Ishicilelwe: 11.07.2017
It's not easy to keep the internet running in our hotel. You have to constantly log in to be online. But that won't stop us 💪🏻
Yesterday we arrived here with a bit of an uneasy feeling. The hotel is in a good location, but you still feel like you don't want to go out at night.
The first night wasn't very restful - since we arrived quite late yesterday, our hotel room heated up all day. So the air was also very warm when we arrived. Since the air conditioning is installed in the kitchen area and not directly in the bedroom, it doesn't cool down very well. But that's okay. We felt a bit exhausted this morning.
On the way to breakfast, which is set up in a small room at the reception, we met the friendly owner. He is mentioned in almost all reviews because of his friendliness. He asked us what we were planning to do and promptly advised us on the best way to get there. He also printed out directions for us. He also told us about the Hollywood Boulevard - you should be careful with your bag because he has had some guests who had their bags stolen. Good advice!
With a somewhat full breakfast stomach, we headed towards Hollywood Boulevard. The famous Walk of Fame of the Stars. It's worth arriving early because it's just crowded otherwise. We were able to park at the Dolby Theater for a steep $10. Los Angeles is simply a car city. Hardly any buses and without our brave rental car, we would have been lost here.
Thanks to the owner's parking tip, we only had a 5-minute walk to the Walk of Fame and the Chinese Theater. The latter includes the hand and footprints of the stars. We chose matching hands and feet and took photos endlessly.
Shortly afterwards, we fell into the American shopping frenzy. Buying until the credit card glows. Finally, a cap for me so that my face doesn't burn any further and a few t-shirts.
Next stop was finding something for Vanessa. Of course, in a shop that you might not find in Germany. Victoria's Secret.
We had a lot on our agenda today and there was no time to lose.
Off to Beverly Hills. Of course, we couldn't resist driving around there a bit to look at the huge villas. We didn't see any stars, but the chance is also very slim. Many of the houses also have a large hedge fence.
Next item on the agenda - somehow snap a photo of the Hollywood sign. The higher we went in Beverly Hills, the more we took the mountain road Mulholland Drive. It leads over the big mountains above Los Angeles and you get a panoramic view of LA. Besides several viewpoints, we finally made it. You can't get any closer to the Hollywood sign. Maybe we'll give it another try tomorrow. This station was about 35 minutes away from our hotel. Maybe that gives you an idea of how big and sprawling LA actually is.
With a hungry stomach, we headed to the last stop for today. Santa Monica Beach. This is worth a visit for several reasons. Firstly, the famous Route 66 ends here, which connects the East and West coasts, and secondly, there is an amusement park at the end and on the pier (actually just a breakwater wooden pier).
Here we enjoyed the sun, sand, and water. The water is very warm and with gentle waves, it's also good for surfing. The most spectacular thing is actually the view when it's dark. However, based on the recommendation of our hotel owner, we decided not to stay out in the dark for too long and returned to the hotel after a giant ice cream, which was the size of a fist and cost a good and affordable $7.14.
Now it's time to process the impressions of the day and soon close our eyes. After all, there's a lot to discover again tomorrow...