I've now been in the States a week now and all is going very well up to now! I'm updating this blog from my new iPod touch (had to get with the culture over here), but it is a bit awkward to type lots of stuff on, and also to upload photos, so will try and sort something out.
So, LA then...huuuuge, noisy and a nightmare to cycle out of normally but being on the ball we chose to get out on a Sunday. After a few days of being a tourist around Santa Monica, Venice and Hollywood, we dipped our feet in the Pacific and set off on our way. We eventually managed to get out of the sprawling metropolis and after 55 miles and some 1000m of hot uphills, reached Acton. A typical American town in a semi-desert with the greenest grass imagineable and some big scavenger weasel type creatures that robbed our food! A campsite with lots of massive pick-up trucks, Winnie bagos and an adult room too. All very new to me, and very American, big and bold!
A day of tailwinds took us to Victorville, our first Denny's Diner experience and then to Vegas! Quite simply the most outrageous place I've ever been to. Extravagant, morally corupt, engineering triumph...lot's of different opinions, but it's bloody good fun I can assure you! Walking around 40 degree desert heat inbetween Parisian and Egyptian themed air-conditioned super casinos, being handed flyers for strippers, is what Vegas is all about! Cheap booze, food and accommodation is plentiful to encourage gambling, and it's fair to say it had the desired effect on me and Andy.
We also got into our first American argument. Now I have to emphasise that almost every American we have met so fat has been incredibly helpful, supportive and friendly, and we probably shouldn't laugh at all the obese fatties around, but occasionally it's unavoidable. So when we saw a gigantic family waltzing out of an all-you-can eat, 3 of them on fat mobiles, we took a picture. We were then "chased" by someone with a face morphed into their own neck asking us, "ain't you got fatties in your own country?, I said not like you and then she asked if we thought they were funny?". We said yes and refused to delete the photo that is now on facebook. Should have offered to delete it if she beat me in a race to be fair I suppose.
Anyway, we're now in Utah after cycling 55 miles from Nevada, through Arizona and into Utah, the state that discourages alcohol consumption. We'll be here for about 3 weeks which should be interesting then, we haven't seen one bar yet. Luckily the scenery is incredible, as it had been all along the way since LA and through different types of desert. The heat is incredible though, today we were cycling through 44 degree heat, which was the joint hottest day in history in this part of the world! Needless to say it is very tough cycling in that heat and so we're setting out at 5am before the sun gets up to make it as easy as possible. We're now heading to Zion National Park which should be equally as stunning, and hope to be in Salt Lake City in a week or so, approximately 300 miles from St. George. I'll try and get some pics up on here to make you all jealous and if you'd like to sponsor me, check out the post below with info on how to do it by JustGiving, spread the word! Another post soon hopefully!
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