So, with vitamin water, Clif bars and lots of willpower, off we go to conquer Hollywood. We ride back to Santa Monica on the same bike path as yesterday, but this time we continue to Sunset Blvd, which we will take us into the heart of Hollywood. I immediately realize that distances are bigger than what I put on paper, but still... we press on. 15 miles into our trip we are in Bel-Air, soon after in Beverly Hills. The mere mention of BH brings up images of wealth and fame in many people's mind. Truth is, the reality is not so different from the myth. You can tell by the type of cars driven around here. At first I start counting the Daimler-Benzes and the Beamers, but I soon realize there are too many (I can only count to 1000). While I do keep my eyes down on the road when I pedal, I can't help noticing all the Jaguars, Porsche Carreras, Ferraris e Maseratis that zoom past us. At every street corner, you can buy a "Map of the Stars", a self-guided tour to the abodes of the well-heeled. At one point, while I am stopped at a traffic light on the corner with Rodeo Drive (uuuhhhhh, the high-end shopping!!!), a light blue Ferrari stops next to me. The color really goes very well with the darker shade of blue of my Bianchi bike. But I am a better driver. The bleached blonde girl at the wheel has trouble putting the car in gear. She actually cuts into another car's path, and I am able to cross the crossing first. Basically, she ate my dust. We get to West Hollywood, we have lunch and then keep riding on Sunset Blvd to Hollywood. There's no bike lane here, we have been taking advantage of a lane reserved for street parking where we could, but now, this lane has disappeared and the traffic is horrific! The pavement on sidewalks is even in worst shape than the street. We see the 1923-Hollywood sign on the hill. Other than that, I wouldn't have imagined Hollywood this way. Nothing exhudes glamour. I am disappointed. We switch to Hollywood Blvd to see the brass stars embedded in the sidewalk of the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The entire place looks like an aging movie star in serious need of a facelift. It's far from the glamour often depicted in movies. It may be that we are tired after pedaling for 40 miles, and my sight is foggy, but I don't find Hollywood exciting. We look at the watch and realize it's time to head back anyways. To avoid getting lost with my sketchy map right when it's getting dark, we decide to take the same road back. Too bad, we would have biked on Mulholland Drive then down to Santa Monica through Topanga Canyon Drive.
68 miles later we are back at the campground. Not particularly tired despite the hills, we take a shower and have dinner. Petr stretches out in bed with a DVD, while I get some work done.
Here we are in Beverly Hills.
A new house on the block, I am waiting for the "For Sale" sign to make an offer.
A stretch of Sunset Blvd.
Hollywood Blvd.
Another stretch.
The Hollywood sign.
Tall palm trees dotting the boulevards.
A theater on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Here are some stars.
Buildings on Hollywood Blvd.
Another stretch of road, without bike lane.
The traffic has given us quite some problems.