in Aldgate East, a place I had only ever been to at night for a curry. The price was good and the central location, a big draw but perhaps we were a bit quick to snap it up as we failed to notice the damp air, the wee stained passage our front door faces in to and the fact that our upstairs neighbours can peer in on us in the bedroom from the skylights.

Now we are here with all our dozens of boxes and my bike and loving it. I have never had so much room for my things! I am so excited about exploring the whole area, the seemingly endless curry restaurants, the markets and the cobbled wharfs and docks just south of us. I can get to the river in five minutes on my bike and Oxford Circus in fifteen.

We still have to find jobs and the place needs some personal touches but we are happy to be here as long as we can get rid of the damp smell.

London here we come

I can't really believe it but this is the last blog of my year-long travels.

After visiting 14 countries, staying in countless hotels, motels, vans and hostels, making a whole host of new friends and meeting up with old ones, we are finally on our way home.

Tonight we climbed up Westmoor Hill with Ric's cousin and his girlfriend so that we could look out across San Francisco. There we were, just the four of us, high above the city with no fog to obscure the view - we could see everything so clearly. So many little yellow lights. So many people down below.

I am so excited about going home especially since my mum has bought an eight week old black Labrador puppy, but I also have many fears for the future days and weeks and many regrets about the way this year has panned out, specifically, the way I have failed to overcome my demons.

Ah well. Onwards and upwards. I'm coming home!

Salinas and San Francisco

We're now in San Francisco, recovering from the sensory overload of Vegas and to an extent, LA which I have decided would be far too big, brash and car-obsessed for me to ever live in, despite the numerous vegan restaurants!

We drove out of LA, past Miami Beach along the Pacific Highway and then joined Route 101 to get here, stopping off only at the Getty Villa, Santa Barbara, Monterey and Salinas, the pretty childhood home of John Steinbeck, one of my favorite American writers.

I was charmed by Santa Barbara and could easily have spent a few days there soaking up the friendly, holiday vibes and wandering around the many shops and restaurants which, although mostly hip and modern have an old fashioned sensibility. I must admit that while I once craved spring rolls, stir fries and all things tofu for every meal, I am becoming rather addicted to burritos, cheese and brown rice. I think would easily become very fat if I did move here.

After a late lunch here we drove in to the night until we reached Monterey, a small-ish town on the coast. The only place open for food was Denny's diner right next door to the Motel we crashed in for the night. The only things on the menu which didn't have meat were onion rings and coleslaw, so I had both. I can't wait to be able to cook for myself once again!

Visiting Steinbeck's childhood town was a real treat and, for me, a highlight of our California visit. The Steinbeck Centre was interesting and well done, even for the uninitiated (Ric). From there it was just a couple of hours until we arrived in San Francisco.

I love it here. It's not hot, it's often foggy, there are bums on the street but it has character. It has an edgy, artsy, multi-ethnic (and obviously, mutli-sexual) feel without being too busy or overcrowded. It is very photogenic, has masses of cool places to eat, has fantastic murals and pretty buildings and there are runners and cyclists all over the place!

The city and its residents are so vastly different from Los Angeles that it is hard to believe they exist in the same state. I can't help but liken it to London, well London's best bits.

Last night we walked over to the lively Fisherman's Wharf and Pier 39 to see the resident sea-lions, wander around the novelty shops and sample the clam chowder in a bun offerings. We could just about see the Golden Gate Bridge too as the sun went down.

Today we wandered over to Union Square and mooched around the shops before going to see Monsters vs Aliens at the IMAX 3D cinema. I've never been to an IMAX before and was blown away by the effects!

We then met up with Ric's young cousin John who has lived here for five years and is a non-smoking, non-drinking, vegan cyclist - at last, someone even straighter than me!

He is a real delight to socialise with and tomorrow, on his day off from studies, he is going to take us across the Golden Gate Bridge to show us some of the rural highlights of this region.

On a totally different subject, I have been avidly following the Obamas' European tour and am glad Michelle has proved such a hit in London, especially with the Queen it seems. Doesn't the media just love a Queen story?

With the assistance of some glossy magazines I have also been keeping up to date with poor old Jade Goody's cancer battle and although I didn't particularly like the girl, I was really upset about her sorry tale. I hope it prompts at least a few girls to make sure they get themselves checked.

Viva Las Vegas, and all the other cliches

Some Las Vegas Photos

As soon as we had booked our hotel in Las Vegas I started thinking about what to expect, based largely on what I had seen in the movies.

I thought of Elvis Priestly, Barry Manilow, Bette Midler, fancy casinos, women in ball gowns, Indecent Proposal, strip clubs, tuxedos, rom-coms where the guys go on crazy drunken stag weekends and where ill-matched characters tie the knot in one of the various hotel wedding chapels.

We arrived here at dusk after a five hour drive through almost barren, sometimes desert, landscape (we even spotted tumbleweed on the motorway).

Like a mirage the city seemed to spring out of the dust and before long we were driving down Las Vegas Boulevard gawping up at the vast, brightly lit themed hotels, listening to the music each of their casinos were pumping out and watching the swathes of people bustling past each other on the pavements. Wow.

This was my first impression but I don't think any of this or my movie knowledge could have prepared me for the full onslaught of Vegas' glorious, tacky extravagance. If the USA is known for not doing things by half then Vegas does things by the double.

We are staying at The Paris, a grand hotel complex which includes a replica of the Eiffel Tower (which you can pay to climb!), the Arch de Triomphe, as well as a big round roof top pool, a spa, a plush casino and a large series of undercover corridors full of tempting boutiques, gift shops, wine sellers, bars and restaurants and where it is always minutes before sunset. As we walked to the reception from the car park (we were allowed to self park thankfully - we weren't up for the valet malarkey) we felt pretty overwhelmed by the sheer scale of it all and the hundreds of people wandering about. On closer inspection it was obvious that this place isn't as fancy as it looks - indeed, not only is every thing a replica (thus fake) but also rather cheaply made. The cobbled streets, framed wall paintings, handmade wooden furniture, chandeliers, marble bathroom surfaces etc. reveal themselves to be almost exclusively plastic and plaster and probably made in China. That's not to say it isn't fun. Let's just say it's more mainstream than I expected. And why not? Everyone here looks like they are having a great time, especially where the Margaritas are flowing.

It feels a lot like a Disneyland for grown-ups although there are as many families here as there are wealthy business people. There's obviously a lot more gambling and drinking going on too.

Since arriving on Monday night we have spent three days wandering along the 'strip' and exploring most of the main hotels including the iconic MGM Grand with it's live lion house, Caesars Palace with it's Atlantis show (which run every hour on the hour), New York-New York (we also did the roller coaster on it's roof), Planet Hollywood, Rio, Luxor, ultra tacky Circus Circus, Bellagio and it's spectacular fountain shows, Bally's, Excalibur, Monte Carlo, The Mirage, Treasure Island and the ridiculous but wonderful Venetian which houses its own canals and singing gondoliers. Aside from the casinos and bars which are all quite similar to each other, these hotels are home to a vast array of other attractions including shows, restaurants and shops. Many bars offer novelty drinking vessels such as ceramic Eiffel Towers, guitars, cowboy boots and the more traditional 'yards' and many people wander from casino to casino drinking these as they go. All the way up and down the strip Mexican workers were handing out cards for 'sexy girls' who will come to your door within 20 minutes.

Vegas is fun to explore during the day and there is always somewhere good to go for food (and there is a whole four-level store devoted to M&Ms) but it's at night that the place really comes in to its own. Every inch of wall space on the main strip seems to be covered with neon signs, bright flashing advertisements, water displays or video screens and the pavements are filled with tourists, many with a bottle or an aforementioned novelty glass in hand. There doesn't seem to be a specific dress code here. Some dress up (the clubbers and serious gamblers I suppose) but most are in shorts or jeans. We haven't tried our luck on any gambling games. Somewhere between the Luxor's toilets and the Bodies Show, I lost a lovely brand new bikini which I had spent three hours choosing in the Bikini Bay in the Miracle Mile shopping arcade. That was a loss enough. I went back there twice but no one had handed it in :(

Thinking we'd best see a show while in town, we went to see the comedy magicians Penn & Teller (Penn Jillette and Raymond Teller). Ric remembers watching them on the telly in the '90s and Penn continues to make all sorts of television and radio appearances as a political commentator, atheist, libertarian, comedy presenter etc.

They were mostly excellent and their energetic show involves a lot of witty banter and dramatic tricks. Considering they have been living here in Vegas for years, they seemed very fresh and happy to be there. I wasn't forced on to the stage at any point thank God.

We have eaten a lot of buffets here and they are good but by far the best meal we have had here was at Ah Sin in Paris. I'm glad I didn't read the terrible reviews I have just found on the Internet before I went (crikey)! We didn't order the rather boring and too-good-too-be-true sounding ALL YOU CAN EAT SUSHI. Instead, Ric had half a duck which he said was done to perfection while I had some green bean tempura, cucumber and seaweed salad, spicy grilled eggplant and an asparagus and mushroom dish. All of these were great. Here are the hilarious reviews though:

http://las-vegas-hotels.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g45963-d449420-Reviews-Ah_Sin-Las_Vegas_Nevada.html

We haven't spotted anyone famous yet but we did pass a very glamorous bride and groom and their entire wedding party on Las Vegas Boulevard.

So that's a little bit about Vegas for you. I would definitely come again but not for a while and perhaps with group of friends for more of a party vibe. I'm just about getting used to the tax and tipping maths one has to apply to almost everything here.

My OCD and eating are bad and I get upset and annoyed with myself a hundred times a day for it, but I am hanging in here and clinging on to the fact that soon will be home and getting back to some sort of routine. I can't wait to see my family and friends again and ploughing my energies in to finding a fulfilling job. Ric has been so supportive during this year away and I adore him for it.

Shopping and Strip Clubs

We had a great, if bizarre day today starting with a bit of shopping.

I managed to spend $150 on Benefit cosmetics within just ten minutes of arriving at Bloomingdales. Before I had a chance to even look at anything else, I was sitting on the sales girl's stool having my eye brows 'fixed up', my cheeks 'primed', my blemishes zapped with a magic wand and my lips painted pink. I was completely sucked in by these gorgeously packaged, girly, sweet-smelling products which are called delightfully American things like Boo Boo Zap, Brow Zings and Bad Gal and make you feel a million dollars by just looking at them. They became even less resistible when I was told that I qualified for a free gift. As my eyes lit up, Ric's rolled.

But then we went and found him a very smart Calvin Klein jacket so he is chuffed with that. All these brands are so much cheaper here! I tried to find a dress for our imminent trip to Vegas but my interest and patience quickly waned so we headed back to Hollywood (Boulevard - the locals chop off the Blvd, Street, Road etc, part of each address so they sound cooler) and ate an early dinner at a popular but cosy vegan restaurant I had been eyeing up since we got to Hollywood. They have an amazing menu which offers everything from succulent mock chicken and mock peppered steak burgers (with non-diary cheese) to protein salads, tofu and vegetable stir-fries, soups, curries, noodles and shabu-shabu, most of which are served with a bowl of nutty brown rice. And that was just the savoury menu! For once I was totally spoilt for choice and even Ric (who had a burger) said he couldn't fault it.

Afterwards, we had a weird night out. We went to meet Ric's friend (who happens to be a vegan) at a bar in West Hollywood. He'd been invited to some gig there and asked us to join him. We got there first, paid to park, paid to go in and looked around to find Ric was pretty much the only guy in there and that in fact, most of the clientele were gay - we found out later that this was a very popualr lesbian bar. Ric's friend whipped us out of there as soon as he found us and we decided to check out a comedy bar called Improv down the road (ie. a 2 mile drive away). I wasn't sure I coud sit through some bad commedy but we went anyway. We got there and the tickets had sold out so we just hung around the bar for a few hours before it was suggested that we try Jumbos, a strip club a couple of miles east of our Motel which stays open til late. I was assured that this joint was as popular with the girls as the boys and that the strippers don't even take their tops off. So off we went in the car again to watch some poles dancing at 1am. The traffic was truly terrible by now and we couldn't find a free parking spot anywhere but we finally made it in and found Lemmy from Motorhead standing outside the entrance smoking a cigarette. Ric was far more excited about that than seeing the semi-naked ladies. The things they can do in 8 inch heels and half way up a pole are amazing though.

We're learning fast that a night out in LA is nothing like London. First of all, you need to plan it far more precisely with your friends as everything is so spread out and you can't really do anything without driving. Then, because you need to drive, you can't really drink. If you want to park, you have to pay through the teeth. Most bars have a valet service which seems a bit of a joke to me especially when they only park it out the front. The traffic you have to sit in to get from one place to another somewhat kills the party mood too so the whole evening can feel drawn out before you've even done anything. At least there's always some up-beat rock tune on the radio.

LA LA Land

Bright, brash, frantic, flashy, trashy, kitsch, psychedelic, sprawling, smoggy, oozing with old school and 'nu' cool; we have arrived in LA, California.

After six weeks in the relative tranquility of New Zealand and a twelve hour flight, this heavily populated state feels like a rush of blood to the head and has attitude to boot!

We booked a Dodge Caliber through Thrifty Rentals but much to Ric's delight, ended up with a cool black Mustang which sure has a lot of kick! It's possibly the lowest vehicle I have ever sat in and for the first few hours I felt sure Ric was going to scrape the right hand side of the car off along with me. He's never driven on the right before, let alone in a sports car in LA so thank God we got Sat Nav as I was far too terrified to do any map reading.

The first thing I wanted to do after our long flight and lengthily wait for our baggage, even before finding a hotel was to go for a walk so we headed off to Venice Beach, trusting that our new electronic guide would get us there. The beach is a long and sandy and the Ocean Front Walk is a hive of fun and games which reminded me of Brighton Beach. As we walked along the shore we watched huge pelicans dive bomb in to the sea to catch fish, spotted a few Asian women trying and failing to surf and observed the pinky haze spread out like a blanket from one horizon to the other.

I just kept pinching myself - I'm in America! People here are real Americans, just like in the movies, and they are just as loud, proud, demonstrative and characterful as I imagined. I have lots of American friends but to see so many of them and in their own environment is somewhat overwhelming. Does that sound really weird, or rude?

People here talk loudly on their 'cell phones' so broadcasting their private lives. They get in to full-on shouting matches with traffic wardens. They paint their eyebrows on their faces. They have large, impressive tattoos, drive big cars and run red lights. They eat a lot of tacos, pizza, hot dogs, burgers and sushi and are served BIG portions. They walk around with their tiny toy dogs and some dress up as Superman, Homer Simpson, Marilyn Monroe, Johnny Depp and stand outside the Chinese Theatre posing with the tourists. There are more liquor stores and smoke shops than local supermarkets. There are advertisements on the telly for sex drugs, Catheters and 'Personal Massagers' and some radio stations only broadcast religious diatribe.

We are staying in a motel on Hollywood Boulevard right next to the famous Kodak Theatre (where the Oscars are held) and various other showbiz attractions. We can't quite see the sign from here but it's behind us. This Motel 6 isn't luxurious but after 42 nights in a camper van it is ace and we're got free wifi!

So far we've driven through Bel Air, past Beverly Hills, down Melrose, Rodeo Drive, Sunset Blvd and Santa Monica and went to see Ric's friend in Pasedena - all these place I have only ever seen on the big screen! Today we drove over to the J. Paul Getty Center, an impressive museum and research institute which houses hundreds of European paintings, furniture, drawings, sculpture, illuminated manuscripts, decorative arts and photographs. The surrounding gardens and buildings which housed the artworks were interesting and impressive in themselves and the view across LA were great (except for the smog).

It seems to take at least an hour to get anywhere and parking aint cheap but we're getting used to that. We're also getting better at asserting ourselves in the traffic and not getting caught in lanes we don't want to be in. It would be good if the Sat Nav gave us a bit more warning sometimes so we don't get spat off the motorways by being in the right hand lane.

All is good really and I think I am growing to like this funny place. I LOVE all the vegan restaurants!