Day 7: LA: Santa Monica and Venice Beach

Although tonight's night ended again around 4:30 am, I felt very energetic. I believe the sleep schedule is not that bad. Except for a slight slump in the afternoon, fatigue has hardly been a problem so far. But be that as it may: today we're going to LA!

I observe a group of construction workers doing their somewhat ridiculous-looking morning exercise and head off on the relatively short 130 kilometers to Santa Monica. I chose a slightly slower route so that I could drive on Highway 1 directly along the ocean and pass through the well-known city of Malibu, which was named after the alcoholic beverage (or was it the other way around...?).

Since it was only 8 am, the sky was still a little cloudy.

On this route, I naturally passed by several traffic lights. And that is the perfect, completely uncontrived, transition to today's topic of:

Driving in the USA *Intro music*

So, in this edition, we're talking about traffic lights. The major difference between German and American traffic lights is that here, traffic lights are almost always located behind the intersection, not in front of it. In the very likely scenario that two German drivers in the USA, who were unaware of this, simultaneously approach an intersection from different directions and habitually drive all the way to the traffic light, the risk of accidents is particularly high. I think the American regulation is pretty good because it eliminates the need for unhealthy neck contortions to see the traffic light.

That was driving in the USA for today, tune in again tomorrow! *Outro music*

After about 80 minutes, I arrived in Santa Monica to visit the world-famous pier. There is a parking lot right in front of it, which costs a flat rate of $15 per car per day. I thought that you would pay the price at the end of the parking time and then exit through a barrier with the ticket received. So, I did nothing at first and went to the pier. Remember this, because it will be important later.

The Santa Monica Pier was built in 1909 and is mainly known for its small amusement park with a roller coaster and Ferris wheel. At the same time, it is the end point of the famous Route 66, which will play a bigger role later on in my journey. Since, as I said, I arrived very early, it was still very empty and most of the stores were still closed. Very relaxed.

Afterwards, I started my 3-kilometer beach walk along the promenade to the equally famous Venice Beach. The people on the way are almost as sporty as the construction workers this morning. Surfing, skating, jogging, beach volleyball, beach squash, beach tennis, bodybuilding, regular basketball, and Segway basketball are just some of the sports I observed. This summery atmosphere is emphasized by music on every corner and the constant smell of marijuana.

After that, I went to the Venice Canals, which are two blocks away. Many small houses with a variety of architecture line several small canals and are meant to resemble the namesake Venice.

Now it was time to walk the same 3 kilometers back in the other direction. And then it finally happened: I was asked for the first time in America if I actually play basketball. Since this has happened to me several times in Germany due to my height (6'5"), it has become an inside joke between Alex and me. I was surprised that it took a whole week for it to happen here, in the home country of the sport. And in case you didn't know, I have never played basketball on a team.

Matching the theme, I took a snack break next to an exciting pickup basketball game.

Then I reached the parking lot again and paid the $15 at the machine. I started driving towards the exit and wondered why I could simply drive out without a barrier. Another look at the ticket and suddenly the realization hit me like a punch. I should have bought the ticket at the beginning and visibly placed it under the windshield. So, I illegally parked for over 3 hours. I just hope that there were no checks during that time. If things go well, there were no checks and I will get away with the completely unnecessary $15 I paid, or if things go badly, I will face an additional penalty when returning the rental car. Wish me luck.

Now I had to drive about 30 kilometers through heavy LA traffic to my hotel for the next two nights. And it's really the best one so far. The first glance upon entering the room went to the corner and yes, there is an ironing board and an iron available. That gives us a 75% ironing board / iron rate after 4 hotels in America. You can place bets on the rate at the end of the trip.

There is also a coffee machine again, this time no filter is needed and there is even a starter pack. Top.

In general, the room is very clean, spacious, and cozy.

After a stop at the fast food restaurant with the attractively named 'Wienerschnitzel', where there was everything except Wiener Schnitzel, my last activity of the day was on the agenda: a tour of SoFi Stadium.

The football stadium, which opened in 2020, is the largest in the entire National Football League and is home to both the Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers. The Super Bowl took place here in February, where the Rams were able to win the title in their own stadium. For me, being a big NFL fan, it was an absolute must. The highlight of the tour was being able to step onto the field at the end and engage in sports activities such as target throwing, kicking the ball, and sprints. Of course, I dominated all disciplines and did not strain my thigh while sprinting.

During the tour, my mood was unfortunately somewhat dampened as my phone kept locking itself and even restarted twice while I was trying to use it. So, I spent half the tour trying to fix the problem and even wondered where I could get a new phone now. Since I returned to the hotel, the problem has not occurred again. Wish me luck again for it to stay that way.

That was the first day in Los Angeles. Tomorrow there will be another one. I'm looking forward to it, and hopefully, you are too.

Leart