So, as you can imagine this year's blog will be a little different to normal, for a start we are not on board Alhambra, but we will be on board a number of other vessels. Some will have wings, some will have wheels, some mono-hull's, some multi hulled, but all will be in places we've never been to before.
Our trip started early on Wednesday 6th January with a 10am flight from Heathrow to Los Angeles and was just over 11 hours long, although we arrived only 3 hours later, local time (1pm ). After nearly two hours to clear through US customs and immigration we finally arrived at Santa Monica, having picked up a hire car and drove to our hotel, which was only one block away (American speak) from the infamous pier.
It was however chucking it down with rain, so we didn't do much other than catch up on some sleep and go out for dinner that evening.
The following morning, the sun shone brightly through our window and we were out early to explore the area. The pier, Muscle Beach, the Pacific Ocean, the homeless men on the park benches (who were surprisingly cleaning their teeth!) Later we strolled around the very expensive shopping mall and then down Third Promenade Street, less expensive but with same high street shops we have in the UK. That evening we ate on the pier and were advised by our "bar tender" that best place to see the Hollywood sign was from the Griffith Observatory...he was right. Our next flight was not due til 21:30, and we had the car til 4pm, so we headed for the Hollywood hills.
The drive along Santa Monica Boulevard took about an hour and a half, along a typical US 4 lane highway. Having turned off this highway to another road we passed, on our left, the street that is on the Eagle's Hotel California album cover...its still looks the same. We zipped by Rodeo Drive (not stopping to shop) and up a winding road, through forested parks before spotting both the Griffith Observatory and the infamous Hollywood sign.
Unbeknown to us, the original reason for the erection of the sign was as an advertising board for the new housing development, down below in the hills back in the 1920s. However, the sign was never taken down and is now the symbol for the movie town we all know. Back in the 1970s, the last four letters broke off, but were saved when Alice Cooper and Hugh Heffner came to the rescue and helped raise funds to restore the infamous sign.
However, once at the Griffith Observatory the view over Los
Angeles was quite breath-taking, as its various skylines interrupted the vast, sprawling west coast of the USA. Every few minutes a helicopter or plane flitted passed the soaring towers of the skyscrapers on scenic sightseeing tours.
The Observatory, as well as having lots to see inside and out, also houses a bust of James Dean, due to the fact that Rebel Without a Cause was the first motion picture to film some scenes at the Observatory.
It is self free to enter and explore and has an interesting array of exhibits to pique your interest in the celestial stars above rather than the mortal ones that adorn Sunset Strip and the Hollywood Walk of Fame...I know which
We headed back to LAX with slight intrepidation, not only as to whether or not we were actually booked in the next leg of our trip (due to the type of Round the World ticket we have, we cannot check in on line) , but also of the dubious reports we had read about Fiji Airways. We needn't have worried. Although the selection of movies was nowhere near as extensive as Virgin, the wine and food flowed more frequently on this 11 hour overnight flight. This was required as somewhere along the way, not only did we go south of the equator, we also lost a day as we flew over the international date line. So having left LA on Friday 8th January, flew for only 11 hours, we arrived in Fiji at 5am Sunday 10th January. So we were 8 hours behind the UK in LA, we are now 13 hours ahead of the UK and I'm not even sure what day it is any more...
Arrival into Fiji was reminiscent of various other non-first world airports we have visited in the past - warm, friendly, efficient, quick, and amazingly welcoming. Greeted by live Fijian guitarists we quickly passed through custom checks before getting our luggage and were very soon on our way our hotel, The First Landing Resort, named because it is right next to the First Landing village, where, you've guessed it, its where the first indigenous people landed on Fiji.
As a complete surprise the hotel is also next door to a marina, so after a morning by the pool waiting for our room, we took a stroll down to check it out, only to find they have live music to listen to and we found an Englishman who sails out of the marina to talk to. An almost perfect Sunday afternoon. We didn't stay up too late that night, as we are being picked up for our transfer to the Fiji Princess, our cruising home for the next five days.
So far it feels like we've been away weeks and travelled half way round the world, where in fact we've not yet been away a week, but have in fact travelled half way round the world!
Let's see what the next few days bring.
stay safe and stay in touch
Michele and Dave
Not on board Alhambra, somewhere in Fiji
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