skipping Compton, but not depriving myself of some L.A. experience

It is time to leave this motel and find my way to a hostel no matter what it takes. A girl like me belongs in hostels, not in hotels...just look at my snazzy backpacker clothes and you will know what I mean by this statement. I wake at 8 am. I eat half a bagel with cream cheese at the motel. It doesn't taste good. I throw the rest of the bagel away. I drink grape juice. I walk across the street and down to the beach to retrace my steps and start off where I left off. It is further then I remembered. I walk three miles to the Balboa Pier with my pack heavy on my back, just to turn around and walk to the end of the boardwalk 4.5 miles away. I stop at a beachside breakfast place "the stuft surfer." I order waffles with bananas and whipped cream and a small orange juice. The waitress is slow, but I can't really blame her...she is taking the orders at the counter and delivering the food inside and outside the restaurant all by herself. It takes 70 minutes to get my breakfast. 7 minutes to eat it. I begin hiking again. After the hike, I take the #1 bus from Superior Avenue and Pacific Coast Highway to Long Beach. Then I take the #91 bus to the metro (Los Angeles subway) and ride through all of Los Angeles...Compton, Redondo Beach, etc. That train line ends at the exact center of downtown L.A. So, here I am at the 7th Street Transit Center in the center of the financial district trying to figure out with no help how to get to Santa Monica. I find the stop for the #20 bus, but it only runs in the early am and late pm (the sign is THAT specific...geez). I go back to the transit center and study the L.A. County route map. Okay...so I need the #720 bus. I wait for it, but I found only the one going the wrong way. How do I find the one I want? I figure out what my problem is...I'm on a one-way street...duh! Since I'm on 6th street...and that runs east, I figure I need either 5th or 7th. I risk it. Yay...it is on 5th street. I get on the bus and ride through Beverly Hills. Westward. and about seven areas of L.A. before getting off at the last stop: Santa Monica Pier. I walk just 2 blocks to 2nd Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard. That actually sounds easy but I had to walk under construction barriers to get across the street. I make it to the hostel and they have room for the night. I book 4 nights...knowing I will probably extend to at least a week. I am so excited to be in a hostel again. The hostel is clean and huge...it even has a kitchen that would serve 80 chefs with plenty of room to spare. I dump my stuff and wander a block north to the 3rd street promenade to find something to eat. To save cash I eat at the food court...stale spaghetti and a roll. I wander the shops and play in the Apple store. I listen to the entire Jack Johnson album on the ipod touch and then switch songs every 40 seconds after that. Then, I pick up the ipod nano and listen to the Dixie Chicks. Momentarily forgetting I am in the store, I have a close call and almost break into singing out-loud mode. haha. I check my email on the laptops, and transfer money in my account...all for free! Today I walked 8 miles, rode the bus for hours, and bypassed most of LA, but I am happy and excited to be amongst the energy of this city and I couldn't be much happier.

It is time to ride the bus...I must miss parts of L.A. if I want to live to see the rest of it