Los Angeles Trip

My thoughts about Los Angeles

What makes Los Angeles unique for me is the large cars Americans ride, vibrant nightlife, fun-loving people, politeness and courtesy, pleasant climate, squirrels roaming in parks, beautiful sunsets, and the fact that many Hollywood movies originate from here. However, remember that living here requires a good salary, otherwise, you might just end up homeless. Overall, it's a city I love and admire, the only thing I don't like is that there are so many homeless people.

READY FOR DEPARTURE

My five colleagues and I flew to Los Angeles on Turkish Airlines. As I entered Los Angeles, a large American flag greeted me, assuring me that I had indeed arrived in America. After passing through passport control, we considered renting a car to get to our hotel, but since we were only staying for three days, we decided it would be more sensible to use taxis in the city. The weather was beautiful with hardly any clouds, allowing me to see the entire sky clearly. Our hotel was close to the city hall and had a rather nice appearance for a municipal building. I think the nighttime illumination adds an important detail.

The plugs used in Turkey are quite different, and those used in America are even more so. Turks actually use European-style plugs, so if you're going to America, you'll definitely need an adapter. I charged my phone with the MacBook Pro charger for a while, and when I woke up in the morning, the first thing I needed to get was an adapter

Perch French Restaurant

When we settled into the hotel, the night was still young, and we wanted to go to a restaurant called Perch. They serve fantastic French cuisine, and on the top floor, people are dancing. You can take beautiful photos here, and that's exactly what we did. Everyone turned their backs towards the tall buildings one by one and took photos.

Culture Shock!

Turkish breakfast is very different from that of Americans; we eat things like cheese, olives, tomatoes, and eggs, and we always have tea. However, since we were in a different country, we wanted to taste their cultural foods, so we had croissants and coffee for breakfast. However, my croissant was garlic-flavored, and I had thought it should be sweet; for example, it could have had chocolate inside. To get rid of the garlic taste in my mouth, I also bought a donut from across the street. I think I've found enough energy to explore for the day now.

Angels Flight Railway

The place where we had breakfast was very close to the Angels Flight funicular. I had seen Angels Flight many times while researching Los Angeles on YouTube. It's a system that takes people up and down, like a horizontal elevator or a tram that can climb upwards. Plus, its color is very pleasing.

Our hotel was very close to a Downtown neighborhood called Little Tokyo. While walking along our tour route, I came across a fantastic old American car and took a photo of it. It looked amazing parked in front of a new high-rise building.

Walk of Fame

The Walk of Fame street was largely open, but as with many streets in Los Angeles where a film set could be happening at any moment, there was one here too, and the road was closed. Nonetheless, we still tried to explore everything. Our only misfortune was not being able to see the stars with the names of Muhammad Ali and Michael Jackson.

OSCAR AWARDS 2024 Hollywood

Later on, as we were walking, we noticed an area fenced off with wire. We later realized that it was the place where the Oscars were being awarded that day. We approached to get a closer look, and seeing the red carpets surprised me. At that moment, I thought to myself that I could also win the best tourist award, but of course, such a category doesn't exist.

Los Angeles City Tour Bus

After this point, we took sightseeing tours within the city with the tour buses, exploring the neighborhoods of Beverly Hills and the mountain roads near the Hollywood sign. Here, we toured around the homes and villas owned by some of America's most famous individuals. However, I must say, this type of tour didn't excite me much because I was seated on the right side of the bus, and there were no significant points for taking photos. I could only take a photo in front of the house where Michael Jackson passed away. If I had been seated on the left side of the bus, I probably wouldn't have been very excited either because I'm not interested in celebrities' homes. Besides, these buses don't go to the location of the Hollywood sign; you need to hire a special vehicle for that.

Santa Monica

Our next stop was Santa Monica. Santa Monica is one of the best places to watch the sunset, so we came to the seaside both for dinner and to enjoy the beautiful sunset. As we walked along the beach in Santa Monica, there's an entertainment center where people gather, offering various foods, and some people ride the Ferris wheel; you can take some beautiful photos here. Additionally, this is where Route 66 ends.

Route 66

Route 66 is one of America's oldest roads; people used these roads for commercial purposes in the past, it's a long and thin road that probably passes through Las Vegas as well. Also, I must mention that I saw a seal at the furthest point of this place, and people were feeding it

Graffith Observatory

The Griffith Observatory offers the most stunning view of Los Angeles. It's actually a research center where they study celestial bodies, so we're only touring its grounds and surroundings; hopefully, this doesn't distract the scientists from their work. Additionally, from this point, you can easily see the Hollywood sign and take some beautiful photos; there's even a hiking trail for sports enthusiasts. Moreover, the building housing the observatory looks very beautiful and, in my opinion, is the most beautiful spot in Los Angeles.

Hollywood Sign

The Hollywood Sign is quite far from the city center and sits atop the mountains that divide the sprawling city in half, right in the heart of Los Angeles. To reach this iconic symbol familiar from flying helicopters and planes in movies, you'll need a special vehicle. However, it can also be seen quite nicely from the Griffith Observatory. The large letters stand tall enough to be visible from all over the city.

Beverly Hills

Beverly Hills is where the wealthiest people in Los Angeles live, and you definitely won't find any homeless people here. I think it's forbidden to sleep here. It's quite orderly and filled with well-dressed couples holding hands. I saw beautiful streets, lovely parks, and elegant hotels. Many American celebrities live here, and you can enjoy a beautiful cityscape from here.

9-11 March 2024