Back in Los Angeles - Venice Beach again

Trip Start Aug 26, 1994
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11
Trip End Sep 18, 1994


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Flag of United States  , California,
Monday, March 10, 2003

DAY 23 SAT I awoke rather early and lay in bed for a while before stumbling groggily to the showers. I felt most unwell and, after reading the directions on the bottle of sleeping pills, realised that I had taken twice the recommended dosage. After a plate of cereal I walked woozily around the block before deciding that I didn't feel up to visiting Universal Studios. I was down to my last $60 and had no idea how much the departure tax would be (it turned out to be $22.95). While walking to FW Woolworth to buy a can of chunky soup for tea I noticed that "Clear and Present Danger" was showing at the Odeon and decided to see it in the afternoon.

At lunch I wobbled down to the Santa Monica Pier to buy a hamburger. The movie at 1pm cost me a mere $4.25 and proved to be very enjoyable. With time to kill before my big chunky soup dinner, I walked all the way to Venice Beach again and had a strawberry shake at a place along the way. The "buskers" soliciting money and attention were as fascinating as they had been on my first visit; a Michael Jackson impersonator, several astrologers, many incense sellers, painters of revolting plates, protein-deficient vegetarians, grim members of the Atheist Society, a dog wearing sunglasses and a fool who balanced on a basketball while juggling a buzzing power saw.

My hostel room stank of unwashed clothes and it was with great relief that I descended the stairs to the dining room for my last dinner (if you can call a can of chunky soup dinner) on American soil. On my way back I noticed that the smell had spread to the hall and, rather than face the room again, decided to delay my return and watch CNN on the communal television. Joel, my black-as-the-ace-of-spades English room mate, asked if I'd noticed the smell. He had placed the offending sneakers outside our room, much to the displeasure of the Norwegian hikers occupying the other two bunks.

DAY 24 SUN My shuttle bus arrived a little late, which meant that the driver had to drive at excessive speeds to pick up his other passengers. This man would have been an extremely successful tuk-tuk driver in Bangkok, though I have never heard a Thai use such colourful language when berating other drivers for the slowness of their pace. I arrived at the airport with time to spare and, after buying an orange drink, donated the remainder of my small change to the homeless of LA. The plane trip home took 14 hours, but the three movies made it easier to bear. At 9.15pm I strode out of the customs area into the arms of my weeping family. Margaret could not believe that this sun-browned hunk of physical fitness was the same pallid creature who had left her only three weeks earlier. The boys hovered shyly, their eyes flickering constantly to my back pack as they tried to estimate the number and size of the presents contained therein.
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