Whoops! I forgot to add Day 54, lol
First time that's ever happened!
Day 54 ? A Taste of Japan - 91.59 km
Today my day started off at the Sycamore Canyon campground. I got a nice and early start as I expected to lose quite a bit of time cycling through the huge metropolis that some people like to refer to as Los Angeles.
At the beginning of the day I cycled through the famous city of Malibu. Here multimillion dollar homes tower on the edges of cliffs while expensive cars drive below. I saw countless Porsches, at least a dozen Bentleys, several Ferraris, Lamborghinis and Aston Martins, even a few Rolls-Royces. Keep in mind that these are not some old cars, but rather the newest models money can buy. Apart from ogling over expensive cars I also had to watch out so that I wouldn?t get killed. A shoulder in Malibu was virtually non-existent as it was used as a parking lane, however cars blazing beside me didn?t seem to care.
After Malibu I turned off of highway 1 onto a bicycle path which runs almost the whole length of the coastal region of Los Angeles. It is conveniently named the L.A. Bike Path. It was kind of funny since this bike path seemed out of place at times, winding through the middle of white sand beaches. Along the way I saw a bunch of great beaches and several cool piers. I passed through the famous Venice Beach as well. One part of the route that I found really strange was when I had to bicycle through a parking garage. Surprisingly, I wasn?t lost, I was actually on the right road! It just seemed a little awkward to me.
At one point I because a little lost. I was thrown off the bicycle path into a suburb. Not wanting to get even more lost, I decided to take out my laptop and see where I was. It turned out that in my bliss of cycling I had actually gone three miles past where I was supposed to go. It was only 2 PM, so I decided to kill some time around one of the beach piers before heading off to my host for the night. I of course could not resist bubble tea when I saw it at pier, another one of my weaknesses.
I managed to make it to ronzorini?s house, more commonly known to the world as Ron, with relative ease. They were quite surprised to see me, and rightly so! It turns out that when I e-mailed Ron I made a mistake and told him I would be there Tuesday, whereas in fact I was going to be there Monday. Although it worked out in the end, I did end up causing a little bit of confusion.
Although I had done laundry a mere two days ago, I decided that it would be wise to do it again. My shirts which were once white now actually resemble more of the color grey than anything. I put in my laundry and let it do its thing. When Ron?s wife was moving my clothes from the washer to the dryer, she was so appalled with the condition of my shirt that she ended up washing it again! I must say that at least now my shirt looks suitable for human use.
In order to prepare for dinner we of course had to go shopping. I decided that I wouldn?t just sit at home and would tag along. In this area there are many Japanese people, and thus many Japanese businesses, restaurants, and stores. We went to two separate Japanese markets in order to buy sushi as well as numerous other delicacies. These markets are staggering in size, and absolutely everything comes from Japan. They even sell furniture from Japan! Ron told me that this looks exactly what a market in Japan would look like, with a little more people in it of course.
Back at home I was treated to an excellent dinner of various Japanese foods: meso soup, sticky rice, sushi, fish cakes, as well as countless other interesting dishes. I love to sample new foods, so I of course had to try everything. I enjoyed most of the dishes, however next time I would pass on the squid as well as caviar sushi?s. The squid sushi was simply very hard to chew, and the caviar was a little too salty tasting for my liking. The dinner was truly excellent though, and definitely a nice change from pasta!
As if things couldn?t get any better I was also treated to a delicious desert. Shaved ice served with condensed milk, green tea powder, and red beans. It?s really difficult to describe the taste of it, but take my word for it when I say it was good! Ron and his wife?s great hospitality almost made me want to take a day off in Los Angeles, but alas, I must move on!
Day 55 ? Los Angeles and Beyond ? 118.82 km
Today in the morning I woke up refreshed and full of energy after a great rest on a real bed. Ron?s wife could not imagine letting me go without breakfast, so she practically prepared a feast. We were treated to freshly made waffles served with a choice of either syrup or a combination of various fruits. These waffles were sinfully delicious; I actually ate five of them! When I get back home I definitely have to look into getting a waffle iron, I am addicted! I must say that this breakfast was a very nice change from the regular half a box of cereal and a quarter gallon of milk.
Ron decided that he would escort me through part of the city in order to save me a bunch of headaches in getting lost. At the same time, he also wanted to show me part of the city, so he decided to take me through the heart of Compton. Yes my dear readers, I bicycled through the heart of Compton and live to tell the tale. It wasn?t actually that bad, but then again we weren?t in any of the really bad areas. I know that there are parts of Detroit that I would be afraid to drive through in my car, let alone ride through on my bicycle!
Without getting jumped or anything we made it to the Los Angeles River. Lets just say that never in my life would I call this thing a river. It was basically a channel made of concrete through which water flowed. Then again, the water that flowed in it was so ridiculously dirty that it was simply, well, ridiculous! The Detroit River?s water is crystal clear in comparison to the Los Angeles River! Following a bicycle path near this ?river? we made it to the city of Long Beach, which is a very nice town. Here unfortunately Ron could no further act as my escort and had to return home. Either way, it was great he could take me even this far. It?s always a lot more fun to ride with someone else as time goes by much faster.
Ron gave me directions through Long Beach, which worked for awhile until the bicycle path I was on ended. After the bicycle path ended I was supposed to go to the first street near the ocean and follow that. Unfortunately, this street was a dead end. No matter, I decided I would simply ask someone for directions. One thing I have noticed during this trip is that the majority of people, quite simply put, are morons at giving directions. I was asking people how to get to the Pacific Coast Highway, which is one of the major roads in the area. The first three people I asked all gave me different directions, all of which proved to be wrong. The only person who was able to direct me in the right direction was a very nice homeless guy, needless to say I gave him some very well deserved change!
After my slight confusion in Long Beach it was all smooth sailing. The route now followed highway 1 all the way to where I am staying tonight at San Clemente State Beach. Along the way I also passed through some very nice cities where I was once again drooling over ridiculous expensive and oh so excitingly fast cars. Unfortunately I suffered another flat tire in my rear wheel today, which should not have happened. I found the hole and it was not from a puncture due to glass or anything like that, so there is something from my rim causing it. I think that perhaps it may be due to my rim tape, so I will get that check out as soon as possible. I have been having nothing but problems with my rear wheel since I had to buy a new one in Astoria. Just for the record, the bicycle shop there, Bikes and Beyond, is not the greatest bike shop in the world. The guy only attached my disc brake rotor with half the screws needed, and I guess he did something else wrong since I keep getting these flat. No matter, tomorrow San Diego!
Day 56 ? All Roads Lead to Sea World ? 107.18 km
Today in the morning I awoke to the buzzing sound of cars and banging of campers packing away their belongings feverishly. The campground I stayed at wasn?t terrible, but was unfortunately located fairly close to the freeway. No matter. Feeling a little lazy this morning I got a fairly late start, but I did get going eventually!
I didn?t have any food or water bottles with me, so I decided I?d grab something on the road. This proved out to be quite the mistake. Soon after my campground the road headed into a United States military base, and needless to say I went without water and breakfast for a few hours. The road today was very, very neat. The bicycle path paralleled the freeway on a closed and abandoned highway, open only to bicycles and military vehicles. The road then turned into the military base itself. Here I came upon a military checkpoint at which I had to present my ID. Luckily they did not believe that I was a foreign spy or anything and let me through with no difficulty. In the base I saw troops performing training exercises. I saw parked tanks and helicopters flew over head. A refreshing change from the same old cars I see every day!
Past the military base I soon made my way into the town of Oceanside. Dehydrated and starving, I made my way to a restaurant that advertised all you can eat fish and chips. Thirteen pieces of fish, two plates of fries, and $12 later I was once again on my way. Let?s just say that today breakfast, lunch and dinner were all one meal! I have become quite skilled in the art of being able to load a massive amount of food into myself, which is quite effective cost wise with these all you can eat deals.
Barely able to move, I jumped back on my bicycle and hit the road. I passed by a bicycle shop and decided that I should get my rear wheel checked out. It turns out that the bicycle shop I got my rim at in Astoria was garbage. In addition to not giving me all my rotor bolts, they also gave me cheap rim tape which was installed incorrectly and thus giving me flats. Since I was already at a bicycle shop I decided to do a few more small things to my bike. I got new water bottle holders, new water bottles, new heel pads for my shoes, changed out my cleats, and got a helmet mirror. Sure, the mirror my look super nerdy, but I figure if it could save my life down in Mexico it?s worth it! Unfortunately all these things do add up, to $62 to be exact. I did get a free glass of iced tea though! I ended up spending a little more time than I should have here, I was literally there for an hour and a half!
From the bicycle shop I slowly made my way into San Diego. I took countless turns on side streets and unmarked alleys. I decided to buy myself a city map since I will be visiting San Diego tomorrow. Regardless, I still got lost. There was a tricky area near Sea World where a bunch of highways crossed each other and into each other. This is a problem as not only am I not allowed on these freeways on a bicycle, but the traffic is incredibly busy. Every street I turned into lead in Sea World. Even if my map said otherwise, the road would end and turn into Sea World. Arrgg! Eventually I made my way through the Sea World parking lot and managed to somehow get out of there.
The people I am staying with today live a little ways from downtown, so I had to make my way inland. This also means that there is a nice big hill which must be climbed in order to get here. Merle had warned me in a previous e-mail about this hill and told me several times not to take Texas St., as it is a nice 14% grade. No problem thought I. I decided to take a street called Qualcomm. What I failed to notice on my map was that Qualcomm later merges into Texas.
Some pain and suffering later I made it to the top. I also got lost here a little because the street Merle lives on is one of those divided streets. I made it to the street and couldn?t find the house number, so I thought that perhaps I had the wrong one. I then consulted my map and saw that at one point the road had a break and continued several blocks further on. These cities should really give divided streets like these different names, it make?s people?s lives a lot easier! Tomorrow I will be taking a day off in the city of San Diego to see the sights. Once again, I think it will be easier to see it on bike!
but ive been reading dedicatedly since the vancouver two-pound burger. a little suprised that you didnt like in-n-out, but oh well.. to each his own. 
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