La for the day,
We all were still asleep at 9.30am American time, we missed breakfast so we had to check out and we left our bags at the hotel and headed into Down town LA on the metro system.
When we just about to get moving this man sat down and said... "Oh you are Australian.... or British, you look like you are from there." We told him we were Kiwis and he told us he prided himself of knowing where people were from. He kept us entertained for the next fifteen minutes helping us find what line we were supposed to go onto next.
we eventually found ourselves in downtown LA. We brought some good old fashion lemonade and pretzels and headed to the information centre to find something to do. Our plan was to go to the zoo however the zoo was going to take too long to get there so we didn't head there. the lady at the information centre was amazing and gave us some great places to walk to and look around.
We headed out with our map and drinks and first we headed to an open air Mexican market. Music and heaps of entertainment. Dani was keen to spend spend spend at all the stalls so we moved her onto the oldest Catholic church that was across the road. The sign with the original name for Los Angeles It was beautiful inside and I do believe we gate crashed a large christening and first communion that was going on in the back part of the court yard we wandered into.
The children were way over the top with beautiful white dresses and babies in beautiful shinny clothes. I couldn't take my eyes off them. Little boys all decked out in white shinny suits with top hats and tails. Far away from what would happen in NZ. I took some sneaky photos.
We headed to the museum which was on our list of things to do. We learnt a great deal about Mexican culture in there there was also a mock up of the main street way back when and the kids could go into the store and work old fashion tills and pretend to buy produce etc.
I talked to the ladies down stairs and asked their recommendations on somewhere to go eat and we ended up in a traditional Mexican restaurant which was just down the road from where we were and we headed in. There was a band leaving (Imagine the band of men all dressed up with banjos that come to your table and play... that was what was leaving).
Its hard to order when you don't know what you are ordering so our lovely waitress helped us out. And the food was outstanding. Corn chips brought to the table and many other little treats for the kids. Colour pencils and a colour sheet that was also their menu.
Lindsay and I had shrimp tortillas while the kids had chicken and rice, Rice and beans came with the meals they were really amazing. I'm really impressed at how everyone is embracing trying new things.
One of the options to do on the list was to go to the city hall where you could go up right to the top and walk around and get views all around the city. It was a block away and what a walk it was. It was four in the afternoon and the homeless had started to set up for the night. It was a interesting conversation with Dani and Boston that some people actually lived in the streets. Boston couldn't believe it that people were setting up little tents right there on the footpath and interesting enough the most people setting up tens were doing it outside the Federal Court House and City Hall. I imagine it has something to do with security there. I had a glance in one and there was a girl not much older than Noah asleep in the tent on a sleeping bag. I am guessing its easier to sleep during the late afternoon and early evening that actually at night. It was a sad sight.
We had to go through security to get into city hall and get visitor stickers on to go up to look around. The old security guard made me laugh, he was a very elderly African American man that probably couldn't have done anything if someone had tried anything however he was backed up at the main desk with huge buff military type men who would have taken you down if you looked at him the wrong way.
Two lifts and a flight of stairs and it was well worth it. The view was outstanding. Probably something you are not going to experience again and its free and a popular tourist attraction.
We then headed on the Metro back to the hotel back to get our bags to head onto our next stage of the journey onward bound towards Costa Rica
When we just about to get moving this man sat down and said... "Oh you are Australian.... or British, you look like you are from there." We told him we were Kiwis and he told us he prided himself of knowing where people were from. He kept us entertained for the next fifteen minutes helping us find what line we were supposed to go onto next.
we eventually found ourselves in downtown LA. We brought some good old fashion lemonade and pretzels and headed to the information centre to find something to do. Our plan was to go to the zoo however the zoo was going to take too long to get there so we didn't head there. the lady at the information centre was amazing and gave us some great places to walk to and look around.
We headed out with our map and drinks and first we headed to an open air Mexican market. Music and heaps of entertainment. Dani was keen to spend spend spend at all the stalls so we moved her onto the oldest Catholic church that was across the road. The sign with the original name for Los Angeles It was beautiful inside and I do believe we gate crashed a large christening and first communion that was going on in the back part of the court yard we wandered into.
The children were way over the top with beautiful white dresses and babies in beautiful shinny clothes. I couldn't take my eyes off them. Little boys all decked out in white shinny suits with top hats and tails. Far away from what would happen in NZ. I took some sneaky photos.
We headed to the museum which was on our list of things to do. We learnt a great deal about Mexican culture in there there was also a mock up of the main street way back when and the kids could go into the store and work old fashion tills and pretend to buy produce etc.
I talked to the ladies down stairs and asked their recommendations on somewhere to go eat and we ended up in a traditional Mexican restaurant which was just down the road from where we were and we headed in. There was a band leaving (Imagine the band of men all dressed up with banjos that come to your table and play... that was what was leaving).
Its hard to order when you don't know what you are ordering so our lovely waitress helped us out. And the food was outstanding. Corn chips brought to the table and many other little treats for the kids. Colour pencils and a colour sheet that was also their menu.
Lindsay and I had shrimp tortillas while the kids had chicken and rice, Rice and beans came with the meals they were really amazing. I'm really impressed at how everyone is embracing trying new things.
One of the options to do on the list was to go to the city hall where you could go up right to the top and walk around and get views all around the city. It was a block away and what a walk it was. It was four in the afternoon and the homeless had started to set up for the night. It was a interesting conversation with Dani and Boston that some people actually lived in the streets. Boston couldn't believe it that people were setting up little tents right there on the footpath and interesting enough the most people setting up tens were doing it outside the Federal Court House and City Hall. I imagine it has something to do with security there. I had a glance in one and there was a girl not much older than Noah asleep in the tent on a sleeping bag. I am guessing its easier to sleep during the late afternoon and early evening that actually at night. It was a sad sight.
We had to go through security to get into city hall and get visitor stickers on to go up to look around. The old security guard made me laugh, he was a very elderly African American man that probably couldn't have done anything if someone had tried anything however he was backed up at the main desk with huge buff military type men who would have taken you down if you looked at him the wrong way.
Two lifts and a flight of stairs and it was well worth it. The view was outstanding. Probably something you are not going to experience again and its free and a popular tourist attraction.
We then headed on the Metro back to the hotel back to get our bags to head onto our next stage of the journey onward bound towards Costa Rica
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