Full Circle

New Year for us was in Los Angeles, a fascinating multi-cultural city. Each part of it's broad canvas has a different feel and flavour. From the classy and affluent to the gritty and urban.

Santa Monica beach is a nice place to be. With it's famous pier, reminiscent of Blackpool and people of all ages taking their dogs for a 'walk' LA style - meaning the largely pointless activity of having their dogs in a little bag that they carried whilst strolling along the boardwalk. The beach is huge and sandy and despite the less than warm weather, people were everywhere. Children building sand castles with their mums, hundreds of smiling cyclists going back and forth, young guys working out on the apparatus, the place had a great atmosphere and seemed so friendly and accepting. We struck up a conversation with a guy who had moved from Louisiana many years back who told us what a great place it was to live, with the obvious exception of the prices. It seems like Santa Monica has something for everybody and we really enjoyed it.

Beverly Hills was an interesting place, with the quiet residential neighbourhoods full of houses with perfectly manicured lawns, enormous SUV’s or sports cars sitting on the drive and menacing security signs promising an armed response to anyone foolish enough to trespass. The whole area seemed deserted though. It was very spooky, like a ghost town. I can only imagine that with the exception of the celebs, everyone is out working to be able to afford their luxurious dwellings!

We couldn't come all this way and not go and have a look at the famous Rodeo drive. It is, as expected, jam packed with chic designer outlets and la-di-dah types cruising along with music blaring trying to attract maximum attention. We took a walk up the very short Off - Rodeo drive which is actually the poshest bit. It's really quite pretty with cobbled streets and the Christmas music and decorations made it seem almost quaint. As we left we spotted a huge tour bus. It was embarrassing to see all these double decker tour buses coming through Beverley hills, with desperate tourists gawking out trying to spot a celebrity. These tours are very popular and the things on sale in the Hollywood shops are insane. I think some of these people are verging on stalker territory!

We took advantage of the cheap buses during our stay and ventured to Downtown L.A. Here we found a contrast of neat business zones packed with spangly skyscrapers and the surrounding streets looking a little derelict and filled with bargain basement shops run by immigrants trying to make a go of things in the promised land. The predominant language we heard here was Spanish and we were approached by several homeless people wanting a cigarette or some change. LA is filled with people with no place to call home but they all have such good attitudes. Many hold up signs offering to work for money and a lot of them seem to just want a chance. We did see some brutally honest signs which left little to the imagination about what they would do with the money; "Crack don't grow on trees!" was my favourite and I admired his honesty. Didn't part with my cash though!

Up and over the hill beyond the famous Mulholland drive lies most of the legendary film studios and we popped up and had a sniff around before taking in an Imax film (movie!) on new years eve. Incidentally it was our first Imax experience and it is a much more immersive way to watch a film than in the usual cinema. Afterwards, we headed back to Hollywood boulevard to count in the new year and were surprised at how many people were just hanging around. There was nothing in particular going on but at midnight every car on the road, and there were many, beeped their horns like crazy. It was quite a sight with the limos and the sports cars all crowded in. Hollywood and in particular Hollywood boulevard is a real tourist destination but wander a few streets away and it changes completely. The people have to be seen to be believed and if you like people watching LA is the place to do it. The influence of Mexicans and South Americans gives it a more cultural feel. Stereotypical Black ghetto girls can be overheard saying things like "Hey girlfriend" and "No he di'nt". The type of people who I thought were just characters from the Jerry Springer show. The excess of American culture is all around in the form of numerous fast food outlets and of course the ubiquitous Starbucks.

LA has proved a good place to stopover for a few days and we have enjoyed seeing the drastically different areas. We left the guesthouse and walked down to the subway station to make our way to LAX. We had to change trains a couple of times and came very close to Compton and Inglewood, areas we hadn't ventured into during our trip. It was interesting to see the differences in the passengers as we got further away and although some of the areas we passed through looked quite rough, I always felt safe. We made friends with a young white punky couple and watched as some black guys chatted about sports. It was a really interesting journey and the best bit was when some crazy old guy pressed the emergency alert when we were delayed for 10 minutes to demand that the train get moving. Thus ensued a very heated argument between the driver and the crazy guy over the intercom where the driver threatened to call in the sherriff and "drag his ass off the train!". It was mad and great entertainment. After a much longer journey than anticipated we arrived at the airport and finally boarded the dreaded flight 'home' to London.

Cleverly we had allowed ourselves a day or so in London to ease ourselves into English winter and the idea of being back in our home country. We knew it would feel weird and that it would be cold but that first step out of the tube station on route to the hotel still chilled us to the bone and we found ourselves looking on like children in amazement as our breath became visible for the first time in living memory. The following day was milder though and whilst our heads adjusted to the concept of being at the end of our year away we took the opportunity to do a bit of good old sightseeing in our nations capital. We had a wander through Westminster, Covent Garden and Trafalgar before enjoying a much craved pub lunch. The next morning we had a little time to check out the impressive British museum. Here they have some enormous Egyptian relics and 'Elgin’s marbles' which are huge chunks of sculpted rock salvaged from the Parthenon in Athens. The building itself is worth a look on its own just for sheer scale. It definitely merits a return visit.

Then it was time to be picked up for the journey south. Feelings of reflection still washing over us, flashbacks of some of the highs and lows. The places we've seen, some of the most beautiful and breath taking on earth. The people along the way, some of the most warm friendly we've ever met. The fascinating insights we've been given into their culture and lives. From the mountains of Nepal to the slums of India. From the high country of Sri Lanka to the Iban tribes of Borneo. In one short year it feels like we've accomplished a lot. At times we have felt both mentally and physically jaded but in the next instant turned around to see or do something that has rekindled our desire to keep travelling, to keep soaking ourselves in the indescribable experience of it all. It is true that travel helps broaden your mind and for us it has galvanised an already healthy respect for others and their way of life. In some ways our trip has quite obviously effected us, others may not be felt for years to come.

Jed and Sam

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Part of trip: Oceania

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