Los Angeles The Travel Show

Now on BBC News, it's time for the Travel Show.

Can Los Angeles, the alternative capital of America, ever become

cycle friendly? This is amazing. Is like reclaim the

Welcome to The Travel Show, coming to you this week from sunny Los

Angeles. This is a town where the automobile reigns supreme but it has

also caused an awful lot of traffic. I'm here to discover what

happens if you get those roads on two wheels. Coming up: Then find out

whether he has what it takes to grace the stage of the world-famous

Kazakh National Ballet. Something to say that he probably hasn't. And

Michelle is here with her regular global guide of the best things to

see and do around the world. This month, hundreds of elephants,

thousands of eggs and scores of Santa clauses. But first we are in

Los Angeles in the Golden State of California. While some American

cities have developed skyward, in the 20th century Los Angeles's

population spread outwards. It is home to some of the world's most

rich and famous. And on the streets there is really only one way to be

seen. In one of these. Each week just over the holiday -- Hollywood

Hills at supercar Sunday, people come to meet like-minded

carnivores. All of the car enthusiasts of Los Angeles are

turning up today, including some celebrities. That is Jay Leno over

the! Can you tell me about your car? Is a 1929 Bentley. You really

cannot get anywhere without a car. The subway here goes 1-mile. You

have no choice? You can get from here to wear that guy is. Supercar

Sunday was started over a decade ago. If you want to understand Los

Angeles, it is all about the car. When you think cars, it is Los

Angeles. In certain areas it is not uncommon for the average household

to have well over five or cars. What makes LA the two great place to

drive a car? We have beautiful mountain Canyon Road like we're on

right now. The instructor is there to enjoy driving and in LA everybody

drives for LA is a sprawling city. Nobody in LA walks. But some feel

this love affair with the automobile has reached a tipping point and that

there should be easier and safer ways to get around such as the

bicycle. I have come down to Venice Beach. This is a fantastic and safe

place to cycle because they have these wide dedicated lanes.

Unfortunately, that is not the case when you head into downtown. Bicycle

traffic deaths in California are among the highest in the country and

many cyclists fear they will be involved in one of the 20,000

hit-and-run incidents seen on the LA roads every year. But things may be

about to change. Microphone and was one of the council member

responsible for voting in a new plan this summer. -- this man was one of

the. It will introduce hundreds of miles of new cycle lane. One thing

that we have to do is make cycling safer. This is a city where people

should be cycling more because it is relatively flat and there is always

pleasant weather, yet people don't feel safe cycling. Usually when we

make transportation decisions in Los Angeles, it has been all about the

single occupant vehicle and how fast it can get through an intersection.

Can you tell me more about the plans for the future? We have an ability

plan -- eight mobility plan for 2035, which will allow us to our

decisions based on a range of different options. While conditions

may be set to improve a little for cyclists in the city, they have

grown accustomed to dangerous roads over decades. This says set the

scene for an unlikely but thriving cycling community united by a desire

to experience Los Angeles safely on two wheels. The group Ride

phenomenon in Los Angeles is based on the safety in numbers principal.

Our roads are completely hostile to pedestrians and cyclists and if you

are in a group with a couple of hundred people, car drivers will see

you at that point. Donald played a key role in starting Los Angeles's

group cycle rides in 2004. He now leads a ride called the Wolfpack

parcel from his LA studio, where he prints out merchandise and

memorabilia. It started with midnight Riders. Eight people showed

up for the first midnight riders ride and by 2006, it had grown so

massive that there were 2000 people riding. A created a midnight Riders

website as a forum for people to organise their own rides. Soon it

had spawned three or four it happening in the city each night. An

all-female cycling group met on this website. Every night of the week we

have a right listed and they are mostly party rights, which are very

social. And a lot of club rides graduated from that where people

still want to go out and see the city at night but maybe get a better

workout and have less partying. Can I join you? Yeah! This is amazing.

It is like reclaiming the night, reclaiming the streets. One reason

we go out at night is because most people have got home from work by

the time we start riding, so with a group our size, we can take up a

whole lane and we travel almost as fast as a car in traffic. This has

been amazing but I think I will let you go. Thank you so much. You are

awesome. That was insane. That was so amazing. The main thing was that

we could really take over the street and everybody felt really safe

despite the fact that there were almost as many cars as you might get

during the daytime. There is something really special about the

group ride. Whether or not the new plans lead to people leaving their

cars at home remains to be seen but from what I have found from my

experience here, cycling seems set to go from strength to strength. And

if you are thinking of heading to LA anytime soon, here are some tips you

might find useful. Is all the glamour and celebrity of the classic

tourist hotspots have you claiming more surreal roll attractions, Los

Angeles has just the place to get you thinking. The museum of

contemporary art and the County Museum of Art both have plenty to

offer but the talk of the town is the broad, a contemporary Art

Gallery recently opened after five years in the making. And the

Huntington has vast collections of books and art. Set in the grounds of

spectacular botanical Gardens. You are far from stuck in an urban

sprawl. You can relax on Venice Beach in the morning on one of the

nearby mountain sides by the afternoon. Or if you want to get

away from it all, Joshua tree national park is just a few hours

drive away. An hour from the mainland by boaties Catalina Island,

a good day trip option for those looking to escape the city crowds.

You can reach the island by one of several Danny Burch departures and

snorkelling its protected waters. -- daily both departures. But for most,

a centuries would not be complete without the classic movie site.

Don't miss the Hollywood work -- walk of Fame and the Chinese

Theatre. And don't forget to grab that perfect selfie with the

Hollywood sign. Los Angeles the 6.5 million international tourists every

year and many more from here in the US, so expect company. Time for our

weekly travel updates. An end to travellers in the EU has been

declared with a new law from the European Parliament is set to come

into force in 2017. National EU countries travelling to another

destination the EU will only have to pay the same prices as they would at

home for the mobile usage while abroad. In Rome, these tourists

welcomed the move. We must pay a lot of money to get into the

friends. It is good if there are no more charges. Eliminating roaming

charges? I'm sure it's a great idea. If we don't have to pay for

roaming, that is good. Fog caused serious disruption to fight across

Europe this week. On Monday, 10% of departures from London's Heathrow

Airport were delayed and it was a similar story in other parts of the

continent. Many flights were diverted and passengers stranded.

Forecasters said it was unusual for so many airports to be affected at

the same time. In Chile, people came to witness that even in the most

hostile of environments in the Atacama Desert, spectacular plans

can flourish. The world's so-called driest desert sprang into life with

a sea of flowers after heavy rainfall in March and August. One

days or as much rain as the desert normally gets in 14 years. The

phenomenon usually takes place once every five to seven years but this

is the desert's second blooming in 12 months, the first time that has

happened since records began. Officials from one of Italy's most

popular sacred sites and tourist attractions, the Sistine Chapel,

have announced that tends to protect it presses Michelangelo frescoes

have had success. Since new measures have been put in place, levels of

carbon dioxide from the daily visitors that have been threatening

the frescoes have been halved. And as revellers around the world

celebrated Halloween, Mexico celebrated the Day of the Dead, a

parade in Mexico City seeing a ghoulish march of the walking dead

as well as between us with women men adorned in full-scale mixup. The

annual festival traditionally remembers departed relatives and

friends and has become a celebration recognised around the world.

Still to come on the travel show. In Kazakhstan, Sam thinks and high

culture on a low budget. -- sampling.

And the global guide to things you can see and do around the world.

The travel show, your essential guide wherever are headed.

Hello, I annual global guide with a top tips on the world's best

events. Ahead, hundreds of elephants, thousands of eggs and

scores of Santa clauses. But first, wrap up warm for Japan's

Festival in a small town near Tokyo, dating back more than 300

years. There are fireworks, street entertainers and musicians as well

as food and psyche. The highlight is an evening parade which leaves at

7pm. Six gigantic floats decorated with carvings and flowers,

illuminated with lanterns and accompanied. What do 5000 eggs make?

Answer, one big omelette. In Louisiana, a procession of chefs

cracked thousands of eggs as they prepare to cook up a storm together.

The giant omelette celebration express on November seventh. The

dish is shared among the public free of charge. It is more like scrambled

eggs than a proper omelette. Across to Thailand, where the

elephant round-up takes place in the east of the country. Getting on

November 21, the two the event showcases the physical strength and

skill of these trained domestic elephants. Including a tug-of-war

between the elephants and the army. Hundreds of animals and their

trainers take part. The elephants also paint pictures.

It is not all palm trees and tropical cocktails in Nickelodeon,

as pirates take over the Cayman Islands. It takes place on November

12, with sailing vessels competing to capture the Governor. There are

also parade and fireworks. Tacky's whirling dervishes. It is a

striking spectacle with long white gowns billowing open. Once again,

the festival takes place in the middle of December. Everyone million

people go to look at the Temple of the great Sufi saint.

Across Europe, some of the loveliest places to be during the Advent

season are provincial towns where Christmas markets take over charges,

streets and squares. Warmup with wine, attends the parades and

concerts. And they will be nativity plays, carols and arts and crafts.

And continuing the spirit of Christmas in Maine in the USA, one

town is hosting centre Sunday on December six. Hundreds of changes

shoot down the South Ridge. The RFU rules. Centres must wear a red hat

with a white pom-pom, a red jacket, red pants.

That is my global guide this month. Let them know what is happening in

the place where you live or where you love. Until next time, happy

travelling. To end this week, we are off to

Kazakhstan. If you are watching last year, you might remember Ben seeing

which are taking to the mountains on horseback. This time we decided to

get him to do a something a little more cultural, and we thought a spot

of ballet was in order. During the heyday of the former

Soviet Union, access to arts was a cornerstone of political policy. The

idea was the masses deserve to be uplifted, even if many of the shops

were half empty. 25 years on in the Republic of Kazakhstan, Soviet

control might have gone, but that idea of affordable access to things

like Opera and Ballet is on. Kazakhstan is a changing country,

but a relic of its former days can still be had in the centre of the

city. I talking about this theatre. The stage plays host to offers and

ballets. Tickets start at just ?2. Less than ?5. -- $5. This man has

been conducting for over 20 years. It is possible to buy a ticket, more

people can go and enjoy the music. You feel music and you feel a good

feeling. We have operas and Ballet class ballets. We see classic

operas. Despite the low pricetag, they do not put on separate --

second-rate shows. Raphael is a Ballet principal dancer. He has got

some serious game. When did you start doing ballet? When I was four

years. I like ballet, I like a dunce. This Kazakhstan have a good

reputation around the world for its ballet? It is very old school. It

has a long history. Our teachers started academies in Russia. I am

not much of a dancer. But when you get a chance to learn moves from the

pros, who can resist that? Yes, look at this. I do not think I have the

muscles for it. My body simply did not need want to bend the way it

needs to. Here we go. One two, three. I suspect I am probably

starting about 20 years too late to take to the stage. But that does not

stop me wanting to spend a couple of quid to watch the experts. Do you

know what this is? Rather than go a long, I am taking along with this

woman. And in keeping with our cheap night out, we have met at a

Kazakhstan team. How much is this? About 2000, which is about ?25. For

a lot of food. I cannot even lift it. Combined with our ballet

tickets, it comes just under ?5. Obviously ballet is a beautiful form

of bands, but is it an important part of Catholic culture? Dans has

always been a part of Kaz culture. It is part of our influence that

came from Russia. A lot of them are a mix of traditional Kazakhstan is

it and Kaz act tales and legends. This is impressive. I am most

definitely underdressed. We both are. The theatre is a beautiful and

brand building, designed by Soviet architects just before the Second

World War. It turns out we have come on a pretty quiet night. But despite

the small numbers, the dancers put on quite a show. These guys are

good, but I have no idea what is happening. Some amazing dancers have

trained and performed here. And many of them have gone on to perform at

the Bolshoi or elsewhere in Russia. It is not hard to see why. All in

all, it has been a fantastic way to spend the evening. Without breaking

the bank. And a great way to end my trip to Kazakhstan.

How did you like it? It was good, it seemed like something extremely

erratic was happening. But I'm not sure what that was. You need to work

on your Russian. That is all we have got time for.

Coming up next week: We are in New York's Holland, where more and more

locals are being placed out of the area and the Church competition

numbers are starting to dwindle. We are discovering how to rest are

coming to the rescue. With so many changes in the neighbourhood and the

charges are struggling to maintain their congregation, we welcome

visitors to Harlem. Join us next week if we can. You can join as on

the road in real-time by signing up to social media feeds. But for now

and the rest of the travel show team, it is goodbye.

18 degrees makes it very mild through the day on Friday.

And we keep that mild theme through the day, both Saturday and Sunday.