Groundhog day - from the sublime ....!

Well, that was a strange day!! We started off in Auckland where our flight was early evening on Wednesday 7th and had a good day updating the blog and sitting in the Domain grounds in the sunshine. We then had a 12 hour overnight flight which crossed the International Date Line and ended up in Los Angeles at 10.30am on Wednesday 7th!!! This meant we basically had Wednesday all over again - very bizzare!!

Still, we made the most of it and went on a tour of Hollywood, Beverley Hills, Bel Air and Sunset Boulevard (well, it's got to be done hasn't it!!!). Of course we saw all the big houses of the rich and famous and even Simon Cowell driving out in his Bentley!!! We also were taken to a viewpoint to see the famous "Hollywood" sign but as you would expect with our recent luck - it was partially obscured by the haze - a well known problem in LA.

As the title of this blog suggests, we have gone from the sublime New Zealand where everything is unspoilt and old fashioned, to LA - where everything is all glitz and glamour!! We have seen all sorts here - as you can all imagine!! Within 24 hours we have had the red carpet out - no not for us but just across the way from our hotel, at the Mann's Chinese Theatre for the premiere of Music and Lyrics - a new film starring Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore. We actually stood and saw them arrive - albeit at a great distance - not like in the UK at Leicester Square where you get up close to everyone. It seemed just a media exercise as the likes of us were only allowed across the other side of Hollywood Boulevard and four lanes of traffic!!!! Never mind - didn't want to see them anyway!!!

It's all go at the Kodak Theatre next door as they prepare for the Oscars in a few weeks time and down the road preparations are in full swing for the Grammys. Everywhere we go seems to have something happening. We spent today in Downtown LA where it seemed that around every corner there was a camera crew and we saw various TV series being filmed - none that we had heard of though!!! (Bob insisted in asking each one what they were there for!!!)

We managed to find our way round the Metro system and had a good long walk round Downtown LA (unheard of by some who visit LA!!!), saw the newly built (2003) Cathedral of our Lady of the Angels, the famous County Hall and the shortest railway line in the World (apparently!!) called Angel's Flight. (Not like LA to claim to have the smallest of something!!!).

We also went to the Flower Market, the Toy District and the Jewellry District, all preparing for Valentines Day as only the Americans can, but I didn't manage to get Bob to put his hand in his pocket (nothing changes!!!).

A hashing friend of Bob's (Mighty Atom) has recently returned to her home in LA after doing research in Oxford and she gave us a call and some advice on places to go. Hopefully we will meet up with her before we leave California.

We are picking up a car tomorrow and heading to the coast at Venice Beach where Bob is hoping to flex his muscles along with all the other posers!!!!