Things never to do again: get lost in LA. Ok, back to the beginning. Up at 6:50am, exercised, showered and dressed by 7:20, then a ‘breakfast’ of a danish and a cup of juice. Wait for a bit and chat, then a nice lady came from Social Security and made short work of any and all applications before her. I managed to get my bags in storage in the hotel then I set off with another eleven CCUSA people to explore. We decided to visit Hollywood!! A few buses and a couple of walks later we were strolling over star-embedded paving stones on Hollywood Blvd! ^^ We then split somewhat and agreed to meet back a ways up Hollywood Blvd. I hung out with some people for a while, had American McDonald’s in Hollywood, then set off to wander a bit, occasionally crossing my fellow students. Saw the Chinese Theatre, the Hollywood sign, the stars of Nat King Cole (twice?!) and Erroll Garner among many others. I then ended up chatting to a random American about life and stuff, he was a Vietnam veteran and a damn nice guy. 3:15, time to walk to the meet for 3:30. Wandered up and down Hollywood Blvd for quite a while, neither seeing any fellow students nor remembering the exact street crossing after a while. I thought it was the Theatre (which it later turned out to be) but when I was there, on both sides of the street I saw hide nor hair of anyone else. Meeting time comes and goes, still nothing. Time to find my own way back (from what I can recall about streets, buses, etc in conversation!) and hopefully meet up with the others on a bus or back at the hotel. 3 hours and 45 minutes, 3 and a half bus riders and a lot of walking later, I eventually arrive back at the hotel. I saw no one and had to ask lots of people for help and directions! I met a chatty guy on one bus who gave me his waiting ticket for the lunch he had, chatting away about everything and nothing. Apparently theres’ around (or close to) 12 million people in the city of LA! Yikes!! My feet ache – I look forward to sitting in a plane to Tampa. I hope everyone else made it back ok, they were all really lovely people.

At 7:15pm, the rest arrived back, safe and sound, apparently having been lost for a bit themselves! Apparently they were at the Chinese Theatre, though I went there!