My final day in Long Beach Tom and I went into L.A. to a protest outside the Brazilian embassy, organised in support of those protesting within Brazil. What began as protests against an increase in bus and subway fares has become a nationwide uprising about the worsening inequality, corruption and police violence, and in particular a constitutional amendment known as the PEC 37. It was great to be able to get out and support them, but I was surprised at the relatively small numbers given the size of L.A.!! Check outwww.brazilianprotests.tumblr.com to see more on these protests.
We also checked out the La Brea tar pit, a bizzare lake which is the result of an asphalt quarry in the nineteenth century. It has since filled with rain and groundwater, and is covered in a permanent oil slick due to asphalt leaking from fissures in the bottom of the lake. Natural gas also bubbles to the surface. Some 100 tons of epic fossil bones have been excavated from the area, as the asphalt seeps were something of a death trap for Ice Age mammals. For you geology geeks, this is known as the Rancho La Brea deposit, look it up! One ubiquitous sight in L.A. is Mexican food, and I just can’t get enough!! Sooo tasty. I have also tried Salvadorian food, and was equally delighted – plantains are freaking delicious. This city is a cultural melting pot, and you can travel the world through your belly. Suits me to a tee :) I spent an afternoon wandering around the waterfront area of Long Beach. I met a Hawaiian street vendor with the most beautiful tattoo of a hammerhead shark, much like Maori ta moko style. He offered to take me to the waterfront aquarium with his free pass if I came back tommorow, but it was my last day there. A couple of young guys were doing the most amazing tricks on bmx bikes, I sat and watched them for awhile. Lots of tourists around, and a woman in high heels walking around with a great big white snake around her neck. An eccentric city for sure. Venice / Santa Monica Beach I arrived in Venice on a Sunday evening, perfect timing because every Sunday there’s an epic drum circle on Venice beach. We caught the end of it, and just as we walked over the police began to break it up. As layer after layer of participants was removed, the inner circle of drummers determinedly drummed on, and there were people shouting, both angrily at the police, and happily yahoo-ing with the joy that only a drum circle can bring. As the last drum finished up, everyone was howling an cheering and it was so awesomely uplifting. The next day I spent more time exploring Venice and Santa Monica beaches with a friend Chris, who I met a week earlier. We rode the rollercoaster on the Santa Monica pier, had a basketball shootout and got the best burgers for lunch. Venice boulevard was so freaking entertaining, people selling everything you could think of, including bum signs (of which I saw some goodies! Such as “So sick of bitches bitching about bitches”), heaps of arts n crafts, medical marijuana licenses, and so on.. One guy was selling “shitty advice from a tipsy hippie” – “it’s not good, but it’s worth a dollar!” That night Chris took me into Hollywood to look around, and we had the most amazing sushi for dinner, before going salsa dancing in this awesome restaurant with great live music. It was madly packed, with people dancing all in between the tables and everywhere, such a buzz!
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Huntington Beach
Travis Rabenberg has the best travel stories I have ever heard. My host for two nights in HB, I never tired of hearing his yarns -– from kicking out with Arab Princes, to having his drink spiked and waking up in the middle of the desert, this guy has had a wild time! He also sells Italian bikes for a living, so I was lucky enough to be taken on a group ride on the back of his Ducati -– cruising north on the Pacific Coast Highway with the sun setting to our left. Riding home again under the nearly full moon was pretty epic too. Travis took me out for a morning surf before work. The water was gorgeous, I surfed in a bikini, and the waves were so mellow and rolling, I had so much fun. He loaned me a beach cruiser bike (these are so popular here!) and I spent the day exploring the HB/Newport area on the beach-side bike path. I rented a kayak and spent the afternoon exploring the Huntington Harbour, one of the biggest displays of wealth I have ever witnessed. Channel after channel of huge houses right on the water, with luxury yachts moored alongside. Huntington Harbor I stopped a couple of times to jump off bridges with the local kids, who have just started summer vacation. One young girl was really timid and shy, and her friends were all encouraging her to jump. I started talking to her, and eventually convinced her to jump with me. When she took her shorts off she had these heartbreaking scars all over her thighs from cutting herself. After jumping a few times she was smiling and giggling with her friends, and it was touching to have witnessed her gain that confidence. On the bike ride home I came across the Huntington farmers market, a lively affair with everything for sale from artisan bread to skateboards and everything in between! There was a DJ at one end, and a local songwriter performing at the other end. I stocked up on some fresh goodies, and tried my first tamale. Newport Beach In Newport Beach I stayed with Eric, a good friend of Tom’s, and we went to a ‘subsuelo’ party in East L.A. There were a number of CS hosts there with their surfers. The music was great, and everyone was super friendly. A flamenco dancer performed on the bar-top, and the main band Las Cafeteras, rad music with a political message. A really great night!! The next day I went bikini shopping at the outdoor mall in Newport, and then Eric took me out to Crystal Cove state park, which has the most gorgeous beach! You need a pass to enter the park, so the beach was less crowded, and the road was set back from the coast, so it felt more remote than any other beaches I’ve been to here. It was lovely! Eric was awesome to get to know as well, and has just started growing some of his own fruit and veg. We had great excited chats about permaculture, food forests and aquaponics systems, despite the fact that his backyard is smaller than my parents bathroom… You gotta dream big right? ;) San Clemente Upon meeting my host in San Clemente, we immediately went down to run on the beach, which was only a 5min walk away. The first time I have ever run in my bikini, and seriously addictive! When we were done we swam into the sunset, it truly felt like the sun was sinking into the ocean, and we were not observers but active participants. It was utter magic, woohoo-ing and grinning my ass off. My host Brad is a surf life guard, a laid back down-to-earth guy who’s life is centered around his love for the ocean. He lives in south San Clemente which really is gorgeous. There are less crowds down here, and these picturesque sandstone bluffs line the coast. I ran on the beach every day that I was here, and swam and swam and swam. The world renowned surf break Trestles was close by, and hosting a youth surf comp while I was there. So many of the kids are on the brink of going pro, and man could they surf! I happily passed an afternoon watching the action. Several times I saw bottlenose dolphins swimming along the coast. The first time I was in the water and they were frolicking just out from me, my heart skipped a beat when I saw them! I found that when I lay back in the water I could hear them communicating, it was pretty special. On the second day I swam out to Brad’s lifeguard boat and he took me out for a couple of hours. We went and free dived on this offshore reef known as “the slab.” There were tonnes of garibaldi swimming around, which are the most amazing bright orange fish, you can see them from the boat because they are so bright! The babies are even cooler, speckled with this iridescent blue. We also swam around the biggest starfish I’ve ever seen, and even a leopard shark! Badass. My evenings were just as entertaining. One night we went to see an old-school rock band called Marshall Tucker band. With Brad’s parents, who were so lovely. Another night was a lifeguard party, where I tried chard (silverbeet) from someone’s home aquaponics system, and stood around a fire pit drinking a tasty local I.P.A. The guys were so laid back and friendly. I was telling one guy about the Maori creation stories, and about Maui fishing up the North Island. He was lamenting America’s lack of such a culture of legends and stories. The U.S. really does represent to me the complete disconnection of a people with their landbase, which the lack of these stories reflects. It was touching to hear a young person yearning for this, and gave me hope for a future where we are more in touch with this beautiful planet we live upon / within. It was hard to tear myself outta San Clemente, reminded me of Raglan in a way, had that special something that draws me to stay… Alas. The road beckons me on! My travelling hoop is attracting a lot of attention - everyone from an Auckland bus driver to the attendant at the check in desk has been asking about it. Arriving in Fiji, the customs officer asked me “can you use that? Show me??” and then they cheered as I hooped in the airport in my socks - awesome! Nandi for me is a six hour layover, stuck in a hot airport filled with Australians sporting new Fijian braids in their hair. I wish I had planned to have a day or two here, the island looked just gorgeous flying in, and visitors were greeted by three guys strumming guitars and singing a Fijian welcome - you can’t help but smile! Instead I had to be content to enjoy a cold Vonu lager, and read about the vonu dina sea turtle, and the work that is going into protecting this majestic species :)
Fun fact of the day: Fiji has the third longest barrier reef in the world - the Great Sea Reef runs along the edge of the continental shelf in a near continuous chain for over 200 kilometres! After posting this, I was befriended by a cheeky Fijian boy who spent the better part of the next four hours trying to convince me to stay in Fiji. He had my hooked by telling me about all the tropical fruit they grow - mangoes, papaya, bananas… and lovo, the Fijian version of hangi, mmm! Talk to me about food any day! ;) Funniest point of the afternoon was when he told me, “yeah, we drink a lot here… Drink, drink, pass out.. No - don’t pass out! The Fijians will kill you.” Still unsure how much he was joking. He turned out to be in the military. Hmmm. A painful ten hour flight delivered me into the cacaphony that is LAX - oh my freaking god. Crazy bus driver Ray saved me from the madness, and my jet lagged first afternoon in Cali involves $3 margaritas by the poolside, scheming tomorrow's adventures - a fine start! |
I am a conservation field worker in New Zealand. I love mountains, sunrises, river swims, barefeet, cold beer, campfires, live music and whiskey. Archives
December 2014
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