A Bicycle Ride in Los Angeles

I’ve been home-sweet-home for the last 5 days which has been so joyful, I’ve loved it. I’ve had a mixture of days off after my recent LA trip and a good dose of home standby days (basically days where I’m on call should a flight need me to operate).

So far this month I have had all my weekends off which has been such a lovely change and one that I hope will stick around for the coming months. It provides a bit of normality in a job that fluctuates quite a lot- I really enjoy being at home, sleeping in my own bed, tending to that ever growing list of jobs and of course it is great to be on the same timetable as family and friends.

I thoroughly enjoyed my trip to Los Angeles (my third since starting the job) and the crew were all fantastic which helps a lot, particularly if you’re new and still unsure of things to do. Five of us hired bicycles and went on the longest bicycle ride of my life. All in all we travelled a grand total of 34 miles. Seriously, I’m not sure I would have made it had it not been for the sheer determination of the girls that I was with & not wanting to hold the group up.

All that pain was so worth it though AND I feel like I achieved something pretty momentous- not to mention a healthy dose of exercise which comes along pretty rarely in life at the moment.

Luckily one of the girls had done the same bike ride the week previously so she knew the route and took up the post of navigator- of which she did a fantastic job. We pedalled our way from Long Beach to Huntingdon Beach with a brief stop at Seal Beach on the way back. We were very well provided for, with bike paths all the way- most of which winded across the beaches so that the views were absolutely fantastic, particularly on our journey back when the sun was setting creating the most vivid pink sky I have ever seen.

Huntingdon Beach Pier- we stopped at Rubys at the end for a pumpkin shake and chilli fries

Ahh look at that view- sun, sand, sea at Huntingdon Beach

Came across this fella ( I was terrified to get any closer! )

Surfer Dooood

At Seal Beach they serve coca cola in jars, this warranted a photo obviously.

This is no ordinary bicycle- this is a cruiser

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My 4 Days in Rio De Janeiro

Yesterday I got back home from Rio. Despite only being there for around 48hours it was complete bliss and I feel as though I got a good taste for their culture.

We arrived quite late on the first day, I think around 3am UK time which is 11pm local time in Rio- just about time to get in to my pj’s and climb into bed to wind down with a film and catch some z’s. I had downloaded ‘Blackfish’ a documentary about Orcas in captivity in Seaworld, Florida – and it was excellent. I watched it again last night with my boyfriend, it really pulls on your heartstrings and certainly made me consider my views on keeping animals in captivity for the sake of entertainment. 

Anyway, returning to the subject, on my first day in Rio we walked to the local supermarket for breakfast and then headed to a Havaianas shop in the hope of picking up some bargains (seriously everyone in Rio wears them and they’re ridiculously cheap over there). Unfortunately none of us had clocked on to the fact that it was a Sunday, so after a long walk across town we descended on the shop to discover that it was closed- fail. So, instead we walked back to the beach outside of our hotel and lay out with a caipirinha under the clear blue skies. I read a little of my book and had a dip in the sea before we returned to the hotel in search of the swimming pool.

As the cool breeze had picked up a little and after I had tested both the pool and the jacuzzi I went up to my room and ordered dinner from room service. This  was quite a momentous occasion for me as I have never once in my life ordered room service. Note to self- there is a surcharge (so I could have eaten the same dish by the pool for £4 cheaper) but hey, it felt very luxurious to be eating dinner in my white, fluffy gown in bed! So much so that I ordered it again the following day!

After a good nights sleep I headed down to reception and met up with a lady who wanted to do some sightseeing. I had hoped to see Christ the Redeemer and Sugarloaf Mountain but the crew had seen both on previous trips so that was unfortunately off the cards. However, we decided on visiting Rio’s Botanical Garden and they were truly stunning. Besides the fact that it was exceptionally good value for money (the return bus fare, entrance fee and a can of fanta came to 15 reals which is under a fiver) there was so much to see and I could see Christ the Redeemer high up on a mountain in the background. It was so serene and peaceful and I felt truly relaxed there. The bus ride also gave me the chance to witness some of the real culture there instead of the touristy sky rise buildings of the location our hotel was in. The favelas (which is a term for a shanty town) extended all the way up the mountainsides in an array of colours, it really was unique to anything I’ve seen before. The vegetation was so lush and wild- with plenty of palm trees and rich greenery everywhere, it was so visually inviting that my eyes were constantly darting around.

We returned back to the hotel with enough time to spare for a another film (‘Into the Wild’- again, fantastic!) and a nap before our flight.

Would I go back? Definitely! I hope I can return with work again. Personally, as a holiday with my boyfriend, family or friends it’s not at the top of my list, I’d have to look in to prices a bit more- however, it really is a unique place and their culture is fascinating with lots to do and see that isn’t possible anywhere else in the world.

The view from my balcony- perfect for sitting out with a book and a drink.

Looking at all the hotels from the beach.

Sunning myself on the beach. This is the life!

I had never seen such tall palm trees. These were amazingly tall.

Obligatory Christ the Redeemer shot.