City of Angels Los Angeles

Uñt’ayata: 04.02.2019

After a short four-hour flight, we arrive in Los Angeles pretty tired at 11 p.m. local time. With almost four million inhabitants, it is the second largest city in the United States. The immigration process takes a while and it takes us about an hour and a half to finally get inside the USA. We quickly pick up the rental car and head to the hostel. At half past 1, exhausted from the two flights and the long day in Mexico, we fall into bed.

The next morning we sleep a little longer and have a relaxed breakfast at the hostel. Unfortunately, it's raining a bit, so we decide to start with the Warner Bros. Studio Tour. There is a lot to see: sets of all kinds from different movies and we also get an insight into what happens behind the camera. We are a little amazed: In principle, there is only one small set city on the Warner Bros. studio grounds, which is always rebuilt or used as needed for the respective film. The facades of the houses are made of fiberglass and can be repainted or replaced with new fiberglass facades if necessary. The rusty gutters are painted and some of the houses have multiple entrances, so that the side can always be shown that is currently needed. So a house from the front is sometimes a school, from the back a fire station. We are also guided through the set of a current series and it doesn't look as real or clean as in the finished series. It's quite impressive that as a viewer you don't see that on the screen later. In the archives, we see some props and costumes from Warner Bros. films, such as the current superhero films from DC Comics and the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts films. We even get to try on the talking hat to find out which house we would have been sorted into if that stupid owl hadn't gotten lost years ago...

After the studio tour, we continue in the spirit of filmmakers to Hollywood Boulevard with the famous Walk of Fame. To be honest, we found the Walk of Fame a bit shabby. We had imagined it to be more glamorous. It is lined by three large cinemas, the El Capitan, the Chinese Theatre (where many film premieres take place nowadays) and the Dolby Theatre. Next to them are only fairly cheap-looking souvenir and fast food stores - not very glamorous, we think. Well, everything is just cardboard and fiberglass after all.

Of course, Walt Disney has his own star on the Walk of Fame

To round off the day, which was very Hollywood-oriented, we decide to go to the cinema in the evening. We watched 'Green Book', which we can only recommend. We were thoroughly entertained. On the way back, we pass by Rodeo Drive, one of the most expensive shopping streets in the world. Also nothing really spectacular or groundbreaking (after all, they also cook with water), but Laura can have a look in the shop window at Tiffany's. On the way back to the hostel, we pass by the Urban Lights, a light installation by artist Chris Burden. Quite nice to look at:

Urban Lights
Urban Lights


On the second day, we go downtown to admire the architecture of the Walt Disney Concert Hall. LA's financial district is also located here, so this part of the city is dotted with skyscrapers. We stroll around downtown a bit and have a hot dog, which has a Mexican touch with fried onions and peppers, a spicy sauce, and a sausage wrapped in bacon. We actually impress the nice saleswoman with our Spanish skills and order it with 'mucho picante y guacamole, siiiii'.

Best hot dog ever!

We pass by the historic Angels Flight funicular and Union Station, LA's train station, which combines Spanish colonial style with Art Deco.

Angels Flight funicular
Angels Flight funicular
Union Station
Union Station
Chandelier in Union Station
Chandelier in Union Station
Street art in downtown
Street art in downtown

We also take a walk through Chinatown, which feels a bit like being in a different city. There are small shops offering Chinese food, Chinese supermarkets, and even Chinese banks here.
Lighting like in the Middle Kingdom


We then drive to the Getty Center, an art museum with affiliated scientific institutes (e.g. for the restoration of works of art). The museum is architecturally very beautiful and is located on a hill, offering a great view of Los Angeles. Here, we can admire genuine paintings by Rembrandt and van Gogh and many other famous masters.

View from the Getty Center on LA
View from the Getty Center on LA
Getty Center at dusk
Getty Center at dusk

On the way back, we drive along Mulholland Drive, a road through Beverly Hills with a panoramic view of LA. Unfortunately, we turn the wrong way after half the distance and end up back at Rodeo Drive. Well, then we drive to the Griffith Observatory to get a nice view of the city. Unfortunately, the road uphill to the Griffith Observatory is closed, so we postpone this plan until tomorrow and instead go out for a meal and then go back to the hostel. After all, we still have some sleep to catch up on.
View of LA from Mulholland Drive
View of LA from Mulholland Drive at night

Our last day in Los Angeles begins with the trip to the Griffith Observatory, which was actually planned for the day before. The weather today is perfect with 30°C and clear skies, so we decide to leave the car in the parking lot and walk up to the Griffith Observatory. From up there, you have a great view of the world-famous Hollywood Sign and all of Los Angeles. In the Observatory itself, you can learn a lot about our galaxy and planetary movements. There is even a planetarium, which is unfortunately closed today. Since it is crowded and we want to go to Venice Beach, we don't stay at the Observatory any longer and start walking back to the car.
Left the Hollywood Sign, right the Griffith Observatory


By the time we arrive in Venice, it is already noon, so we decide to have a snack on the spot. The choice falls on the classic: Berliner Döner.! Let's see if the Americans can actually make Döner and if it really tastes as good as the ones from Berlin! While waiting, we see all sorts of strange people, because the Venice beach promenade is famous for that. Seeing and being seen seems to be the motto here. Right in front of us in the queue stands a young guy with a real python around his neck. A little later, a woman with fresh food for the snake on her arm passes us: she has a rabbit on her arm and it has a leash around it. Apparently, in America, people take their rabbits for a walk (at this point, it should be mentioned that Laura was not very surprised, after all, her rabbits all had leashes).

Venice Beach
The beach promenade of Venice Beach


Anyway, we stroll leisurely (Laura with an ice cream in a cinnamon roll cone) over to the Santa Monica Pier. Here, you'll find not only the end of the legendary Route 66, but also a small amusement park. There is a small roller coaster, a carousel, and a Ferris wheel on the famous wooden pier that extends into the sea. Here, you can also find a store called 'Bubba Gump Shrimp Company'. The name is based on the fictional company founded by Forrest Gump in the movie of the same name - Hollywood is never far away in LA. At the end of the Santa Monica Pier, we watch the sunset and stroll back along the beach to our car. Our time in Los Angeles is coming to an end. We just have to go to the airport and fly to Fiji!



End of Route 66 from Chicago to Santa Monica, Los Angeles
Santa Monica Pier
Santa Monica Pier
Beach at the Santa Monica Pier
Evening atmosphere at the Santa Monica Pier
Bubba Gump Shrimp Company
Bubba Gump Shrimp Company
Neon sign at the Venice Beach entrance
Neon sign at the entrance to Venice Beach

No separate blog post will be made about Fiji. We used the six days to relax, hang out at the beach, eat well, and read. Therefore, we didn't do any excursions, especially since island hopping is incredibly expensive here! Here are just a few impressions of our beach:
Beach in Fiji
Our beach in Fiji
Sunset in Fiji
Sunset, observed from our balcony

The next blog post will be almost up-to-date from New Zealand! We have been here for almost a week now and have visited Northland, but more in the next entry. Until then!











Jaysawi (1)

Martina
Ich kann es nicht fassen dass Ihr Hot Dogs gegessen habt! YUCK!

EE.UU. markanxa
Viajes ukan yatiyawinakapa EE.UU. markanxa
#losangeles#usa#warnerbros#batman#venice#santamonica#route66