Day 35
We got an early start from Ventura: a big day ahead of us. With the city looming, we couldn't ease our way in. The friends I had lined up to stay with were deep in the city, so we were diving in head first. It looked like a good 70 mile day from where we were. Eggs for breakfast! That should power us a ways.
Goodbyes with our hosts in the garage (lovely folks), and we got the skinny on the best way out of town.
We rode along a concrete culvert to Harbor St, a broad and flat road that took us all the way into Oxnard, which was equally broad and flat.
It turned uneventfully into Port Hueneme, and from there into very flat farmland, growing mostly industrial hemp (with big signs reading "NO THC," I guess to deter the passing stoner), and sod, which just looked like the largest lawn anyone has ever seen. In the distance, the Santa Monica mountains grew and grew and grew.
We braked at some kind of missile display stop off the highway, where we met a bunch of cyclists out for a day ride from the city. Tempting to climb on...
Then the highway. The overpass was like a starting line, whose race ended in Santa Monica.
It rounded a curve and went between the steep cliffs of the mountains and a large outcropping by the sea. Are these the hot gates?
The coastline here was tremendous. Very barren and rough mountains, ending stubbornly at small roadside beaches, populated with adventurous surfers, and the brilliant, almost blinding blue of the ocean, out into infinity. Here and there, we saw dolphins show their fins and spray a cloud of mist.
I wasn't sure where is started, but soon we were in Malibu. Big, stunning homes were perched on the hillsides and even on stilts on the beach, all competing for the most radical location, in a slow competition for property values. The highway began to be populated by many fancy cars parked on either side, and the traffic steadily increased. What started as a few impressive houses, began to densify until they were all packed together, though they did not give up on trying to out-do each other in their exoticness.
Just as I wasn't sure where it started, the ending was equally unclear. The houses continued in this elongated highway neighborhood. We passed Pepperdine University, and then got out first glimpses of the city, nore recognizable by its haze than any distinct skyline.
Suddenly, we were sput out onto a paved beach boardwalk. "Now we get to dodge people instead of cars!" Lluc says. It was true. It was an absolute zoo. Everyone and thier mother was out (Saturday...) on roller blades, skateboards, electric skooters, beach cruisers, baby strollers... Overhearing conversations as we pass, getting blasted with music from their portable speakers as they pass, no one seemingly aware of much else other than the sandy scene before them. More than the people, there was a whole infrastructure set up for everyone to enjoy themselves for a day at the beach: hundreds of volleyball nets, beachside cafes, amusement park rides... "Have we entered another world? "Another dimension?" Lluc asks. "There's no way we just rode our bikes here." We hypothesized that in fact, all of California had been a part of this parallel universe, and that the agricultural checkpoint at the stateline had been the portal (fruits and veggetables in the portal screw it all up...). We stopped in Venice beach, sat and watched the display...
From here: inland. We got onto Venice Blvd intent on taking it all the way to Mid City, where my friends Sam and Jeff live. On our way, we'd pass through Culver City. 10 miles of sprawling urban life.
We battled the traffic and in an hour had made it to their place. They spotted us from the balcony. A funny reunion. We put our things in their small garage, and stretched in thier living room while telling some tales of the road. We were craving some bomb food, and though we thought mexican would be plentiful and well done, it seemed like we should save that for Mexico and try and get asian here. Korea town wasn't far, so we walked the 20 or so blocks and found a little joint with some locals in it that seemed seasonable and went in. We were not dissappointed.
After eating so many meals from one pot. all these little plates were very exciting.
On arriving back home, word was there was a party back in Korea town, so we joined Jeff and found the place. We drove and couldn't find parking (simply comical to me...). There was a house with an open door, we were instructed to write 3 weaknesses on a nametag according to what the book of zodiac signs said for our birthday, and then enter. The back lot had a fire and the remnants of a barbeque. We mingled with some plainly dressed but very hip young folks, though they felt a little older, and generally smiled at the notion of being here in LA at some party. Jeff mentioned to a girl that we were biking down the coast and the response was "Ok..." and that was my favorite response we've gotten get...
Back home, we talked late into the night and crashed on the floor. Tomorrow, we see what this city is really about.
Goodbyes with our hosts in the garage (lovely folks), and we got the skinny on the best way out of town.
We rode along a concrete culvert to Harbor St, a broad and flat road that took us all the way into Oxnard, which was equally broad and flat.
It turned uneventfully into Port Hueneme, and from there into very flat farmland, growing mostly industrial hemp (with big signs reading "NO THC," I guess to deter the passing stoner), and sod, which just looked like the largest lawn anyone has ever seen. In the distance, the Santa Monica mountains grew and grew and grew.
We braked at some kind of missile display stop off the highway, where we met a bunch of cyclists out for a day ride from the city. Tempting to climb on...
Then the highway. The overpass was like a starting line, whose race ended in Santa Monica.
It rounded a curve and went between the steep cliffs of the mountains and a large outcropping by the sea. Are these the hot gates?
The coastline here was tremendous. Very barren and rough mountains, ending stubbornly at small roadside beaches, populated with adventurous surfers, and the brilliant, almost blinding blue of the ocean, out into infinity. Here and there, we saw dolphins show their fins and spray a cloud of mist.
I wasn't sure where is started, but soon we were in Malibu. Big, stunning homes were perched on the hillsides and even on stilts on the beach, all competing for the most radical location, in a slow competition for property values. The highway began to be populated by many fancy cars parked on either side, and the traffic steadily increased. What started as a few impressive houses, began to densify until they were all packed together, though they did not give up on trying to out-do each other in their exoticness.
Just as I wasn't sure where it started, the ending was equally unclear. The houses continued in this elongated highway neighborhood. We passed Pepperdine University, and then got out first glimpses of the city, nore recognizable by its haze than any distinct skyline.
Suddenly, we were sput out onto a paved beach boardwalk. "Now we get to dodge people instead of cars!" Lluc says. It was true. It was an absolute zoo. Everyone and thier mother was out (Saturday...) on roller blades, skateboards, electric skooters, beach cruisers, baby strollers... Overhearing conversations as we pass, getting blasted with music from their portable speakers as they pass, no one seemingly aware of much else other than the sandy scene before them. More than the people, there was a whole infrastructure set up for everyone to enjoy themselves for a day at the beach: hundreds of volleyball nets, beachside cafes, amusement park rides... "Have we entered another world? "Another dimension?" Lluc asks. "There's no way we just rode our bikes here." We hypothesized that in fact, all of California had been a part of this parallel universe, and that the agricultural checkpoint at the stateline had been the portal (fruits and veggetables in the portal screw it all up...). We stopped in Venice beach, sat and watched the display...
From here: inland. We got onto Venice Blvd intent on taking it all the way to Mid City, where my friends Sam and Jeff live. On our way, we'd pass through Culver City. 10 miles of sprawling urban life.
We battled the traffic and in an hour had made it to their place. They spotted us from the balcony. A funny reunion. We put our things in their small garage, and stretched in thier living room while telling some tales of the road. We were craving some bomb food, and though we thought mexican would be plentiful and well done, it seemed like we should save that for Mexico and try and get asian here. Korea town wasn't far, so we walked the 20 or so blocks and found a little joint with some locals in it that seemed seasonable and went in. We were not dissappointed.
After eating so many meals from one pot. all these little plates were very exciting.
On arriving back home, word was there was a party back in Korea town, so we joined Jeff and found the place. We drove and couldn't find parking (simply comical to me...). There was a house with an open door, we were instructed to write 3 weaknesses on a nametag according to what the book of zodiac signs said for our birthday, and then enter. The back lot had a fire and the remnants of a barbeque. We mingled with some plainly dressed but very hip young folks, though they felt a little older, and generally smiled at the notion of being here in LA at some party. Jeff mentioned to a girl that we were biking down the coast and the response was "Ok..." and that was my favorite response we've gotten get...
Back home, we talked late into the night and crashed on the floor. Tomorrow, we see what this city is really about.
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