Wednesday 14 December 2011

OK......So we have a change of plan.....

14 December 2011- after communicating with Kae & Angie last night re "getting my ass to Arkansas" for Christmas and "getting my stocking stuffed" I figured I better book my train trip leaving San Diego on Friday 16 th after doing the zoo today. HOWEVER - when I got on line it seemed I left my run too late. Everything was booked up from Friday onward that could get me to Arkansas before Christmas - best I could get was arriving in Little Rock at midnight Christmas night :(

I tried bringing the trip forwards a day but no luck. Similar problem with the airlines - the only flights cost around $800 one way with a stop over. I then tried the train again for today and managed to get a booking - 10.40 am to LA (2 hrs 45 mins)  then change trains to Little Rock leaving at 3 pm today gets in Friday at 11.30 pm (54 hrs).

It will be a long trip but it will be worth it - I have my kindle and lap top so all will be fine. I double checked an hour later and there were no bookings left at all - I must have got the last one...phew!!

Gordon and I went out for dinner - Irish Pub - and had a magnificent Shepherds Pie followed by hot apple pie and custard - ate way to much - again - but it was scrumptious.

Gordon enjoyed his pint

I also found another couple of businesses I liked the names of and everything looked pretty with the fairy lights. I was obviously in party avenue because there was a lot of revelling going on most of the night and this combined with the fact I'm reading a REALLY good book stopped me from getting much sleep. I'll soon catch that up in the next few days on the train though. There was a lot of yelling at one stage and even though it was only 8 degrees Centigrade there was this dude naked from the waist up pushing a shopping trolley filled with his worldly goods and with a giant American flag flying above it screaming his lungs out. I couldn't make out what he was saying but the Police eventually came. Come to think of it there was a lot of police sirens and cars most of the night. Must ahve been a good party :)
Market St

Love it

Tuesday 13 December 2011

♫♫♫ It never rains in southern California ♫♫♫....Oh yes it does!!

12 December 2011 -  Spent today getting ready to move on from LA. Walked a couple of kms in the pouring rain carrying a  big bag of laundry. I used the laundry at the hostel once and the clothes came out smelling worse than when they went in :( so had to use the big one on Santa Monica. The song mentioned in the title of this post was playing in the laundromat so had a bit of a giggle about that. Carried it all back - still in the rain - to the hostel. Then had to get rid of all the food and drinks etc that we had been carrying around in the van which I obviously couldn't fit in my back pack. I left it all in the kitchen of the hostel with a sign saying Help Yourself and by the time I went upstairs to get my cup for a coffee and got back down it was all gone lol.

I packed another box to be posted back to Australia full of clothes  and bits and pieces I wont be needing. It weighed 15 kgs and I had to carry that a couple of kms in the OTHER direction to the Post Office - still in the rain that never falls in southern California.  By the end of the day I was over walking, carrying and rain!!

13 December 2011 - GOODBYE LA!!!!  I got up early today as I wanted to be at Union Station as early as possible to avoid any timing disasters. All went smoothly. Everything fitted in my backpacks (just) and one large carry bag....the taxi got me to the station in plenty of time.....my large pack came in under the 50 lb  allowed (just).  I decided to travel business class as it was only $15 more. As it was, I got about $15 worth of free food, drinks and a newspaper so it was well worth it for the comfortable seat and WiFi. The trip was great  with the line running parallel to the coast with some wonderful views.
There was also a Navy ship and some helicopters doing some manoeuvres - couldn't quite make out what was hanging from the bottom of the choppers.
San Diego obviously prides itself on the names it gives its businesses...some real corkers. Walked around the city for an hour and a half and am looking forward to going to the San Diego Zoo - hopefully tomorrow

Bugs#1465



Sunday 11 December 2011

Killing time in Los Angeles

10 December & 11 December 2011 - Well I Googled "Sights to see in Los Angeles" to fill in a few days I have left here. It seems, however, that I have already seen everything of note. I'm sure there must be more but I can't find anything. Yesterday and today I just went for major walks - miles and miles - and confirmed in my mind that LA is not in my top 5 cities....in fact not even in the top 10. Adelaide you look beautiful, clean and well organised and are user friendly compared to LA. I haven't felt threatened in Adelaide but I can't say the same for LA.  The other day - just down the street on Santa Monica and Vine - a gunman just opened fire on motorists and pedestrians because he wanted to die. Suicide by cop. Why wouldn't he just go take something instead of shooting innocent people just out doing their Saturday shopping. I don't know...just a different mind set here.

Today I walked all up way past Santa Monica Bvd to Sunset Bvd and beyond. Being Sunday all the Porsches and Maseratis were out on display. It was a nice day - bit cooler than forecast and apparently we have a big storm coming in tonight.   The smog this morning was pretty bad too - see the photo below/


Nice clean air lol
Bugs #1263