Our 'MINI' LA adventure

Our LA adventure has begun, but before I bore you all with my waffle I feel I need to introduce you to the delights of our mini (as in car) game...... it is very very simple, there are many variations out there some complicated and some ever so slightly violent but this is our version and it goes like this: If you spot a mini, you shout 'MINI', you score 1 point for a recent mini, 2 for a clubman and old minis and if you see an old mini traveller then bonus time - 3 points. A car transporter with mini's on is worth 10 points. The game starts when the car is switched on and finishes when switched off. If two people shout mini together with no obvious winner then it is a draw and neither get a point. This is our simple but at times, infuriating game, which like all good visitors, we have introduced to Elizabeth and Zack. Zack is perhaps the quickest learner I have seen and much to my dismay soundly beating me on most car journeys, I blame jet lag and tired eyes.

LA, what a place, it is not necessarily everyone's cup of tea and especially if you don't drive, but being shown around by locals is allowing us to see a different side to a intriguing city. Yesterday, we went to the beach... as in Venice beach and for a stroll along Santa Monica pier taking in the sights at muscle beach, which is smaller than I thought it would be. The places are all familiar from all the years of watching films with the locations in but seeing it in the flesh so to speak is so much better, with the crowds, the odd balls, people trying to hawk you stuff and a guy playing the electric guitar on roller blades complete with flowing robes and purple turban.... Alas there were no lifeguards running along the beach to save someone form a riptide accompanied by corny music, nor were there bikini clan sunbathers (much to Richard's disappointment) but really what did he expect in March??

Now on to the highlight of the day the Oscars, E and Z's friends were hosting an Oscar party, Richard was in his element as they had Port Salut and brie cheese and for anyone not in the know this is his amber nectar..... so once he was pulled away from the cheese board we voted on the different categories and entered the competition..... this is similar to the Eurovision parties but not quite so damaging to the liver as we were not required to drink every time we won a point!! The hosts Andrew and Taylor have theeeee sweetest puppy going, who came in and joined the party sooo cute, I was warned that it would not fit in a pannier so no abduction attempts were made. The best logistical part of the party was the fact that we started slightly later than the actual ceremony and were watching a recording so fast forwarded all the boring speeches and adverts. Its fair to say that our combined knowledge of all the films up for Oscars was sketchy at best so Richard went for the 'educated guess' approach where as I went for the 'tick the top option' approach with the view that at least one would be right!!! Needless to say we were not ranked in the medal positions!! hummm really don't think we are going to be any better with the Oscars next year either.

The Big Day...... Thursday 4th March 2010

The big day finally arrived, with it a list of last minute jobs that was as long as your arm, luckily Rachel, Richard's sister came down to help out, which was very handy as I had sold my car on the Wednesday evening and we ended up running all over town, mainly looking for a sports massage; I had handily wrecked my back tidying the garden on Wednesday. Not the best thing to do considering what we are about to embark on.

So, having been talked into having a massage over a bottle or two of wine on Wednesday evening I set off for Iffley Road running track and Peak Performance for one of the THE most painful hours of my life. I have never experienced pain like it, but my god was it effective, I entered the building practically on my knees in pain from just walking and by the end of it could bend down to do up my shoes with out any problems..... miracle or what, I have the number and would highly recommend the place and will be going back, I am pretty sure in a years time I will be needing it!!

With the back fixed as best as can be, we headed back to stress central a.k.a. my house for last minute packing, sorting, cleaning and bickering, luckily David (my Brother) who was giving us a lift was delayed so we had a little more time to play with. But, the time had come to say our goodbyes and head off to the airport. Which sounds pain free and uneventful..... this is without the help of a great ruddy stone, which just happened to take umbrage against the radiator of my brother's van (how rude) and caused us to spend just a little too much time in an ASDA carpark waiting for the AA to arrive. After 2 hours too long in the carpark in freezing conditions (the store was not much warmer), 16 liters of water, a bottle of rad welled and an AA man with long nosed pliers we set off again for the airport. Luckily in some kind of psychic premonition I had decided that we needed to spend Thursday night in an airport hotel so we were not racing to catch a flight else we would have been in serious trouble and had to pull in a favour, or two considering the size of the bike boxes.

The flight itself was very uneventful, thank goodness, however when a very helpful BA customer services man told us that, Ooops..... there was only one box on the flight and that the other one was hopefully on the next flight the stress levels went through the roof. Not sure if people are aware, but it is really difficult to ride half a tandem. but finally the second box has arrived (at this point I should say that we are staying with my friend Elizabeth and her husband Zack in LA for 4 days) it was a little worse for wear with a crank sticking out one end and the front chain ring looking like it tried to make a bid for freedom at some point, fingers crossed we can find a new bike box to get it to Christchurch, NZ our first port of call for cycling, but for now let the LA adventure and star spotting begin.........

Final Soggy Test Ride

We've been putting off loading the tandem up with luggage and taking it out due to the weather, which we know isn't going to be an option on the trip, but when we have the luxury of choice it's become clear that we are fair weather cyclists at heart. Anyhow, come Saturday (weather: raining), then we really couldn't delay any more, so we packed our kit into the panniers, loaded them onto the bike and set off on a test ride that would replicate the sort of stresses and strains that we would be encountering on our trip.

So, after ten minutes on the flat smooth cycle track that runs next to Oxford's ring road, we both heartily agreed that both us and the bike were ready for the worst a Himalayan mountain pass could throw at us. We retired for a well earned bacon and egg roll... well, in Den's case an egg roll.

Finally we have declared ourselves ready for the off..... well apart for that tool that Richard needs to get, the important one for the brake!! and the packing of the luggage and the cleaning of the house and the hundred and 1 other things that I am now starting to remember, but I am sure it will all come together in the end I just hope that it is before Thursday evening!!!!!

First port of call on Friday is LA - bring on the sun.......

Projected tandem milage Zero...... (and it will remain boxed for the 4 day LA holiday before the adventure/pain/torture/fun begins in New Zealand a week on Thursday)

There will be pictures at the next posting as the ones that we wanted to post are not available to us owing to a small incident with a Nissan Micra, a memory card and a trip to Swansea.