Day 8 - Tuesday 27th September 2005

Having checked out of the Hotel, we were picked up putside by the Budget Car Rental bus, who ferried us to their main depot so we could pick up a 7 seater which we would use to make the trip to Los Angeles.

Fresh from driving the 400bhp Dodge Viper, I think Sam was brought down to earth pretty quickly, but he volunteered to drive anyway.

Ten minutes out of Vegas it was lunchtime and 1st stop. A monster meal later we were back on the road. The scenery was no less spectacular than the previous days drive to Lake Mead, only this time it was much straighter. The lanes of concrete stretching far off into the distance took up much of the route, combined with steep climbs and falls through valleys and over the mountains.

The landscape altered the further we travelled. In Vegas it was barren, rocky and deserted. Towards Los Angeles and the coast, greenery started to emerge, as did the hoardes of traffic seeking to move around the giant metropolis. Despite the masses of car, the traffic moved freely and we soon arrived in the city.

We found the hostel suprisingly easily, considering the size of LA. We checked into the Orbit Hostel and were pleased with what we saw. That is, except for the sleeping arrangements! Dave and I were to become more intimately acquainted over the next few days, being left with the double bed to share.

After a quck shower and change, we had an Argentinian for dinner, before attempting to find out where was hot and where was not for our first night in the city. The hostle listed a nimber of places to go out for each inte of the week, and for Tuesday they recommended a place called Kabbalah or something like that. We had a few drinks at the hostel, and just caught the end of a stand up comedian that they had laid on for the guests enjoyment. Mind you, after hearing his final joke (What do you call a threesome with two sheep? A menage a baa) we were not too disappointed we hadnt caught the rest of the show.

We went to the recommended club, which turned out to be an eclectic mix of folk. It seems LA has reverted to a 70`s punk rock style of dress. Anyway the music was good, the drinks flowed and before we knew it, it was 2am and time to head back to the hostel for a welcome early night. Relatively anyway, compared to the few days in Las Vegas.