Today's exciting trip news from the Coast-2-Coast USA team - a bunch of brave dads/uncles/brothers/friends of children from the UK, cycling across the southern continental United States from Oceanside, California to St. Augustine, Florida to raise donations for the Children's Hospital for Wales and the Noah's Ark Appeal . Show them your support with pledges and, if you're on their route - especially at the end in St Augustine, Florida - turn out and welcome them, put them up or feed them or just buy them a beer! Yesterday they reached the Grand Canyon, can you spot them in the picture below?

Reproduced with permission from Coast-2-Coast USA Blog

Another Ode from Aus

The Grand Canyon was empty as a blizzard took its toll, we struggled riding through it and had to reach our goal, the bear remarked I thought that it was dry and full of sand? But looks to me more like an Irish heat wave in Lapland.

On arrival at our Hotel the porter he did say, the wind had knocked out all the lights, no food for us today, But Porth he had a cunning plan to erase the doom and gloom, and ushered all the women under 30 to their room.

Then Mervin asked a question the reply we didnt know? The difference between a man and wife that were made out of snow? We sat around and pondered then Gareth he recalls, its easy really if you think the man has got snow balls.

Steve Wodonga,

Victoria, Australia

Spirit's High

After getting to the Grand Canyon Merv remarks that it was like going to Lapland and there being a heatwave. But nevermind!

Gar's #4

A frustrating day today, as the wind and snow have caused havoc. It all started so promisingly on good ol' 66, but by the time we got to Tusayan it had turned to the pits.

The first leg for Rich and myself was ideal, a nice 5 mile descent to allow some freshness back in the legs. Having passed two freight trains, both with 100+ carrages attached, the rolling roads soon flew by.

Similar terrain on the next stint, but a fierce wind, would could have come from stoney's hind end, continuing to blow us across the road. Had there been no wind, 25mph would have been a breeze, but until good old tom tom pulled up in his trusty toyota, we were taking a good ok bashin. (just like the England pack...regardless what Rich says).

Opportunity followed to buy some gifts, and $100 lighter, we travelled to Williams, a town founded by good old Dai Williams from Tregaron. Probably not true, but it could be.

Our final leg of the day was probably the most dangerous experience I've had on two wheels. With ludicrous gusts of wind cutting across our path to our final destination, seeing rich and myself having to stop on several occasions to straighten up and get back on the road, TM stone calls safety first, it's it's all aboard for the last ten miles. So strong was the wind, that when they returned, Ian looked more like Casper the ghost, as the prevailing winds almost blew them into the oncoming traffic.

We arrive at our hotel, only to find that the lovely breeze we had justcycled through, had cut off the power to the whole village. No power, no pool, no food...panic not, porth ha his wind up torch, a he offers to usher all females under the age of 30 to their rooms!!!

When this trip was a dream 2 years ago, we literally sat in front of a map and plotted famous landmarks that we'd love to visit...the most obvious being the grand canyon. Finally, we had arrived.

Unfortunately for us, the Derek Brockway of Radio 66 mentined nothing of the winds, or the blizzard that it would bring. I know stand over the south ridge ofthe grand canyon, where the temperature has droped from 80 to freezing, it's tippin it with snow, and the visibility is nil!!

Guess I'll have to come ban with leri and gwenno fach again. 3 down, however many left to go, I make it 20% done. The one shining light of the day was news filtering from I'm that rafa's boys had smashed villa. 3 massive wins on the bounce...momentum is increasing. God willing by the time I get back to the uk, they'll be a little higher. Goosgog, bradders, keep looking over your shoulder.

10-4. Pops

News from Taos

From www.taoscycleclub.com

On Wednesday 25, the Welsh team will meet up with local cyclists, 1:30 pm, at the KTAO parking lot. Rose Bauhs and Matthew Foster will be there to ride and to assist with the co-ordination. (Many thanks to you both). We will have a motorcycle police escort.

We're aiming for a non-stop turn around which means that there won't be much time for meeting and greeting at that location. We're aiming to get the team to the Plaza for 2:00 pm. The Taos High School Mariachi Band will start up as soon as the team arrives there, and the Mayor will make a welcome speech. So we're going to do our best not to keep them waiting.

If you want to keep up with the team as they head this way, here is their blog. Ahh, the world of international bike riding. walescoast2coastusa.blogspot.com

And I just received this link to a BBC article. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/7943054.stm It gives an informative, brief summary of the hospital fund raising and the ride. And Taos gets its very first mention! Lots more after the visit I know.

I'll be on Breakfast with Nancy, KTAO, tomorrow (Monday) morning at 9.15 to talk about the ride. I do hope to see as many of you out there as can make it.

My best regards, Marilyn

Rich's #6

We started off back on route 66 and our first 20 mile stint went like a dream. Then sat in the van ready to do the next 20 we were looking at miles of gradual descending roads and eager to get on the bang. That is right until Stoney opened the door and the wind sent it flying. What ensued was an hour and a half of struggling to remain upright as we faced the cyclists biggest enemy - the crosswind.

So it was less kapow and more gulp as my hands, wrists, arms and shoulders gave my legs a rest as I hung on for dear life.

The winds remained all day and as we approached our destination of Tusayan brought with it snow. Amazing the contrast in weather between today and the previous few as sun cream was replaced with extra layers of clothes.

Tusayan is right on the edge of the Grand Canyon so we all went down to the viewing platforms to see absolutely nothing as visibility is so poor. Let's hope we can see more in the morning as we're cycling through the park.

Just a Short One

We leave Kingman travel out on Route 66 with mighty cross winds that people estimate between 45 and 60 mph - eventually arrive in the Grand Canyon to heavy snow and freezing conditions. Tomorrow it will be sunny and on we go to Mexican Hat and Monument Valley.

Spirits are high!!

Twentynine Palms, CA Kingman, AZ

In sporting terms, personally, today can be classed as a s**t sandwich, two great legs to start, two great stints to finishan hour of pain in-between.

The day began with Rich and myself taking over from the bear and the Kitten, with a gradual, constant climb. Thankfully, the legs seemed great following yesterdays final lingwhere a bonk was almost imminent (not that sort of bonk!!), and although the sun was starting to cook, the electrolytes, skins and a large supreme thin base from Pizza hut seemed to have done the job.

First leg down, second coming up, and as it mirrored the first, the words relentless, constant and never-ending were regularly delivered from Keanu Belcher. Again, constant gradual climbing, no relief for the legs whatsoever, and the sun againcooking. The difference compared to back home, the straight roads. Not even a kink in the road could offer the relief of even thinking that a plateau was imminent. Constant, relentless, never ending climbing.

More so, when sitting in the van, it seemed that every time we swapped, we seemed to miss a descent. We cant complain, Im sure this was my tired mind playing tricks on me, but if not, it was payback for yesterdays stunning descent into Palm Dessert.

The third leg began with a downhillrelief, but the hills had taken their toll, and with very short recovery periods, the legs again felt empty, not a bonk empty, just unable to get them going. Again, I must apologise to richwho was like a dog on heat just trying to pull me alongbut to no avail.

By now, the other group had set, and a change of tact brought increased periods of recovery. An hour in the van, some more Go juice and a few slices of leftover pizza hut special, and there seemed to be a bit of hwyl. Another constant climb, but a shorter stint felt great, and the worry that yesterdays tiredness had already set-in were put to rest, with eagles flying above, and a bit of ipod relief, we were back on the road. By now also, the Belcher had a grin from ear-to-earas Martin Johnsons men leapfrog the Welsh in the 6Nations. You must be s**t if youre behind England, says the Gillingham fan (who lost 3-0 today).

Increased recovery seemed to bring a second wind to the whole group and the Bear, the Belcher and Phillipousis complete their legs, into a wind. By now, good time has been made, and Kingman doesnt seem that far away. My penultimate leg leads to a 5mile climb, again, not the steepest, but continuous, and the theme for the day seems to have been setthen comes 10mile descent down to Davis Dam, which seemed great, but had to be carefully taken due to high crosswinds and regular gravel traps.

We end in style, as a four, reaching our destination as the sun sets over the Arizona dessert, on good ol Route 66. This route is the only one I believe to go the length of the states, and as Rich and myself covered a good 10miles earlier in the day, it seemed strange that we had rejoined 7 hours later. Why dont we stick on this road??? The answer will be evident tomorrow.

Highlights of the day has to be the little rant by TM Stone, as he steered HMS Hwyl for the first time this morning. Almost ready to digest the Sat-Nav, the silhouette of the Bear on the horizon saved the sat nav in the nick of time. The fact the crew still dont have a map is great, and as were almost there, is there any point in buying one now??

The vistas of the Mojave were spectacular, the salt beds, the Joshua trees, the deserted towns spread across the plains, that were obviously once thriving hubs, now more a scene of a Hollywood Horror flick. News also of victories for Fulham and Spurs bring a cheerRafas boys must complete the job tomorrow.

English

New Eisteddfod Opening Gala: Faryl Smith, Mark Evans, Fron Male Voice Choir, Cor Godrer Aran, Cantorion Colin Jones and Alexei Kalvecs

A fantastic extra concert has been added to this years Eisteddfod lineup on Monday 6 July, 2009. The new Opening Gala, in aid of Llangollens Competitors Bursary Appeal, will star Eisteddfod Winner and Britains Got Talent finalist Faryl Smith, Denbighshire born Your County Needs You finalist Mark Evans and classical chart toppers Fron Male Voice Choir.

The concert will also feature Eisteddfod Male Choir champions Cr Godrer Aran, local male choir Cantorion Colin Jones and young tenor Alexei Kalvecs. In association with Cr Godrer Aran, a donation from the evenings proceeds will also go to Wrexhams Nightingale House Hospice.

The Competitors Bursary Appeal will offer financial support to competitor groups from all over the world. Mervyn Cousins, Executive Director of the Eisteddfod says, The Friends of the Eisteddfod have already played a leading role in providing support for competitors. We often forget how hard it is for the competitors who travel to Llangollen from all over the world. We hope the Fund will help international performers continue to visit the festival and become stars of the future.

Continued here

Cymru

DATGANIAD IR WASGDydd Llun 16eg Mawrth 2009Noson ychwanegol i gyngherddau LlangollenFaryl Smith yn serennu yn Eisteddfod Ryngwladol Llangollen

Gala Agoriadol Nos Lun 6ed o Orfennaf 2009 Faryl Smith, Mark Evans, Cr Meibion y Fron, Cantorion Colin Jones, Cr Godrer Aran, Alexei Kalvecs'

Bydd Faryl Smith, y gantores ifanc ddisglair, yn siwr o serennu yn Eisteddfod Rhyngwladol Gerddorol Llangollen eleni. Saethodd Faryl i'r brig yn dilyn ei llwyddiant ar raglen ITV 'Britain's got Talent a dydi hi ddim yn ddiethr i Wyl Gogledd Cymru gan iddi gystadlu gyntaf pan yn 10 oed, pan enillodd y wobr gyntaf yn yr unawd rhwng 10 a 15 oed. 'Dwi'n wirioneddol yn edrych 'malen i ddychwelyd i Langollen, achos mae gen i atgofion gwych o gystadlu yn yr Eisteddfod; dyna oedd fy mhrofiad cyntaf o berfformio ar lwyfan rhyngwladol ac mi roddodd hyder i mi i ddilyn fy mreuddwyd'.

Mae Faryl yn ymuno gyda llu o gyn gystadleuwyr Llangollen a aeth ymlaen i sicrhau enwogrwydd yn y byd cerddorol. Mae Placido Domingo yn cydnabod mai yn Eisteddfod Ryngwladol Llangollen y cafodd ei brofiad proffesiynol cyntaf, ac yn 1955 bu'r diweddar Luciano Pavarotti yn aelod o gor meibion llwyddiannus o'i dref enedigol Modena, gan ddychwelyd yn 1995 fel y tenor mwyaf enwog yn y byd. Aeth Faryl ymlaen 'Dwi wedi nghyffroi i gyd, o ddilyn yng nghamau fy arwyr Pavarotti, Domingo a Katherine Jenkins. O ganu yn y gyngerdd agoriadol, dyna yw gwireddu breuddwyd'.

Mae'r Gala Agoriadol, sy'n digwydd ar ddydd Llun 6ed o Orffennaf, yn cefnogi 'Competitor Bursary Appeal Fund' Llangollen sy'n mynd i 'gynnig cymorth ariannol i grwpiau o gystadleuwyr ar draws y byd' eglura Mervyn Cousins, Cyfarwyddwr Gweithredol Eisteddfod Ryngwladol Gerddorol Llangollen. 'Mae Cyfeillion yr Eisteddfod eisoes wedi chwarae rhan flaenllaw yn cynnig cymorth i gystadleuwyr. Yn aml da ni'n anghofio pa mor anodd yw hi i gystadleuwyr sy'n teithio i Langollen o bob cwr o'r byd.

Bydd Mark Evans, sy'n wreiddiol o Lanrhaeadr ger Dinbych, hefyd ymysg y perfformwyr ar y noson- cyrhaeddodd Marc y tri terfynol yn sioe dalent BBC1 'Your Country Needs You'. Dwedood Marc, sydd a nifer o gredyd theatraidd i'w enw gan gynnwys High School Musical a Wicked o'r West End 'Mae gofyn i mi ganu mewn Gwyl Rhyngwladol sydd mor agos i gartre yn gymaint o anrhydedd ac yn swyn i'r glust'.

Bydd y gyngerdd yn amlygu ser y dyfodol o Langollen ac yn dathlu talent lleol gyda perfformiad gan yr aml wobrwyiog Cr Meibion y Fron, a ffurfiwyd yn arbennig i gystadlu yn Eisteddfod Rhyngwladol gyntaf Llangollen yn 1947 ac sydd wedi mynd o nerth i nerth a chael eu gwobrwyo gyda'u halbwm 'Voices of the Valley'. Bydd Cr Godre'r Aran, sy'n ddeiliaid pencampwriaeth cystadleuaeth Cr Meibion Llangollen, Cantorion Colin Jones a'r tenor ifanc Alexei Kalvecs hefyd yn ymddangos. Bydd cyfraniad o elw'r Gala yn mynd i Hospis Llety'r Eos Wrecsam, mewn cysylltiad a Chr Godre'r Aran.

Bydd y cyngerdd newydd nos Lun 'Gala Agoriadol' yn ychwanegiad arall i drefn yr Eisteddfod eleni, sydd eisoes wedi ei ymestyn gyda diwrnod ychwanegol o weithgareddau ar y Sul gyda chyngerdd trawiadol i gloi'r Wyl. Bydd cyngerdd nos Sul 'Licensed to Thrill' yn amlygu cerddoriaeth James Bond wedii berfformio gan Gerddorfa Genedlaethol Opera Cymru dan arweiniad Carl Davies, gyda Bond Girl Honor Blackman yn serennu a thn gwyllt. Am goctl ffrwydrol!

-Diwedd-

More exciting trip news from the Coast-2-Coast USA team - a bunch of brave and not wholly sane guys from the UK, cycling across the lower continental United States from Oceanside, California to St. Augustine, Florida to raise donations for the Children's Hospital for Wales and the Noah's Ark Appeal. Go, guys, go!

To contribute to their fundraising, see their site HERE

Rich's #5

Today started with me discovering a gash in my front tyre almost through to the tube. Not sure when it occurred but the thought of it blowing on the descent yesterday into Palm Desert is a little scary.

We took in 3 states today, starting in California and then nipping into Nevada for a short while and then ending up in Arizona.

The riding was again quite tough with long relentless climbs through the mountains. They weren't steep but there was no respite. It was difficult to make up much time on the descents as the quality of the roads so far has not been great. In fact if Barak Obama is looking to spend his way out of the credit crunch he could do worse than invest in a road surfacing programme.

The heat also played a part and mentally the long straight roads were difficult to cope with. You'd put your head down for a bit and when you look up the horizon seemed just as far away. I'd swear that the Romans colonised America before the Brits.

At one point Gar and I got our kicks on Route 66. It was just 7 miles, but the impact of the freeways was evident as once (potentially) thriving communities had turned into a ghost town. I felt like Lightning McQueen as I zoomed through - Kapow! Having said that our day ended back on Route 66 in the still busy town of Kingman.

Spirits (for those not men of Kent) were dampened slightly as the news from the Millenium Stadium filtered through and made worse by the realization that Wales had even finished below England in the 6 Nations - a fact I hastily pointed out, but didn't labour because there's not a great deal to shout about in English rugby and also fear of my brakes being tampered with by one of 10 disappointed Welshmen.

Air Conditioning Bike

Gareth really struggled with the heat of the mid day sun, but Stoney kept him going until his stint was done, He thanked him very kindly with a smacker on the lips and Big Merv told them both why go to Rome and have fish and chips.

The heat it seems a problem as the boys meet in the bar, Gareth has a brainwave lets take the aircon off the car, I have a premonition and I think that you will like, so when I start my run day two will stick it on my bike.

The Big Bear started day two off refreshed and fully fed, but 15 miles on desert soil his wheels began to shred, A cry for help to the backup boys just as his wheel went POW resulted Porth screaming on his Mob no problem Ill be with you now

As a team they struggled on to fight for their chosen cause, their bodies bruised and battered and their bottoms full of sores, Nothing couldnt stop them as they had nothing to fear except the state of Mervyns mind as its all down hill up here?

The Mojave and the salty flats provided an awesome sight but Andy kept complaining that he struggled with the light, forgetting his sunglasses I think that you will find is an odds on way in the middle of the day for the big bear to go blind.

The desert view and evening sky was certainly the biz, it brought it home to all involved what a wonderful planet this is, So on they go to the next stage and all of them will feel that our blood and sweat and even tears is for the Noahs Ark Appeal.

Stephen Stone
Wodonga, Australia

BBC NEWS

Click below for link to BBC News

BBC NEWS

Day Two - Andy

I am informed by Phil that we did 83.2 miles on day one. Two big climbs Rainbow Canyon and following a motor bike accident fatality saw us hit an hour of steady climbing taking us up to 4000 feet. Legs are tired and theres another 14 days to go

Why go to Rome and have fish and chips, a reminiscing Merv states after tucking into a large Pizza Hut pizza the night before.

Richard notices a tyre shredded even before breakfast and Henry and I set off 0700 hrs through a deserted 29 Palms towards the Mojave and the heat of the day.

The desert plateau of 29 Palms, surrounded by a range of mountains is cold as the sun rises from the east. Sun blinds us as we have forgotten sunglasses. Navigation is a problem as we are told that we should be heading up dirt tracks. 10 miles cycling is wasted going round in circles. The pounding potholes of the first day has taken its toll on my back wheel and a puncture and a shredded tyre sees me helpless in the middle of no where with Porth telling me on the mobile, no problem be with you now

The 2nd leg we descend for 7 miles down Old Woman Mountain and then hit the salt flats of Amboy. Mile after mile of snowy, salt flats.

3rd leg takes Phil, Henry and myself into the Mojave Desert and 5 mile steady climb of a 1000 feet sees Big Bear struggling and about to bonk when two American cyclists are coming at us in the opposite direction.

Lets pull over I shout up to the other two. They are cycling from Las Vegas to Palm Springs in 8 days. Weve just done it in a day!

Refreshed after a chat I throw some food down and am feeling good again onward.

The next 12 mile stretch is downhill with the Kelso sand dunes to our left reaching a height of over 3000 feet.

Its all downhill up here, Merv throws in.

90 degree heat and with a cross wind brewing, times were getting harder. Tactical decision to go to individual cyclists gets us through t he next few hours. Turning south we are hit by very strong, very dry head winds. Tactical decision to go back to two by two helps as Richard is able to tuck in behind Phil.

So we have 50 miles to go and a 15 mile stint of 4000 foot climb to finish the day.

Mervs Daily Final Thought of The day:- Started well till after breakfast. Hard to take in all the panoramic views. Quite humbling realising what small fish we are on such a wonderful planet. Boys coped well with the conditions still all working well as a team. The end of the day is nigh and at the end of the day it gets dark. A good sense of achievement as the mileage has been upped from day one. Gareth was struggling with the heat maybe the boys should have considered air-conditioned bikes.

North County Times, Oceanside

Yes, Timothy Kilpatrick will have some good stories to tell his five children and future grandchildren someday.Stories about how he decided to hop on a bicycle one day in St. Augustine, Fla., and pointed it west with the intention of riding until he reached the Pacific Ocean. Stories that include riding along highways and back roads, pushing through mountains, intense heat, some cold and rain, strong headwinds and other obstacles. Stories that include a coyote sniffing around his tent as he camped along the side of the road and of meeting a nice couple at a Texas ranch house, where he knocked on the door because he needed to replenish his fluid supplies. Stories that he chronicled in a journal of his 34-day cycling trip across America, a journey he undertook because he wanted a challenge, wanted a chance to see things from a different perspective and wanted those stories to share. Mission accomplished.

Kilpatrick, who recently moved to Oceanside with his wife, Jodie, and family, left St. Augustine on Feb. 8, and touched his front wheel to the water at Mission Beach in San Diego around 8:30 p.m. March 13. Kilpatrick, 29, was "hurting pretty bad" when he arrived in town after his 2,520-mile journey. But being reunited with his family made things considerably less painful. "Of course, I was happy to be here. It was getting old near the end because I was doing it alone," Kilpatrick said. "I was happy to get here, see my family and start my new life." The ride was a huge stretch for Kilpatrick, whose longest previous cycling trip was 100 miles. He said the first 300 to 400 miles were the roughest, as his muscles adjusted to the daily pounding. After that, "Things started to get a little numb," he said. Kilpatrick is done with long-distance rides for now. His next task is to find a job, having had to close his construction business in Alabama because of the economy.

He shouldn't have any trouble convincing prospective employers of his ability to complete assignments. Return trip: In a reversal of sorts, a team of four cyclists from Wales plan to leave the Oceanside Municipal Pier early Friday morning for a two-week ride that will take them to St. Augustine. The four riders, ranging from 27 to 48 years old and in varying degrees of shape, according to team member Andy Edwards, are taking on the ride in a bid to raise money for the children's hospital in Wales. They have already brought in more than 50,000 British pounds, with donations continuing to roll in. We're just a team of mates from family and work," said Edwards. "We've done long-distance training, but nothing like this." The riders, Edwards, Gareth Evans, Richard Belcher and Phil Jenkins, will be trailed by a camper van. A documentary crew will film their journey, called "Coast 2 Coast USA." They'll ride in pairs, alternating every 20 miles. It's kind of a crazy idea, admitted Edwards, adding that it was something the buddies cooked up hanging around together. "Once you say you're going to do something, you've got to go through with it," he said. "We're going to do it. Bring it on."

Twenty-Nine Palms, California - elevation 1950 feet/595 m.

They're starting out rough, high in the California part of the Mojave Desert - where summer daytime temperatures have got as high as 119F/48C and nightime as low as 9F/-12.2C.

Gar's #3

Today I had my best hour on a bike- ever!! After a frustrating start, plagued by a sat nav that's adamant on taking us down incomplete roads, and a road closure which resulted in a detour, the vistas' of San barnado mountains were superb.

The four of us set off from Oceanside having been greeted by Tim Kilpatrick, a gent from Alabama who has recently completed the coast2coast single handily, unsupported over 34 days. After the initial climb from the pacific, rich and myself headed towards the Bonsall.

Andy and phil take over, and are greeted by a fabtastic canyon climb, which would have lifted their mood, but taken its toll on their legs...and by now, the sun has burnt through the cloud.

We arrive at tucalama, and once rich presents the art of urinating into 4 seperate cups...without spilling a drop, the sat nav has a pop. We change, rich and myself continue to Anza, steady climbing, but nothing as steep as the stint facing andy and phil on the next leg.

Rich and myself reach the summit of the climb, a max height of 4600feet...and then we have the pleasure of the 15mile decent to the oasis that is palm desert. The roads are awsome, the views breathtaking, and the experience...can only be described as top gear on bikes...rich taking up the role of James May.

The bear and phillipousis continue through the desert heat to Morongo Valley, not helped by the Traffic lights. Again, they seemed to have had the short straw, hampered by the lights, keeping them trapped on the dese rt sun, unable to get any momentum they make their way to morongo valley.

Morongo Valley to Twentynine Palms.

Rich and I begin our last leg next to a wind farm the size of Carmarthen. Thousands of wind turbines as far as the eye can see, an there's a damn good reason why they're here...there's one hell of a wind, and we're attempting to cycle straight into it.

Our average speed for the daysrops dramatically as we struggle to maintain double figures, but worse is to come, as we turn right, now with the wind at our backs, we start to get the hills...in what assists the ascending on this leg alone to 4400 feet. By now, my legs are running on fumes, not helped by the 90degree desert heat, and undoubtedly there's no way I could have done that alone, so cheers rich.

We finally reach the summit of our last climb, to hear that the guys have reached the hotel...unfortunately, the wrong one, and they are ushered out of their routine sheepdip in double time.

Day 1 is over, only 14 to go...and toxays climbing and heat outlines the severity of the challenge ahead. There's no doubt...I'll sleep tonight.

Rich's #3

Well I made it beyond 10 o'clock at night, but nobody told my internal alarm that meant I could sleep in beyond 3.

So today is the big off and it started poorly with me moving to the floor space outside the bathroom to sleep (or not as the case turned out) in order to get away from Porth and Pop's snoring. Although I think the enormity of what we're taking on has hit me and nervous tension was the main cause of laying awake.

None of us want to let anybody down but we are where we are and just need to see what the next few weeks hold.

Stuck in the Wilshire Plaza reception, waiting for the guys to come back from getting the vehicles. Different reports come back via cell phones. As we wait Merv tells stories about shark attacks in Australia.

The waiting has been delayed as the boys have had to sit through a video of how to clean the toilet and various other necessities needed for the running of the battle wagon, the El Monte Camper Van that will now be known as HMS Hwyl (Ship of Fun). Delayed also by the Tom Tom installation that when completed just happened to be in the Dutch language. So here we wait listening to Merv giving us names of ships that he knows.

'I used to be on HMS Eagle - it was so long ago it was an egg!

I missed a day but Andy Edwards and Gareth Evans and the rest of their team touched down in LA and are on their way across the country, raising money for the Children's Hospital for Wales! They're going to blog their trip and I'm going to reproduce it here for all of us:

DAY ONE

Early start from Pendine at 0200 hrs and pick ups on the way down the M4 meant the team was all together by 0500 and heading for the airport. Stopping at Reading Services for a million dollar breakfast meant we were at Heathrow in plenty of time. Self checking meant no upgrade but all progressed smoothly until Tom got on the Guiness by 0900.

An 11 hour flight with Myra the Welsh speaking stewardess from Talley slipped by unnoticed. Phil and Merv were not happy with the food but the views ou t of the window of Greenland and then the sheer size of the States was realised and they soon lost their appetite. Good fun was had telling jokes and playing quizzes.

Henry, Gareth and Richard who had had their 'Skins' underwear on all day started to melt in the L.A. heat not helped by the taxi driver attempting to drop us off at the Beverley Hills Plaza Hotel where Julia Roberts was entertained by Richard Gere. The Hotel was 10 miles away from our hotel and 10 times the budget and I don't think flip flops would have been appreciated in the foyer.

We've now been for a dip in the pool after being up for over 24 hours and are now about to step ashore for some bevvies and a bit of scran.

RICH'S FIRST

And so finally the trip starts in earnest, although the 11 hours sat on my bottom courtesy of virgin Atlantic promises to be a little less taxing than that which will follow. The journey started in less than auspicious circumstances at the Ibis Hotel in Cardiff Gate. As we were being picked up at ridiculous o'clock I booked the hotel for myself and Gareth. As we would have bike bags I requested a ground floor twin room. We got a top floor double room! Despite strict demarcation and Gareth's plea for no spooning, the appalling softness of the mattress meant Gareth gravitated towards the centre of the bed to the extent that I considered getting out and back in the other side. So sleep was not exactly plentiful but the journey so far has been all according to schedule. I'm 8 hours into the flight between films and looking forward to getting there and sorting my bike ready for a gentle warm up tomorrow.

DAY TWO

It started with most people waking up at 0200 thinking they had had a good night's sleep. People are itching to get going but there's still so much to get done. Who's going to be in charge of what? Mervyn has stepped up to be i/c of laundry and Andrew immediately took up the offer of being i/c of the kitty.

0500 - Phil is playing his guitar in his pants, Mervyn is looking up sightseeing spots, getting mixed up between John Wayne and Ronald Reagan and asking whether we should go and see the Queen Mary and the Russian nuclear submarine down in Long Beach.

0900 Merv's confusion continues - four hours of Australian dits he then saw the Hollywood sign from Wilshire Boulevard and realised that it didn't look anything like Perth. After a moment of disappointment and a plateful of grits at the local Denneys, we took in the sights and Merv's focus turned to the many palmed treed avenues and the frequency of Eurasian beauties driving Lexus and Saabs driving by.

THE NIGHT OF NOISE

Whilst the acoustic set in room 1008 is in full swing, there is a very different acoustic in room 1014 aka. 'The Room of Noise'.

Myself and the Wild one spent the hours of 10pm till 4am enduring 20 minute stints of sleep disturbed as efficiently as the japanese transport system by the dulcet tones of Stoney's face.

The english language cannot do justice to the sound he emitted throughout the night but I will leave you with a few stats...

Number of times woken up by the 'noise' last night - 8 (minimum)

Number of time Wild one was woken up - 8 (minimum)

Numbers of ways we have come up with to 'accidently' kill The Stone - 142 (and counting)

Phil has told me he has earplugs so all is good from this point on.....bring on the noise Stone. That is all for now.....

GARETH'S FIRST

Finally here! The worry of "have I packed enough base layers and spare kit" has been put to rest by the fact it's 75degrees outside, and it's still only 9am. The bikes are set up,the weather is good, but we still have the day at leisure...which way to the beach? You could swear the good folk of l.a. Have never seen a Welshman walking down the road for breakkie in shorts and t-shirt at 7.30 before!

Got to look at things positively, could have had as good a nights kip as Henry, spooning the coast2coast wind tunnel that is Mr. Stone. He loves it really.

Henry Saves the Day - The Day the Kitten Shone

On opening Ian's bike bag I found that the lug that held the rear derailleur had snapped in transit. I had been warned by John from Tenby Cycles that this was one of the weak points that could be trouble when traveling abroad.

On closer examination I discovered that it bit of the frame had snapped as well - total and utter disaster. Ian was informed and did not take the news too well. he immediately phoned his insurance company, Lloyds of London and his Platinum account stated that his bike was not covered. Controlling his temper Henry suggested to Ian that a phonecall to the Press officer of Virgin Atlantic would be a better option. After speaking to the baggage handling department of Virgin, who were very concerned about the colour of the 50 bike bag which was grey and not the 1500 bike inside it. On the other phone Henry in his best Meltwater voice was conversing with the Virgin Press Officer who realised that a PR disaster was on the horizon especially as the BBC are traveling with us and she authorised an immediate allowance of $2000 to cover the cost of a new bike! henry's thinking outside the box and his phone manor and charm. Whether Ian will thank him by the end of the trip will be another story! Ian will thank him tonight by sleeping in the bathroom so that Henry and Tomos will not suffer the snore torture!

Henry Saves the Day Again - International Rescue

During the drama of the afternoon Henry received an urgent phonecall from the Principality's capital as a large unknown male spider was walking around Lowri's bedroom. After consulting with Ian 'The Exterminator' Stone who's thought process went through pistol whipping and bitch slapping finally settled the best form of defence was attack and that she should use a machine gun.

Negeseuon Pob Lwc

"Andy-I know we all need to keep in shape but this is a bit extreme.When you get the chance read a book called"The memory of running by Ron McLarty."
Roger Ford, London Welsh RFC

"Fanstastic cause Andy, well done for doing this very extreme challenge. Just make sure you pack the Vas! Not a bad excuse Andy and well done for raising so much for this very worthy cause. I'm sure you'll have a fantastic time doing it and some great memories along the way. I'll keep you in the loop."
Dai Williams London Welsh RFC Old Boys

Thank you for your donations.

'What are we but memories'

Gar #2

A night at leisure meant that half the guys went for a jaunt 'downtown'. Without the exterminator Stone and his sidekick, Henry Kittenger, would we be safe... We did after all have 'Dyfrig death' driving!!

After a swift spin down the road, we finally arrived at the staples centre; an luminous metropolis that makes Blackpool look like Cwm Cou. Anyway-to the box office, and after a confused discussion with your friendly Mexican tout, we got our tickets...for a damn sight cheaper...(it wasn't until after our south central friend had departed did visions of Ross kemps gangs come to mind!!).

Back to the basketball, the LA Clippers do a job on the Washington Wizards, a smash and grab our tout friend would have been proud off, with the highlight of the event undoubtedly...the clipper spirit, google them for yourselves!

Quick spin back through Korea Town to the chateau, swift steak and it's back to bed, only to find Rich 'the 1' Belcher sleeping comfortably in the floor, spooning his duvet in a way that would have made jenny proud. (sorry Jen xx)

It's midnight now, Thursday is upon us, a crucial day for the logistics and psycho Stone with the purchase of his new wheels upon us. Stone...pimp your ride.

Oh yeah, it was also nice to get a couple of hours road time today, even though the 80 degree heat was a tad uncomfortable, it sure beats the bloody snows of Blaenavon. Electrolytes at the ready!

10-4

Pops

Rich's #2

I'm still very much on UK time. It's 5 in the morning and I've been awake a while. Will I ever see 10 o'clock at night?

So yesterday saw the first road miles -a quick leg stretcher around the local streets in search of a bike shop to source Stoney's new steed.

Surely 9th street is between 8th and 10th! Well it turns out it is, only the part we were on goes under a different name. Unfortunately the school crossing control lady doesn't know so a few more minutes of aimless cycling before we find someone to point us in the right direction, and it turns out we need to be a couple of hundred yards down from the school crossing.

That bike shop doesn't sell road bikes but gives us the address of the most famous cycle shop in LA so off we go again and Andy is soon on first name terms with the guy in the shop, getting the squeak on his bike looked into and negotiating a discount for Ian.

Then back to the hotel along with Andy's magical reappearing squeak. The traffic lights meant it was all very stop start but I was surprised by the courtesy shown by the inhabitants of this car loving nation, with several people tooting, waving, giving the thumbs up and declaring their Welsh heritage at the lights.

LA from the 10th Floor

Well here we are Thursday 19th day two at the Radison Wilshire Plaza on Wilshire Blvd. Just as I'm starting to feel settled in,today we pick up the vehicles and head on down to Oceanside,our kick off point.

It feels as though the little things start to feel complicated like how do we pick up the two vehicles from different locations and all be there to sign the paperwork, what do we need to stock the motorhome up with for the trip and what replacement bike should Stoney get?

After our arrival on Tuesday we all decided to try to stay up as late (normal) as possible to try to overcome or even circumvent the effects of jet lag. A pasta meal and a couple of Moretti beers and I think I hit the hay at around 10pm local time (around 30hrs after getting out of bed in Carmarthen).

Awake at 1.48am the next day (Weds 18th)and up at 4am myself, the Bear and Cooperman headed out in search of scran. We found Denny's just a few blocks west and had a Grand Slam breakfast with GRITS. "What's this made of please I asked potato?" "no corn its really good". After adding maple syrup and jelly Merv decided that the wallpaper paste was OK.

Back to the hotel then for our first team meeting and a swim. Some of the team have tasks and will go find provisions while the cyclists will assemble bikes and go for a fist run out. 5 bikes done and then Stoney's come out in more pieces than we expected. Its clearly been handled poorly and a small but significant piece has been snapped clean off and its beyond repair. We hit the phones and emails in an attempt to gt the OK for a replacement.

Ian's patience is tested to the max as he keeps being asked by claim staff what colour the bag is and what it says on it. After screaming `your missing the point` for 20 mins he`s about to explode when THE KITTEN rouses from his position and turns all MAX CLIFFORD like on the Virgin Press office. We leave then to it and the four of us go for a spin in search of a bike shop. Whatever happens with the claim we'll have to get a new steed.

We end up at Helen's bike shop in Beverly Hills and find two great looking machines. We head back to our hotel and are met with the great news that The Kitten's mojo is cooking and Virgin in light of the charitable nature of the event have agreed $2000 replacement. Smiles all round again.

We chill for a couple of hours and after a quick dip in the outdoor pool hit the hotel bar for just a couple as drinking here could lead to a fiscal deficit similar to a UK high street bank at nearly $6 a bottle of beer.

Seren, Tomos, Porth and Telesgop staff head off to see a basketball game and the remaining 6 head back to Denny's for dinner.

Several `dits` from the Cooperman over dinner, one of which was full of advice about the need to take a couple of ninja's to the toilet with you - something to do with hand shaking apparently!!! saw us all having a good laugh.

THURSDAY 19th

Up early again the body clock still hasn't fully settled but feeling good. Its feels like this is it as we have things to do and places to go today ahead of tomorrow's real off.

Happy pedaling...

Phil `the ninja hand shaker` Jenkins

We have for some time been featuring our selection of the best and most recent Anglo-Welsh literature. Today we decided to supplement this with our new "Album of the Month" feature. To nominate your choice for best new Welsh album each month please join the Welsh Music Group and leave your suggestion on the comment wall.

We are very happy to announce that our first selection is "Catraeth" by Taran currently available for download from Amazon. We urge all our members to support the band and buy your copy now. In our humble opinion this is as fine a musical offering as we are likely to hear all year.

Hear tracks from the bands new album on their MySpace page here:- Taran on MySpace

Buy the album here:- "Catraeth on Amazon"

The Coast-2-Coast USA boys, including our own members Gareth Evans and Andy Edwards, are on their way to starting their cycling trip across the southern continental US.Show them your support with pledges and, if you're on their route - especially at the end in St Augustine, Florida - turn out and welcome them, put them up or feed them or just buy them a beer!From their blog : A last Hurrah for the 'Tw o Fat Cyclists' at The New Three Mariners, Laugharne. Match funding by Barclays Bank means there will be a lot of money raised for the charity - not sure how much yet.New songs found the large drunk audience singing along. 'Fulsom Prison Blu es' and ' Daydream Believer ' seemed to really oil the inebriated voices of the clientele. So much so that they wanted to create their own set list with impromptu renderings of 'You'll Never Walk Alone' in respect of the landlords' favourite football team's dismal performance against Liverpool and 'A Horse with No Name' for no reason at all except for the pub singer from Ants Hill Caravan Park knowing the lyrics!Phil and I, cleverly tried to follow Rhys' fingers through a very drunken 'Good Riddance' . Rhys, aswell as Phil and myself, eventually gave up the gig as the crowd got drunker and took no interest in the dulcet tones of of 'The Two F at Cyclists' . Thank you Richard for all your help.