California Dreamin

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Having said farewell to the endless esculators in Vegas and the speed chasing cop from the unknown Area 51, Chris and I greeted our venture into California's Death Valley with slight apprehension. It's not every day that I get to tour an area known as the hottest place on earth. Although, being March, I expect we'll be okay. The first scheduled stop hit the heart strings for both of us, as it was known as 'Scotty's Castle'. Chris approached the ticket window with his strong Glaswegian accent, attempting to claim a free ticket for heritage reasons; no luck. I approached the window with the same reasoning adding a female touch, and was at least told of where to go, for free. We traipsed up the hill to Scotty's final resting place and paid our respects to the man who claimed the castle as his own. He actually built it for a rich Californian, but in true Scottish style, manipulated the system enough for everybody to believe it was his.

Back on the open road we saw the mountain edges creep up around us and no Taco Bell in sight. We ignored our pangs of hunger and tried to be one with the Valley. Death Valley. There was only one photo that could define the moment for us, so we did better than a puppy in training and played dead on the side of the road. I was quite glad that the Harleys cruising by didn't enquire further when we came back to life. And back to life we did! We discovered that the road could act as a rollercoaster if approached with enough speed. Serious airtime I swear. And not a cop in sight thankfully.


As we drove on, my exemplary navigational skills turned to research as I educated the two of us on the area we were touring. Originally crossed by pioneers seeking their part in the California gold rush, the original carriage tracks remained at the side of the road. As we carried ourselves back in time recreating a 'Little House on the Prairies' lifestyle, a shiny red car made dust tracks all around us. Apparently this is a good area for filming car commercials in the modern day. Ghost towns, treking across moon like rock formations and searching for the infamous desert fish (yes really), the Death Valley seems to have something for all to discover.


So enough with Death and on to San Diego! We drove through the cloudy skies and arrived at a trendy hostel in the Gaslamp District of downtown. Although San Diego is the hub of sunny California, I can assure you, it does get a few days of rain per year! We went to bed crossing our fingers for the following day as we planned on touring the zoo. I don't know if I jinxed us with the muggy memory of a wet dog smell in the car and imagining the same effect on lions and gorrilas, but the rain did return the next day. Although it didn't dampen our spirits, (hardy har har) and better yet, didn't cause a revolt for the smelling senses.


My first memory of the San Diego Zoo is from the poster that I had in my room when I was seven. Gorillas, lions and polar bears were main characters in my dreams, and it was now time to see whether they really do understand the secret language of Fiona. The polar bear wouldn't even turn around to look at me, the gorilla kept picking his nose, and the lioness was in a world of her own. I didn't even get a smile, although I loved every minute of trying to get one from them! The world renowned zoo has great habitats for most of its' animals. I thought the lions needed more room, but this is when the wildlife park on the outskirts of the city comes into effect I think. Stock rotation perhaps? I'm pretty sure Chris had had enough of me by the end of the day, as I couldn't help recalling a few tales from the past few months of travels.

"I rode an elephant like that in Thailand-I saw a giraffe like that in Kenya-I've lot a photo of a llama like that in Peru-I I I...”

What a spoiled brat eh? Really I'm not, as all I could think of was how lucky I've been to have seen these animals in the wild, albeit some ended up on my plate. But I never saw the panda in China, so the zoo was a very worthwhile visit.


It took us quite a while to get back to the hostel as the roads had been blocked off for the street party that night. Good planning on our part eh? Yeah right! Who knew Mardi Gras was a big deal in this town? We had an afternoon nap and a light meal and then hit the streets as the parade cruised beneath our hostel windows. Floats filled with a few flamboyant Elton John's and lingerie models teasing the guys whilst the crowds grasped for beaded necklaces being thrown out. Chris and I clued in to the competition of getting as many necklaces as possible. I had also thought the beads might be of more value, but the Southern Comfort stamp clarified that these really were party beads! We walked a few circles watching the boys in boas, the girls flashing for favours and the assortment of musicians making their mark. That's what this festival is about right? Music? Tuba players belched out more notes as the crowds figured out the grooves in their own moves. It was standing room only in front of the main stage when KC and the Sunshine Band hit us with their hits from the past. It was a wild party and a night to remember in San Diego.


We opted for the next day to be a day of lounging and taking in the scenery; Ocean Beach was what the doctor ordered. We started walking along the dog section before realizing that people had been allotted sand space as well. Sculpted bodies ran with surfboards tucked under their arms whilst people sat with coffees analysing their relationship. What could we do to be a part of this American picture? I remembered a time when a friend and I had written huge messages in the sand in Cornwall, and figured Chris and I could leave our mark this way. A boyfriend/girlfriend could write their names in a heart of love, a poet could describe the surroundings, what could two tourists write? Laugh if you may, but I thought it fitted perfectly. “Have a Nice Day” is often cringed at by non Americans, but if the meaning really is behind it, especially in the beach surroundings, it's appropriate don't you think? And only a little bit of English humour remained in the sand.


We checked out the fishermens' catch at the end of the pier then poked our heads into some of the shops (Chris found some ace records). I sipped a take away coffee and joined in on conversations with other travellers. It was a perfect sunny Sunday afternoon (even though it was actually a Thursday!) that we even managed to round off with a classic American night out. Neither Chris or I had ever been to a drive in movie, so tuning into the correct radio station as we parked under the big screen was a thrill. Harrison Ford saved the day in the movie I can't remember the title of (no that's not because we were making out! I have a crap memory and we're just mates anyway!). There was even a shooting star over the good guy at one point.


San Diego hadn't been on my original itinerary, but tagging along with Chris I saw and experienced a great town. And having spent so much time with the nutty Glaswegian, I thought I would have mastered his acccent. This is unfortunately far from the truth. There were many times I was left speechless just trying to decipher the last comment. Not even my Scottish roots could help me out!


I snagged one final ride with Chris, 150 miles north to L.A. We sat in endless traffic and managed to find the hostel, only to discover there were no beds available without a booking. Smarty pants Chris was okay, but even the broom cupboard had been booked so I was out of luck. Yeah sure, it's a busy Oscar party weekend, but I always opt for living on the edge. A bed was found at another hostel, and this time Chris followed me. From this point on, life felt like a movie.


Although the hostel was on Hollywood Blvd, it's outer decor looked like a drive in motel on a seedy side street of Vegas. We had a bed though, and the room was modern and clean...ish, so no complaints. We were introduced to all of the cast members that seemed to be long term guests, and were blown away by the complexity of these characters. See if you can figure out the main plot...
-the landlord; a beautifully carved ladies' man of Carribean decent, wearing trendy clothes and sunglasses. Also fluent in far too many languages
-the security guards; a big boy gangsta and a friendly blue eyed ex con
-the maid; a super tanned 50 year old bombshell aged with marriages in the middle east
-the guests; a 19 year old girl from a farm in the midwest making money as an audience member for all the talkshows/a special effects midget showing off his body of work/a male model from the UK that just had all of his belongings stolen as it took him a week to remember where he'd left them/me and Chris.

I could go on about a few others, but I think you get the idea. This is L.A. It had been such a long drive and culture shock that we crashed early, to be ready for a new adventre in the morning.


We joined a tour of the city in order to see as much as we could in a short time. Our guide had been born and bred in L.A. and had had years gaining names to drop into all of his stories and work experiences. We stared at the Hollywood sidewalk stars in front of the Chinese Theatre where the chaos of setting up the Oscars had begun. We tried peaking into the houses of Madonna, Jim Carrey and endless others. We cruised down Venice Beach and did a drive by in gangland. We pretended to shop along Rodeo Drive whilst looking for Paris Hilton. We went for a wee where George Michael was arrested. We spotted Hotel California and cruised throough Beverley Hills. We saw where stars overdosed or were first spotted. Go go go, this is where everybody and everything happens right? Right. Not for everybody, that's for sure. Chris and I made a rapid exodus from the falseness of everything and hoped we might be able to see something real that night.


We lined up with a few others outside of the ticket office at Staples Stadium. In four hours time, the LA Lakers would launch into a game against basketballs' finest, the Detroit Pistons. We snuck off for a bite to eat, then a beer, and when we re-joined the line up we were clearly at the right place at the right time. We snagged the last two tickets for $10 each.


Thrilled by getting into the stadium with just moments to spare, we tried to look like the local fans with team colours. Decked out with new hats and even a face painting, we climbed up to our seats and cheered with the cheerleaders. Although we were definitely there to see the basketball, star spotting soon began as we noticed Jack Nicholson beside the court. My Canadian compadre Pammy Anderson and her kids then popped up on the big screen, followed by Denzel Washington. And then the spirit in the buiding exploded as the Lakers started smoking the Pistons. And then the underdogs won the game; Lakers 105, Pistons 94. THAT was real!


I joined Chris at Universal Studios on our last day in LA. It wasn't somewhere I had intended on going, but I'm so glad I did! As I have a few photos from the journey acting like an idiot, here I had an excuse for the poses. I'm standing with King Kong and you expect me to just smile?!! Yeah right! We jumped onto the studio tour and saw Jaws come to life in addition to the sets from numerous movies. We time travelled in Back to the Future and posed with Shrek. As Chris has been writing screenplays and studying movies for several years, he had a glazed-over look for the entire day. I would have to say the icing on the cake for me would be when I was chosen as the volunteer on the special effects stage. I had my own chair, like a true movie star, followed by my screen debut in Dr.DooLittle. A star is born. And eight hours later we left the park, exhausted but still needing to kill some time before my nightbus/train.


We decided to walk over to the Holloywood sign as we had jumped off of the city tour too early to see it the day previous. We walked and walked and walked expecting to see the huge white letters gleaming white on the top of a hill. Once we were out of the Hollywood area, we admited defeat and turned around. How ironic that just a couple of blocks away from our hostel, we faintly saw some white blocks on a hill. I had certainly imagined them far bigger and brighter. But I suppose that's LA for me, not as bright as in the movies.


That night I said farewell to Chris and began my journey to Yosemite, back on the road as a solo traveller. I'm certainly looking forward to it, though I'll miss the laughs and companionship One of the joys of travelling is certainly the friends met along the way. Thanks Chris, it's been a blast!


Big smiles to everyone,


Fiona

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Photos

My first basketball game
We kicked the Detroit Pistons butts!! Forever an LA Lakers fan now!!

Death Valley
Including dead bodies. Notice the ray of light from heaven is closer to my dead body than Chris's!

Jaws!!
Is still alive!!!!!!!

Hippo Swim
Believe it or not this is actually a dwarf hippo

Cruising
This would be the reason to have a bike

Roller Coaster Road
It may mot be as thrilling as some of the rides in Disneyland, but with a bit of speed we managed to catch a bit of air time on the bumps!!

Walter Scott
Not only does this guy share my grandfather's name, but the nose seems to be quite the same too! And I think his life rules are quite appropriate!

Making Tracks
We concluded that these guys were making a commercial, as they drove back and forth trying to get the right dust effects!

San Diego Zoo
Is it possible to not love these guys? I can only ever think of the Lion King when I see them!

Giraffe
You talking to me?

Polar Bear
I had been looking forward to seeing this chap swimming underwater, but he clearly wasn't in the mood!!

Flamingo
These guys were 10 times pinker than those I saw in Africa, different plankton diets I suppose

Lion Lunch
Or pulling him by a nose ring? These well trained sea giants were a bit too smelly for me to consider them as a pet!

Monkeying Around
No break times needed here

Best Friends
I wonder if they 'playfight' very often?

Wolf Call
Can't you just hear him?

Leafy Lunch
Lunch was served to this panda just as we arrived so we were hardly a distraction

Just lookin
What d'ya think he's thinkin?

Cavity Check
Somebody 'oughtta have a word about teeth cleaning eh?

Nails
Time for a manicure I think!

Comments

[anonymous]

You're one crazy Canadian!
Sorry we missed you in the States Fi, maybe in NYC in a couple of months? We've returned to Guatemala getting an exhibition together but Josie's caught a bad bug so we might check out soon. Your travels in California and Nevada make you look like a different person to the girl we met in Argentina! Very entertaining, Chris was a lucky guy to travel with you!! Where are you now? Email us, we don't want to loose touch!! Love Eddie and Josie