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Izzy and I made sure that our last day in LA was a memorable one, by realising that our camera had NO POWER as we exited the metro red line....GREAT!! I wanted to get a photo of the escalator out of the metro...it soared into the air at a very steep angle and would have been a fantastic photo. But after my short disappointment, we headed on to our first stop...Downtown LA and the Grand Central Market.
We had both skipped breakie this morning, as we woke up late, and after speaking to the oldies via Skype, there were only muffins and bagels left. I couldn't stomach either, so we thought we'd grab a bite to eat at the markets. That's about all we grabbed! My panic stations were on alert again, and after a VERY quick walk through the markets, which seemed safe enough (apart from the fact that we were THE ONLY TOURISTS IN SIGHT), we settled on an apple turnover and twisted pastry for breakie. The markets are mainly food stalls, which we realised after poking our heads around the corner at the end of the first aisle. Mr Brave (aka Izzy) wanted to continue down the
street, but after spotting a few dodgey sights, I definitely wanted to return to the safety of the metro system. We grabbed a peach and a banana on the way out (for 35 cents) and walked briskly back down to the subway.
The next stop definitely had safer vibes...the Walt Disney Concert Hall. After a few unsure seconds of, "Is this place open on a Sunday?" Iz and I made our way into a beautiful architectural structure. I didn't really know what to expect, as I am not an architecture buff by any means, but the self-guided audio tour was very interesting, and we meandered around the building listening to John Lithgow narrate the history of the Hall. It is an amazing sight...which is all the more annoying, as we couldn't take a single photo!! To check out what the building looks like, do a search on Wikipedia...they have some great shots.
The building is similar to the Sydney Opera House, with curving sail-like walls, made from over 6000 individually cut pieces of stainless steel. On the third level, there is a garden with trees and water features, and from one side of the building, you can even
see that famous sign. We went all the way up to fifth floor, and out onto the roof to see the sprawling skyline...it was a lovely, sunny day, so the view was great. For building buffs, the Disney Concert Hall was built by famed architect Frank Gehry - who also built the Guggenheim Museum. It was definitely worth the hike out!
After the tour ended, we headed back to the metro for our last stop...Chinatown! This place was very busy, and had a lot of the same merchandise, so after a quick look at the Dynasty Shopping Centre (a maze of market stalls) we wound up at a Chinese Restaurant, with two huge meals. Iz and I could have easily shared an entree! After filling ourselves with yummy food, we made our way back to the metro, but had to get off four stops before Hollywood Highland, our desired destination, due to a gas leak in the tunnel! This involved everyone on the train trying to catch the 217 bus back to Hollywood. Sardines anyone?
With only a half hour to charge the camera battery, we didn't have much time to get a good spot to watch the
commotion of the Harry Potter premiere. Our first vantage point...the stairs that led down to the theatre, was lost when security moved us, and about 100 other people on, in case of a 'fire'. We found a second spot in Mick's shop...a store selling pre-memoribilia for the Beijing Olympics. If we bought something, we got to stay in the shop...which overlooked the entire red carpet, and was directly over the people interviewing the stars.
I am currently wearing my Nini T-Shirt, which cost $14.95 - and has a Chinese Character with an Indian head dress on it (I have no idea who 'Nini' is or what the character is representing...but it was totally worth the money considering the trade off! By the way, I won't be wearing the shirt out in public, so if you want to see it, check out the photo!
So which celebrities did we see you ask...well we did get to watch Harry and Hermione strut their stuff on the red carpet, as well as Billy Ray Cyrus and Seth Green. The line-up was a bit B (or is that C) grade, but it was still loads of fun. We missed out on Jennifer
Anniston, who was there when we were being moved from our first spot!
And now it's time to pack our bags, ready for our flight to San Fran tomorrow. LA is certainly an interesting city...it feels unsafe at times, and is full of smog, but we have had a tonne of fun! The people have been very friendly, the sights have been exciting, and we've bumped into at least 5 Aussies - which always makes home seem that little bit closer. I am glad we made the journey to Hollywood, but I'm not sad to be leaving. Until the next blog, 'That's All Folks!'
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Simone
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Green with Envy
Hi Globetrotters, I am getting greener with every blog you are making but I can't wait until the next one arrives. I just wish I was there as well enjoying all the fun that you two are having seeing the sights. I am certainly looking forward to seeing the pics from San Fran as that was my favourite place when we toured the east coast of America, I hope you enjoy it us much as I did. I am also looking forward to seeing the photos of the Grand Canyon when you get there along with New York and London and ....I could keep on going. First day of school today and it wasn't too bad, had a fairly relaxing day as the program that Sally had organised for the staff didn't eventuate and we ended up having most of the day for personal planning. We don't have a fill in Michelle yet ... he didn't end up coming so we are having to wait till next week when someone from Bli Bli will take over. Should be fun for the relief teacher for four days...we are hoping for Jean. The weather has once again turned cold here and it is bloody freezing at school. Still waiting for Allan to put the heater in. Anyway will let you get back to your galavanting around the globe. Take care. Love you lots Simone and The Ding Dongs (Stephen and Emma)xoxox