My Own Piece of Hollywood Glamour
It was one of my dreams that if and when given a chance to travel to America, I would definitely visit California. There must be something to this state that the majority of my Kabayans choose to stay in and call it their home. Apparently, as of 2018, there are more than a million Filipinos living in California alone.
California is a huge State with so many well-known attractions which made it difficult to decide where to go especially for someone who had limited time and resources to travel. Enticed by the glitz and glamour of Hollywood movies, I chose to visit a city in Southern California that is called the City of Angels – Los Angeles.
The name Los Angeles comes from the Spanish language which means “The Angels”. It is home to the glamorous area of Hollywood, which is synonymous to fame and fortune, probably due to what the movie and television industry has to offer. It is a dream place for people who aspire to work on the silver screen. I was lucky that my chosen accommodation was located at the Hollywood Boulevard where the most photographed street in L.A. is situated, the Hollywood “Walk of Fame”. It was literally right in front of the doorstep of my hostel. Across the street is Hollywood and Highland Center, a shopping mall and entertainment complex that offers views of the Hollywood Hills and the famous Hollywood Sign.
The streets were busy day and night with construction works going on, which I thought was a normal scenario in the area. But I found out later that actually what intensified it was the Oscar Awards that were to take place in the next 3 days. I felt sad as I was scheduled to leave the day before the awards night. On hearing this I thought of extending my stay in L.A. thinking that it would be perfect timing for me to see the ‘big stars’ in the flesh since the red carpet, where they are often seen being photographed had already been rolled out from the entrance of The Dolby Theatre which is right across the street opposite the hostel. Unfortunately the price of accommodation within and along the Hollywood area has gone through the roof and beyond my budget.
Continuing my schedule I joined the walking tour organized by the hostel which took us to Downtown L.A. which is the financial center of the city, the Old Mexico area. Then we headed to the Los Angeles City Hall, as well as many of the city’s notable sites such as The Bradbury Building and the Union Station that have been used as filming locations.
Visiting the Los Angeles City Hall was part of the free walking tour organized by the hostel. The above photo was my moment giving a speech to my fellow tourists. Another bout of wishful thinking!
This photo was taken at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), which was one of my favorite architectural sites.
I remember when I was waiting for my transportation to the LAX Airport, that I was interviewed by someone from ABC Los Angeles TV Station about my view as a first time tourist visiting L.A. He then asked me about the Oscars which unfortunately made me very uncomfortable as I had no actual idea who the contenders were at that time.
However, the thought of appearing on USA Television, even from an ambush interview, was a fitting culmination to my wonderful stay in Los Angeles.
You may want to see my blog about my visit to Washington DC as well.
