Monday 5th October - Los Angeles

We were up at 4:45 this morning to catch the shuttle to the airport for our 7:30 flight.  Just as well we were early because the girl at Alaska Airlines told us that we were flying with American Airlines this morning. A 10-minute walk around to American and then another 10 minutes trying to get the 'stupid' check-in machine to recognise us and then another 10-minutes trying to get a human to come to our aid and another 10-minutes for her to try to get us recognised all to find out that we weren't flying American at all.  Back to Alaska Airlines to inform the girl that we were to fly Alaskan (she tried to make some excuse along the lines that they never had a 7:30 flight). Anyhow, finally, we were booked on the 8 am flight and after what seemed like forever to get through security were on our way (1 hour) to Los Angeles.

On arriving in LA we took the shuttle to the Hilton to hook up with a day tour of Los Angeles with VIP Tours. 

The tour was about 4.5 hours and took us to Venice Beach (where the rich and famous and not so rich and famous come to show off their bodies - not many there on a Monday though), 

Sunset Strip (where the rich and famous 'play', The Hollywood sign, Rodeo Drive (where the rich and famous shop), 

The Chinese Theatre (where the footprints/handprints of the famous are), the Walk of Fame (where the rich and famous are imbedded in the footpath) and to finish up, lunch at The Farmers' Market. 

Our tour guide was Doug who was born and bred in LA and did a great job of giving us the ins and outs of the city (including the house where Michael Jackson died etc).

I guess we knew it before we did the tour but it's interesting how,  when you see some of these things in reality, they just don't come up to the picture you have of them in your mind.

We are now sitting in LAX (LA International Airport) waiting for our 11:45 pm flight tonight.

We are on our way home .....