Reached about as far west as we're going to get. Took the bus to Santa Monica (very brave if you've seen the film Speed). Found the end point of Route 66 and then, like true brits abroad, went for a little paddle in the Pacific Ocean next to Santa Monica Pier. We took another bus to Venice Beach, and took in some of the sights: musclemen, rollerskating buskers and the like. Enjoyed a wee ice-cream before a very slow bus journey back through the la traffic, se...

Woke up to a sunny LA morning and walked up to Hollywood Boulevard to look at the stars on the walk of fame and try our hands in the concrete at Graumann's Chinese Theatre. Mine fitted Shirley Temple's; Mark's fitted King Kong. Just kidding! Posed in front of Hollywood Sign and hung around waiting to be snapped up by a big studio agent, but it appeared to be their day off as no lucrative movie star offers came. Have to make mention of overhearing a conversatio...

Welcome to Hollywood! Left Long Beach and took the metro to centre of Los Angeles passing through some choice neighbourhoods (Compton, Inglewood...). Surfaced right on Hollywood Boulevard, packed with tourists and assorted oddballs. Found our way to the Saharan Motor Inn, a retro motel on Sunset and checked in. Soon realised the place was not in the bit of Sunset that is super-cool but with a smattering of weirdos and loons, or day-walkers as Mark calls them....