9.2 Fun
We had a 2 hour bus tour on the same afternoon as we arrived in San Francisco, day 4. I believe the thinking behind this was to keep us up and not let us sleep until the evening actually arrived.
It’s now Day 7 and while I’ve had some fun eg eating in the evening, the days are so full and start so early, I’m hoping fun will be soon. 
Day 10 and five of us hired a car and drove from San Antonio to San Marcos to hit the outlet shopping malls – think about 20 times bigger than Harbour Town in
Adelaide and with designer stores and real discounts. Highlights were the top of the range Nike running shoes for $89.99, and t-shirts from GAP for the kids at about $6 each. The fun part was trying to get home on the right freeway – I think we exited about three times so we could turn around get back on and turn off onto a different freeway. Surprisingly, once we left the freeway, it was a mere 5 minutes back to the hotel – once we worked out which one-way street took us to the front of the hotel, that is. Glad I wasn’t driving.
Stopped in LA to get the flight back home and managed some sightseeing. Went to the crazy Venice Beach were we were advised not to return to after dark and themore up-market Santa Monica Pier. It was a hot day (maybe 30C) and the beach was packed. Strangely no-one went further into the water than about chest depth. Was there something they knew that I didn’t? The tour bus driver must have been trying out for a part in the American version of Fawlty Towers as he certainly had a strange manner. “You will have fun, or else.” He was great if you laughed at his jokes (not even slightly funny) and agreed with his
prejudices (don’t mention the homeless or Mexicans, or hippies, or the group from yesterday’s tour) and answered loudly to his interrogation before getting on HIS coach.
On the following day I went to Universal Studios and saw the Hollywood sign on the way back. The Simpsons ride was worth the 45 minute wait (but only once) and the tour of the back-lot was fantastic. On my last day in LA I spent the morning running up and into the Hollywood hills near the sign and had a quick look at the ‘walk of the stars’ and the Kodak Theatre. Couldn’t find all the names that I was looking for due to the number of people out and about. Very pleasant getting away from the traffic and having some smog-reduced air to breathe.
