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Published: January 21st 2009
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We fumbled our way out of LAX jet lagged after jumping back 21 hours flying in from Auckland. Our only problem at the airport was Victoria being pulled aside and asked a few routine questions. This ended up in a misunderstanding that resulted in a customs official searching for me with the false knowledge that I had $15,000 cash on me! (which is an illegal amount to be bringing into the country). The dozy customs officer didn't realise that the money was actually in a bank account being reduced to nothing because of the lousy exchange rate. She didn't think to ask where the money was or seek any clarification before beginning her crusade to track me down. Anyway, we escaped her and rode the shuttle into the city and to our hotel, which was located west of the downtown area on Wilshire Boulevard without further problems.
Our first aim was to cure the jet lag and then try and discover our bearings. LA is a big place sprawled across an enormous area and is the US capital on the west coast. It comprises of many different neighbourhoods which each have their own unique feel and look. Public transport in
the city consists of buses and the metro, which is quite limited. LA is very much a drivers city, with the aforementioned neighbourhoods very spaced out ensuring that walking between them is very difficult. Despite being limited, the metro is clean, cheap and regular. A day pass for use on the metro and buses cost only $5 covering a huge area representing great value.
We first wanted to have a look at the world famous Hollywood neighbourhood, which was just a few stops on the metro from us. The tube station we arrived at was aptly themed in classic Hollywood ornaments such as antique cameras and models of the famous sign in the hills. Stars of past and present lined the walk to the surface and the main station entrance was very tacky but iconic.
We came up on Hollywood Boulevard just one stop from the central station, so we decided to walk down the road. Outside of the central glitz of the Kodak Theatre, Hollywood Boulevard is very different to how we imagined. Tramps trundled up the street, dirty palms out to each passer-by. The stars on the side-walk are old and unknown as sex-shops and scientology
museums inhabit the crumbling shop edifices. It was all quite grim and disturbing until we reached the more central part.
The central Hollywood area is everything we expected it to be - tacky, colourful and touristy. Film characters dance around in the street from Jack Sparrow, Hulk and Yoda selling themselves to star in a photo with you for a ridiculous price. The Yoda outfit was particularly bad and they each took my best paparazzi skills to snap them without paying.
The Kodak Theatre is where the Oscars are held each year and is a very salubrious place indeed. From the swanky gold glow of its frontage to the decadent parade of shops that lead to the entrance, it all feels very expensive. Next door, the Grauman Theatre couldn't be more different. In design it successfully blends Chinese temple with gothic to create something that wholly represents Hollywood tack. The highlight though is the outside where on the pavement screen legends from Harrison Ford and Marlon Brando have left hand prints and messages. We discovered that for a big man, Arnold Schwarzenegger has surprisingly small feet!
We made our way round the back and up to a
Hollywood Star
Hollywood Boulevard. viewing point in a shopping centre attached to the Kodak Theatre to admire Hollywood’s most iconic sight - the Hollywood sign. It is quite surreal to see it in real-life and not on TV. It was actually originally built as a real estate PR stunt to sell housing in the Hollywood Hills area and no-one actually took it down. Today it signifies the worlds largest movie industry with many of the largest studios such as Paramount and Universal being based in the locality.
Christmas has come up on us fast and it is one of the most difficult times to be away from home and family. We both certainly missed the build up to Christmas enjoyed at home and so decided to spend the big day in Disneyland California, a place we were sure to ignite our Christmas cheer. And very Christmassy it was. Main Street USA is the same as every other park although Victoria's acute Disney knowledge led her to believe that the street is slightly wider and the shops were all different!
What we both agreed on was how stumpy the original castle looks. The Disney's of Paris and Orlando Florida are each crowned by
their soaring castle centrepiece. This one looks very tiny in comparison, it looks like the main turret is missing. You can imagine our shock! Still, everything is wonderfully Christmassy and very well decorated with lots of lights and colour. The highlight is the majestic tree sitting at the top of Main Street.
We spent two days here enjoying all the rides from the Indiana Jones jeep safari to the Tower of Terror and Space Mountain. We also marvelled at the parades and scoffed at the high food prices. The events culminated in a spectacular fireworks display that loudly whizz, popped and banged us with an abundance of colour into Boxing Day.
We took the train back again into central LA and began our next day of exploration in earnest. Our first destination was Santa Monica, which is located on the beach. We were just about beginning to get our heads around LA's bus system as we discovered this delightful area. Many areas of LA we had found to be quite menacing but this was rather wonderful. The sun was out and the beach was glorious, lazing next to a bustling wooden pier making it a very agreeable place
to spend a few hours. After coffee and pizza we made our way back into town and stopped at Beverley Hills to rub shoulders with the rich and, if we're lucky, the famous.
We strolled up and down Rodeo Drive, which is not lined with the standard streetlights, but chandeliers encased in glass. The shops define the inhabitants that live in the surrounding area with all the big names from De Beers and Chanel present. All we could do was leaving a cloud of condensation from our baited breath on their shop windows. We also made a trek to find the iconic Beverley Hills sign - a pilgrimage that ended after a long, tiring walk. A tramp with a trolley was hanging around the sign, which made the cropping incredibly difficult!
We continued on the bus to Downtown next, where a majority of the skyscrapers are located. In this area we visited the iconic City Hall building and the Walt Disney Concert Hall. The latter is a architectural phenomenon as it was designed by Frank Gehry and is comprised of a curious selection of wavey metallic panels that bend and reflect the light quite beautifully. We also visited
the famous Union Station - LA's central train station. The art deco interior housed in a very Mediterranean flavour exterior has been used in many films such as the Ridley Scott classic - Blade Runner.
Satisfied we had gleaned all we can from our short time period in LA, we drove east to Nevada, and headed for the bright lights of Sin City.
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Michelle
non-member comment
Where is the castle?!
Seriously....! Where is the extra large turret that should be there!?! Nevertheless, looks brilliant and really xmasy which is exactly what you need when you're away from home. Sorry to hear about the trouble at the airport - I can't wait to hear your tales about which country is the easiest and which is the most difficult to get into! Lot of love - see you soon xxxxxx