The City Of Angels...and Nut Jobs

I think sometimes a good cry really helps and after I had cried out all the pent up emotion, I ended up having a fantastic few days in LA.

We were up bright and early and wandered down the star-studded boulevard and put our hands into the celebrities’ imprints at Mann’s Chinese Theatre. I was thrilled to find that mine and Marilyn’s hands are dead on the same size and then we took a sight-seeing tour bus through Beverly Hills.

We had lunch at the Farmer’s Market and I was fascinated to see The Viper Room and Whiskey A-go-go, where Goldie Hawn had worked before she rocketed to fame.

A lot of people are generally let down by LA and I think this is because they expect pristine streets lined with gold and celebrities on every corner. I knew what to expect. Hollywood is slightly grungy, charming and edgy and not as glitzy as Beverley Hills 90210 has led us to believe. It’s a place for the young and carefree and the rich and poor alike. And Hollywood Boulevard is a fantastic place to walk down early evening to watch the weird and wonderful at their best.

That night we intended to have a relatively quiet one, but this was the most social hostel ever and we had a crazy time with the other backpackers, playing music in the dingy bar and drinking Jack Daniels until 3am. I fell into bed and was up a few hours later to head for Universal Studios.

After a jam-packed day at the park, we got dressed up intending to see LA’s nightlife. We played drinking games with some hilarious British guys from the hostel and then ventured out to find that LA does not come alive midweek, unless you know the doormen. Heading back to the hostel, we had a few drinks and got an early night.

The next day we were leaving for Fiji and we were all sad to say goodbye to Brendan, who we had grown close to over the past three weeks. After a spot of shopping on Melrose Avenue and the obligatory Caramel Frappucino in honour of Britney, our mini bus came to take us to the airport. I couldn’t believe we were leaving America after such a fantastic few weeks and it felt like months had passed since arriving into Miami.

North America – check.