Venice, Los Angeles

After breakfast Gavin, Thomas and I got bikes from the hotel and cycled all along the beach path towards Venice Beach. This cycle path is extremely busy, especially on a Sunday, and once on it you have to be careful if you wish to stop without causing an accident. It runs in front of the beach so pedestrians trying to get on to the beach have to wait a little while before being able to cross - we saw a couple of near accidents today when pedestrians were not aware of the aggression and speed of some of the cyclists, many who are very rude and yell at you in a very impolite fashion if you don't keep on the very right of the path. It was like driving on the autobahn!

We dropped some more clothing off at the laundromat and then got caught up in a Hare Krishna parade. It was very colourful and very peaceful until some Christians decided to start calling them stupid and preach their own message. There was some very colourful language thrown back at the Christians, not by the Hare Krishnas but by some nutters passing by, and it got quite heated! Quite honestly I think people can have any religion they want, I cannot see the purpose of trying to impose your beliefs on other religions.

Going through Venice Beach you see such an array of people - families out for the day, vagrants hanging about, and some real loonies. I think because California is so accepting of all types, some people really try to act like nutters. There is a freak show that has a bearded lady and she was wandering round chatting to everyone. However, having said that I think Venice Beach is more real than that false and superficial world of Hollywood that we saw yesterday.

Venice is a suburb of Los Angeles that has some pretty canals with beautiful houses lining them, as can be seen here. Contrary to what I expected, the smarter houses are one or two rows back from the beach, although there are also some amazing designs on the beach front, as can be seen in the extra photo - I have also included one of me on the bike.

While we were out biking, Luke and Adam decided to go to Gold's Gym. They said they cannot come all this way and not experience this world famous gym and so by hook or by crook were going to get in. Luke had ID and Adam had false ID (don't ask....as he is very young for his school year, and only turns 18 at the end of August, he and many of his friends have found it necessary to get a false ID's without parent approval). They managed to get into the gym and could not believe their eyes when they met Arnold Schwarzenegger, who was working out next to them - he promised them a photo after this workout but then left before letting them take one of him. The boys said they have never seen such huge people before, they saw a girl there who was bigger than any bloke they have ever seen before with enormous muscles, a real steroid queen!

We had a quiet afternoon lying in the shade at the pool (still feeling sunburnt from that bus ride yesterday) and despite sitting opposite David Harewood I was too chicken to ask for his photo.

We leave tomorrow morning to go to Las Vegas - again, not  place I have any desire to visit, but from there we are doing a day trip to the Grand Canyon, which I am looking forward to.