Drinking In L.A.

So its goodbye American and hello Fiji!

My last few days in the land of the free kinda fizzled out to nothing to be honest. On my trip down to L.A. from the wonder that is San Francisco I felt a sore throat coming on. Not too much to worry about I hear you cry, however with my immune system shot to pieces with all the burgers that I have been stuffing myself with over here it turned into a bigger problem than the average man could handle. By the time I arrived into L.A. I had full blown man flu, of the killer kind. I checked into my hostel that resembled NYC (by that I mean that it had no soul) and proceeded to crash out in my dorm room. Lucky for me I was sharing my room with two of the worlds worse snorers (and yes, mother and father I include you!). This gave me the perfect nights sleep that my flu riddled body desired!

Determined to make the most of my last full day in the States I woke nice and early at 8 (I had no choice really sharing with the two elephants in the room) and stuffed myself with the complimentary continental breakfast - toast and coffee. I have always wondered about 'continental' breakfast's because whenever I have been to France - on the continent. I have often stuffed myself with delicious buttery croissionts, however over here it seems that continental means toast and fruit, how strange! I diegress,  I then caught up on emails, booked my accomidation in Fiji, phoned the parents in Saudi and headed out fully determined to 'do' hollywood in a day!

This never happened. I stood waiting for a bus to take me into West Hollywood for 1hr45. It was ridiculas. As always happens in these situations as soon as I walked just far enough away to not make it back to the stop my bus pulled up. After doing a comedy run to try and catch it (and failing, not in the run, but in the actual process of catching it) I gave up all hope of seeing a hollywood star (both on the ground and in person) and conceeed defeat. One my last full day the L.A. public transport system had beaten me!

I had a good long walk around Santa Monica instead. It was nice, the women were even nicer. I felt like a seaside town. Just a very pretty, hot and american seaside town. I found a bar and had a few beers to top off what was really a nothingness day. Back at the hostel (and while the two elephants were bathing in the nearest mud baths) I caught up on 4 hours of much needed sleep. Still feeling like death warmed up I headed out to the nearest restarunt I could find for some food. It was a little Italian place just round the corner. I had a meatball and spagetthi and I couldn't finish it. That how ill i was people. In the evening I just sat in the courtyard at the hostel chilling with a bottle of powerade (Rock and Roll lifestyle!) whilst helping a Brazilian woman get on the net, as soon as I did she obviously had a domestic with her boyfirend (or girlfriend) and started blubbering. Sensing that this was not going to turn out well for either of us I made my excuses and headed to the elephant enclosure for the night!

This morning I woke at the usual time after the appauling nights sleep and sat in the courtyard with a coffee untill 5 min before check out. This was because I had another 12 hours to kill before my flight and I wasn't going to let free wi-fi and free coffee go too early! I then walked to the cinema around the corner where I watched The Avengers (very good, although a bit too 'sci-fi' for a comic book film, watch it and you will see) and The Dictator (also very good, Sacha Baron Cohen pissed me off after 30 min but his speach on what actually is a dictatorship at the end was BRILLIANT, especially watching it in the States - no-one except me actually laughed in the cinema!). I then found a British pub where my final beer on American soil was a excellent pint of London Pride (I do have a feeling though that since I have another 5 hours before my flight it won't actually be the last, but don't let that spoil the irony!). L.A. public transport actually worked in my favour then as I caught a bus to LAX for just ONE dollar - bargain!

Which is where I sit now. I have 35min before my check in opens, and 5 hours before my flight departs. So I thought that this would be a good time to sum up my American chapter of the trip, I have done it city by city and give them a rating. Here goes . . . . . . .

NEW YORK CITY 7/10
Looking back my expectations for NYC were far higher than they should have been. However I felt that the place didn't really have and soul as such. It was fun and I know that I didn't see or do half the stuff that I could have done. I have taken that all into account in the rating. I know that a lot of people 'get' NYC, I just didn't. I felt like it was a american version of London, which is no bad thing because London is god country obviously, its just that it didn't have a personality of it's own, London does.

Worse Moment - Being let down by the city when I first arrived.

Best Moment - Central Park - that is amazing, a diamond (or big green emerald) in the rough

WASHINGTON D.C. 8.5/10
It was like a breath of fresh air. I loved this city. I have heard that there are some rough areas but there are in any city - right? I found the people all to be super friendly. I felt extreamly safe, well Mr. President finds it safe enough to live. I found the culture and museums to be awesome. The fact that most of them were free helps this a lot - you listening Britian? - FREE!

Worse Moment - Paying $10 for a subway ticket that I only used once because I walked everywhere.

Best Moment - Final night out with 2 Aussie girls OR Having the best burger of my USA experiance at Green Turtle.

St. LOUIS 6/10
I only had 2 days here, but that was enough. I wouldn't go back here and I treated it more like a stop over on the Greyhound before Dallas. I have since heard that there is more to see here than just the Arch, however I found no indication of this. It was just a small city in my eyes that is home to the Rams. I would almost class it as a town.

Worse Moment - Crack whore + truck driver on Greyhound. Say no more.

Best Moment - When I discovered just how good a Vodka Martini can me at the hotel bar.

DALLAS/FORT WORTH
I havn't given this place a rating as I am definatly biased. I love Texas and all that it holds. I wasn't visiting Texas as a tourist, I was there as a friend visiting good mates. I acted and was treated as a total local the whole time I was there and I have been there before.

Worse Moment - The morning after the night before and discovering I had a Texas tattoo

Best Moment - The morning after the night before and discovering I had a Texas tattoo

DENVER 9/10
I was ment to be going to Pheonix and Vegas after Texas and I am so glad I changed to Denver. I love this city, it was clean, freindly and safe (excluding the Nazi's outside the Greyhound station). It just had such a good vibe about the place and the view of the Rockie's was superb! If I had to move anywhere in the states, it would be here!

Worse Moment - Walking home through the most mental thunderstorm ever after the baseball.

Best Moment - Chatting for well over 2 hours with two Denverites in a bar downtown, by the end I felt like I was chatting to my best mates!

SALT LAKE CITY 8/10
For someone who isn't a Mormon (Mormon not moron - everyone knows I am one of those, see above!) I was suprisingly well suprised (shocking grammer I know, blame Mr. Parsons!) about SLC. I was clean and smelt really good. Was kinda small though. However it was pleasent enough.

Worse Moment - Chaffed nipples!

Best Moment - The price of the beer!

San Francisco 9/10
Ahh San Francisco! I loved this place. I spent just the right amount of time here, I felt like I saw a lot yet there is still enough to make me come back for another visit. You will always have a dear place in my heart. Amazing city!

Worse Moment - Writing a day off because of a hangover, damn you free beer, damn you!

Best Moment - Lots of contenders such as Alcatraz, Walking the Golden Gate Bridge, Golden Gate park, Hippy district, Baseball, Pier 39 and free beer partys but the award goes to Paul the Magic Dragon. It was a totally once in a lifetime moment!

Santa Monica 5/10
Very mediocre. Let down by the public transport then it redeemed itself. It is hard to give a proper opinion because a) I was Ill and b) I didnt have much time there.

Worse Moment - Feeling like I was back home waiting 1h45 for a bus.

Best Moment - Feeling like I was back home sipping London Pride.

So there we go. One country down, Eight(ish) to go. Its been fun yet expensive. I have met so many different people just by chatting to then at a bar, from the American Itailian called Shaun on my first night to the Chelsea supporter as I drank my last drink. It has been a total eye opener. I am off to recover from a cold by lying on a beach sipping cocktails. That is what the doctor said right?

Tom