My first and only whole day in Los Angeles was pretty much spent trying to find the Hollywood sign! I had a look at map in the hostel and wrote down some directions for myself thinking it would be pretty straight forward, which it was, until I somehow managed to walk past the thing! I'd followed the correct road all the way around and had the sign in my sights pretty much the whole way until somehow it disappeared!

As I made my way back down the street, which had randomly decided to rid itself of a pavement after a certain distance, a man in his car stopped to say he'd give me a lift down the so-called hill. I thanked him but said how all I wanted was a good picture of the sign! He directed me up to the ridge at the top of a drive just beyond where I was walking, and so I made my way up the hill - the hill that was most certainly a hill! I didn't pass another person as I made the ascent, just a lot of cars that were revving the guts out of their poor cars! Oh, and a Chihuahua that stuck its head out of one of the cars as if to say 'why are you walking you fool?'

I finally found the sign, but it wasn't a brilliant photo opportunity, and I had to quickly retreat from one path when I saw a sign detailing that it was NOT a hiking path to the sign and I would be a trespasser if I proceeded. I didn't need telling twice. I asked a bloke with a map if he knew how to get the best viewpoint, but he said he was lost too, and apparently from LA! One of the houses I passed had a few photographers outside, I asked if something exciting was happening, but they just said they were waiting. I heard some tyres screeching a few moments later, but nothing else to report! I suppose I should have checked the internet for any new Hollywood-based gossip, but I just wasn't that interested.

I made my way down the monumental hill and another car stopped by me, a chap asked if I wanted a lift as it was such a hot day, no arguments there, but I declined again. Mainly because I don't accept lifts from strangers (of course!) and also because it was such a pleasant walk on the way down compared to the way up! So glad I took a bottle of water with me!

After completing the two and half hour round trip to the sign I finally made it back to the hostel and enjoyed a lovely cool shower! I wandered down to Sunset Boulevard to have a gander and buy some toothpaste: lifestyles of the rich and famous ay? I passed the building where the Larry King Show is filmed, but nothing too exciting that I could see.

Alas my LA trip came to an end at 6am on Tuesday morning as I quietly flicked the bathroom light on to disperse the cockroaches before going in to get ready for my flight. I made some free pancakes before the shuttle driver arrived fifteen minutes early and set off to LAX in the fog. The driver waited expectantly as I paid the $14 fee I'd been told, and so I gave him $2 as a tip! I'm not sure I'll get used to that part, but at least that was the first so far!