LA was where I would start my round the world air ticket, so I was only here for a quick two days, eager to get to Mexico.
I was staying right off Hollywood Boulevard at USA Hostels Hollywood. Not a bad spot: good atmosphere and lots of activities, but no affordable grocery store nearby. and clean enough. Just steps out the door was the Hollywood Walk of Fame and beyond that the Kodak Theater and Grauman’s Chinese Theater.
In a city this large, everyone drives. I did not rent a car and wanted to check out Santa Monica and Venice Beach. I opted to go for public transit and try out the bus system. In Canada, many people take public transit because it is more convenient than driving. Driving is more convenient in L.A., which does not have a transfer system for their buses, so you have to pay every time you board a new bus.
I hopped off the bus near Santa Monica to walk along the beaches.
Santa Monica Pier
When I got closer to the Santa Monica Pier, there were signs everywhere warning that there might be needles hidden in the sand. I left my shoes on and ambled along the boardwalk from Santa Monica to Venice Beach. I stopped at a point where I could see both the ocean in the west and the mountains in the east from the same spot. On the way back, I risked going barefoot to walk along the water’s edge to cool off and relax. It was a gorgeous day and this had been the best time I’d had in L.A. on this visit. I reluctantly put my shoes back on and managed to find my bus.
On the return trip, I was free to gaze out the window and take in the city. Beyond a sea of Spanish colonial bungalows, there was a massive oil refinery that transformed into box houses with corrugated tin slats as roofs. Seeing the drastic differences between neighbourhoods on the bus route revealed a part of L.A. that is not often shown on T.V. or in the movies. We re-entered the Hollywood District. This glimpse into this side of Los Angeles disappeared from view as quickly as it had come.
Exploring L.A. by public transit showed me another side of L.A. A single bus ride outside of the major tourist areas showed that beyond the Hollywood veneer, the mansions in Bel Air and the beaches, there is grit and pollution here too.
Same Skies Above 
Good points
I’m sure you’ll love it! I just realized I was a bit too down on L.A. I know it has its bright spots, too. I look forward to reading more of your blog!
What a great take on the L.A. I’ve only passed through L.A. on my way to destinations north (Monterey, San Francisco, Yosemite, the Redwoods, etc.), but my hasty impression has always been that in many ways L.A. lays bare the sadder and uglier manifestations of American culture. Go to L.A. and you learn quickly that the U.S. does indeed have slums. Go to L.A. and you learn that the U.S. remains quite segregated by education level, income, ethnicity, immigration status, and ideology. Anyway, thank you for a sharing a unique perspective.
Thanks so much! I only wish I’d had the time to see more of California, especially the parks.