Thursday
Well what a night it was last night!
Backtracking for a bit, after our coffee at Starbucks on the outskirts of Salt Lake City (coffee was pretty ordinary but the free wi-fi was good), we dropped off the car at the airport without mishap & are very happy to not have to worry about rental vehicles for now.
We checked in (way early so we were a bit nervous our bags might go on an earlier flight never to be seen again) & took a free shuttle into town offered by the Temple Square mob & then, because it was free, allowed ourselves to have a small conducted tour by the Sisters - interesting... we feigned polite interest in their proselytising but we were not their best customers of the day for sure.
But the guy that drove us in was interesting so we had a sort of mini-tour of SLC.
After (a good) coffee in the new shopping plaza (the central area has had a make-over with at least 2 city blocks replaced; there is a lot of money here. Can you believe, they made a profit of $US40 million from the 2002 Winter Olympics!) we returned to the airport & flew out to LA. This is Mitt Romney (next Presidential hopeful - if he Americans can overcome their fear of the Mormons) country.
I have to say, I was very impressed with SouthWest Airlines. Apart from the fact that they don't allocate seats (rather, you get a boarding no. depending on when you check-in), the online & counter check-ins & the flight service (basic) were all efficient & friendly, the plane left on time, arrived on time - & our bags arrived. I also liked the purple colour of their aircraft!
We then started our adventure into downtown LA. Well, I always say the best way to get to know a city is to take public transport from the airport. My Friend was not happy. And he was even less happy by the time we got to our hotel... It was probably THE WORST overseas Metro we have ever travelled on - about on a par with Sydney & Melbourne.
We took a free bus shuttle to Aviation Station the closest Metro station. We worked out how to buy a ticket (but frankly I don't think anyone cared a damn as no-one checked tickets anywhere). We took the green line, then the blue line with probably the most interesting cast of characters you have ever come across. Some were doing deals. There was a constant parade of people going through the carriage selling trinkets, electricals, chocolate; there seeemd to be a new tableau at each station as one vendor got off & another would get on.
Meanwhile, we - along with a few other sturdy types - kept our eyes averted from the carrying-ons of our more interesting fellow travellers - & My Friend's body language was something to behold (I knew I had crossed a line with this plan!).
We arrived in downtown LA somewhat relieved not to have been bashed, robbed or whatever & My Friend wanted to take a taxi the rest of the way. I tried to say we only had a third of a mile to walk but he reckoned his App indicated it was longer. At the taxi rank, the fellas pointed down the street: 2 blocks away. How nice, they could have taken the fare but they were honest.
We went out for dinner (& a drink!) at an all-nighter around the corner where someone was being ejected as we arrived & My Friend (wisely) ordered a HALF serve of pork ribs only to be served with THE MOST ENORMOUS platter which he contentedly mowed into along with a couple of beers.
We sank exhaustedly into bed after midnight. Gratefully the party downstairs was over.
This morning I am catching up on this blog while My Friend sleeps in his moroccan-style bed (he was up earlier). I DO like to keep the travel experience varied. But I don't think we'll be taking the Metro out to the airport this evening.... So I spent some time researching alternatives.
Outside, the cacophany of car horns is incessant. People with raised voices in the street outside. I don't think I want to go out!! But we will venture out from the safety of our lovely room - we need to investigate all that noise!
Update: In the street below we find a tickertape parade in progress! Figueroa Street is blocked off, police in cars, on bikes, on horseback. HUGE crowd. I display my ignorance & all is explained: the city is celebrating the LA Kings win over the New Jersey Devils in the ice hockey - LA have won the cup for the first time in 45 years!
I liked the juxtaposition of this photo.
We had brekky in the hotel lobby (my first pancake with syrup) - with a few tables of the LA Police Force who'd obviously absented themselves from the festivities outside..
Actually, despite my preconceived ideas about LA, it turned out to be quite a pleasant city: open, not too many high-rise, palm trees, nice little parks.
We chose not to have an agenda in regards to sightseeing & so, after watching the LA Kings procession, we wandered the streets & visited the Fashion Institute which was set in lovely gardens; the City Library, also set in a lovely park & where we went to the nice restaurant there & had a drink & a cheese platter & chatted away for about an hour or so; we then walked through the Financial District & over to the Grand Central Market via a little funicular railway called the Angel's Flight Railway; then through this to the Million Dollar Theatre & the Bradbury - all historic places with great stories attached; for instance, some scenes in Blade Runner were filmed at the Bradbury with its marvellous interior of lace wrought ironwork. We walked back to our hotel via the Jewellery District & Pershing Square; collected our bags; walked 2 blocks to the Metro to go to Union Station from where we took the LAX FlyAway - which is a very good bus shuttle service to the airport ($7 each compared to $3 on the Metro but much less stressful!).
So that's all for now, folks. 'Ave a good day!
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