Frustration

LA is a frustrating place to visit.

It has a Metro system but it does not go anywhere near many of the famous places (The Hollywood sign, Rodeo Drive etc.) so I had to bite the bullet and buy a ticket on a tour and whilst I prefer to operate at my own pace I can live with that so I actually get to see things.

An example of this was my trip today to Medieval Times. It is a bit preposterous in that all the serving wenches call you sire and they will sell you a real sword (don't think I would have got it through customs) but the show was really good with excellent horsemanship, fighting choreography and drama. The tension was built nicely with a clearly defined baddie to boo (although not chivalrous) and hero to cheer. The jousting was not quite at full pace and they used tourney lances (designed to break) so the sense that they might get really hurt wasn't there. The frustration was that I could either sit on a bus for about three hours to get there or take Metro, train and taxi combo to get there. Sure it was next to the freeway but the idea you would not come by car did not occur so to see a 2 hour show took from 11am to 7pm. The section I was in were supporting the red and yellow knight who looked like he was dressed in the Spanish flag and was holding the flag of Albania but he was very skilled. There were other things on show such as falconry and dressage skills from lovely Andalusian stallions. Well worth a visit.

San to LAX

As the train leaves San Diego it goes through an area of hills with some valleys and is quite slow. The area is quite spectacular in a bleak and barren sense. The vegetation is similar to Southern Spain away from the coast, a misture of dwarf trees and xerophytic shrubs, mainly brown with areas of green where there is water under the surface.


It is this type of chapparal vegetation that is causing so many problems in Northern California currently with a number of wildfires. The area has not had fires for along period and any that start are put out. This means a lot of dead material builds up and subsequent fires are worse. A lot of the vegetation requires fire to stimulate regrowth. The area is inacceable and lightly populated so I would change the policy. Let the fires burn and open up a state run insurance people pay into which pay out if there houseis destroyed by a fire.

After this the railway finds the flattest part of the countryside, along the sea front. There are a number of lovely houses and towns in this area as well as some really ugly buildings as well.

After this the train crawls for over 40 minutes through the LA suburbs which are a mixture of attractive, modern areas, morerundown areas, strange looking industrial areas and rivers that are channelised running through high concrete banks (picture the car race in Grease or thelorry/motorcycle chase in Terminator)

Thank you for the supportive emails. To claeify an experience shared is an experienced doubled as you then have a common point of reference from which stories or jokes can spawn.

San Diego

San Diego is worth a couple of days of your time especially if you have children an a car. Some of the attractions such as SeaWorld and San Diego Zoo are world famous but I did not go to them as the most of the animals I have seen before although the SeaWorld shows are pretty spectacular. It was not a good use of the time that was available and both are tricky to get there from the San Diego Trolley (Tram). Instead I spend some time at the Marine Time Museum which has four lovely ships including the Star of India and a replica of HMS Splendid (used in the film of Master_and_Commander with Russel Crowe). I also went to the area called Old Town where the original settlement of San Diego was which has some reconstructed buildings that are from the appropriate era and apart from a bit of over-commercialisation was fine to sit in the shade (80 degrees, blue skies, nice breeze, not to humid) to read. The most disappointing area was the Gaslight Quarter which had some nice buildings from the Victorian Period and is well lit by the eponymous Gaslights but there are no information boards, visitor centre etc. and is choked with traffic.

Stay-cations

The rising price of fuel seems to have had a number of effects but the one I like the best is the idea of a Staycation. Stay at home but go out and visit local attractions, museums and galleries. Save money but do things that you won't not normally do. A good idea and a new word all in one go.

Not the best day

Not all of a holiday can be great and today was not a great day. I don't mind travelling alone and don't feel lonely but today reminded that it is always best with someone to share the experience with. Part of keeping a blog is to remind me of what I have done and also to share some of the experience. It is always sad to say goodbye to someone that you might not see for a long time. It is also sad to say goodbye to someone who I can beat so convincingly at cribbage. The 2 point victory was just a small measure of the dominance that I enjoyed as I scored a number of crushing victories all by huge points scores. It was also was a travel day which means a lot of hanging around. San Diego looks good but I am staying about 20 mins South in a place called Chula Vista which should have nice views of the sea but instead has views of the Highway. The hotel looks like one that women go to in films when they and the children are leaving abusive husbands although inside the rooms seem alright. The major downside is the speed of the Internet which at 5mbps is slower than dial up. I also had a lasagne that was basically a huge tomato and my aversion to that fruit is well known. Not the best day but lots of exploring to do tomorrow.

More airport things

1. Feel sorry for the Army Officer in the airport. It must be a rule that they travel in uniform as there are lots around. This officer was very smartly dressed with lots of bits of metal all over his uniform and maybe in him as well. Try as he might, he just did not seem to be able to take off enough clothes to stop the metal detector beeping.

2. Why at point of landing can you make phone calls but not listen to an Ipod - and should I be worried that a music player can affect the navigational features of an aeroplane.

Olympics

Unintentionally I appear to be visiting the sites of previous Olympics. So far I have been to Olympia in Greece (776 BC), London (1908,1948), Paris (1900, 1924), St Louis (1904), Amsterdam (1928), Berlin (1936) and Barcelona (1992). I also aim to be in Los Angeles which was 1984. The Olympics in St Louis was part of the much larger World Fair which was held in 1904 and I thought that these were unique events that were held rarely but there seems to be a large number of them (full list here).

The world fair covered a huge area with over 1500 buildings as different countries tried to show off their new inventions and also trying to avoid getting invaded or taken over. Even the British Army was allowed in to show off their drill skills with a Trooping of the Colour each day. My favourite story comes from the Olympic marathon competition.

First to arrive was Frederick Lorz who actually was trotting back to the finish line to retrieve his clothes after he was forced to drop out of the race after nine miles. When the officials thought he had won the race, Lorz played along with his practical joke until he was found out shortly after the medal ceremony.

Thomas Hicks was the first to cross the finish-line legally after having received several doses of strychnine sulfate mixed with brandy. He was supported by his trainers and when he crossed the finish but this was allowed to stand. Hicks had to be carried off the track, and might have died had he not been treated by several doctors.

Felix Carbajal stopped off in an orchard to have a snack on some apples which turned out to be rotten. The rotten apples caused him to have to take a nap but despite becoming ill from the apples he finished in fourth place.


The marathon included the first two black Africans to compete in the Olympics who were two Tswana tribesmen named Len Taunyane and Jan Mashiani. They weren't there to compete in the Olympics but in a sideshow. They had been brought over by the exposition as part of the Boer War exhibit. Len Taunyane finished ninth and Yamasani came in twelfth but this was considered a disappointment as many people were sure Len Taunyane could have done better if he had not been chased nearly a mile off course by ferocious dogs.

Just had the remnants of Hurricane Dolly sweep through St Louis washing out an outdoor concert we were going to go to.