Had a 7.30am flight so I had to get up really early as the airport shuttle pick up was at 4.30am. I had less than 4 hours sleep the previous night. Arriving in LA, the weather was cool and cloudy. Took a shuttle to the hotel in downtown LA. Since I was checking in so early and I wanted a room with a view, there were none available at that time. Left my luggage at the hotel and took my 5-6kg backpack with my valuables and started walking around. LA is a lot dirtier and the poverty is also much more visible than any of the other cities I had been to. Most of the people are of Spanish speaking. The LAPD also has a much bigger visible policing presence than any other city.
The city is not as busy and vibrant as I expected. The city blocks are huge though. Not that many skyscrapers either.
Got my room later that afternoon. Was disappointed with the room. Being a 4 star Sheraton, I expected a really nice hotel. This one was pretty plain and simple with old finishings. The room had no safe or fridge. When I checked out a few days later, the front desk guy admitted that they were probably more of a 2.5 star hotel. This was quite disappointing after staying at the best hotel on this trip so far in Vegas. The room was quite big and spacious though.
After sorting out my backpack and luggage, I went to the metro station across the road. I was extremely fortunate to be staying right next to one of the most central stations with 4 lines passing through it and connections close by to other lines. I immediately bought a 7 day unlimited rides pass for $21, which is a bargain compared to other cities.
Took the metro to Hollywood boulevard. There are 3 stops on this road and I had no idea which one to stop at so I jumped off at the first one. I started walking and walking without seeing any of the walk of fame. The walk of fame only starts from the second stop but the one with all the action and excitement is actually the third one so I had a fairly long walk. The stars are on the pavement on both sides of the road so the distance is doubled. I learnt later that there are over 2500 stars. Lots of street entertainers and guys trying to sell you tours to see the homes of the stars. I left just before sunset because I was exhausted.