We landed in LA on the 14th of February 2019, more popularly known as Valentine's Day, for us this day meant it was a Thursday.
We caught a very convenient bus that dropped us off a short way from the hostel. We had booked in for three nights, hoping to determining our next move before leaving. Our hostel was situated right in the heart of Hollywood. It was full with aspiring actors, comedians and artists.
Later in the trip, an elderly gentleman described LA as the 'fruits and nuts bowl' of America. This description was entirely accurate, to observe some very interesting characters all one had to do was take a short walk down Hollywood Boulevard or jump on the LA metro.
Our first trip on the metro, found us face to face with an obese woman who appeared to have aggressively devoured a bag of chips which resulted in crumbs spread to the adjacent chairs, before promptly passing out. To our shock, she managed to regain consciousness before departing at her stop. On another trip we entered a cart with a disheveled looking man and a smell that could only be caused by human feces. However horrible the smell was, it was impossible to not laugh at the faces of the people that entered after us. Who would enter as most people do with blank unwavering faces, to then screw them up with dismay while glancing around frantically to find the cause. The brave stuck it out, some dashed to different carts when the train came to a holt and we believed some would have left to seek alternative transport. We soon found out from a local that the metro was not a preferred method of transportation, our experience reflected similarly.
While walking Hollywood Boulevard you get offered many "Hollywood star tours", which all claim to take you to the Hollywood sign and through Beverly Hills to sight homes allegedly owned by famous actors. I say allegedly, because it is very difficult to clarify the authenticity of these claims. We shopped around and found one for US$35 however it difficult to know if the value is justified. In saying that it, it was fantastic to see the contrast between the often tattered Hollywood and the glamorous Beverly Hills.
Although LA has many great tourist attractions including Venice beach, Santa Monica pier and Universal studios; we would not recommend LA being your soul destination in the US. While this reflection may seem negative we did thoroughly enjoy our time in LA.
Our first trip on the metro, found us face to face with an obese woman who appeared to have aggressively devoured a bag of chips which resulted in crumbs spread to the adjacent chairs, before promptly passing out. To our shock, she managed to regain consciousness before departing at her stop. On another trip we entered a cart with a disheveled looking man and a smell that could only be caused by human feces. However horrible the smell was, it was impossible to not laugh at the faces of the people that entered after us. Who would enter as most people do with blank unwavering faces, to then screw them up with dismay while glancing around frantically to find the cause. The brave stuck it out, some dashed to different carts when the train came to a holt and we believed some would have left to seek alternative transport. We soon found out from a local that the metro was not a preferred method of transportation, our experience reflected similarly.
While walking Hollywood Boulevard you get offered many "Hollywood star tours", which all claim to take you to the Hollywood sign and through Beverly Hills to sight homes allegedly owned by famous actors. I say allegedly, because it is very difficult to clarify the authenticity of these claims. We shopped around and found one for US$35 however it difficult to know if the value is justified. In saying that it, it was fantastic to see the contrast between the often tattered Hollywood and the glamorous Beverly Hills.
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