This is LA Downtown

All I knew about LA before being there was from…

Rush Hour =D

Apparently many movies are taken in LA, at the Hollywood backyard, as know as the city of gold. It’s basically possible to live on the thrown-out stuffs from the rich ones, here in LA.

“I got this CK pants for 5 bucks at the flea,” said the day tour guide (I joined a day tour to the star’s houses days later).

Anyway, remember I stayed in the downtown for a night, before swiftly changed to stay in Hollywood the moment I was told not to get out after dark? One of the impulse reason that I chose to stay in downtown was when I saw on the map, that it is closed to the fashion district. Yeah, fashion.

Umm no I didnt get to the History district =p

Being a simple minded kanpung (rural area) girl, I thought yes that’s the place to be, only to find out it meant cheap textiles shop:

99cents per m?? always on sale neway =p

And Jewelry District:
“Wonder where all of those West Coast Rappers get their bling bling? Well, if they are frugal, they get it in the Jewelry District.” – wiki

Which is like the indian gold shops street in SEA (South East Asia)…

at 6th-7th street

I stupidly forgot to turn back to AF (Autofocus)..

still in MF mode ToT. This couple called us in the middle of the road, eyed on my big ass camera probably and asked me to take a picture of them… Yes, we got random people speaking to us and I was trained to ignore that after awhile…

“The area bounded by 3rd Street, 7th Street, Alameda Street and Main Street is often referred to as “Skid Row” or “the Nickel” and has one of the largest homeless populations in the United States. The Greyhound Station is located here, but the area is unsafe for pedestrians regardless of the time of day. ” – wiki

As you can see from the pictures, it’s more of a rural like downtown instead of glamarous american-like city center. Well, the more modern part:

Walt Disney Concert Hall. Designed by the same architect for the Dancing House in Prague, if not mistaken.

The Cathedral of Our Lady of Angels

City Hall!!

The Chinatown Dragon Gate (p/s: Go China Olympics =p The opening is so so so spectacular and gave me goosebumps at the final torch lightening part =D)

And these are all the tall buildings you can find in LA. LA is located in the Pacific Ring of Fire, therefore the buildings are built to withstand earthquake up to at least 5.4 degree.

Common sight of newspaper stands on the roadside

Shopped at Macy. Found Victoria Secret on sale =p

And had to rush back for the flight to Vegas (=D) after lunch in Carl’s Junior… Had another two days in LA (mainly in Hollywood and going around in Venice beach, Beverly Hills, Rodeo Drive, Santa Monica etc). Will write up on that next!

The City of Angels

On my trip to Alaska, I had to transit in LA. And it all started from…

老板drove us to the airport and got us into the business lounge (and also skipped the long queue at check in =D)

that’s 老板 working hard with his mac. yah geeky i know =D

and then i was on my own (taking different flights with cat and 老板) for the looooong 16 hours flight (with transit in Auckland)

plane brekky bleh

reaching LA!

The first thing I saw was brown lands, mountains, and somehow brown smog =p all thanks to the pollution caused by bad traffics:

LA is very chinessie (is there such word??), or asiannissie(yeah I know just saying ‘asian’ will do but heck I enjoy spelling it that way bleh) – I saw chinese restaurant in every town I passed by (of course mexican food everywhere since it is just above mexico =D). They even had really authentic korean food:

fish as one part of the free sides!!! no the guy is not on the menu zanendesu (unfortunately)

tofu soup – in a set just around usd15 for a set lunch i remember. much much cheaper than in Melbourne!!

We ordered so much (actually the sides cover 30% of the table already) which turned out to be a wise choice…

…

Because…

We don’t get dinner.

ToT

We are too chicken to walk on the street after dark. I know. We only wanted dinner around 8pm. And it’s already dark. We. stayed. in. downtown.

the room

Where walking alone/just two girls on the street is something no one would do. People will even approach you asking if you are okay if you walk alone on the street. The whole downtown (near 5th-6th street I think) is just quiet. Dark and quiet. With occasional police sirens. Apparently a homeless center is at 5th(??) street, and no they probably won’t harm you on purpose, according to some of the people we met – somehow they might just be a lil bit out-of-mind and suddenly hug you from the back, scaring the freak out of you, or maybe worse (no idea what could happen though).

no views. well unless the uncle naked in bed in opposite window is considered a view.

So, how to get dinner?
me: Umm is there any restaurant nearby? (I still have no idea bout how downtown LA is not like any safe downtown)
receptionist: There is, but you gals should not go out of the hotel at this time…
receptionist: Get pizza delivery instead.
me: ah?

We didn’t get pizza either =p We changed the hotel booking for the rest of the days in LA to stay in Hollywood (which costs more) instead. And got to bed early, looking forward for brekky in the next morning and to see the real LA downtown.

Umm. yeah so I’m going to sleep now. I mean in real life =D

So is LA really so angelic? Will post up the more faces of LA soon and you’ll decide =p