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Mittwoch, 18. März 2020

My trip to Los Angeles in the Corona era - Part 2


The day 2

 

Next morning, it was Friday, the 13th, I woke up at 4 a.m. I had only slept for a few hours. The jet lag was noticeable. There was still three hours to kill until breakfast. But when you're at home in social media like me, time flies relatively quickly. I also had to reassure all of my friends and relatives at home who wanted to know if I was okay. I didn't understand the whole hype. I knew that Europeans were no longer allowed to enter the USA, but I didn't care. On the contrary. I thought it would be better if the tourist attractions weren't so crowded.

I never thought that the world could change like this within two days. Switzerland needed weeks to decide to ban at least major events. In Switzerland all restaurants were still open and in Germany football matches were still held in front of an audience. By the time the Americans take action against Corona spread, I'll be on my way home again.

For me it was clear that as a European you just can't enter. You can always leave, I thought. Swiss comes with empty planes and picks us up, or they delegate it to another company. I thought. When I think about it now, it becomes clear to me that I didn't really think about it because I really wanted to go to LA. I am like a pit bull. If I bite into something, you can hardly stop me.

After breakfast Alejandro picked me up.

"Universal studios are closed," he said as we drove off.

"What?" I asked insistently.

"Yes. Likewise museums and other attractions. »

"What do we do now?"

"We could go to Hollywood Hills and visit the Griffith Observatory," Alejandro replied. "The observatory is closed, but the view from the top is terrific!"

So we drove to the hills. It was pouring rain. Alejandro kept showing me places from where you normally see the Hollywood sign. But the rain covered every view.

"Hopefully we'll see something there," I said.

«Hey, that's LA! Here the weather can suddenly change! Alejandro replied cheerfully.

On the way he showed me where the scene from "Papi Chulo" where he and Matt Bomer go hiking was filmed. We were alone on the way to the hills. Empty parking spaces lined the way. They looked ghostly. Only a coyote came towards us.

"What a coincidence!", Said Alejandro. "A coyote!"

In the film "Papi Chulo", coyotes symbolize loneliness. It was a special coincidence that we met one here.

When we got to the observatory it was still raining heavily. The fog joined the rain. There was no mention of the view. The high-rise buildings of Los Angeles were known far away. We took some photos and drove back. We stopped at a Starbucks Coffee to have a coffee and plan the rest of the day. Alejandro lives in LA for many years. He has a small apartment in the Hollywood district and knows everything you need to know there. We drove to a hill on which there were a lot of beautiful Victorian houses. The rain subsided somewhat. We went for a little walk. On the way back he showed me a place where "Fast and Furious" was filmed where he played a supporting role. It was where Paul Walker always ordered his sandwich.

We also drove to a small lake where the "Papi Chulo" boat scene was filmed.

For lunch we went to a wine shop. He knew that I like to drink wine. The food was great! The wine too. A young man played latino music on the guitar. We considered where we could go. But there weren't many options. Visiting the beach when it rained made no sense either.

«I have to help my sisters prepare the party tonight. If you want, you can come with me. »

"I don't want to bother you," I replied.

"You are not bothering. Everything is closed here anyway. »

I was honored that he invited me to his home. I know that the family is very important to him.

«However, we will have to spend the night there. The ride takes 3 hours with the rush hour. And the party is already tomorrow afternoon. »

"Do you have room for me?"

"More than enough!" Alejandro replied.
 

To be continued…

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