After a 'quick' stay at the Sahara hotel which was sadly subpar and didn't measure up to my expectations, except for an awesome pool where I relaxed whenever I had the time and met a lot of cool people, I have now arrived at USA Hostel in Los Angeles. The hostel is on a side street to Hollywood Boulevard, so you can walk right up and see the Walk of Fame, and there are a lot of great stores and shopping malls perhaps half an hour up to an hour's walk from the hostel, so everything is very near.
The trip from Las Vegas to Los Angeles with a Greyhound bus was perhaps the worst bus trip I have ever experienced. So many things just went wrong due to sad circumstances, and it seems that because it is an inexpensive trip, it just attracts all the freaks of the world. I think I'll have to save the sad, miserable details, but in retrospect I would not even consider any other way of travel as it has provided me with multiple bursts of laughter whenever I think back.
After an entire day's sleep the day before yesterday (due to the fact that it was simply impossible for me to sleep on the bus), I kicked off my stay with a good night's drinking, and I suspect tonight will be very similar. Nobody gives a shit about I.D. around here, apparently, and that keeps me happy. :-)
Keep commenting!
6/28/08
6/22/08
Dear, oh, dear...
Well, I'm sad to say that I have forsaken this blog greatly since I left Washington D.C. It has never been my intention, but not only have I been extremely busy since I arrived in Las Vegas, I have also had limited access to the internet.
So finally, as I'm sitting on the Sahara hotel where the internet connection, which is just as bad as the one in Washington D.C., costs twelve bucks for 24 hours, I have time to settle down and write a post about my many adventures in not only Washington D.C. but also in and around the Las Vegas area.
After my last post, I went to the National Archives, the Lincoln Memorial and the Jefferson Memorial. It is certainly quite a walk, and also due to the intense heat, a trip on foot like that drains you completely. However, I still had fun on my last night before I left.
When I arrived last Saturday night, I went out directly to see the Las Vegas Strip on which all the colorful hotels and casinos lie. It is a magnificent sight, but we didn't make it long, as we, naturally, managed to get a bit drunk and just hanging out with people around the middle of the Strip.
Before we followed up with another night of drinking, this time a little heavier, we went to the Stratosphere Tower where there are three rides at the top of the tower. After that, we went again to the center of the strip. Though I'm still too young to buy alcohol, it certainly helps to have friends that can. And there certainly are places where they don't care about age restrictions, especially in places where the cheap beer is in high demand.
However, there was one incident that really made my blood boil. We were walking around with beer and we wanted to get on the bus. Not knowing we weren't allowed to bring alcohol on the bus (seeing as how the rules in Nevada are different and you are allowed to drink beer and alcohol on the streets), the bus driver said to us, while we were paying, that the bus was full (although it clearly wasn't), and he said: "Good luck with those beers on the next bus." Instead of simply telling us that you can't have alcoholic beverages which would have prompted us to leave the bus without any trouble, this piece of white trash bus driver apparently had nothing better to do with his time than be rude and attempt to humiliate people (he failed by the way, as it's impossible to feel embarrassed among strangers).
Still, it was the first time I really experienced American rudeness (and I suspect it won't be the last).
The rest of the night went smoothly, but it was the second night in a row I came home late, around 5 a.m., and this resulted in a severe lack of sleep.
Monday, we went on a long bus trip to the Grand Canyon. Not only was the trip a lot of fun, the sights were awe-inspiring and massive. I got some great shots I hope to share with you when I get back, if not before. It was really a fun day (despite the fatigue which really took a toll on us) and our bus driver was hilarious and had the coolest accent, like an old jazz singer.
I spent most of Tuesday sleeping because of the incredible lack of sleep I had suffered under, and I got refreshed. Wednesday I made sure to go all the way down the strip to get all the pictures I could as well as shoot a movie of the fountain show at the Bellagio, although it is much nicer in real life.
Thursday, I went out and looked at a few stores, and I bought myself a new adapter to the laptop, having forgotten the original one in Washington D.C. (this definitely being me in a friggin' nutshell). Also, it seems that every city I've been to, getting to the smaller places and the good shopping areas, you have to travel quite a while and with most metro systems or transit systems generally lacking, you need to walk a lot, and it takes almost the entire day to get around. At first, it's frustrating walking the 7,8 miles to get to the specific mall to get to the specific stores, but at least you burn all the fat you gain when you eat around here.
Friday, I spent relaxing at the hostel, that being my final night before going to the Sahara hotel. I just watched some DVD's and wrote a bit on my screenplay (now 1/3 finished and a lot more will be finished in the days to come due to the solitary hotel room where you can't meet new people like at the hostel). I just hope it'll get done before L.A. In any case, I hope I'll be able to post a bit more in the following days.
And please do continue commenting 'cause I really do love reading them.
So finally, as I'm sitting on the Sahara hotel where the internet connection, which is just as bad as the one in Washington D.C., costs twelve bucks for 24 hours, I have time to settle down and write a post about my many adventures in not only Washington D.C. but also in and around the Las Vegas area.
After my last post, I went to the National Archives, the Lincoln Memorial and the Jefferson Memorial. It is certainly quite a walk, and also due to the intense heat, a trip on foot like that drains you completely. However, I still had fun on my last night before I left.
When I arrived last Saturday night, I went out directly to see the Las Vegas Strip on which all the colorful hotels and casinos lie. It is a magnificent sight, but we didn't make it long, as we, naturally, managed to get a bit drunk and just hanging out with people around the middle of the Strip.
Before we followed up with another night of drinking, this time a little heavier, we went to the Stratosphere Tower where there are three rides at the top of the tower. After that, we went again to the center of the strip. Though I'm still too young to buy alcohol, it certainly helps to have friends that can. And there certainly are places where they don't care about age restrictions, especially in places where the cheap beer is in high demand.
However, there was one incident that really made my blood boil. We were walking around with beer and we wanted to get on the bus. Not knowing we weren't allowed to bring alcohol on the bus (seeing as how the rules in Nevada are different and you are allowed to drink beer and alcohol on the streets), the bus driver said to us, while we were paying, that the bus was full (although it clearly wasn't), and he said: "Good luck with those beers on the next bus." Instead of simply telling us that you can't have alcoholic beverages which would have prompted us to leave the bus without any trouble, this piece of white trash bus driver apparently had nothing better to do with his time than be rude and attempt to humiliate people (he failed by the way, as it's impossible to feel embarrassed among strangers).
Still, it was the first time I really experienced American rudeness (and I suspect it won't be the last).
The rest of the night went smoothly, but it was the second night in a row I came home late, around 5 a.m., and this resulted in a severe lack of sleep.
Monday, we went on a long bus trip to the Grand Canyon. Not only was the trip a lot of fun, the sights were awe-inspiring and massive. I got some great shots I hope to share with you when I get back, if not before. It was really a fun day (despite the fatigue which really took a toll on us) and our bus driver was hilarious and had the coolest accent, like an old jazz singer.
I spent most of Tuesday sleeping because of the incredible lack of sleep I had suffered under, and I got refreshed. Wednesday I made sure to go all the way down the strip to get all the pictures I could as well as shoot a movie of the fountain show at the Bellagio, although it is much nicer in real life.
Thursday, I went out and looked at a few stores, and I bought myself a new adapter to the laptop, having forgotten the original one in Washington D.C. (this definitely being me in a friggin' nutshell). Also, it seems that every city I've been to, getting to the smaller places and the good shopping areas, you have to travel quite a while and with most metro systems or transit systems generally lacking, you need to walk a lot, and it takes almost the entire day to get around. At first, it's frustrating walking the 7,8 miles to get to the specific mall to get to the specific stores, but at least you burn all the fat you gain when you eat around here.
Friday, I spent relaxing at the hostel, that being my final night before going to the Sahara hotel. I just watched some DVD's and wrote a bit on my screenplay (now 1/3 finished and a lot more will be finished in the days to come due to the solitary hotel room where you can't meet new people like at the hostel). I just hope it'll get done before L.A. In any case, I hope I'll be able to post a bit more in the following days.
And please do continue commenting 'cause I really do love reading them.
6/12/08
A little late, but... Tribute to New York!
I apologize for the late post. Explanation coming up...
After three weeks in New York City, I sadly had to leave Loftstel Greene Avenue. I had an awesome time there, and as I've written several times before, I have nothing but praise to that hostel and its staff. I've met a lot of interesting and friendly people that have made the stay extremely enjoyable. I really hope I'll be able to stay in contact with most of them.
So, a big thank you to all the people I've met on my trip so far! I hope I'll see you all some day.
I've had a great time in New York, yet I still feel like I've had way too little time. I know for certain that this will definitely not be my only visit to the Big Apple. I would certainly recommend everyone to go there, just for the experience.
So, the reason why this post comes so late is due to the Internet connection here at Loftstel which is terrible. You have to time your actions, so you don't click on a link when the connection disappears for a few seconds. It's annoying, but I suppose you get used to it.
Anyway, Loftstel here in Washington D.C. is very different than the one from New York. It's much more laid back, and as I'm only here for six days total, I'm not able to get to know the people here to the extent that I did in New York.
Yesterday I went out and saw the Washington Monument, the White House and the Capitol. I got some great pictures of those places, and I hope to post them as soon as I get the software for my camera installed. Anyway, I'm off to see some museums now (if I make it in time).
After three weeks in New York City, I sadly had to leave Loftstel Greene Avenue. I had an awesome time there, and as I've written several times before, I have nothing but praise to that hostel and its staff. I've met a lot of interesting and friendly people that have made the stay extremely enjoyable. I really hope I'll be able to stay in contact with most of them.
So, a big thank you to all the people I've met on my trip so far! I hope I'll see you all some day.
I've had a great time in New York, yet I still feel like I've had way too little time. I know for certain that this will definitely not be my only visit to the Big Apple. I would certainly recommend everyone to go there, just for the experience.
So, the reason why this post comes so late is due to the Internet connection here at Loftstel which is terrible. You have to time your actions, so you don't click on a link when the connection disappears for a few seconds. It's annoying, but I suppose you get used to it.
Anyway, Loftstel here in Washington D.C. is very different than the one from New York. It's much more laid back, and as I'm only here for six days total, I'm not able to get to know the people here to the extent that I did in New York.
Yesterday I went out and saw the Washington Monument, the White House and the Capitol. I got some great pictures of those places, and I hope to post them as soon as I get the software for my camera installed. Anyway, I'm off to see some museums now (if I make it in time).
6/6/08
Art vs. Alcohol!
My posts usually start out: "So for the last few days I've..." However, I'm not going to start out that way today because nothing much has happened since my last post. Instead, I'll try a different approach as I've just been hanging out at the Hostel and still managed to do several things.
On two separate occasions, I've met up with my brother's girlfriend who's a flight attendant, and both times have been wonderfully laid back. It's fun to get the feeling that nothing is really that far away, and that home is still close.
Mostly, I've hung around at the hostel, and people are coming and going all the time, but it's completely fascinating to meet new people all the time and especially getting to know people that are here for a longer period because they come to seem like regulars, and thus they have a larger impact on me as I get to know them better. The people here are just so diverse and I've never experienced such variety before.
Today, four days before I leave for Washington D.C., I've had the pleasure of going to art galleries. I've never understood the idea of serving alcoholic beverages at these places because it seems to defeat the purpose. I mean, do we really need to get drunk just to understand the art? Still, it was a very enjoyable day, and we got to get free drinks, so it was all in good fun.
Other than that, I still haven't seen Coney Island, and that is an absolute must even if I have to go alone. As far as the progress of my script, I've gone absolutely nowhere. Nothing amazing or extraordinary is happening, yet there is still so much going on that I haven't written for quite some time.
On two separate occasions, I've met up with my brother's girlfriend who's a flight attendant, and both times have been wonderfully laid back. It's fun to get the feeling that nothing is really that far away, and that home is still close.
Mostly, I've hung around at the hostel, and people are coming and going all the time, but it's completely fascinating to meet new people all the time and especially getting to know people that are here for a longer period because they come to seem like regulars, and thus they have a larger impact on me as I get to know them better. The people here are just so diverse and I've never experienced such variety before.
Today, four days before I leave for Washington D.C., I've had the pleasure of going to art galleries. I've never understood the idea of serving alcoholic beverages at these places because it seems to defeat the purpose. I mean, do we really need to get drunk just to understand the art? Still, it was a very enjoyable day, and we got to get free drinks, so it was all in good fun.
Other than that, I still haven't seen Coney Island, and that is an absolute must even if I have to go alone. As far as the progress of my script, I've gone absolutely nowhere. Nothing amazing or extraordinary is happening, yet there is still so much going on that I haven't written for quite some time.
6/1/08
Jazz On The City
In the last few days I've stayed at another hostel, Jazz On The City. Compared to Loftstel, it was pretty lousy due to a few number of factors. My main complaint is the small bed. My feet were sticking out, and though I did manage to fall asleep, it was in no way comfortable. Still, it was nice to be so close to Central Park and midtown which I went to all the time during my stay.
I'm glad to be back in Loftstel. It really is a great place to be, and the people here are absolutely great. And of course, I kicked off my stay by joining a party which was really, really fun. Most definitely one of the best nights I've had here.
I've seen most of the main sights in New York City. All I'm missing now is Coney Island. As I've seen most of the city already, I'm lucky to just be able to spend time with all the great people at the hostel, and I can continue the work on my script which has been temporarily and involuntarily on hiatus.
I'm glad to be back in Loftstel. It really is a great place to be, and the people here are absolutely great. And of course, I kicked off my stay by joining a party which was really, really fun. Most definitely one of the best nights I've had here.
I've seen most of the main sights in New York City. All I'm missing now is Coney Island. As I've seen most of the city already, I'm lucky to just be able to spend time with all the great people at the hostel, and I can continue the work on my script which has been temporarily and involuntarily on hiatus.
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