Mrs. Waas & Mr. Ärmel go to Hollywood

From San Francisco, we wanted to continue south to L.A., the final stop of our journey in North America. But before that, we wanted to visit the Californian coast in the area in between. We chose Santa Barbara, where the rich and famous are said to live, and we found ourselves fitting in at least 50%. The conclusion about Santa Barbara: It is indeed chic and expensive. Even the homeless people appeared to be noticeably better groomed (and were less common than elsewhere), the parks were playful and beautiful, the whitewashed facades created a picture-perfect world, and everywhere we saw well-dressed young people spending the money their parents earned through people who probably shouldn't be living in Santa Barbara.

There were many beautifully decorated shops filled with upscale trinkets that one hadn't realized one wanted just a moment before. At the market in the splendid downtown shopping district, there were numerous organic products and other expensive items. Several days before Halloween, candy collection began in the city center for Halloween. On the one hand, for sure, because it's good for business, but also to avoid conflict with the Mexican Dia de los Muertos, which is also celebrated grandly in Southern California. So, decorations for both holidays could be found in various spots throughout the city, where the war with Mexico is still actively remembered, and where the Spanish street names seem to have remained unchanged, making it difficult to find a street with an English name. But actually, there's not much more to write about our trip to Santa Barbara. So, moving on to Los Angeles:

Train and metro brought us almost to our doorstep at the hostel right on Hollywood Boulevard with a view of the Walk of Fame, virtually in the heart of this very sprawling metropolis. Here, between Mexican fast food stands with grilled vegetables and spicy sausages, one could admire partygoers and costumes, people spent $89 to drive a Ferrari for 10 minutes, and beggars with creative signs asked for a dollar plus tax.

Here, one could also admire events with Hollywood stars on the red carpet (we saw, for example, Selena Gomez) and one could, for a fair amount of money, fake their name on a Hollywood star or even buy an Oscar (though it was made of gilded plastic). Here, one could spend $17 for a beer at a bar or consider whether filtered tap water and instant noodles could also fill one's stomach.

However, the colorful hustle and bustle ends very quickly in the side streets. Here, there's nothing of the exuberant life to be found, and often there’s a sober bleakness. Los Angeles is simply not a city that you explore on foot. The seemingly endless stretch of the metropolis is a car city with many sub-centers and quickly gives you foot pain after long walks despite the metro and buses.

Los Angeles is one of the most expensive cities in the world. Walking along the Sunset Boulevard amidst splinters, dog poop, gas stations, and fast-food restaurants, one can quickly wonder why. Hollywood's film studios, the lengthy beaches of the West Coast, and the villas in the mountains give Los Angeles its shine – there’s not much in between.

However, L.A. was definitely worth the trip for us (but rather not two or three).

The visit to the Warner Bros. studios (we skipped Universal due to lack of time and money) was certainly a highlight. The insight into some background was interesting, just like recognizing some sets from movies and series. However, our special highlight was sitting in