Two 7hr flights later and we arrived in Los Angeles to experience winter for 2016/17. It turned out that the cheapest way to get across the Pacific ocean from South America was to first fly to LA and then on to Fiji so that's what we did and enjoyed a 48hr stop over in the USA. It also turned out that winter in Los Angeles means sunshine and t-shirt weather.
Our first morning started very early due to the 6hr time difference from Rio, but the pancake breakfast with lots of syrup included at the hostel made up for this. We were staying in Venice Beach at a hostel right on the boardwalk so enjoyed a quiet walk along the beach and canals before most people were up and about. The only other people on the beach before 8am were joggers, dog-walkers and surfers catching a morning wave before heading off to work. Later in the morning we headed over to Santa Monica Pier and then into the town itself for some lunch.
By the time we had finished lunch at The Cheesecake Factory, the beach and famous boardwalk between Santa Monica and Venice Beach had come to life. We slowly wandered back towards the hostel taking in all the sights and doing some serious people watching. To give you a flavour of the diverse range of activities being carried out here is a short list: Roller skating, cycling, walking, running, surfing, beach volleyball, football, weight lifting, tennis and most impressive were the group practising slack-line walking. The shops along the front sell a wide range of products including tattoos, t-shirts, art, fast-food and even 'medicinal' marijuana.
On our second day we went on a open top bus tour of Hollywood and Beverly Hills. We spent a fun hour or so finding our favourite actors' and singers' stars on the walk of fame. After 5 months in South America we experienced serious culture shock walking around downtown Santa Monica and driving around Beverly Hills. Yes there is wealth on display in the big cities like Buenos Aires and Santiago, but the wealth is far more obvious and widespread in a rich LA suburb. Amongst the expensive cars, designer clothes, gourmet food and high-end shops (all summed up by the huge glass fronted Apple store) we felt we had come a long way from the busy streets of Bogota or La Paz. 48hours was enough for us and we were ready to cross the Pacific to explore the only inhabited continent neither of us had yet visited.......
Early morning surfing on Venice Beach
Mmmm Reese's Peanut Butter Cups & Chocolate Fudge cheesecake
By the time we had finished lunch at The Cheesecake Factory, the beach and famous boardwalk between Santa Monica and Venice Beach had come to life. We slowly wandered back towards the hostel taking in all the sights and doing some serious people watching. To give you a flavour of the diverse range of activities being carried out here is a short list: Roller skating, cycling, walking, running, surfing, beach volleyball, football, weight lifting, tennis and most impressive were the group practising slack-line walking. The shops along the front sell a wide range of products including tattoos, t-shirts, art, fast-food and even 'medicinal' marijuana.
Amazing slack line skills
On our second day we went on a open top bus tour of Hollywood and Beverly Hills. We spent a fun hour or so finding our favourite actors' and singers' stars on the walk of fame. After 5 months in South America we experienced serious culture shock walking around downtown Santa Monica and driving around Beverly Hills. Yes there is wealth on display in the big cities like Buenos Aires and Santiago, but the wealth is far more obvious and widespread in a rich LA suburb. Amongst the expensive cars, designer clothes, gourmet food and high-end shops (all summed up by the huge glass fronted Apple store) we felt we had come a long way from the busy streets of Bogota or La Paz. 48hours was enough for us and we were ready to cross the Pacific to explore the only inhabited continent neither of us had yet visited.......
Hollywood Walk of Fame
Someone is not too popular around here
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