The most disorganised place on Earth…
Seriously, how do people in LA function? It’s a brilliant place, it really is. It has everything here you could possibly want; imagine London but cleaner, with nice weather and a few beaches and you’ll be just about there. It has a flaw though, you know when you’ve done something and you go away for a brew or a little sit down and a while later you think, “Jesus, I forgot to add a transport infrastructure!”
Well this is what God must have thought a few years after inventing LA. Even the airport’s rubbish; ours was the first flight to arrive in the AA terminal. There are 4 baggage collection belts in this terminal and even though it was just us there they decided that they need to use 2 belts so you had no idea where your bags would be. You then realise that without a car LA is impossible to negotiate. On this trip we have been to one of the most frantic and poorest capital cities you could imagine in Bangkok yet getting from A to B there was easy with a choice of taxi, tuktuk, river boat, canal boat, train or subway but LA has decided to have a bus network that makes the Sheffield Tram look organised. How do they get around this? Tarmac, and lots of it. Taxi drivers here must be millionaires.
Whinge over.
Our flight was pants. American Airlines have Tony Soprano and some illiterate wine buff to let you know, ‘We know why you fly’. You therefore have to assume for the average American flying is an experience whereby they expect to be treated like a terrorist with Aids from the moment they walk into their departure airport and through their trip on their ‘airplane’. There is no such treatment upon arrival as you don’t actually see anyone when you arrive if travelling domestically. Again, Bangkok Airlines whoops their ass.
Seriously, whinge over.
So, enjoying LA is easy. Our room wasn’t ready when we arrived but as it was 7am it would have been a bit optimistic to expect it to be so we took a stroll through Beverly Hills and along the famous Rodeo Drive and you really can see what all the fuss is about. Celebs must love it here but for the average Joe it’s way out of our league. Maybe it was too early or maybe it was because they saw two scruffy Brits in shorts, but all the shops were shut.
In the evening we took a cab to Sunset Boulevard and had dinner and drinks in the trendy Skybar with amazing views over the rest of the city before a stroll down Hollywood Boulevard and the world famous star walk. It’s great walking down there for the first time as it’s a real sport trying to walk with your head down to spot the stars you know whilst trying to avoid the Hollywood Blvd street furniture (lamp posts, benches, dealers, pimps & hookers).
There must be some funny stuff going on as after I saw this beauty of a star:
I saw two separate stars for Stan Laurel & Oliver Hardy. I ask thee! No star for Chesney yet but it surely can’t be far off with his imminent theatre production about to hit the finest stage in Salford.
Yesterday we took a trip to Universal Studios. It was amazing. It lacked the ‘magic’ of Disney but made up for it with superb shows centred around Terminator 2, Shreck, Blues Brothers etc and presentations on special effects. You really got the impression you were in a place where amazing stuff happened. The tour was my highlight with a little trip down the actual Wysteria Lane that was open due to the writers’ strike.
I’m not sure what’s in the kids meals in LA but you have to admit for 8 and 10 years old respectively, Lisa and Bart are freakishly big!
Next stop is Vegas, we board the plane in about 2 hours and we meat up with Stuoobs and Caroline for what should be a great five days. Or, as the Americans say… “Fiiiiiive.”
Andy
xxx
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