Eric and Bill Await in LA

Today was a fantastic day in the cafe, waves of people came in to admire the new space. I am working this afternoon but I still had time to make plans for our New Zealand adventure that begins on Friday. Cindy and I fly to LA and will meet up with Eric Hiss, a lanky, funny adventurer who I met when I traveled to Cyprus early last year. Eric is a talented video shooter and photographer who is in the midst of planning a new video travel site. He described it to me on the phone from LA, as sort of a cross between luxury and adventure. I look forward to learning more when we go out to dinner with him on Friday night.

Then I called my other LA connection, GoNOMAD Blogger Bill Karz. I met Bill in Malaysia and he's written some stories for us as well as keeping up the LA Nomad blog. He is a young guy and has the energy and exuberance that makes this business fun. And his day job working for the LA tourism board gives him insights into what is hot out on the left coast. He said he was working at the Chinese parade in Hollywood, and invited us to join him.

So on Saturday, we'll take the light rail across the city to Hollywood and watch a big parade celebrating the year of the Pig. Then at 9 pm that night, we fly Air New Zealand, in the upper deck of a 747 all the way to Auckland. Follow my blog as we document the journey, the people we meet and the stories they tell us.