Los Angeles

Refreshed from a solid sleep, we decided that Sunday was the perfect time to visit and explore Los Angeles. Given the city's terrible reputation for traffic and lack of public transport options, Sunday would give us the best chance of seeing as much as possible. We didn't encounter too much traffic on the drive north into the dense metropolis, and found ourselves at Venice Beach mid-morning.

There was a certain dirtiness to the main area, cheap stores hawking tourist souvenirs, great street art, old and rusted weights machines at Muscle Beach, odd locals, and the general feeling of griminess. Kinda what I was expecting really...

We grabbed a quick breakfast (black coffee with a toasted (orange) cheese sandwich) and started off down the boardwalk. The apartments got nicer the further we ventured from the main strip, we ended up at the end of the Venice Beach pier before heading back to our car a few blocks back from the beach. We stumbled upon the Venice Beach canals, a great little detour that felt like another world away from the main strip. I got suckered / conned into accepting some homemade  hip-hop / reggae records (for a $20 tip of course) from some street hustlers, hopefully they aren't expecting a record deal.

Our next stop was the Getty Museum in Brentwood. We ventured inland from the coast, skirting the city of LA. We decided not to wait for the tram to the museum and instead hiked the short distance up the hill to what turned out to be a stunning architectural building with amazing views to the city below. We could (and should) have spent the day in the museum, but we only explored the grounds. We wandered through the amazing gardens, savouring the views and generally being blown away.

We spent a few hours there before heading back down the hill and venturing into Hollywood for some touristy sight seeing. We found a park a few blocks away from the centre of Hollywood Boulevard and navigated the traffic, crowds and street performers / hustlers through the area. We were surprised at the number of 'Walk of Fame stars', it doesn't seem much of an honour when the stars number in the thousands. We walked past a few 'iconic' buildings (Madam Tussauds, the Hollywood Wax Museum, the TCL Chinese Theatre) but it was mostly crowded tourist traps so we pulled off the street into a burger joint for a well earned meal.

I had a single star in mind so we reversed our course back along Sunset Boulevard (a much calmer experience), only stopping for a cold brew coffee with a dash of hemp milk. Round the corner, outside of Iguana Vintage clothing store and next to Johnny Cash, was Steve Irwin himself. Mission accomplished.

We got out of Hollywood while we could, and went to perhaps the most touristy destination of all....

It was a windy road leading out of Hollywood and up through Canyon Drive, but it was a different side of the city and the surrounding houses felt a lot different from the rest of the city we had seen. We found a park and took a few photos of the iconic spot before we continued on. Cliched but worth it.

Our last destination was the Griffith Observatory. Only a few miles as the crow flies from the Hollywood Sign, but much more by the time you navigate the windy city streets and traffic. We made good time and arrived there an hour before sunset, but we weren't the only ones with that idea.

We reached the observatory and were once again spoiled for a view, we spent the next hour gazing at the massive sprawling city below as the light fell lower and lower. The hazy skies lit up in shades of red, purple and orange as the sun fell below the horizon, a beautiful end to a fantastic day.

We joined the slow progression of cars down the mountain as Bec had the unenviable task of driving all the way back to Corona Del Mar. We lucked out with the traffic and weather and we were both surprised at how much we managed to see. I'd love to spend more time seeing the art galleries and museums but I was more than happy with what we managed to see in a day.

Lots more photos here

Corona Del Mar

I was energized by the multiple pre-dawn coffees and wanted to try to get into a normal sleep rhythm as soon as possible. Bec and I decided to walk around Corona Del Mar, showing me her new home town. We walked down her palm lined street across the flower lined  'Goldenrod Footbridge'. This lead to the Pacific Ocean where was strolled past the immaculately manicured gardens of the stunning beach / cliff side houses.

We followed the path down to the beach, I took off my shoes and waded ankle deep into the frigid water, that was enough for me. That gave me an extra burst of energy, so we decided to visit Newport Beach and Balboa Island.

I ticked off a Frozen Banana from my USA bucket list (a local icon from classic TV show Arrested Development) and the spent the afternoon walking around the tiny island. No matter how small and narrow the streets, and seemingly how far from anything resembling 'off-roading', there were giant trucks with huge mud tyres and suspension lifts (all shiny and immaculate) lining the car parks and roads. I was only slightly jealous...

We caught a small ferry across the Balboa peninsula where we walked to the end of the Balboa Pier and surveyed the endless beaches to the north and south. I was starting to fade so we returned to the mainland, but not before Bec destroyed me at a game of skee-ball.

Back home I took a quick power-nap, then decided 'when-in-rome' and headed to a local Mexican bar / restaurant to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. We ordered some margaritas (with amazingly realistic moustaches thrown in for free) and some great Mexican food before heading back down to Inspiration Point for sunset.

That was the end of a long day, but a fantastic introduction to California. I was in bed early and fell fast asleep. Much more to come.

More photos here

Sydney to LAX

Bags were packed and I was ready to go. 4o kilograms, 160 litres of bag space, camping gear, climbing gear, slightly less than the kitchen sink. I stayed up late on Friday night to try and get a head start on recovering from jet lag, set four alarms for the space of thirty minutes so I wouldn't dream of oversleeping alarms.

I was lucky enough to get a very early lift to the airport from a good mate, I checked in my baggage and watched the sun come up from Sydney international airport. Coffee to keep me awake passed the time until it was time to board, and before long I was in the air. Over five years since my last holiday, I was way overdue.

I watched Sydney pass beneath me, soon it was endless oceans and the occasional coral island. Night arrived, the hours ticked by, little sleep was had, and before I knew it we were descending into Los Angeles. The sun was coming up as I passed through customs, I had my bags and I was out. It was two hours earlier than I left Australia, consequence of passing the international time zone.

To no avail I ran around trying to find wifi to contact my friend, by the time I sorted out a new SIM card and called she was already in the arrival lounge looking for me. We jumped in her car to escape LA before the traffic set in, and made our way back to Corona Del Mar. I dumped my bags and the adventure began...

More photos here