Humdrum Hollywood

I am disillusioned and disappointed with Los Angeles and Hollywood, it’s all a smoke screen, nothing is as you are lead to believe.

As we have limited time we set off on an organised tour of Los Angeles to get a taste and feel of this city.  Our bus driver was knowledgeable and entertaining and took us to all the famous places that we’ve read about.

We drove past the Civic Centre, the Walt Disney Concert Hall, Chinatown and Little Tokyo before stopping at Olvera Street which apparently was the birthplace of Los Angeles which was founded in 1781.

Olvera Street – Los Angeles

We then drive down the Hollywood Walk of Fame where apparently there are more than 2,000 sidewalk stars and here’s the kicker you don’t necessarily need to be exceptionally famous to get a star … $5,000 should secure you one if you pay.

We stop at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre only to be mobbed by spruikers, costumed freaks and just generally people hassling you.  I thought Bali was bad!  At this point we push through the mob, enter a shopping centre with a good vantage point and take photo of the Hollywood sign … this is as close as we are going to get.

Hollywood Sign Through The Smog

We then head to the legendary Los Angeles Farmers Market, I couldn’t quite see what all the fuss was about, it looked like your typical shopping centre.  We did however stop here for lunch so mum and I enjoyed a BBQ Style lunch and washed it down with home local beverages.

Icy Cold Local Beer

Returning to the bus we drove past Sunset Strip (the playground of the stars), Melrose Avenue (the boutiques frequented by the A-listers) and Beverley Hills where the rich and famous live.

Beverley Hills Tourist Bus

We briefly stop and walk down Rodeo Drive where it is too expensive to even breath the air.  One shop owner had his car parked in front of his boutique and to our surprise his car (Bugatti Veyron) as worth $2.3M, is that not pure over indulgence?

Rodeo Drive – Beverley Hills

Stores Just Off Rodeo Drive

After scampering back on the bus for fear of being arrested for vagrancy, we head to Venice Beach to see the eclectic mix of people living, working, busking and visiting.  It is seedy, dirty and it didn’t feel safe at all and not a place I would hang out in at night … hand me the hand sanitiser please!

Venice Beach – Los Angeles

One final stop in our journey today, the Marina del Rey (no relation to Lana) to see the largest manmade small-boat harbour in the world. It was nice but not impressive.

I feel as if I’ve missed something, am I being too critical of Los Angeles but my first impression is “honey I won’t be back”!

California Here We Come

It’s farewell to one of the most exciting cities in the world, New York, today.  We loved you New York thanks for the fun times and experiences.

After an early start, a light breakfast, a bagel with cream cheese and coffee we are picked up in our personal car to take us to JFK Airport for a 10:30am flight to Los Angeles.

JFK Airport – New York

We were dropped off at Terminal 8.  Mum asked an airport worker where United Airlines was and discovered we had been dropped off at the wrong terminal.  Luckily we had plenty of time so we caught the Airtrain to Terminal 7.  Whilst it wasn’t a difficult task to work out where we needed to go it took about twenty minutes to get there.  Fantastic … it’s Terminal 7.

JFK Airport Airtrain – New York

So I asked Mum what Flight number we are on and she looked at her e-ticket then a panicked pale look came over her … she said “Oh shit, it’s American Airlines Flight 19” … American Airlines was in Terminal 8.

At this stage she was in a state of major stress, “we are going to miss our flight”, “why didn’t we check the tickets”, “I’m feeling really stressed now”.

“Calm The Farm Noeleen” … We still had 90 minutes to catch our flight so back on the  Airtrain to the next stop at Terminal 8, check in bags and back through the nightmare that is security at American airports.  Take off your shoes, belts, empty everything out of your bags, pockets, put it in a tray and line up like sheep.  What the he’ll are the X-rays for if they can see everything in your bag because it’s spewed across three plastic trays.

Travel time five and a half hours, across another time zone and we arrive at LAX, Los Angeles Airport.  We collect our bags and head to the coach area to find our transportation to Anaheim which will be our home for the next week.

We board our little bus and speed through the freeways of Los Angeles, it has a great system of commuter lanes which enables us to pass all the traffic on the freeways.  We twist, we turn, we changes lanes and freeways.  Our journey to Anaheim takes about 45 minutes and we check in at the Park View Inn.

Park View Inn – Anaheim

Downtown Anaheim

I was very excited to see our neighbour across the road is Disneyland … see you tomorrow Mickey!

As we haven’t eaten we pop over to the IHOP, a American food chain that I’ve seen in many a movie.  We get shown to a booth, our orders were taken and I enjoy a Philly Cheesesteak and fries, Mum orders a Pot Roast Beef with caramelized onion melt with fries.  Not particularly good for the diet but it was soooo good.

Early night tonight as I want to be rested for my first ever Disney experience!