I slept without a rainfly, enjoying the warm October air throughout the night. The full moon traced its way over the sky, at times blocked by the massive trees protecting us. Whenever I woke up, I was able to check the moon to approximate the time. Always blissfully pleased that I had more time to sleep, the ocean waves and bird songs would serve as a caring lullaby until the morning.
When it was time to rise and shine, it was hard to contain my excitement. It was Day 10 - LA day! Of course, it was a day like any other on tour in the end, but it is an important milestone for anyone hoping to make it down the entire coast.
Reed and I rode out of Sycamore Grove together, and soon we were almost into Malibu. On the west edge of town is Neptune’s Net, a seafood shack recommended to me by my cousin Ian. Taking his advice, we ate some clam chowder and calamari as a second breakfast. Definitely a delicious stop!
At this time I said bye to Reed and rode along alone. So is the manner of friendships on tour. For a while we seriously pondered going for Baja together, but in the end neither of us would go.
Soon, I was into Malibu. As you enter, cars line the land and surfers breach the beach. The long, low, waves rolled along - as did I. The impressive coastal houses stand on stilts, just over the water. These were fun to admire, but overall I was surprised by the busy feel of Malibu - too many cars on the road made for stressful riding. Perhaps I chose the wrong time.
On the other end of town, my spirits were high. I met a fellow bicycle tourist, Timon, a Dutch lad who had cycled down from Alaska. Timon (@timondubbeling on Insta, timononhisbike.wordpress.com) was planning on going to Panama, perhaps further!
We shared some stories and pedaled into Santa Monica together. Here, the winding bike path was literally a part of the beach, encouraging sand to spill onto it at any time. Still, it meandered towards that famous pier, in front of colorful beachfront homes.
The pier was poppin. Lots of wild things to see, for those who haven’t been, include: people with pigeon-feeding fetishes, carnival rides, possibly(?) intentionally poor musical performances, and much more. A decent tourist trap, similar to Fisherman’s Wharf in SF. Soon, it was time to split.
I attempted to navigate a questionably functional bike network through Santa Monica and West LA, with much confusion. Luckily our overlords Google had my back with their maps. Finally, with some patience, I made it to Ian’s place. Like a good cousin should, he had cold beer waiting!
