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Published: November 16th 2009
Get it!
You will if you know Slim!Well it feels like coming home! We start recognizing bits! Banana Bungalows are rocking! At least we can drink here and are actively encouraged to! A little wine, a bit of TV, and an early night.
We are up for breakfast and getting some directions to the airport so we can drop the car back. A pretty straight run and we are at the airport, which is where the fun begins! We find the budget car return place but cannot for the life of us figure out how to drop the car off, no one is around so we drive around until we see someone else just drive in, pull up where all of the other cars were and magically someone appeared, took our mileage and signed us out!
Bus to the local bus stop and we are on our way to Santa Monica. We see the sea, so jump off the bus, wander down to the beach, wander down the pier, feel a little hungry, so run into Bubba Gump’s for a pound of peeling shrimps & garlic bread!
A couple of cocktails & Beers later and we go for a paddle in the sea (no swimming
as the bacteria level is too high! Have you ever heard anything like it?) and Charlotte has a doze in the sun, whilst Liam does man thing’s and goes for a walk to check out local shop’s, bus stop’s & volley ball courts!
A wander through town & a look in a few surf & toy shop’s before the fog starts rolling in! Trying to figure out the buses here is not the easiest of things! We stand at one bus stop for 20 min’s until we figure out the bus we are waiting for is actually a night bus & has not started yet! So we move on down to the next one, where we meet a lovely couple from Essex. They paid 45 dollars to get to Santa Monica by cab this morning, so are getting the bus back to Beverly Hills this evening!
We get off the bus and Liam drag’s me in the wrong direction for a couple of blocks before realizing what he has done! You would have thought he would recognize the local area by now! I think he just wanted to look in the gay boy shops! Off home for a supper
of wine, beer, left over chocolate chip cake & crisps.
We will get a quiet day today, we will not move unless you put hot irons to our feet! And then we will only jump a little. We sleep late, we make a little food, chat to some guests, blog & play a little. And look forward to taco & beer night!
Wednesday morning and we’re off to meet Eve and Romanie at the Universal city walk, off on public transport bus and metro (a bit like the tube but no staff and it’s a lot cheaper about 75p a trip) we meet up outside Bubba Gump’s before going to Tony Roma’s for a little light lunch (if there is such a thing in the U.S.). American’s are funny when it comes to food! They serve the starter and before you have finished they deliver your main course, so you end up with a huge table of food! We had so much that we needed four boxes to take away the left over’s!
After we wonder around the shops and Liam catches Charlotte on video playing hula hoop with Romanie, and Charlotte catches Liam being all paternal holding
Bubba Gump's
Again, they need to open one in the UK! on to Romanie’s hand as they walk along. Eve and Liam enjoy a bit of a catch up chat about their school days.
We found a thing called ifly one of them turbine m’bobs that blows you up and down as if you were skydiving, but at $38 a pop for 15mins training and 60secs actual flying it didn’t really seem worth it. We’ll wait for the real thing in New Zealand!
Eve & Romanie go and get a character portrait, while we watch on, it did not turn out to badly once the colour was added! Then Charlotte grabs Romanie and spends a while running thru the water fountain, trying not to get wet! Off to the sweetie shop and Charlotte has huge eyes, she is in heaven! Luckily she could not fit the shop in her pocket and only came away with some nerd’s and strawberry popping candy!!!
Shuttle & Train back to Hollywood & Highland after a tearful farewell to Eve and Romanie. We wondered around the shop’s and numerous Tattoo parlors (how does one town have the need of this many?), then we pop in for a quick beer to the Essex bar.
After Liam visit’s the loo and comment’s that it look’s like the one from the first episode of SAW, we see the blood on the mirror (from Halloween!) and expect the door’s to close behind us “I want to play a game” Aggggghhhh!
Back to the hostel for one of Chef Steve’s 5 dollar special’s, tonight is cheese burger & chips!
A couple of days chilling out, blogging, chatting with other hostel guests.
Over all The States was exactly what we expected in some ways and a total surprise in others, Quite expensive and hectic, but also quiet a beautiful in parts. We would go back and explore the parts we haven't reached yet.
Next stop New Zealand...
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Slim
non-member comment
me, me, me.
1-800 get me! They bloody love me. Sounds like no fun at all and certainly not enough cakeage occuring! Loving the bloggage you two. Look forward to the next instalment. Have fun! Love from sunny Barnet. xxx