:00:00. > :00:10.Now on BBC News, it's time for the Travel Show.
:00:11. > :00:18.Can Los Angeles, the alternative capital of America, ever become
:00:19. > :00:50.cycle friendly? This is amazing. Is like reclaim the
:00:51. > :00:55.Welcome to The Travel Show, coming to you this week from sunny Los
:00:56. > :00:58.Angeles. This is a town where the automobile reigns supreme but it has
:00:59. > :01:02.also caused an awful lot of traffic. I'm here to discover what
:01:03. > :01:08.happens if you get those roads on two wheels. Coming up: Then find out
:01:09. > :01:12.whether he has what it takes to grace the stage of the world-famous
:01:13. > :01:21.Kazakh National Ballet. Something to say that he probably hasn't. And
:01:22. > :01:26.Michelle is here with her regular global guide of the best things to
:01:27. > :01:28.see and do around the world. This month, hundreds of elephants,
:01:29. > :01:35.thousands of eggs and scores of Santa clauses. But first we are in
:01:36. > :01:39.Los Angeles in the Golden State of California. While some American
:01:40. > :01:46.cities have developed skyward, in the 20th century Los Angeles's
:01:47. > :01:51.population spread outwards. It is home to some of the world's most
:01:52. > :02:01.rich and famous. And on the streets there is really only one way to be
:02:02. > :02:06.seen. In one of these. Each week just over the holiday -- Hollywood
:02:07. > :02:12.Hills at supercar Sunday, people come to meet like-minded
:02:13. > :02:14.carnivores. All of the car enthusiasts of Los Angeles are
:02:15. > :02:20.turning up today, including some celebrities. That is Jay Leno over
:02:21. > :02:27.the! Can you tell me about your car? Is a 1929 Bentley. You really
:02:28. > :02:34.cannot get anywhere without a car. The subway here goes 1-mile. You
:02:35. > :02:40.have no choice? You can get from here to wear that guy is. Supercar
:02:41. > :02:53.Sunday was started over a decade ago. If you want to understand Los
:02:54. > :02:58.Angeles, it is all about the car. When you think cars, it is Los
:02:59. > :03:01.Angeles. In certain areas it is not uncommon for the average household
:03:02. > :03:05.to have well over five or cars. What makes LA the two great place to
:03:06. > :03:12.drive a car? We have beautiful mountain Canyon Road like we're on
:03:13. > :03:16.right now. The instructor is there to enjoy driving and in LA everybody
:03:17. > :03:24.drives for LA is a sprawling city. Nobody in LA walks. But some feel
:03:25. > :03:27.this love affair with the automobile has reached a tipping point and that
:03:28. > :03:32.there should be easier and safer ways to get around such as the
:03:33. > :03:36.bicycle. I have come down to Venice Beach. This is a fantastic and safe
:03:37. > :03:40.place to cycle because they have these wide dedicated lanes.
:03:41. > :03:44.Unfortunately, that is not the case when you head into downtown. Bicycle
:03:45. > :03:49.traffic deaths in California are among the highest in the country and
:03:50. > :03:52.many cyclists fear they will be involved in one of the 20,000
:03:53. > :03:58.hit-and-run incidents seen on the LA roads every year. But things may be
:03:59. > :04:01.about to change. Microphone and was one of the council member
:04:02. > :04:07.responsible for voting in a new plan this summer. -- this man was one of
:04:08. > :04:11.the. It will introduce hundreds of miles of new cycle lane. One thing
:04:12. > :04:16.that we have to do is make cycling safer. This is a city where people
:04:17. > :04:19.should be cycling more because it is relatively flat and there is always
:04:20. > :04:25.pleasant weather, yet people don't feel safe cycling. Usually when we
:04:26. > :04:28.make transportation decisions in Los Angeles, it has been all about the
:04:29. > :04:32.single occupant vehicle and how fast it can get through an intersection.
:04:33. > :04:37.Can you tell me more about the plans for the future? We have an ability
:04:38. > :04:41.plan -- eight mobility plan for 2035, which will allow us to our
:04:42. > :04:47.decisions based on a range of different options. While conditions
:04:48. > :04:50.may be set to improve a little for cyclists in the city, they have
:04:51. > :04:54.grown accustomed to dangerous roads over decades. This says set the
:04:55. > :04:58.scene for an unlikely but thriving cycling community united by a desire
:04:59. > :05:08.to experience Los Angeles safely on two wheels. The group Ride
:05:09. > :05:14.phenomenon in Los Angeles is based on the safety in numbers principal.
:05:15. > :05:20.Our roads are completely hostile to pedestrians and cyclists and if you
:05:21. > :05:27.are in a group with a couple of hundred people, car drivers will see
:05:28. > :05:32.you at that point. Donald played a key role in starting Los Angeles's
:05:33. > :05:35.group cycle rides in 2004. He now leads a ride called the Wolfpack
:05:36. > :05:39.parcel from his LA studio, where he prints out merchandise and
:05:40. > :05:42.memorabilia. It started with midnight Riders. Eight people showed
:05:43. > :05:47.up for the first midnight riders ride and by 2006, it had grown so
:05:48. > :05:54.massive that there were 2000 people riding. A created a midnight Riders
:05:55. > :05:58.website as a forum for people to organise their own rides. Soon it
:05:59. > :06:03.had spawned three or four it happening in the city each night. An
:06:04. > :06:14.all-female cycling group met on this website. Every night of the week we
:06:15. > :06:23.have a right listed and they are mostly party rights, which are very
:06:24. > :06:26.social. And a lot of club rides graduated from that where people
:06:27. > :06:32.still want to go out and see the city at night but maybe get a better
:06:33. > :06:43.workout and have less partying. Can I join you? Yeah! This is amazing.
:06:44. > :06:49.It is like reclaiming the night, reclaiming the streets. One reason
:06:50. > :06:53.we go out at night is because most people have got home from work by
:06:54. > :06:58.the time we start riding, so with a group our size, we can take up a
:06:59. > :07:04.whole lane and we travel almost as fast as a car in traffic. This has
:07:05. > :07:10.been amazing but I think I will let you go. Thank you so much. You are
:07:11. > :07:15.awesome. That was insane. That was so amazing. The main thing was that
:07:16. > :07:19.we could really take over the street and everybody felt really safe
:07:20. > :07:22.despite the fact that there were almost as many cars as you might get
:07:23. > :07:30.during the daytime. There is something really special about the
:07:31. > :07:33.group ride. Whether or not the new plans lead to people leaving their
:07:34. > :07:37.cars at home remains to be seen but from what I have found from my
:07:38. > :07:47.experience here, cycling seems set to go from strength to strength. And
:07:48. > :07:56.if you are thinking of heading to LA anytime soon, here are some tips you
:07:57. > :07:58.might find useful. Is all the glamour and celebrity of the classic
:07:59. > :08:03.tourist hotspots have you claiming more surreal roll attractions, Los
:08:04. > :08:06.Angeles has just the place to get you thinking. The museum of
:08:07. > :08:10.contemporary art and the County Museum of Art both have plenty to
:08:11. > :08:12.offer but the talk of the town is the broad, a contemporary Art
:08:13. > :08:16.Gallery recently opened after five years in the making. And the
:08:17. > :08:23.Huntington has vast collections of books and art. Set in the grounds of
:08:24. > :08:28.spectacular botanical Gardens. You are far from stuck in an urban
:08:29. > :08:31.sprawl. You can relax on Venice Beach in the morning on one of the
:08:32. > :08:34.nearby mountain sides by the afternoon. Or if you want to get
:08:35. > :08:40.away from it all, Joshua tree national park is just a few hours
:08:41. > :08:43.drive away. An hour from the mainland by boaties Catalina Island,
:08:44. > :08:48.a good day trip option for those looking to escape the city crowds.
:08:49. > :08:52.You can reach the island by one of several Danny Burch departures and
:08:53. > :08:57.snorkelling its protected waters. -- daily both departures. But for most,
:08:58. > :09:02.a centuries would not be complete without the classic movie site.
:09:03. > :09:06.Don't miss the Hollywood work -- walk of Fame and the Chinese
:09:07. > :09:11.Theatre. And don't forget to grab that perfect selfie with the
:09:12. > :09:14.Hollywood sign. Los Angeles the 6.5 million international tourists every
:09:15. > :09:20.year and many more from here in the US, so expect company. Time for our
:09:21. > :09:36.weekly travel updates. An end to travellers in the EU has been
:09:37. > :09:40.declared with a new law from the European Parliament is set to come
:09:41. > :09:44.into force in 2017. National EU countries travelling to another
:09:45. > :09:47.destination the EU will only have to pay the same prices as they would at
:09:48. > :09:52.home for the mobile usage while abroad. In Rome, these tourists
:09:53. > :10:01.welcomed the move. We must pay a lot of money to get into the
:10:02. > :10:04.friends. It is good if there are no more charges. Eliminating roaming
:10:05. > :10:09.charges? I'm sure it's a great idea. If we don't have to pay for
:10:10. > :10:14.roaming, that is good. Fog caused serious disruption to fight across
:10:15. > :10:16.Europe this week. On Monday, 10% of departures from London's Heathrow
:10:17. > :10:22.Airport were delayed and it was a similar story in other parts of the
:10:23. > :10:25.continent. Many flights were diverted and passengers stranded.
:10:26. > :10:30.Forecasters said it was unusual for so many airports to be affected at
:10:31. > :10:34.the same time. In Chile, people came to witness that even in the most
:10:35. > :10:39.hostile of environments in the Atacama Desert, spectacular plans
:10:40. > :10:42.can flourish. The world's so-called driest desert sprang into life with
:10:43. > :10:46.a sea of flowers after heavy rainfall in March and August. One
:10:47. > :10:51.days or as much rain as the desert normally gets in 14 years. The
:10:52. > :10:56.phenomenon usually takes place once every five to seven years but this
:10:57. > :11:01.is the desert's second blooming in 12 months, the first time that has
:11:02. > :11:05.happened since records began. Officials from one of Italy's most
:11:06. > :11:10.popular sacred sites and tourist attractions, the Sistine Chapel,
:11:11. > :11:14.have announced that tends to protect it presses Michelangelo frescoes
:11:15. > :11:17.have had success. Since new measures have been put in place, levels of
:11:18. > :11:22.carbon dioxide from the daily visitors that have been threatening
:11:23. > :11:26.the frescoes have been halved. And as revellers around the world
:11:27. > :11:31.celebrated Halloween, Mexico celebrated the Day of the Dead, a
:11:32. > :11:32.parade in Mexico City seeing a ghoulish march of the walking dead
:11:33. > :11:40.as well as between us with women men adorned in full-scale mixup. The
:11:41. > :11:44.annual festival traditionally remembers departed relatives and
:11:45. > :11:51.friends and has become a celebration recognised around the world.
:11:52. > :12:00.Still to come on the travel show. In Kazakhstan, Sam thinks and high
:12:01. > :12:05.culture on a low budget. -- sampling.
:12:06. > :12:10.And the global guide to things you can see and do around the world.
:12:11. > :12:18.The travel show, your essential guide wherever are headed.
:12:19. > :12:28.Hello, I annual global guide with a top tips on the world's best
:12:29. > :12:36.events. Ahead, hundreds of elephants, thousands of eggs and
:12:37. > :12:45.scores of Santa clauses. But first, wrap up warm for Japan's
:12:46. > :12:50.Festival in a small town near Tokyo, dating back more than 300
:12:51. > :12:54.years. There are fireworks, street entertainers and musicians as well
:12:55. > :13:02.as food and psyche. The highlight is an evening parade which leaves at
:13:03. > :13:06.7pm. Six gigantic floats decorated with carvings and flowers,
:13:07. > :13:19.illuminated with lanterns and accompanied. What do 5000 eggs make?
:13:20. > :13:22.Answer, one big omelette. In Louisiana, a procession of chefs
:13:23. > :13:27.cracked thousands of eggs as they prepare to cook up a storm together.
:13:28. > :13:32.The giant omelette celebration express on November seventh. The
:13:33. > :13:39.dish is shared among the public free of charge. It is more like scrambled
:13:40. > :13:44.eggs than a proper omelette. Across to Thailand, where the
:13:45. > :13:51.elephant round-up takes place in the east of the country. Getting on
:13:52. > :13:55.November 21, the two the event showcases the physical strength and
:13:56. > :14:00.skill of these trained domestic elephants. Including a tug-of-war
:14:01. > :14:04.between the elephants and the army. Hundreds of animals and their
:14:05. > :14:11.trainers take part. The elephants also paint pictures.
:14:12. > :14:16.It is not all palm trees and tropical cocktails in Nickelodeon,
:14:17. > :14:25.as pirates take over the Cayman Islands. It takes place on November
:14:26. > :14:32.12, with sailing vessels competing to capture the Governor. There are
:14:33. > :14:36.also parade and fireworks. Tacky's whirling dervishes. It is a
:14:37. > :14:41.striking spectacle with long white gowns billowing open. Once again,
:14:42. > :14:48.the festival takes place in the middle of December. Everyone million
:14:49. > :14:57.people go to look at the Temple of the great Sufi saint.
:14:58. > :15:04.Across Europe, some of the loveliest places to be during the Advent
:15:05. > :15:07.season are provincial towns where Christmas markets take over charges,
:15:08. > :15:14.streets and squares. Warmup with wine, attends the parades and
:15:15. > :15:21.concerts. And they will be nativity plays, carols and arts and crafts.
:15:22. > :15:27.And continuing the spirit of Christmas in Maine in the USA, one
:15:28. > :15:35.town is hosting centre Sunday on December six. Hundreds of changes
:15:36. > :15:38.shoot down the South Ridge. The RFU rules. Centres must wear a red hat
:15:39. > :15:44.with a white pom-pom, a red jacket, red pants.
:15:45. > :15:47.That is my global guide this month. Let them know what is happening in
:15:48. > :15:56.the place where you live or where you love. Until next time, happy
:15:57. > :16:01.travelling. To end this week, we are off to
:16:02. > :16:07.Kazakhstan. If you are watching last year, you might remember Ben seeing
:16:08. > :16:11.which are taking to the mountains on horseback. This time we decided to
:16:12. > :16:15.get him to do a something a little more cultural, and we thought a spot
:16:16. > :16:21.of ballet was in order. During the heyday of the former
:16:22. > :16:24.Soviet Union, access to arts was a cornerstone of political policy. The
:16:25. > :16:31.idea was the masses deserve to be uplifted, even if many of the shops
:16:32. > :16:34.were half empty. 25 years on in the Republic of Kazakhstan, Soviet
:16:35. > :16:40.control might have gone, but that idea of affordable access to things
:16:41. > :16:43.like Opera and Ballet is on. Kazakhstan is a changing country,
:16:44. > :16:51.but a relic of its former days can still be had in the centre of the
:16:52. > :17:00.city. I talking about this theatre. The stage plays host to offers and
:17:01. > :17:15.ballets. Tickets start at just ?2. Less than ?5. -- $5. This man has
:17:16. > :17:22.been conducting for over 20 years. It is possible to buy a ticket, more
:17:23. > :17:28.people can go and enjoy the music. You feel music and you feel a good
:17:29. > :17:38.feeling. We have operas and Ballet class ballets. We see classic
:17:39. > :17:49.operas. Despite the low pricetag, they do not put on separate --
:17:50. > :17:54.second-rate shows. Raphael is a Ballet principal dancer. He has got
:17:55. > :18:05.some serious game. When did you start doing ballet? When I was four
:18:06. > :18:12.years. I like ballet, I like a dunce. This Kazakhstan have a good
:18:13. > :18:20.reputation around the world for its ballet? It is very old school. It
:18:21. > :18:30.has a long history. Our teachers started academies in Russia. I am
:18:31. > :18:41.not much of a dancer. But when you get a chance to learn moves from the
:18:42. > :18:47.pros, who can resist that? Yes, look at this. I do not think I have the
:18:48. > :18:56.muscles for it. My body simply did not need want to bend the way it
:18:57. > :19:03.needs to. Here we go. One two, three. I suspect I am probably
:19:04. > :19:08.starting about 20 years too late to take to the stage. But that does not
:19:09. > :19:18.stop me wanting to spend a couple of quid to watch the experts. Do you
:19:19. > :19:24.know what this is? Rather than go a long, I am taking along with this
:19:25. > :19:30.woman. And in keeping with our cheap night out, we have met at a
:19:31. > :19:37.Kazakhstan team. How much is this? About 2000, which is about ?25. For
:19:38. > :19:47.a lot of food. I cannot even lift it. Combined with our ballet
:19:48. > :19:52.tickets, it comes just under ?5. Obviously ballet is a beautiful form
:19:53. > :19:56.of bands, but is it an important part of Catholic culture? Dans has
:19:57. > :20:02.always been a part of Kaz culture. It is part of our influence that
:20:03. > :20:11.came from Russia. A lot of them are a mix of traditional Kazakhstan is
:20:12. > :20:17.it and Kaz act tales and legends. This is impressive. I am most
:20:18. > :20:26.definitely underdressed. We both are. The theatre is a beautiful and
:20:27. > :20:29.brand building, designed by Soviet architects just before the Second
:20:30. > :20:34.World War. It turns out we have come on a pretty quiet night. But despite
:20:35. > :20:45.the small numbers, the dancers put on quite a show. These guys are
:20:46. > :20:51.good, but I have no idea what is happening. Some amazing dancers have
:20:52. > :20:57.trained and performed here. And many of them have gone on to perform at
:20:58. > :21:07.the Bolshoi or elsewhere in Russia. It is not hard to see why. All in
:21:08. > :21:11.all, it has been a fantastic way to spend the evening. Without breaking
:21:12. > :21:19.the bank. And a great way to end my trip to Kazakhstan.
:21:20. > :21:22.How did you like it? It was good, it seemed like something extremely
:21:23. > :21:24.erratic was happening. But I'm not sure what that was. You need to work
:21:25. > :21:49.on your Russian. That is all we have got time for.
:21:50. > :21:52.Coming up next week: We are in New York's Holland, where more and more
:21:53. > :21:57.locals are being placed out of the area and the Church competition
:21:58. > :22:00.numbers are starting to dwindle. We are discovering how to rest are
:22:01. > :22:04.coming to the rescue. With so many changes in the neighbourhood and the
:22:05. > :22:13.charges are struggling to maintain their congregation, we welcome
:22:14. > :22:19.visitors to Harlem. Join us next week if we can. You can join as on
:22:20. > :22:23.the road in real-time by signing up to social media feeds. But for now
:22:24. > :22:53.and the rest of the travel show team, it is goodbye.
:22:54. > :22:56.18 degrees makes it very mild through the day on Friday.
:22:57. > :23:00.And we keep that mild theme through the day, both Saturday and Sunday.