Stars in their Eyes

So, welcome to the capital of glitz and dreams...

It's a strange place, Hollywood. You know it's where all the rich and famous have been to put their paws and feet into wet cement in front of this Chinese cinema...There's stars on the street with your favourite actor's name and then there's the famed Kodak theatre...Where they hand out all those golden Oscars every year. It's been nice to put it all into perspective but for some reason it doesn't interest me that much...Even saw the Hollywood sign in the distance!

And then the next day I did a whistle stop tour of Beverly Hills and Santa Monica. Walked down the famous Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills where it shocked me to see people actually spending like $799 on a bag! I'm sorry, but WHAT FOR?!?!?! So yes, Beverly Hills was definitely a rich area...And then Santa Monica and Venice...Supposed to be lovely beaches and lots of promenades so you can once again shop until you drop! I walked along and I didn't even feel tempted to go inside any of the shops....Until I saw Borders: A BOOK SHOP (a lot like Exclusive Books in South Africa or Waterstones in England...But then 5 stories of it!). Spent a good 2 hrs browsing through books...And there are so many I want! I left feeling refreshed. Ok, feel free to say it: You're a freak!

As for the beaches...I'm afraid I've been too spoilt lately...With all those lovely beaches I've been to and been able to relax on in South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and then Hawaii...They simply weren't that great! But then again, to be able to go to the beach in such a metropolitan area, it must be great!

Today, Daniel picked me up to take me on a tour around the Warner Brother's Studio Complex...I had met Daniel in Australia and he told me to get in touch when I was in LA. I didn't take any pictures (not even sure I would have been allowed to anyway...) but the walk around the studio's, sounds and editing "lounges" as well as the costume and prop warehouses was really mindblowing...Got to see the set where the ambulances for ER come in...Which even though I don't watch anymore, I recognized! And then I also saw the lake/water hole, they use in Invasion. Got to see a whole lot of studios, where they basically build a whole set of rooms and then where they tape the programmes...They were busy building this tunnel from plywood that would be a tunnel that Al Pachino (or was it Robert de Niro?) has to blast through in the upcoming Oceans 13 movie...Didn't know there was going to be one! Didn't see any taping going on because they typically film from September to May, but hey, it was fun to walk down a road, that had houses on it, but that were just facades...Odd really. Thanks Daniel!

After this tour, Daniel took me to a bus stop...9 miles away, so I could get the bus to the Getty Centre. To be honest, I'd never heard of it before...But it was AMAZING! Basically it's a museum on top of this hill and the architect designed this lovely complex...Don't want to get all descriptive (again!!!)...It suffices to say that it was an excellent way to spend a day...What I liked the most is that I got to see one of my favourite paintings....The lily's on the water by Claude Monet and then "Irises" by Vincent Van Gogh. Of course I had to get a picture of me standing next to it! Funnily enough, I met this Belgian pair there, and she was called "Iris" too! Got to speak some Dutch! Wow! It's been a while!

Now I'm back in the hostel and I have to get packed! Off to South America! Another continent to conquer! Here I come CHILE!!!!!!!!!