A great day out alone!

Exams were around the corner but there were a couple of stuff in L.A. that I hadn't seen and I wasn't too happy about it.

They planned to study on this very Sunday. I thought hard about it and since my modules were rather manageable, I decided to go tour by myself! I wouldn't want to go back to Singapore and regretting that I hadn't seen this nor that.

It was a hard day to plan! There were several locations and I had to research the metro to take and plan how I was going to walk.

I wanted to wake up early - like 8 a.m.? So that I could catch an early morning bus to town. In the end I overslept (HAHA what's new) and only managed to catch the 1245 bus 2.

Bade farewell to DJ and CY and reached the bus stop a few minutes early 'cos you really wouldn't want to miss the bus. By missing that would mean that I'd need to wait for an hour for the next bus.


Here comes the bus.


A single trip would cost USD 1.25, but I'd be taking quite a number of buses today so I decided to get a day pass for USD 5.


Since I'd be out till past dinner time, I brought Wheat Thins with me. And my jazz text to read when I have the time, spectacles just in case, a map of LA, shades, sweater, and the white piece of paper you see there was the itinerary for the day. Like where to take the bus and what bus to take etc.


I was supposed to alight at Sunset/Vine, go to the stop at the other side of the road and take line 210 to Melrose Ave.


Stop #1: Paramount Pictures.

From the bus stop at Melrose I had to walk like five minutes to get to Paramount Studios. And it was awfully quiet. I was quite scared actually.

I wondered why I decided to go peek at Paramount since I had nothing to do there except to take a photo of it. And see it. Which I did.


And so I was done with Paramount Studios. No intention to enter since I'd have to pay entrance. It was really really quiet.

See, not a single soul down Melrose

Stop #2: Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

Hollywood Forever is back to back with Paramount, so I had to walk down Melrose and make two left turns to get to HF.

And it was so quiet

It was kinda spooky since I was gonna walk beside a cemetery to get into it. And I can feel how peaceful it was because it was just silence.

And all of a sudden out came a school.

Imagine your school facing a cemetery!


And I walked all the way to Santa Monica Boulevard and made a turn and continued walking and here I am. 6000 Santa Monica Boulevard - Hollywood Forever.

Infinity ~ Forever


There were clusters of tombs crammed together and right by the roadside like the ones above

I can't remember who this was for

HOLLYWOOD


A curious well at the entrance

And so I left. In fact the cemetery was the most crowded of all the places I've been to so far. Other than the buses.

Exited and turned right to the bus stop where there was 4 to bring me downtown.



I alighted a stop late -_- 'Cos I misinterpreted the information I found and the information given on the bus.

It's just a longer walk up so it's okay.

Los Angeles Times - where they churn out the daily news

Metropolitan Water District - I don't know what they do exactly

Where were all the people??

Ahh! Peeks of Stop #3

Stop #3: Walt Disney Concert Hall.

YEAY!!! I'M FINALLY HERE!!

I've been looking forward to the WDCH before I arrived in L.A. as the guidebooks were talking about its magnificent architecture by Frank Gehry and so on. I wasn't well prepared enough to plan to watch a concert (no $ no ticket no company), but walking around WDCH was good enough. There was a concert going on by the California Symphony. And you could hear the concert from outside, it was really pleasant. There was a tenor singing too! For a moment I thought the music was coming out of a CD.

WDCH is the home of LA Phil (they're coming to Singapore in October! Anyone interested?? Join me pleeeaassseeeee!). Just that for the summer season LA Phil parks itself at the Hollywood Bowl.

Music Center - I didn't check it out - was just beside WDCH

Went shopping at the store and I actually spent quite some time there! Bought a couple of souvenirs as well.

I knew there was a roof garden and I asked for directions to the garden and there I went.

It was this ceramic rose that you should see when you go to the WDCH. It was a structure done by Gehry dedicated to Walt Disney's wife.

The view from the garden


The rose was situated by the wall of the building

This wasn't a reflection of the sun, it was a reflection of a wall of WDCH!



Asked a European tourist to help me take a photo. Unglam, but nevertheless, I was at the WDCH

Stop #4: Angels Flight.

It was just a few blocks away but still, taking the Metro seems like a good idea since I have no other reason not to. And it'd be an experience.










Civic Center to Pershing Square. Just one stop. HAHAHA. It just felt like taking the MRT from Tampines to Simei. Really near.

at&t, one of the main telcos in the U.S.

Samuel told me I must see the Angels Flight - there was some history to it. It used to carry people from the lower part of Downtown to the higher part of Downtown as you can see in the picture below. They removed the car altogether.


Right opposite Angels Flight was a marketplace. I had no intentions to go in - I didn't even know it was there - but went in anyway. So this is Stop #4': Grand Central Market.


When you enter it was a dining area, and walking through this section and going down a bit of steps was where the wet market was.

Food court

Market

And then another bus to Stop #5: Orpheum Theater.

It was Line 81 if I'm not wrong

Behind the bus stop there was a sign on the ground saying 'Warning! Door may open suddenly'

I think this is really amusing.


Take for example you walk on this pavement and just when you laid a step on the door it opens and you flyyyyyyyy off to I don't know where. I just find it really funny.

Really!

The Orpheum!

This theater was where the American Idols would have their Hollywood Week and so on. That was why I wanted to see the theater. Haha.



And I was done seeing.


And I hopped on to another bus to go to Stop #6: Staples Center/LA Live!.

There were no shows so it was closed

The other side of the center, where the TEAM LA store was located. But I arrived about an hour late and the store was closed already =( Else I can really look at authentic Dodgers and Lakers merchandise!



Just opposite was LA Live! There was some event going on and LA Live! isn't really totally open so I just decided to not try to enter.

Nokia Theater was where the AI finals this year was held

And that was about what I wanted to visit for today!

Bus 81...

...then Bus 2 to Westwood

There were a lot of people in this district but they were mainly Latinos, just a handful of blacks, no whites, definitely no Asians. Except for myself. So I guess I attracted quite a lot of attention because I was of a different shade of skin colour. When I went up the buses in this area people in the bus would turn and look at me. Kinda scary 'cos I was alone! And no other Asians in sight to give me some kind of consolation and security.

Oh well. Haha.

Back at Westwood, it was going to be dark soon! (It took me two hours to get back by the way)

It looked like it was going to rain

Ralphs - the supermarket that has provided us with most of the things we needed


Fox theater at night

I took 7 buses and a train which amounts to 8 trips. 8 x 1.25 = USD 10 and I paid USD 5 for my day pass. I saved USD 5 today =D

I'm just kinda sad that I didn't go watch the American Idol Tour and another performance at the Hollywood Bowl.

If I ever come to California again, I'll make sure I catch a show at the HB. And the show must have fireworks! Hahaha.