Ciclovia!

My son, Bobby, is working with a group to bring Ciclovia to Los Angeles. Watch the following cool video to get an idea what this is all about:

http://www.streetfilms.org/archives/ciclovia/ Sorry I could not figure out how to actually imbed the video in my blog post. I need help on this technical stuff.

Some 38 years ago I spent some time in Bogota while in the Peace Corps. I remember the city as dark, scary, poor and overrun with homeless children. What a change! Now I want to go back and see the new Bogota!

LA Christmas - The Best for Last

My, and probably your, stereotype of LA is that of a urban/suburban environment characterized primarily by asphalt, concrete, graffiti, and endless subdivisions. As a resident of super green Oregon I was surprised that my favorite images of LA were primarily of gardens. The variety and beauty of plants in the LA area was a wonderful surprise. Following a few photos of my favorite gardens, places, plants etc.





Pueblo de Nuestra Señora Reina de los Angeles
Right in the heart of downtown LA is this amazing restoration of the first European habitation in the LA area. I was blown away by the giant opuntia (prickly pear cactus) and the bougainvillea in the courtyard.







These cool giant agaves were at the Museum of Native American History on the Gold Line to Pasadena. Let's make some tequila!






I know this is not a plant, but have you ever seen a building more worthy of the gigantic Disneyesque ego of Southern California? They actually had to sandblast the thing upon completion because the sun reflecting off the surfaces was literally melting the building across the street.






The gardens of the mission at San Juan Capistrano are some of the most beautiful. I recall studying CA history in school (Sacramento) but actually visiting the mission made the whole father Junipero Serra thing a bit more immediate. Too bad about the Indians...








The only place I have seen more and better palm trees was in the Royal Botanical Gardens in Sydney Australia. Why is it, that most Aussies you meet seem to want to emigrate to LA? What are they thinking?





While many "green roofs" succumb to being primarily a collection of weeds (the wind dontcha know) requiring irrigation, the cactus garden on the roof of the Getty Museum is spectacular!

















In conclusion let me say that while many of the stereotypes are no doubt true, my family and I learned a great deal about a great city. I am not ready to move there any time soon, but neither am a rooting for the big one to send it sliding into the Pacific Ocean.

Christmas in LA

This year we decided to decamp from Portland to LA for the holidays. Snowpocalypse was approaching and we wanted to spend a week with our son and his girlfriend in LA. We left Portland just as the snow was beginning to fall in earnest. As it turns out we were lucky to get out when we did as said Snowpocalypse was the most snow since 1940 or 1840 or something.

The "interesting" part of our trip was that we decided to let my son establish the terms of our stay and mode of transportation...

UNION STATION LOS ANGELES


First off, it was established that we would only use public transportation during our stay in LA. You heard me, Public Transportation. We arrived at LAX and picked up a bus called the Fly Away to Union Central Station in downtown LA. Price was $4.00. It was quite comfortable riding along in the bus. I didn't have to drive on the LA freeway! I did not have to find a parking place! I did however, have to spend seemingly endless hours waiting on the curb with the other 3rd world residents of LA waiting for buses, trains, subways etc. Compared to driving a car getting around was significantly less stressful (for the most part) and Cheap!

Here's 10 good things about mass transit in LA:
1. Low prices.
2. Free lessons in Spanish, Korean, and other less identifiable languages.
3. Free fitness program walking for bus stops, subway stations and train stations.
4. Unlike driving, it is not necessary to look in the direction of travel.
5. Including buses, subways, trains and feet you can travel to most all parts of the city.
6. You actually get to meet people outside of your immediate cohort (family in my case).
7. As for the subways and trains, riders are free from traffic jams.
8. No parking required.
9. Pronounced feeling of "green" superiority.
10. It is perfectly OK to have a few beers and ride (as opposed to drive).

LA SUBWAY - BUNKER HILL

Here's 10 less attractive things we encountered on mass transit:
1. Waiting. God, I missed my car...
2. Waiting. Actually the weather was rather cold.
3. Crazy people. On a number of occasions I thought they had cell phones but no, they were talking, yelling, sometimes screaming at people apparently only visible to them. I have never seen so many people who have lost touch. LA is fricking crazy...
4. The knowledge that probably half the people on the Metro are ripping off their fellow riders by not purchasing tickets. Apparently the city of LA is on the "Honor System".
5. The combination of the horrific condition of LA city streets and the apparent installation of shock "enhancers" in lieu of the more traditional shock abosorbers on the Metro buses results in a condition I will refer to as "instant hemmoroids". A trip through the heart of Beverly Hills on the renowned Wilshire Blvd. resulted in posible kidney damage. We were however able to meet the folks who actually work in Beverly Hills.
6. Native Los Angelenos look at you funny when you admit that you are riding Mass Transit to the exclusion of driving a car.
7. There is a significant loss of spontaneity when you are not at the wheel.
8. Exposure, apparently the City of LA has recently recommended that all citizens by vacinated against hepatitus A. Makes you not want to touch Mass Transit surfaces...
9. General grotty feeling.
10. Huge feeling of disappointment when, train, bus, subway pulls out just as you arrive.

So, fair reader, where do we stand? LA by bus and train, or get on the freeways with everyone else. As for myself, and I can safely say the rest of my family (wife, daughter, son, son's girlfriend) our vacation in LA without a car was on balance a great experience! I would do it again!