LA rocks man! Had the most amazing time.

Leaving JFK was an absolute nightmare. There is only 1 queue to check in for every flight and there were people everywhere. I kept getting sent to different places until a lovely airport girl took pity on me and jumped me to the front of the queue. You have to take your own luggage to another queue once you're checked in to get your bags x-rayed. Then there's another queue to x-ray you and your hand luggage and then I was one of the lucky chosen ones to be searched as well. They emptied all my hand luggage which had taken me ages to fit everything in then they just threw it all back in! Nightmare!

Timezone changed again when we reached LA - I'm now 8 hours behind the UK. Slept for the whole 6 hour flight but still knackered when I arrived! The hostel I'm staying in is brilliant www.bananabungalow.com. Felt a bit nervous when I arrived cos this is the first Hostel I've ever stayed in but within an hour I was chatting to loads of people. My dorm room has 6 bunk beds and a bathroom per room. The people in the room change every day but I haven't had any problems with anyone so far. Everyone from the Hostel was going out that night - I was really tired but it was Saturday night in LA, I couldn't stay in! We first went to a bar which had a cabaret show with the Kit Kat girls - it was terrible, not much off a strip joint and the drinks were well over priced - $9 for a vodka and coke. Stayed for 1 drink then went to the Rainbow Bar where the rest of the people from the Hostel were. Crazy place - it's a rock bar full of strange people, saw some amazing sights and a few of LA's plastic surgery dolly birds! Pink was in the bar when we were there but I never saw her - must wear my glasses next time! Bloody raining when we left the Rainbow - not amused, this is LA!

Woke next day to pouring rain. Not much to do when it's raining! Went for something to eat with Martina, a girl from Holland. She's travelling for a year and 3 months into her trip. Hung about the Hostel for the rest of the day - bored out our minds! Got talking to a girl called Emma, whos from London. She'd met a woman on the bus who had told her about a party in the Hollywood Hills and gave her the phone number for it. So she calls this number and a guy gives her the address - we didn't really know what sort of thing it was so didn't want to go alone - ended up Emma, myself, Martina, Carlos and Gregg. The 2 boys have made a film and are over here trying to promote it and get some funding. Well, I don't even know how to describe this party. The guy who owns the house used to work in the Theatre industry and he lost loads of cash so basically he has a party every 2nd Sunday, where loads of people from the industry come. Everyone pays $6 and there is food and drink there. We took our own beer but paid the cash anyway. The house is bizarre. He's lived there for about 30 years and filled it with knick knacks. There were 3 foot cuddly toys on the ceiling, stuffed animals, cabinets full of ornaments, paintings - I really can't tell you what it was like! The party was very quiet, apparently because of the rain. Everyone was intrigued by the story of how we found out about the party but nobody seemed to mind that we were there. It was mostly older guys who were there - all a bit strange but friendly enough. There were musicians doing open mic and everyone seemed to be trying to network. It was a good evening but the most bizarre experience I've ever had!

Went to Venice Beach the next day with Martina - she wanted to get a piercing but didn't want to go alone. Venice Beach is lovely, gorgeous beach but full of freaks! There was a rastafarian about 60 years old, roller blading up and down whilst playing the guitar and various other strange sights! Martina got her piercing, made me come in with her and thought I might pass out when I saw the needle but really not that bad! Really wanted to get one myself but too much aftercare so couldn't be bothered. Went for dinner afterwards in a really nice italian place called Frankies, I later found out it was started by Frank Sinatra!

LA city tour next day. Saw all the sights - Beverly Hills, Bel Air where all the stars live, Hollywood Boulevard where all the stars names are in the pavement, Manns Chinese Theatre where all the hand and footprints are, Kodak Theatre where the Oscars are held, Venice Beach again, Santa Monica, Hollywood Sign - also saw the place where the LA riots started - very rundown area and downtown LA which is well scary. There's a street where all the homeless people street and there was so many of them - our driver said most of them are on drugs and we saw a few people totally off their head. Went out tonight with Emma - a girl I met in the Hostel - got a bit pissed, not like me!

Hangover day! Didn't do much - shopped for a bit on Melrose, got a few bargains, then went back to bed! Highlight of LA was tonight though! Oceans Twelve Premiere was showing at Manns Theatre so a load of us from the hostel went down to stand outside - very near the front. So exctiving - Brad Pitt walked right pasy us - twice!! Thought I might die! Also saw George Clooney, Bruce Willis, Matt Damon, Catherine Zeta Jones, Michael Douglas, Katie Holmes, Chris Klein, Heidi Klum, Andy Garcia - I could go on! It was totally amazing! How do you top that?

Universal Studios today - so much fun. Rides are bloody scary though, even the simulators! The Mummy Returns is a roller coaster in the dark, amazing - Back to the Future, terrifying, also saw a special effects show which was really cool. Ate at the Hard Rock Cafe - never been to one before - really good food, not that expensive and the stuff they have on the walls is fascinating. Went out tonight cos it was my last night in LA - went to a really skanky pub that had a mechanical bull and full of tarty girls! We made the most of it though and drank a few shots of something or other! Then we met Samuel L Jackson's daughter (or she claims to be!), took her photo on my phone - talked to her for ages - so star struck! Went back to the hostel and partied all night, not much sleep at all. I met a guy at the Hostel who I really like but he's going back to the UK next week so c'est la vie!

Was just going to chill out today and maybe go to see Oceans Twelve but ended up going to Six Flags Magic Mountain with some other people from the Hostel. It has the scariest rides you have ever seen in your life. I couldn't go on half of them - too scared. Trust me, not a good idea to go to a scary theme park when you've only had 1 hours sleep! Got totally soaked on the 2nd ride we wnet on - I mean drenched - mobile cut off and everything. Thought that was it but it worked again a few days later, phew! I've got some good photos on that phone!

Quite sad to leave LA - I've had such a fantastic time here but I think it's more to do with the people I met than LA itself. Was on the flight to Fiji with another guy from my hostel so at least I had some company. Total drama at the airport. LAX was just as bad, if not worse, than JFK. Then as we were having our hand luggage scanned, some guy shouts 'el guapo' and everything stops. We wnet allowed to move and the machines were all switched off - the staff all started running, some to a locked office and the others ran to cover all the exits. Then there was silence for about a minute and then someone shouted false alarm and everything went back to normal! Next stop Fiji!