Arrived at airport well ahead of time. Queues non existent and check-in a breeze. Spent a few moments in the lounge where I was introduced to the 'special hot chocolate' . Worth the effort.
Well I must say V Australia Premium Economy is very sexy. The blending of light grey and dark purple tones of the modern décor caress the senses. Soft mood lighting blends with the dulcet tones from on-board entertainment. The tight leather seats hug the figure, feeling sensuous against the body with the soft rhythmic drum of the GE engines, gently massaging the senses. The noise can be eliminated by the noise cancelling headsets although the pulsating vibrations knead the muscular knots into supple playdough. Al can elaborate on the technical specifics. Of the engines that is. The headsets dont fully eliminate the cries of two young babies. Supplied with blanket and pillow are a set of eye covers. Sorry Andy, no complimentary gimp masks here. Nor ponchos I might add,Kerry. As I sip on one of the many offerings from the bar I wonder what the poor people are doing. Actually I know exactly what they are doing. Squished in the cattle class corral breathing in the recycled fumes expired by the business class toffs up forward. The babies have re-started. Filling the air with the choral chimes of a strangled cat. What did I have for lunch? Ginger and Coriander chicken salad. A couple of glasses of Margaret river sauvignon blanc. Bread roll followed by roast chicken with mushroom sauce mixed vegetables and roasted chat potatoes. Desert was banana cake and strawberries. The cognac finished it off well. Still waiting on the final cup of tea but turbulence is preventing delivery. Let alone expulsion of a days fluid intake. Well, time to lie back and enjoy the ride, skimming across the pacific at 10,056 metres. Last time I skimmed across the pacific it was at an uncomfortable 70 metres with ships interrupting otherwise peaceful rest. But that is another story. Inception shall entertain me for the moment.
Airspeed 918Kph, outside air temp -38deg C ETA 0730 5hrs diff.
Written 2770km from syd 9303km to lax.
Never did get the cup of tea.
Four movies later, countless CDs and even relaxation programs fail to induce any real sleep. Also very very warm. Took a walk down to the back of the aircraft to cool off.
Breakfast was served around 1am ADL time. Scrambled eggs, mushrooms, tomatoes and a hash brown. A couple of glasses of orange juice and I finally got a cup of tea.
Arrived in LA around 0745 local time. Temp: 27 degrees C, clear skies with a smoggy tinge.
Slight difficulty at immigration where the girls passports didn't match the visa documents. Re-did some paperwork and continued through to the carousel.
Slight difficulty at immigration where the girls passports didn't match the visa documents. Re-did some paperwork and continued through to the carousel.
Luck continued as we found we were one bag short. A few bags had gone walkabout from that flight.
After completing more documentation at the service counter we continued on our way to the Hollywood Heights Hotel. Taxi ride came to about $51 USD. Checked into the hotel and freshened up.
Took a stroll down to Hollywood Blvd. At Grauman's Chinese theatre a muppet movie was being made. We were unable to take photographs of the 'set' and am still not entirely sure how that was defined. It was interesting to note the orderly movements of the tourists over the random directions displayed by the 'tourist' actors. After being told numerous times to 'move along' (just waiting for a 'nothing to see here') we moved behind Madame Tussaud's and followed the 'stars' in the pavement along the road. Every few feet we were accosted by tours to see the stars houses of Beverly Hills. We eventually decided on one tour provider after knocking them down to less than half price. This was cheaper than the hotel concierge offered. We had lunch at a flat bread/pizza place. As we headed down to catch our tour we noticed a gathering outside Madame Tussaud's wax museum. Gwyneth Paltrow was receiving her celebrity star. Managed to get a few photos, however the professional signature collectors prevented the girls get and autograph. A number of other stars were sighted at the time. The teacher from Glee and someone else.
On the tour we visited a number of places including; heaps of celebrities a good vantage point for the Hollywood sign, eateries of the rich and shameless (the scene of Britany Spears infamous underwear episode), Rodeo drive amongst other local sights. It was interesting to note the difficulty in selling the property Michael Jackson died in. Because of the memorials constantly being placed around the property it is difficult to dispose of. This is a place commanding $100,000 USD per month rent.
After the tour we strolled the streets of LA. Found the place Charlie Chaplin worked from with his signature and foot prints still visible in the cement form 1918. We also bumped into the LA ink Tattoo parlour or is that parlor over here? Picked up some Skechers for $45 USD and I think ill get another pair in New York on the way home. Returning to the hotel we had dinner down stairs. Not a bad dinner and I enjoyed a nice glass of Californian red.
No word on Kylies bag. Need to get some socket converters so we can charge up the GPS, phones and cameras. Blogging will be sparse until we get some more socket adapters. The only one found so far is crap.
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