Hi guys,

So just a quick one to update our last few days in LA.

So after a terrible night sleep on saturday night (first experience of dorms is not good..girl behind us snored all night and if that wasn't keeping me awake it was the sound of some guy vomiting outside the window..nice! Earplugs were quickly whipped out and shoved in on that note!) we took the free shuttle from the hostel to the beach and wandered down there for a few hours.

Monday we decided to go to Universal Studios. So instead of being "ripped off" by the hostel wanting to charge us $33 each for transportation we decided to tackle the public transport once again and set off around 8:00am to the Metro Bus Centre...let's just say that the second experience of LA buses was no better than the first and after an hour ride we ended up at UCLA (LA university) still nowhere near! A short bus ride later we were delivered to Hollywood where we had to catch a train up to Universal and then a free shuttle before we finally arrived and joined an orderly queue to get out tickets. This is where we heard the dreaded news that it was "Spring Break" for some local schools thus explaining screaming kids all over the place.

So after purchasing our tickets which were upgraded to year membership for nothing (we aren't staying that long!!) we took the free Studio Tour around the place which had the whole "Jaws" experience aswel as a fake bridge collapsing beneath our tram...a "earthquake", flash flood etc which was all good fun. We drove down Wisteria Lane but unfortunately didn't spot anyone famous (sorry Carly!) and then drove passed "Bates Motel" where an actor chased us with a knife! Woopwoop! lol

So after fleeing for our lives we decided to take it easy and have a go on the new Simpsons ride - KrustyLand - which involved a montion simulator which chucked us about all over the place but it was really good! Mick you'd have loved it! This was to be the best ride we went on as after that we were a little disapointed with Jurassic Park and Revenge of the Mummy. JP being a "rapids" ride but quite frankly Alton Towers does it better and the Mummy being a "rollercoaster" which was over in a few seconds! We also watched the live show of WaterWorld which was really good with all different effects etc and some"minor" celebs which we had never heard off but bigged themselves up anyway :o)

Oops how could i forget the worst moment of the day.... just before WaterWorld started we had like 30 mins to kill so Mark suggested a visit to the horror house which was props etc from horror films shot at Universal...so we walk in looking around, next thing we know we are being shoved through a curtain with two other young guys and the horrible realisation was that this was another one of those "Walk Throughs" with real people dressed up as serial killers etc exactly like the one at Madamme Tussauds in London. Well this time i wasnt letting Mark make me go first so we both settled on letting the other two guys with us go with me and mark literally stuck behind them so that we all moved in one unit! At some point through i realised i was hysterically laughing/crying so much i thought i was gunna faint so we made a mad dash for the exit after running passed a lifesize Chucky before reaching the guy out of Texas Chainsaw hovering by the door..needless to say we all stood there watching him not wanting to run past him so after 5 mins or so he had no choice but to run at us with his knive which is when we seized our chance and ran past him while he pretended to bludgeon the other guy to death! I swore the last time i went in one of those and im gunna do it again right here where everyone can see and remind me that i will never ever go in one again!! Ever ever! and i suggest that none of you do either! The most terrifying moment of my life~!

Anyway so after a full day at Universal we didnt do much yesterday just went back to the beach where I laid for a few hours reading (and apparently burning my eyelids!) whilst Mark decided to try and walk to Venice Beach but he gave up after walking for 90mins and came back! Came back and met a Austrian guy called Herman so we sat discussing Austria and UK etc until late night with some "cold ones!" when it started to rain we all felt right at home!

So last day here today..we went and watched a poor match of football (Mark was so excited to discover we would still be here to watch the liverpool game but I think he's now wishing he hadn't bothered!) and just wasting away a few hours before we head to the airport for an exciting 12 hour 40 min flight!

Feels like we have been here ages now so we are both looking forward to some "new scenery" in New Zealand and looks like theres plenty to do and see so im sure there will be lots to update on our blog over the next few weeks! Hopefully we will also find another decent computer to upload some more pics soon.

Until then ta ta.

Love to all A & M xxx

p.s dont worry Jen all knickers clean so far!!