Day 1

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Day 1 - Friday, 21 November 2008
Still trying to work out this time difference thing - even writing the date was an effort. Waiting for my room to be ready - the guy behind the front desk at the Quality Inn was very indifferent - basically telling me that some of his cleaning staff did not show up for work so I have to wait until they can clean my room.
Well the story thus far - QF11 flight was relatively non eventful. Had the fortune of the guy sitting in the middle seat between this girl from Calgary and myself find a friend on the flight with an empty seat beside him - so managed to be able to be a little more stretched out during the flight. Oh, that’s right, the flight across was on the Airbus A380 - big bastard of a plane… yet the inside in cattle class was pretty much the same. Talk about ceremony taking off and landing - felt like a queen arriving and departing - so really it was perfect.
Bumped into an acquaintance, Mikey, on the same flight and shared a cab to Hollywood. LA is a strange place. On the way past the airport it looked like they were drilling for oil - the taxi driver couldn’t really have cared less as we asked questions to a mute response. That’s the American hospitality I always dreamed of.
Caught three films on the way across - Wanted, Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull and Get Smart and a couple of episodes of Sex in the City. Don’t think I really slept - the chick from Calgary was very pleasant to talk to, returning home after a trip to New Zealand and Oz - we both had issues with the inflight entertainment system so I didn’t feel quite as stupid. Also, neither of us could work out the time zones as we tracked the flight path and the tail camera view from the shared screen in the empty seat between us.
Want to get out for a walk as soon as I can have a shower and become myself again - it’s hotter than I thought it would be - somewhere near 24 degrees when I got out at the airport…
Spent the afternoon walking Hollywood Boulevard which is just up the street from my hotel. Booked a couple of tours at Graumans Chinese Theatre with Star Tours for Saturday and Monday - probably not the smartest thing to do when you have a little jet lag but there you have it. Off to Six Flags Magic Mountain tomorrow - not quite sure how I ended up agreeing to that but it seemed like a good option which required no effort other than that of walking around and sitting on amusement rides. So that’s for tomorrow and then for Monday the obligatory Universal Studio’s tour - well I am in LA.
Needing sleep now so signing off on day 1 (or is that two?)

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