We arrived on New Year’s Eve and spent the next few days between Runyon Canyon, Venice Beach and the Pacific sunsets.
Jen and I fly in from Costa Rica on New Year's Eve to cool, crisp air and sunny, blue skies. There is a sense of order and structure in this sprawling megacity of 11 million. It's a different feeling from Costa Rica, but not unwelcome. In fact, so many places in LA afford a sense of openness and access to the natural environment, with its never-ending coastline on one side and a beautiful series of arid mountains on the other.
We've arrived with just enough time to plan a New Year celebration – dinner at the quirky and colourful Ivy restaurant. Delicious food, intoxicating drinks, but we're utterly exhausted from the day's travel. Sleep summons before midnight for the first NYE ever! Getting old? Maybe. But it's the best start to 2015, minus the regretful, horrendous, swear-I'll-never-do-it-again hangover.
As always, Jen is up to speed on all the best experiences this city has to offer. For us, LA serves up a cornucopia of food, from the indulgent through to healthy, organic and vegan options like Cafe Gratitude, where the menu is genius. In between meals and coffees, we walk and explore, tandem-cycle the Pacific promenades, shop, see Malibu, get lost in Runyon Canyon, people-watch at Venice Beach, visit the billion-dollar Getty Center, get a good laugh in at Comedy Central and continually get a feeling of déjà vu as scenes from movies leave the impression that we may have been here before.
Another wonderful segment of our honeymoon. As always, thank you, my darling Jen.
EAT and us (too many of me)
More by Jen, which is why I feature
Los Angeles is wedged between spectacular landscapes: an endless Pacific-facing coastline to the west and mountain chains inland. With more time and without an injured ankle, I'd love to return and explore more of its rugged scenery. For now, I am content to get lost in the arid Runyon Canyon with Jen. We meander through the maze of tracks and steps whilst enjoying the views of LA and the ocean from high up.
Venice Beach – some people hate it, some people love it. I fall into the latter category. It is chaotic, intense and full of people from all walks of life.
We are watching skateboarders pull off airs in the sprawling skate park when we notice a crowd gathering on the sand. As we approach, the sound hits us ... we feel the vibrations and power of the beats before we see the drums.
Somehow, seemingly impossibly, this haphazard group of drummers produces a sound of incredible rhythm and intensity, punctuated by lulls and crescendos. The sound is intoxicating, raw and primal, and this group lose their bodies and their minds to the music, to the resonance. Some dance with grace and technique, while others, too affected by drugs, look clumsy and cumbersome.
As the sun meets the horizon, the body of people breaks from their circular form and dances toward the sea. It gets louder and louder until the sun vanishes and cues the waiting police officers to end the sun dance.
Warm hues in tonight's sunset and our last night in LA.
