From Los Angeles California..The Phish!

One of the much discussed topic in our house and in this country in general is whether LA is a city to be loved or hated (actually to take a step back, the "hate" camp sometime argue that LA does not even qualify as city in the first place). My housemate HATES the "city" - she vehemently speaks about its pollution, racism, heterosexism, homelessness, anonimity of people...my boyfriend (can't believe I accepted that on print!) adores it and is ready to defend its pollution, racism....
Woke up in the frosty morning in MA and decided I'd dedicate this post to what I remember and love about the "city". I will try and give an objective view and not get all mushy tushy about the fact that this is where I met the boy (hyuk hyuk) :)

The first time I visited LA was in the spring of 2004 - altho i don't think that side of the coast has seasons as pronounced as this side - to me the air sure felt like spring time! I got out of the plane carrying my big fat down coat and stepped into the balmy LA air and the first site that greeted me were the palm trees and the abundant show of skin! Ofcourse, the mad traffic, honking, screeching tires, ambulance/fire/cop car sirens were soon to follow but I loved breathing in the polluted but warm LA air. I was on a "sprint break" trip and my friedns made sure i did every possible thing a touristy trip entails - Disneyland, Sea world, Universal Studio, Hollywood Highland, Hollywood sign, Santa Monica beach, the malls and ofcourse Little India (Artesia). I came back moaning about my stupid decision to come to teh east cast instead of teh west and hating the freezing cold.

Now that I've spent nearly a year in that city (if I add up all the zillion trips I've made) , the high points of my visits have changed and the excitement has transformed into this wierd fondness for the city. The city of big cars, big stars and a countless homleless, where no one ever walks the streets and where there is never any place to park your car!

Anne - who is visiting CA for the first time was asking me what are the "must do" things in LA. So here's what I came up with : (the economist in me always prevails and my posts invariably degenerate into a list!)
1. Venice Beach : Yes it's a commercial, crowded unadventurous beach and nothing like Zuma or whatver else you beach veterans fancy but I still love that place. There can be nothing like joggingon the sand from Venice till the end where the carousals start, splashing thru the occassional waves, chasing the sea gulls and jumping over sand castles! If that's not good enough, there is still the zoo to visit and get yourself a slice of pizza/ Argentinian what-do-you-call-it and a softy and watch the animals pass by! My favorites are the old man in a turban, a flowing robe, playing the banjo and on roller skates (what a multi tasker!) and ofcourse the really gross one whose pic is above - the short muscle man wearing nothing but a US flag undie! He really cracks me up :)
The less illustrious ones are the young performers (usually rap singers and dancers), the tarot card readers, palmists, painters, trinklet sellers..It's a yankee version of dilli haat, added charm that it's on a beach!

2. Temescal Canyon (is that what it's called??) : I am talking about the one where there are different trails and from one of the trails you can get a magnificent view of the pacific ocean. Is it Temescal?? Our favorite trail is this steady climb (only about 2.5 miles though) where you pass a little stream, then a littler waterfall near a really cute wooden bridge, then a hill top with the great ocean view and the scary looking path going up somewhere in the distant right. The trail ends at the Delhi "ridge' type park (everything reminds me of delhi it seems!), with it's picnic benches. Ummmmm wish I was there RIGHT NOW!

3. Runyan Canyon: This is not as fancy as the Temescal, my fondness is mostly due to familiarity. During the month that I was stuck in LA with not much company during the day I would walk dwon to the Runyan, do a bit of yoga at the front lawns and then climb up to the top. It's an easy climb, takes anywhere beyween 20 mins to 40 depending on what u r trying to accomplish. There are some turns in the path that give really lovely views and on a REALLY clear day you can see the ocean and some far far away ships on it. One from one of teh corners you get the most amazing view of the entire city stretching upto the blue line of the ocean.
Somehow my favorite side is when you reach the top and go behind the bushes from where you get the best view of the Hollywood sign and the hills splattered with all celebrity houses, their blue pools, colorful umbrellas and the pretty colors of flowers and shrubs mingling witha lll the expensive arhcitecture. I've never seen a person in those hills - those houses look like beautifully expensive haunted houses!