Hollywood

Last week a few of us decided that while we wait for our social security numbers we should do a spot of travelling. So we did.

On Tuesday we hopped on a bus from San Diego heading for LA. The journey was about 3 hours long with a few stops in those typical Californian seasdie towns. I had planned on sleeping for most of the journey but it was a great oppurtunity to see the countryside.

As we got closer to LA, to the point where we could see the skyscrapers, it dawned on me that we had no idea where we were being dropped off and how we were getting to our final destination. I had imagined a big central bus station but as we drove through what looked like a really rough area, the bus slowed down and pulled into the LA Greyhound Station. Inside the station there was no map telling us where about we were and the information guy just shrugged when I asked him how to get to the city center. We were staying with some friends, who were also on a J1, who lived in Santa Clarita. He told us to get a train from Union Station but failed to mention that they stop running at 8 p.m. So we were stuck in a bus station, no notion of where the bus station was and no idea of how to get out of the bus station.

Luckily we found a taxi driver who agreed to take us there for a discounted rate because he liked the Irish. So the five of us jumped in a taxi and headed for Santa Clarita. Ten minutes into the journey he tries to find the address on his GPS and nothing comes up. He starts ranting in Arabic or something and calls his friend for directions. I get handed a pen and paper and told to write down whatever he says. So there I am, hurtling down the freeway, trying to understand what the hell this guy is saying and wondering if we'll ever make it.

After about half an hour we find the place. We pay him his money and wonder if he'll ever find his way home. If we knew how far out Santa Clarita was, we would never have gone there in the first place. We got some food, had a few drinks and called it a night. The next morning we got up and they had all gone to work but left instructions on how to gt into the city. We had planned on staying with them the whole time but realised when we got there that they live in the middle of nowhere, with nothing around them but desert.

We left their apartment around 2 o'clock and headed for the train station. They forgot to mention that the train station was at least a half an hour walk. Have you ever seen those movies with people in the desert, desperate for water and miles from where they want to be? That was us! Luckily about half way there we found, the greatest thing we'd ever seen in the whole entire world at the time, a Taco Bell. Panting and gasping we crawled to the counter and asked for the largest bucket they had and filled it with water. We left that little haven and eventually made it to the train station where the station master kindly let us sit in his tiny AIR CONDITIONED portacabin/office while we waited for thr train.

The train ride in offered us great views of LA and the Hollywood hills as we got closer. We got into Union Station and jumped on the Metro Underground thingy that took us straight to Hollywood Boulevard. We found the nearest motel and set up camp. Since there's five of us, it works out pretty cheap so we decided to stay an extra night and go home on Friday. Its nice having a real bed to sleep in, instead of a constantly deflating air matress. We plan on doing all the touristy things today and tomorrow so I better wrap this up and get going.

I get my social security number today so I can finally get a job when I get back to San Diego. I cant wait to start working and get some money. It'll give me something to do as well I suppose. Anyway, till next time!!