'City of Angels: Part deux...'

LAX
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10th Dec

Before navigating the ill-fated 'Lost' flightpath; i have secret hope that we crash and get stuck on an island with Kate :), i get breakfast and souvenirs and take the train to the airport which is a lot less hassle than the 'organised shuttle'! The airport itself however was the biggest hassle ive ever been involved in whilst checking in.  I arrived early and it still took a good 1 and a half hours to get my baggage and myself checked in!  Why? well, firstly there were like 200 americans returning home on a over-full flight...secondly, everyone's luggage (to be checked in and hand luggage) had to be opened and checked with a fine-tooth comb, and with families of 5 with 10 suitcases it took fucking ages. 

'California here we come, just like where we started from...'

Hostel was opposite Kodak theatre, Hollywood bouelvard: home of the oscars...
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After getting my lighter and deodorant confiscated by request of the American Transport Authority, i was finally in the queue for checking in proper, another 30 mins to go, though i take this opportunity to ask this lovely American couple about the US; and she was very helpful indeed and went at lengths to explain things and warn me of dangers. cool.  After getting my exit stamp less than 48 hrs after my entry, it was another 1hr wait to get on the damn plane, as the 500 passengers were now bottlenecked by a personal body security check, where you were picked at random to be frisked and magnetised and have your hand luggage spilt out into a tray...i didn't get picked and sat between a nice US lady and Aussie guy - which was useful being an 13 hr trip which was delayed as the plane was too heavy!!

Venice beach
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Jump international dateline:

10th Dec (again)

After little sleep, i wake up for my second 10th December morning earlier than the first time around 5.30am and immigration was thankfully a lot less stressful than at Sydney, though the LAX's walls were covered with pictures of George 'doubleya' Bush with that brain burning smiling face; hmmm should i be typing this in the states?

Shuttle was easy and the ride takes me through an apparently rare clear day in Los Angeles, another sprawling city bissected by Santa Monica mountains to form 2 picturesque valleys.  Get a glimpse of the iconic Hollywood sign as i arrive on Hollywood Boulevard, step on to the star walk of fame, and through a door into my Hostel above a shop (Hollywood International Hostel).  Cant believe im actually staying here opposite the Kodak and Mann's Chinese theatre for a tenner a night! My dorm's for 4 guys, and when i got there, there was only this Jap: Hiro who actually worked as a cleaner here to pay his way and an Argentinean David, both play guitar and have their instruments with them so should get along pretty well me thinks. Promptly fell asleep till 3pm and then took a wander up and down Hollywood and Sunset blvds and Melrose before a tasty American sized Burger and chips. Blimey. 

...
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In the evening, this place was buzzing with Saturday night fever and everyone is out partying here! Big commotion outside the Hollywood wax works where i think i saw Carmen Elektra, though im not convinced with my photo... Checked out some awesome live breakdancing on the sidewalk before early doors.

11th Dec

Up at 6am, i get on a city tour - a hefty 50 bucks - led by a hilarious Scottish driver, called David.  First stop was Venice beach, the shooting location for Baywatch and we arrived serenaded by the theme tune blurting from the bus stereo :) Right old Vengabus.

Stretch Hummer...
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Pretty impressed with the weather: its winter here though there is no cloud in the sky and without a breeze it feels like 25 degrees.  Went through some expensive parts of Santa Monica with a continual wise-cracking commentary, which had us all in stitches; thats if you could pick out the words from his thick accent...Felt sorry for the Guatemalon who had no idea what was going on, the bus was pretty much half Irish and half Australian, and i met the second Irish Katie of this trip!

Drove down route 10 which stretches from California in the West across the states to Florida on the east coast!! The start of this highway, Santa Monica pier, is where some of Forrest Gump was shot... we end up in downtown LA, and the driver puts on a soundtrack shouting 'dune tun' through the PA as we stroll through skyscrapers one of which, the city hall, was the building used as the Daily Planet in the original Superman and also went through the large 2nd avenue tunnel used for filming Independence Day and Terminator 2. 

Stopped at where the first streets of LA were founded by Spanish King Carlos and has become a Latino district of LA bordered rather abruptly by the Chinatown quarter.  Next was Hollywood and as i was staying slap bang in the middle, it wasn't very exciting though i had my first slice of American pizza, a slice the size of a whole English pizza...and we were off to see such nonsense that was an hour stopping outside 'Famous People's Homes'  and taking photos behind glass..hmmm if anyone wants to know, Britney Spears' address is 7515 Mulholland Drive, Beverly Hills, Los Angeles CA 90028. lol.  Well, saw the mansion of the Fresh Prince of Bel Air! that was actually awesome. emotional.

Next stop was Rodeo Dr where the rich and famous waste their money on overpriced goods so that they can say they shop their. Saw no celebs, though did view like 5 Ferraris in a row on the road in 'normal traffic'...then up the Sunset Strip back home to Hollywood :)

12 Dec

Being in such a good location, it was only a stroll opposite the road to get to the Hollywood Highland metro to go one stop to Universal city where you get a free shuttle to Universal Studios and theme park.  Even though it cost 45 dollars, i must admit i had a great time going on all the rides themed with the Universal movies from which they have come such as Van Helsing, Shrek, Jurassic Park, the Mummy and the awesome Terminator 2 4D experience, where you sit in a moving seat with air and water jets to make the action which seems to come at you whilst wearing your 3D specks, not to mention the actual live actors in the theatre. Great show. 

I started off doing an imaginatively put together studio tour involving going around some live sets such as Wysteria Lane (for you D Housewives fans) and the original set of the Plane crash in War of the Worlds where (Spielberg) bought the 747 and split into 3 for just 10 minutes in the movie; its still smoking.  Also, drove through some special effects studios including an incredible King Kong experience and earthquake recreation with full size subway flooding, pirotechnics and oil trucks falling from a collapsing roof; scared the crap out of the children :)  Went to the Special FX gallery giving some of the secrets of how some of the technical films were put together which was very interesting and the presenters were especially hilarious; hollywood really knows how to put on a show...

Bumped into Katie and in fact most of the other tour group from yesterday but went around to the world famous Waterworld show where i dropped my camera underneath the stand just before the show started...great spectacle though with pitotecnics, catapulted planes, jet ski pirate ships, famous actors, high dives etc...it got very cold as i got some guy to climb underneath the stands in pitch black to find it.

Got back to Hollywood, and as we have both been craving Thai food, we looked and we found a restaurant just off H Boulevard and it was a lush dinner indeed and was fun getting to know each other and getting some decent relationship advice. cheers Katie.

13th Dec

Today was a doss day.  In the morning, went to this monster guitar shop on Sunset Blvd with David and tried out some nice guitars to the excitment of the sales people, though that meant i had to make a covert exit whilst they were busy...Went to the home of the LA Lakers basketball team, the Staples centre, but to my disappointment there were no stadium tours so i had to be content with just some snapshots outside and a cap.  Showed newcomer Scott around Hollywood and in the evening attempted to go to the Sunset Strip for my last night but ended up getting lost...