We caught a tour of Hollywood today. We could have driven ourselves but we have found that knowing where to look for things is more than having an address. Its where to be for a particular view, or where to go for easy parking etc. The tour took us to the place in Mullholland drive where we could see the Hollywood sign, a few stars homes, overlook the Hollywood Bowl and view the town layout all from the one lookout.

In Sunset Boulevard we walked around the Chinese Theatre outside which the stars set their signature/hands/feet in concrete. Next door is the Kodak Theatre where the Academy Awards are held and this is also the street area where there is the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Final Hollywood destination was Rodeo Drive where dollar bills are on sale for $100. People who spend money here want people to know they are spending money.

In the afernoon we took the bus to Venice Beach and walked out along the pier, followed by a beachfront walk back to Santa Monica. I told Maureen we would walk 4km but it turned out to be 8km by the time we reached Santa Monica Boulevard and 6th Street where we had tea at a Thai Restaurant.

The walk along Venice Beach on a Sunday afternoon is somewhere that you can rub shoulders with every type of person from a spaced out hippy to the well heeled yuppie. There is a SUBSTANTIAL contrast between the goods and shoppers of Rodeo Drive and Venice Beach. Heaps of tattoo parlours, beads & gimmicks, etc. I overheard one fortune teller saying to a person 'and where are you from?' so I figured their insight was lacking.

Tomorrow we enrter the world of adventure, fantasy, pioneers, futurism, and other fun stuff when we visit Disneyland.

And now the sad news - the next day we leave.

And now the good news - we see many of you by the weeks end. We especially look forward to seeing David & Glenda for our ride home.

This may be the last blog til we get back, but I may get a chance to do an update at the airport before we leave. So maybe farewell until we return.