Bike Tour in the USA (2007), Part 2

Sunday, Sep 09, 2007

On the Streets of Los Angeles

Route: Hollywood-Santa Monica-Hollywood

Distance: 74.21km, Time: 5hours:54minutes:58seconds, Total: 74.21km

   

Painting in Hollywood

   Because today was Sunday I wanted to join a church and worship our Lord, wanted to thank God and ask for his blessings for a trouble-free tour. 
   Already yesterday I've noticed a large church, the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, not far away from the hotel. As I stepped through the large gate into a dark church an elderly brother welcomed me with a strong handshake. I looked for a seat in the back and let the surrounding and the atmosphere settle on me. The whole appearance reminded me of the Anglican Church, typically for the United Kingdom. Even the chorus wore long the same purple garment. 

Pastor Michael Morrow read from Luke 4:16-21 

"16 He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, 17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
    because he has anointed me
    to proclaim good news to the poor.

     He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
    and recovery of sight for the blind,
     to set the oppressed free,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21 He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood

   As I arrived in the hotel shortly after noon I wanted to discover more of Los Angeles of my bike. Generally the road design is based on main roads leading straight either from north to south or east to west this makes it very easy for first time visitors. The prominent and from far away visible 'Hollywood' sign on the nearby mountain made the orientation very easy. As the Basque proverb goes "Earth belongs to the brave but heaven those to deserve it" I went on my first bike ride on American soil.

Hollywood

   I cycled along Hollywood Boulevard and turned left into Vine Street. I stayed on this with potholes dotted road until I it became a smooth road near a park-like housing area with beautiful houses. I turned right into Wilshire Boulevard. On a brick colored building on my right I've discovered big letters saying 'Korean Television America Network'. This marked the beginning of the Korean community of Los Angeles. Indeed, the road is lined with Korean shops, services and doctors. One commercial offered the service of a housing agency in Korean.

   I stayed on Wilshire Boulevard until I came to the La Brea Tar Pits in Hancock Park (https://tarpits.org/), even for America a bizarre and for me unknown place. Many thousand years ago the earth had natural tar deposits covered with water. As heavy animals went for water they got stuck and could not move in the tar until they slowly sank, died and were immediately conserved. The management recreated the events with large animal models with family members of the animal trying to rescue them or stand frozen in fear watching the scene. As the tar pits began about 50.000 years ago their were no dinosaurs to be found... 

   After their discovery the material of the tar pits were used of asphalt of roads; between 1913-1915 around 100 larger bones from mammals have been excavated and examined.

    Considering other visitors I walked my bike through the park and between people in the beginning but the road became too long for me. As I went back on my bike and rode between the museum buildings I was whistled off my bike by a Mexican guard and asked to get off my bike. I was already going to leave the park anyway....

(To be continued)

Bike Tour in the USA (2007), Part 1

Sunday, Sep 09, 2007

On the Streets of Los Angeles

Route: Hollywood-Santa Monica-Hollywood

Distance: 74.21km, Time: 5hours:54minutes:58seconds, Total: 74.21km

   “The gladdest moment in human life, me thinks, is a departure into unknown lands.” 

– Sir Richard Burton

   When I left my hotel (on Hollywood Boulevard)  the 8th annual Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Triathlon, according to the organizers “one of the largest and most prestigious  triathlon in the world" already was on its way. As I've heard the competition started  with the swim at the beach of Venice Beach, went through Hollywood by bike and ended with the run at the Staple Center, the home of the Los Angeles Lakers.

Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Triathlon

   Directly in front of the Hotel gate flew the first triathletes by; for a lower wind resistance crouched in their typical position. As I walked along the Boulevard the triathletes become more and more, the professional athletes were replaced by amateurs, families with their children and even groups like firefighters and policemen joined the challenge. It would be another 10 years until I did my first triathlon.

   On the side of the road were policemen stationed in regular distances, securing the scenes demonstratively sitting on their white Harleys. Everyone was at least 1.80 m tall, muscles could be seen over their much too small and maybe even tailored shirts. They wore motor biker slacks, wide on the thigh and tight on the calf in high polished leather boots. At temperatures at around 30 degrees surely not an amusing job but, hey, this is Hollywood!

Harley on Stars

   As I walked by the obviously boring police I’ve noticed a Mexican looking officer reaching in his side pocket and grabbing a sun lotion. I’ve heard him clearly asking his colleague: “Do you want?” As he negated the first offices squirted some in his hand and creamed appreciatively his face with it.

Hello Delicious

  On the crossing to the N. Highland Avenue I’ve notice an African-American female Policewomen controlling the traffic arguing with another female African-American wearing a heavy makeup sitting in her car.

“I want to cross the road, why does the competition take so long?”

“You are an adult therefore you should know that you are not allowed talking on the phone while driving and that you have to follow my instructions.”

After these words the driver become quiet and while she had to wait she slipped seemingly annoyed on her seat forward and backwards.

   Not far away I saw a city cowboy sitting on the side of the road feeding his horse with carrots. “Curious”, I’ve thought to myself and took a picture.

City Cowboy

   I’ve realized that many European Americans in neat Sunday clothes were strolling to Ivar Avenue while others in full bags came from there. I followed them and they led me to the Hollywood Farmers Market. In this certified (!) market around 90 farmers and 30 bakers sell their organic products, around 30 artists their crafts. As I’ve heard later organic products are the hot items in high society, accordingly is the demand and the many people. I personally found the prices astronomically, for a cup of juice with much ice cubes I've paid US$5.00/cup.

    The many people let me recognize that there is a trend away from the in-‘famous’ genetically engineered mass crops to organically produced vegetables and fruits even in the U.S. Visiting the farmer’s market let me experience the ‘alternative’ America which indeed exists.  

(to be continued)