VANCOMEX: 09/27/12

Choice is good. Yes?" Too much choice is bad. Yes? or No? or Don't
Know? or even Maybe?

So six guys trying to decide on the menu and then getting barraged in
a Paxman like quizzitorial can delay matters somewhat. Right, big
time..

The server ( as they are termed - and they get an 18%, yes 18% tip)
pose a question and and a further question to every decision you have
painfully arrived at after a full ten minutes of agony perusing the
enticing, mouthwatering, fullsome menu.

Lets take a typical scenario:

"I will take the Seafood pasta, please" (Phew, relieved that I arrived
at a decision)

"O.K, is that fettuchini, tortellini or ravioli?"

"Oh, um, pause, scratch head, "Fettuchini, please" (Not sure just what
fettutini is, but I simply cannot ask!)

"O.K, is that marinara, or garlic and white wine"

"Oh, Eh, Um "garlic and white wine"

"O.K, is that 6 oz or 14 oz"

"Eh, oh God, um, "14 oz"

"O.K, what do you want with that, Soup or Salad"

"Oh, so what is the soup?"

"Its tomato basil OR french onion"

(Thinking this is too tough) " I'll go with Salad"

"O.K, so what dressing do you want - 1,000 Islands, Blue Cheese, French, Ceasar.

(Will this inquisition ever end?) "Eh,, Ceasar"

"No problem - who is next?"

These sort of choices proliferate. So go into Subway for a simple
sandwich and breads come as Wheat, Italian, Sourdough, Pitta, Seeded.
The fillings and the fixings then bewilder. Ad nauseum.

So ordering for the whole group started off by taking an age. Now we
are wise. We mentally assess all the options and ,in stacatto fashion,
blurt out the full set of decisons before the server has a moment o go
through the permutaions. ( Of course she can't understand our accents
and still goes thru them).

Or else we simple order the same as each other. Group Think rules O.K.
Tuna Subways are very poular these days. Of course everyone has
followed MY choice. O.K?

Breakfast at 7.30am, wow half hour later than normal. We got away at 8.30am and our route today was a relatively flat 120km (76 miles). We went though the first stage quickly passing Oxnard and some farmlands before rejoining SR1 again to our coffee stop at Port Magu. Scott had located a great cliff top view of the ocean and purchased starbucks coffee and cakes - this works well - great views and no wasted time.

Shortly after coffee we were treated to a pod of 15 dophins fishing. They appeared to be having fun and regularly came to the surface to give us a great view - it was amazing watching them. We then continued along SR1 and reached Malibu city limits where traffic volume increased dramatically as did temperatures. Although the ride was mostly flat, all the hills we encountered were within a 10km stretch and the leg muscles complanined after the easy morning ride.

We reached the Los Angeles City limits and as we approached Topanga State beach Tim broke a spoke in his back wheel. After disabling the back brake to allow the buckled wheel to turn we made slow progress until lunch. The spoke broke because Tim chased a fast, broad beamed female cyclist who had overtaken us!! The slow progress was no problem as shortly after the spoke incident we left SR1 and enjoyed a 40km stretch of cycling along paved cycle paths through magnificent beach areas. We had lunch at Venice Beach a place where clearly Los Angeles people come to look and be looked at. The resort is surreal and verges on complete fantascy with many exotic characters on the streets. During lunch we listened to a good street band. Fortunately, Scott came to the rescue and changed Tim's back wheel.

If there was any doubt that we were in Los Angeles these disappeared quickly with a succession of large planes taking off over our heads from LA International Airport as we rode the bike path on the beach! It's a dramatic and breathtaking scene. We continued to pedal serenely along the beach until we arrived at Hermosa beach and our evening lodging. After many challenging days of cycling, today was a relatively easy day on the body. However, we still managed 120kms distance for the day and used enough calories to earn a beer in the evening - something we're starting to take for granted.

In the evening we had dinner with Dan who lives in Beverley Hills, a retired attorney and keen cyclist. He is a good friend of Scott's dad, and had been following our blog closely. He was keen to join us to hear all about our Pacific Coast adventure. We asked him to judge TWIT of the day - more of that below.

Scott and Simon were the contenders for TWIT of the day. Dan nominated Simon as he confessed to weeing in a waste paper bin during the night as Maurice was already in the loo. The actual event and the over-description made him the clear winner. Simon managed other 'twit events' but these were not needed to clinch the daily award. Tom was Twitless again!!!!