Daniel Cann

Ben desperately wanted to see Venice Beach after watching Oliver Stone’s film ‘The Doors.’ Dave seemed amused and said ‘its a little seedy there guys.’ We shrugged our shoulders and saw it for ourselves. Well after a few seconds I could see what Dave meant. There were lots of beggars, homeless people, crack heads and lots of other colourful characters. Rollerbladers, skateboarders and joggers blended with the pedestrians. There was music, musclemen and games of basketball going on everywhere. It was quite an eye opener after quiet rural New Zealand! I would not recommend going there if you are jet lagged, but it was fun, all the same Ben and I were wary.

There were palm trees and a beach complete with ‘Baywatch’ style lifeguards, but it was not as glamorous as the show! I think Ben and I were realizing that all of our impressions gleaned from film and television fell a long way short of the reality of America.

After Ben had his fix of Venice Beach we caught the bus to Culver City, which was another experience. The bus drivers in America are like typical bureaucrats and jobsworths. Back home you queued quietly, paid the driver who issued you a ticket and you found a seat, no fuss. In America the driver barked at you like a drill sergeant for exact change, shouted at you to ‘Stay behind the line!’ and shot you filthy looks if you did not complete the transaction quickly enough. They did not seem to care if you had finished paying and often we were sent lurching as the bus moved forward while we were still fumbling for the ‘exact’ change. It was another culture shock. I was learning that airport officials and bus drivers in America were very pissed off people!

Travelling through downtown LA was interesting as well. It was a real melting pot and in your face. We passed Arcadia, which sounded like a magical kingdom and finally arrived back at Monrovia in time for our evening meal and a come down! It had been a full-on induction to LA and America and I think we both wanted some peace and quiet. Again I privately thanked Karen for arranging this, as the thought of staying at a crowded hostel downtown was not a pleasant one. It was another Mexican meal with the family and we watched the Oscars on the television.

***

A 5am wake up call from Dave! I vaguely remembered talking about fishing the previous evening and Dave saying something about his own boat. As I rubbed my eyes and regained consciousness it was clear that we were going fishing in Dave’s boat! In a short while we found ourselves at the Marina Del Rey off Santa Monica. It was murky to begin with but eventually it cleared up to reveal clear blue sky.

We spotted a couple of seals and a pelican. The jobsworths were out again as the US Coastguard noisily turned up in a large vessel and aggressively demanded to know what we were doing. Dave nonchalantly replied ‘Fishing.’ Although that should have been obvious: we were in the Pacific and on a boat with fishing lines off the side. I understand security, but I felt the US authorities were a little heavy handed at times. Would DEA agents suddenly burst into Dave’s kitchen that evening and demand to know what was going on as his family tucked into their meal? Would the FBI or CIA jump out of a wardrobe and ask what we were up to? This was before 9/11 so heaven knows how paranoid it is over there now.

Thankfully we were soon left on our own and it was peaceful just sipping a beer or two, watching our lines and enjoying the sun on our faces. I caught a mackerel and Dave caught a halibut. The fishing was relaxing and therapeutic and just what we needed after the fun and games of the previous day. That afternoon on the way back the freeway was packed, but again Dave did not let it bother him and he cracked jokes and kept us entertained all the way back to Monrovia.

The following day Ben and I caught the bus to downtown LA and Hollywood where we spotted the film stars names on the pavements. We also visited the famous ‘Mann’s Chinese Theatre’ with all the handprints and footprints of famous stars past and present. It was all a little surreal, again it was not as glamorous as you are led to believe but it was still good to say you had finally seen it all for yourself. That evening Dave picked us up and we went to LAX for the return of Karen from Hong Kong.

It was great to see her again and share all our experiences of the last few days. Ben and I explained to her that in the space of one day we had witnessed three arrests and a head-on collision at an ‘intersection.’ She smiled knowingly and said cheerfully ‘that’s LA for you!’

The following day Karen took us for a tour in her car. We went for a drive in the Hollywood Hills and on to the San Gabriel Mission, which was founded in 1771. It has the oldest cemetery in Los Angeles County. A crucifix is a memorial to the six thousand Native Americans buried there. I found it to be a fascinating if not sobering place. It was basically a reminder that Spanish settlers had forced the native population to convert to Christianity. On a lighter note Karen took us to a friendly Mexican diner where we ate tacquitos and burritos while she regaled us with stories from South of the Border. Karen had done a lot of deep sea diving and had travelled in Mexico and Honduras among other places. She really was a free independent spirit.

It looked like we would be going our separate ways soon as it was coming up to the Easter Holidays, which is a family time for everyone, especially in America but Dave floored us by inviting us to join his family on a trip to Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon! I just could not believe his hospitality and generosity towards us. Obviously we accepted and all there was to do was to leave the next day.

That evening we drank and Dave played his guitar. Judy and the children wisely had an early night. The drinking continued into the early hours of the next morning. Dave and Karen were clearly close and they shared the same sense of humour and laid back approach to life. We had been very lucky to meet them and now we had a fabulous trip to look forward to (if we managed to wake up the next morning!)