I don't deserve to be called a tourist if I will not tour, won't I? It has been three days since I arrived in Sta. Clarita, California, and I think I'm all ready to start my adventures. There have been endless reminders popping up along the way reminding me that I am now officially a foreigner. From the disruption of my internal body clock, to converting measurements to the imperial system, to overwhelming choices of TV channels, and to eating In-N-Out stuff for dinner. This is indeed America!
I was overwhelmed with excitement as I got up this morning to get a taste of my "first tour" in places I have only seen in pictures and in movies. I was told it's pretty typical in the US to be eating meals on the road so it wasn't a surprise when we stopped over at Jack in the Box's drive-thru in Valencia for a breakfast on the go. I stuffed myself with a $2.99 Jumbo Platter, a brekky loaded with pancakes, bacon, hash browns, and scrambled eggs minus the coffee. I preferred getting a grande-sized Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappuccino for $4.75 since the Starbucks drive-thru is just right next to it.
The itinerary was a surprise because I wasn't briefed where we were going that day but we just drove 41 miles down south for an hour and a half until we reached Santa Monica Boulevard and we turned left at Ocean Avenue. I was holding my breath as we were approaching an iconic entrance of a popular century-old landmark in Santa Monica and my heart almost skipped a beat when I saw the arch that reads Santa Monica Yacht Harbor. It was insane but I couldn't believe my eyes when I realized that we were in the place where the movie Forrest Gump was shot.
Santa Monica Pier is a favorite place for moviemakers and is indeed one of the most filmed places in Los Angeles. Some of the notable movies that were filmed in this place are Ironman, 2012, Forrest Gump, Cellular, Hancock, Hannah Montana: The Movie, Rocky III, The Net, and a lot more which I haven't even seen yet. The Playstation game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas also featured the entire area as its reference for real-life elements of the pier. The Pacific Park is an amusement center that serves as one of the highlights of the pier, known for its Ferris Wheel that is being powered by a solar panel. We hopped into one of its platforms and I can't help but be in awe as I see the breathtaking view of the entire beach and the pier from the top.
We then walked towards the long-wooden pier where a flock of anglers is gathered to fish and it's amazing to see them all fired up with a big catch. I didn't think twice to waddle along the shore like a kid chasing a racing ball. And the trip will not be complete without taking a snapshot of what they say the most popular roadway of the US, the famous street sign Route 66: End of the Trail which marks the end of its legendary highway. It's just the start of the day but I am already overwhelmed with such buzz.
After roughly three hours of enjoying the trip to the pier, we drove for another 9 miles northeast through Santa Monica Boulevard where we passed by the Beverly Hilton, and at the end of the Rodeo Drive, we stopped by the Beverly Hills Park just for the purposes of... yes, what else but endless photoshoot. Everywhere I point my lens to is magnificent that I wanted to capture everything as if I'm contributing pictures to Google Street View. A picture at the Beverly Gardens Park with the Beverly Hills sign as a backdrop is a little compulsory for visitors who have come to the place as this serves as the insignia of the glamorous ambiance of the most widely recognized landmark of this place.
We took a long walk, about a mile towards the southeast, through Beverly Drive traversing Santa Monica Boulevard, and took a right towards Rodeo Drive. I soon found myself mesmerized and captivated at the stunning beauty of the Rodeo Drive Walk of Style. I was breathless having to step on the pavements where Julia Roberts walked in the movie Pretty Woman as my sister constantly recounted what I was completely clueless about (these are the times you wished you have seen the movie so you can relate to what is being talked about). It is a place of absolute and ultimate glamour and style where people live and breathe the art of fashion and design. I was completely in awe!
I lost track of time until we all realized that we are already in famish so we drove a mile from Beverly Wilshire Hotel to another big tourist attraction where hundreds of food stalls await starving travelers. At the corner of 3rd Street and Santa Monica Boulevard is the Beverly Hills Farmers Market, a place for foodies where mouth-watering cuisines in almost endless choices of American, European, Asian, and the Mediterranean are available. Somehow, I have $96 in my wallet so I can probably buy anything I want, not knowing what is worth pricey or cheap when I see the rates (rule of thumb: do not convert to your local currency, you'll end up buying either too expensive or too chintzy).
I went around and I couldn't decide what to eat. I was quite amazed at how I felt like I have already toured around the world in just a few minutes witnessing the diversity of cultures in seeing different races and faces in one single place. I saw an Indian family flocked at one single table, a Greek couple trying out a moussaka, Korean children taking selfies in an oriental food stall, Latinas greeting everyone "Hola!" and few other faces I couldn't guess where they were from.
I came to a section where Middle-Easterners showcase their finely-cut meats grilled in a vertical rotisserie with an irresistible aroma that is evidently Arabian. That's when signage caught my eye that says "Shawarma @ $12" which got me stirred. I've tried a lot of authentic Mediterranean and Persian restaurants in the Philippines but I've never tried eating shawarma in a restaurant. Back in my country, shawarma is street food for people who want to get stuffed without having to spend a lot. But this is Beverly Hills! So, I think eating shawarma in a world of glamour must be exquisitely posh.
So I got served with a plate of overflowing mixed vegetables of lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, onion, pickles, and parsley. The meat is probably beef, I couldn't tell, but I was once told that authentic shawarma is stuffed with either lamb, goat, or turkey wallowing in hummus or garlic yogurt. It smelled really delectable and I couldn't wait to get a bite. It's when I wondered if I really ordered shawarma or something else because it doesn't look like one. It was served on a plate! So I thought, well, this is Beverly Hills, so probably this is how it is being served here. Shawarma with style and elegance. So I mixed everything on the plate using a plastic spoon that came with it and took my first few bites.
While munching and enjoying this classic grub, I noticed something lying on a paper right next to the plate. It looked like pita bread. And I had to recall if this came along with the plate. Oh, it had to be! It's when I realized that when stupidity strikes, it's really pouring. I didn't figure out that it's a sort of DIY shawarma and I had to be the one to wrap them all up in the pita bread before eating. Or probably, I was asked if I want it to be served wrapped or on a plate, but I couldn't remember. Maybe it's the effect of being overjoyed or too hungry to think properly. But above all, I really enjoyed this experience.
Just right after eating, we drove northeast-bound to another 5 miles through Sunset Boulevard until we reached the traffic-infested streets of Hollywood Boulevard. A trip to the commercial and entertainment district of LA is not complete without going to see sights like the Chinese Theater, Hollywood Wax Museum, Ripley's Believe it or Not, Hard Rock Cafe, Madame Tussauds, El Capitan Theatre, and the highlight of them all --- the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
It was a very busy day, of course, because it's a Sunday, so the expectation was met --- there's a sea of people at the Hollywood Walk of Fame that it's almost impossible to even read the names in each of the stars because there are feet everywhere. I immediately searched for my favorite set of the constellation and I was overjoyed to see stars of Steven Spielberg, Michael Jackson, Walt Disney, Julie Andrews, and a few others. The rest, they're covered with feet.
We then stopped by at the TCL Chinese Theater, known for immortalizing the hand and footprints of the stars. There was a handful of them and of course, I had to take a snapshot of Michael Jackson's as well as other stars. Just right next to it is Madame Tussauds Hollywood, a three-story wax museum that features more than a hundred wax figures of famous celebrities including King Kong, the biggest wax figure in the museum. Marilyn Monroe and Shrek are actually the ones displayed at the entrance and lobby to entice people to see more inside.
It was a tiring, exhausting, and dizzying day but it’s all worth the trip fulfilling one of the greatest dreams to see all these spectacular views and tourist spots in almost just a blink of an eye.
More pictures at the Gallery:
2 - Beverly Hills
Comments