L.A Bus Tour Extravaganza!

Man LA is full on – it is just sooooo BIG.  I think if you are visiting here for a long period of time, it would be beneficial to hire a car to get around because it is just so massive, and with a car you could get around to a few spots and see the things you really want too.   I had the bus tour booked today and was supposed to picked up at 8.30am, at 8.40 I went and enquired where the tour bus was, the woman phoned for me and was told that it would be 5 minutes, I waited another 30 minutes – still no show – so she rang again on my behalf, she was told I would need to get a taxi to the point where the tour leaves from and they would reimburse me.  The woman at the hotel was a lovely Asian woman and very friendly and accommodating and was extremely sorry, even though it wasn’t her fault.   So she hailed a taxi for me, and this really nice taxi driver drove me as quick as he could across town to the Chinese theatre where the tour bus was leaving from.  (It turned out quite good actually as he gave me his card and I have called him this evening to give me a ride over to my next accommodation in Anaheim on Sunday morning, I was having a mission to figure out the best way to get there with all my luggage, so he will take the stress out of all of that for me, which is primo.) Once I got to the Chinese Theatre it was about 9.50pm and the tour bus had already left, so they fixed me up for the taxi (which was about $28) and then drove me up to meet the bus at the first stop, which was the Hollywood bowl.  So it turned out I didn’t miss much.

  Quick fashion update – I have been quite conscious of what T-shirt to wear each day, So as not to offend people or draw too much attention to myself and today I picked the Book of Mormon t-shirt that I have.  Figuring it wouldn’t offend to many people, I think the joke was on me though cause a few people asked if I was a Mormon throughout the day and I had to explain that it is a Broadway show – I certainly got a few funny looks, which amused me, I also had a couple of people who knew what it was and asked if I enjoyed it so overall it was a mixed bag.    Anyway back to the tour, the Hollywood Bowl was amazing, one of the highlights for me.  John Williams (Famous composer) and the LA Philharmonic Orchestra were practicing for a performance later in the evening, so we were able to listen to some of that for a while.  

We went back to the Chinese Theatre and looked at the star walk and the Kodak Theatre where the Oscars are held each year.  From here we went to Sunset Strip, which is pretty out of it.   I imagined it to be a lot flashier than it is, it’s kind of grungy, but I imagine it can be popping off at night time.  We went past the Viper Room, and the House of Blues and a bunch of bars and hotels owned by different celebrities.  The tour went on to visit Beverly Hills, and the bling shopping area –Rodeo Drive.  We went to the La Brea Tar Pits – which was where they have found heaps of dinosaur bones, because Dinosaurs fell in there and have been preserved really well in the Tar – that was buzzy. 

 We went down Miracle Mile, stopped at the Farmers Market/Grove for lunch for an hour.  Checked out Melrose Ave, Drove past CBS studios and Paramount Studios then went on to drive past some stops in Downtown LA, including the Staples Center, Walt Disney Hall & Chinatown.  We also stopped at a little place which was where the original streets of LA started and has the oldest house in LA which was the original Mayors house. (A couple of the highlights on this tour for me was seeing Fairfax High and the record shop where Slash worked,  these are places that are talked about in Anthony Kiedis’s Autobiography and also Slash’s autobiography, I read both of these books last year and it was cool to be able to see the places and the neighbourhood that they were describing in the books, this was kind of special for me.)  This took as back to the Chinese Theatre where we changed transports and went on the Stars Homes Tour, as I had booked a combo package.   This tour was good and weird.  I felt like it was really invasive, as these tour buses drive right up to peoples gates and stop outside while people take photos, most of the places you can’t see a thing due to the high gates and security bushes and stuff.  I got involved and took a few photos, but it didn’t make it any less weird.  The cool thing about it though was that it went up into the hills of LA and there were some great views of the city on both sides of the hill. 

  Some of the houses are absolutely amazing, these people must live some out of it lives – it is like another world.  Tour buses are such a trip, because the tour guides are doing their best to be entertaining and funny, which the Americans really enjoy, but I find it becomes really bloody annoying.  To be fair the tour guide of the Hollywood homes was pretty funny at times, but I had this guy from Seattle sitting next to me who had the most annoying laugh I have ever heard, it went; ha ha HA! And was exactly the same every time and went on off every couple of minutes for the entire duration of the tour, I don’t know if it was the heat, or the smog, or the fact I had been on bus tours for about 7 hours by this stage, but my imagine was running wild, thinking about punching him in the face, and how good it would make me feel – ha ha – which if you know me is pretty out of character.  It made me feel a lot better though.  The tour ended at universal Studios, where we were divided into different groups to be transported back to our respective accommodations.   I was last to be dropped off and was back at my hotel at 7pm, so we are talking about 9 and a half hours of driving around looking at stuff and listening to people crapping on – I was pretty tired and felt like a grumpy toddler or something by that stage.  I came back to my room, and have gone out for some food and had a shower, so I feel a lot calmer now and a lot more relaxed, which feels much better.  I have booked myself in to go to Universal Studios tomorrow, I debated with myself for a while about what I should do, and was tossing up Venice beach or one of the other parks, but this one just seemed like the easiest and best option.  The rides look like fun, and it includes a hotel pick up and drop off, which makes life easier than public transport or catching a taxi someplace, so I am happy with my decision (as long as the pick-up comes on time, this time) it also means that I will be out in the open air and walking around, so I think I will be able to negotiate the crowds and have a great time no worries.   I’m still having a great time travelling, it has been the greatest experience of my life,  I think that today just got to me as I was clammed up like a sardine all day.  So quick recap of what’s ahead; Universal Studios tomorrow, Taxi hook up to Anaheim early on Sunday morning, I will be too early to check in so I will leave my bags and get a three day Disney Pass (Which includes access to Disney California world, which they say is good for the ‘Big Kids’).  So Disney Sunday, Monday & Tuesday and then pack up Wednesday and hang by the pool before making my way to the airport for my flight home which leaves about 9pm at night and arrives around 6am on Friday the 2^nd of September back home.   Finishing with a pretty big bang of theme parks – so that is going to be awesome!! It will also make me more than ready to get my ass back home to a bit of much welcome routine and all my mates whom I miss.  Shout outs to my Godson Dizzle (Kaden), who turned five today back home, whose a big boy now eh?? I Hope Starting school goes well and sorry I couldn’t be there, hopefully your Mum or Dad will read this to you, and I will pick you up something nice at Disneyland, get your Poppa to send me a message about whether ‘Cars’ or’ ‘Buzz Lightyear’ is your favourite at the moment. Cheers Everyone – much Love, Dan.  (Hmmm what T-shirt should i wear tomorrow??)