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Published: September 24th 2008
Red Rock Canyon
Holly, bouldering aroundLeavin Las Vegas
The last couple of days in Las Vegas with Holly were anything but wasted! We decided on Tuesday to go hike around Red Rock Canyon just outside the city. The rocks were massive and varied in color and shape. It was intersting learning about the geography and contemplating how many people may have fallen to their death. A little morbid, I know, but who doesn't wonder? Then Wednesday night Holly and I made our way down to the strip. We had little interest in clubbing or going to every shop and bar; you've seen it once, you've seen it enough. Fortunately my friend Stephanie(yo te quiero mucho) reminded me to go on New York New York's roller coaster! Not having done this, I remembered, was my one regret from my visit before. So, with little else to consume our time, we experiened the coaster in the dark of night with Vegas lights below. SO MUCH FREAKIN FUN!
Thursday came quickly, and I was packed up and out the door by noon. I had a final lunch date with Holly. We both agreed our time together was so necessary with where we are both at in
our lives. She's such a steller girl and deserves the treatment of a queen. She certainly treats her friends like one (: After she headed back to work, I was off to the city to pick up Martina, a woman my age from Holland whom Miranda and I met in a hostel in San Fran. Our trips from Vegas to L.A. coincided and we took advantage of the split-price gas. Her company made the trip through the Mojave fly! We talked nearly the entire 5 hour drive (traffic) about everything ranging from cultural differences, the metric system and our solo journeys.
We arrove in L.A. around 8 and joined her friend, Madilone...also from Holland...who is attending UCLA and went to the Westwood area for some sushi. It was fun visiting with them and getting the skinny of Westwood from Madilone, but it was getting late and I still had to make it to Marina Del Rey.
I pulled in around 11pm at Jami and Evan's condo and got settled in. Jami and I stayed up til around 1am just chewin the fat and planning our weekend out. The bed was sooo comfy!
City of Angels
Diddy Riese
Martina, Madilone and I enjoying dessert! With an early start, Jami and I left Del Rey to go meet up with my friends from Japan, Yuri and Kaori! Kaori was recovering from a drastic time change so Yuri took Jami and I to Starbucks in Palos Verdes. It was so great to catch up with Yuri, whom I haven't seen since she left Mukogawa in 2002! She is attending a school of language in L.A. and has excelled dramatically since I last saw her. She, Jami and I strolled along the beach outlook paths, then returned to her house to pick up Kaori. From there we all went to a sushi resteraunt and enjoyed more time to catch up. Just before we ate, they presented me with a photo album that all ten of the girls in our Muki group made to update me on what they are doing now. It was so thoughtful and amazing that every one of them had made a page. We enjoyed lunch and visiting and they so enjoyed getting to meet Jami and share this all with her, too. After lunch we planned our next adventure for later so Jami and I could get back to join Evan for
Uuber White vs Uuber Tan
Jami, Myself, Yuri, adn Kaori at Eki Eki Sushi some sailing!!
They took me out in the Marina and I got to witness the aquatic surroundings and their sailing abilities! Tacking! The wind wasn't entirely cooperative, but I enjoyed getting the opportunity to visit with them and hear more about all there is in the area. This helped give me an idea of what else there was to see or avoid while visiting. Later, we enjoyed dinner at a mexican resteraunt and got a chance to meet up with some of their friends. All this in the first day, and I was barely even started.
Sanata Monica
After a leisurly start in the morning, I met up with Kaori and Yuri in Santa Monica to do some shopping/sightseeing on the Promonade and Pier. We ate lunch, observed street performers and enjoyed all the junk food offered! We were all so happy to get to spend time together and were amazed at how natural it went. It truly was as if no time had passed at all! Around 5:00 I departed from them tongo meet my friend from Jr.High, Terri!
We went to a festival in Newport Beach called "A Taste of Newport." I
Come Sail Away
The Captain and His Skipper think "A Taste of Fake" would better describe it. This scene could not have been further from my kinda of thang. It looked like more of social experiment than anything. One that involved a lot of silicon, booze and wallets. The evening couldn't end soon enough, but, thank the Good Lord, it did. I definately enjoyed seeing Terri, but in that particular setting it was difficult for us to really connect. Fortunately we were able to talk about it later and she didn't condemn me in the least for not enjoying the atmosphere. We planned to get together in a different setting on Monday.
Beaches and Flamenco
Early Sunday afternoon Yuri, Kaori and I met up to go to the Manhattan beach area for some volleyball and boogyboarding. The day started out a bit chilly so we spent a lot of time visiting, we had six years to review so this took some time. Several of Yuri's friends from school also came down, so we were able to get a good game of volleyball going. It also warmed up a bit and we played in the surf. They had somewhere else to be in the
Santa Monica Pier
Kaori, Yuri, and I evening so I headed back to Jami and Evans to get ready for dinner out.
They treated me to cocktails, dinner and a show at a Spanish restaraunt in Sunset. I tried Paella for the first time which is similar to jambalya. After dinner was served we watched the Flamenco dancers, singer and guitarrist perform! They've got rythym baby! The experience was new for all of us, and we got a fair amount of time to shoot the breeze. Afterward Evan took Jami and I through the sunset area and gave us a history of certain areas, including his old stomping ground, USC. One more eventful day down, and we all hit the hay.
Finish With A Bang
Kaori's flight back to Japan left around 11 so I joined her and Yuri at the LAX to say goodbye. Three days was just too short a time to get to visit, but I totally cherished it. Our farewell was so very reminscent of their leaving several years ago. With many hugs and tear-filled smiles we watched Kaori through the security gates. Neither Yuri nor I had any plans for the afternoon so we decided to go see
Goodbye at the LAX
There is always time for a silly pic. the Getty Center museum. Unfortunately it was closed. We then headed north to Pasedena to visit the Huntington Library. Just our luck, it too was closed. Our luck, however, quickly changed when we noticed a huge crowd buying tickets for the Huntington Botanical Gardens. We bought tickets and headed through, seeing every variation of cactus possible, Japanese gardens (which Yuri informed me were very americanized) lily ponds, and so on. We ended up at a tea room and cafe for lunch. The food was extremely formal including caviar, tapanades and sandwiches with no crust cut in triangels. Yeah...no crust...you know thats ritzy. We ate to our hearts content and went out for more shopping and coffee. Finally, we said goodbye til tomorrow and went our seperate ways.
I went to Hollywood to meet with Terri, this time with more opportunity to visit. We ate dinner at the Velvet Margarita and caught up a bit more. From there we went to The Viper Room to check out a local band. Not much to see there, so we tried another bar. The PettyCash were playing, would'nt you guess, all Tom Petty and Johnny Cash covers. I was skeptical at first, but
Tea Time
Yuri and I in the Botanical Gardens Cafe have to give them props, it was a good show! Even though the Girls Next Door were there. Tee hee. As the night wound down there I was chatting with a friend of Terri's about my last day in LA being tomorrow and someone, overhearing, asked if I had seen the sign yet. I said no, and her friend, Shaun asked if we'd like to hike up there. Guess what my answer was. Terri was beyond convicing. That girl, who once wielded a basball bat in attempt to fend of a crazed intruder, has gone soft. I was still game though. Shaun and I headed out in the late night, early morning to take on the Hollywood sign. And we did it! WOO HOO! I cannot think of a better way to spend my last night in Los Angeles and knew it every moment of the night and even the next day despite my sleep deprivation.
Sayonara
Tuesday morning, I packed up, said my goodbyes to Jami and Evan and met up with Yuri one last time. We had coffee, a necessity after the night before, and walked along the beach. The mood was sullen knowing
Terri and I at the Viper Room
I actually think we are in the bathroom here. this was goodbye again, for and indefinate time. We took our last pictures and bid each other farewell. I just cannot get over the fact that, though years have passed, it was as if nothing at all had. I want so badly to visit Japan and be a part of all of their lives once again. I am so inspired by Yuri's strength and positive attitude that is constant even though she is in a world completely different from her own!
I had only one more stop befor San Diego and that was to get my phone, which I had left in Terri's car. It was a blessing, really, to be able to say goodbye one last time before I was gone again.
This entire weekend has been absolute confirmation that I was meant to go on this trip. To have quality time with Jami, Evan, Yuri, Kaori, and Terri and have made friends along the way has been totally priceless. It was just what I needed at this point in my journey, and I suspect it will get even more difficult to be away from family and friends, but I am encouraged by everyone I meet and
Hollywood!
Me sitting in the "O" interact with and pray I could be the same for them.
San Diego
I arrove in San Diego last night absolutely exhausted. Jessica was totally understanding and I hit the sack early. We sketched out a little bit what we'd like to do this week and, so far, looks pretty fun! The weather is beautiful and the company is superb. I'll try to break up the blogs more. But, as you have read, there really was very little time to do so. Thanks for being here on the trip with me.
Love you all!
MUAAAAH!
Ang
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Momala
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Perma Grin
You make me smile! Sounds like a screamin' roller coaster....ha ha. Not a wasted moment and that's how it should be. Keep on keepin' on baby girl! Love you SO much.