In the morning I went down to the lobby, and there the first person I saw was Charlie Chaplin!
I partook of breakfast. A buffet was available for a little under $10. I learned that while there was always someone around offering coffee, getting a refill of tea was a lot harder. It was fascinating watching people trying to get to grips with the self-service toast maker. Some didn't realise that the rack was moving, and so tried to push their bread all the way in. Others did not realise that the speed could be varied, and so put their bread through several times if the speed was set high.
After breakfast I turned right out of the hotel and walked a considerable distance along the Walk of Fame (I could swear that Gene Autry has at least 4 stars!). Following Trigger's footsteps I photographed Mann's Chinese Theatre (now showing - Billy Crystal in 'Analyze This') opposite the hotel, and the Hollywood Sign through a gap where a building had been demolished. I also decided to compare the American McDonald's with the British at lunchtime. Although the packaging was different, the menu was similar.
After lunch it was time to drive out to the airport. This is when I realised that my map of LA did not include the airport. Nevertheless, I set off in the right direction, and followed the planes. I couldn't follow the signs to the airport as I didn't see any (freeways are better). After some trial and error I found an entrance to the airport, and drove around looking for the car park for terminal 6 (once I had worked out from the signs that that was where I wanted to be). I never did find it, so I settled for terminal 5.
In episode 6 - will I catch the plane? Will we recognise each other? Will I see a racoon? Will I pass the dog test?
© 2001. Copyright Sue Nethercott.