Venice beach

Well, this is it, a trip down to Venice Beach as the last day before a midnight flight to Brisbane. What a hassle to store the backpacks at the hotel, as it turned out, it was even more difficult to get them back, who would have guessed?

Venice Beach is always featured in American movies and TV shows, using public transport, it takes a fair effort to get down the beach, I get the feeling LA is an automobile city. There is naturally public transport, LA however is a city spread over a huge area and it appears the system is a little lacking. All in all, Venice Beach has plenty going for it, good facilities, lots of sand and grass - unfortunately, there is also plenty of weird people with a fairly major altercation on the bus on the way down. 

Tom n Toms

Walking through downtown Los Angeles on the way to the arts district, I stopped in at Tom n Toms Coffee at the Little Tokyo pavilion.  As it was a fairly warm LA summer day, a refreshing drink was on the cards. A large strawberry smoothie was not my normal choice of beverage but on a warm summer day, I did enjoy a little respite from sweating and replenishing some liquids.

Skid row

We all know the United States has homeless people, I was shocked at the sheer number and concentration of homeless people in Los Angeles. I just happened to walk through the area and the stench of urine was over-powering, it makes you feel kind of nervous although I wasn't harassed at any stage.

I now find out this is the highest concentration of homeless people in the United States numbering up to 6000 people, the fact there is actually a place named skid row, that amazes me. I wondered what is being done to address this issue, I am guessing not a whole lot. To walk past and see the plight of the homeless in a rich developed country is just mind blowing, this is not a third world country although here you could be mistaken - this is such a shame.

The arts district

As an outsider, I find LA an unusual city insofar as the number of districts in the city centre, it's hard to work out where one district ends and the other starts. Wandering around the fashion district, I strolled up and found skid row after on route to arts district - that was a learning experience for me. I didn't really know where the art galleries were, I just wandered around a little lost and viewed a number of painted buildings - quite strange really.

Staying in East LA

Trying to save a few dollars, some accommodation in East LA was sourced, I can't complain as the Greyhound Station required some walking (no buses came by), we then got onto the second bus route and that took us all the way to the hotel. Our hotel looked more like a hotel from a porn movie, a large mirror in front of the bed and the place was just dirty. I was regretting staying here, we should have looked for something a little more expensive downtown. I think the trick is to get out of the place first thing in the morning and not come back until late, there isn't much to interest me in East LA, that will be the last time I ever come to this part of town.

The Las Vegas Flamingo

Another of the famous Las Vegas casinos, the oldest casino still operating on the strip, opened late in 1946, this casino has a fairly colourful history with Bugsy Siegel and associates kicking it off.

There was plenty going on at the Las Vegas Flamingo, even though I was wandering around the gaming floor, I couldn't gamble even if I wanted to, I have no idea how to play. Still, it was pretty good to walk around the strip.

Caesars Palace

Hanging out at Caesars Palace during the day. Strange place to be as neither of us gamble and there is no chance of catching a Celine Dion concert in the evening. Still, is was a pretty good way to spend the day and i might even consider going back some time in the future.