Health Kick

Sunday 20th December 2009
The first thing I do in a new country is walk: to get a hang of where eaxtly I am, the city and what it is like. So on my first day here, I walked, a lot.

The problem is that LA is not designed for walkng around. It is built to be driven around in your big 4x4 or your small, city nipper.

Also, LA is not one city but lots, and they are all pretty large. So walking from Santa Monica, where my motel is, to Venice Beach and then on to Marina del Rey - and even as far as Playa del Rey is about 11 miles there and back, if you are a crow with a good sense of direction.

Walking along Santa Monica Beach and Venice Beach in the morning, people are out and about skating along with their dogs, exercising on Muscle Beach, shooting hoops on the courts, kicking soccer balls around, cycling with their kids, running, jogging, panting and pushing.

It is impressively healthy and with the sun coming out who blames them: beach volleeyball; a strange game called paddle ball, which looks like ping pong for those who never heard of tennis; fitness and weights groups; skateboarding 40 year olds.

The other thing is that everyone is unreservedly and unashamedly carrying on their conversations loudly. So we can all hear if we want, which of course I do. It is so friendly and open.