Los Angeles: the Beauty and the Beast

19 Dec 2006: The Getty Centre. Finally a place of beauty in Los Angeles. I was beginning to think this town had no beauty. I´ve been settling into a rhythm of disappointment in LA (I had to stay here last night on my way to Guatemala). Of course, not that I expected much from LA. My last experience passing through LA and checking out Santa Monica and Venice Beach left me underwhelmed, so I suppose it´s not surprising that Hollywood should leave me with the same feeling. It certainly did. I´m staying in a hostel populated by people all taking the LA-Las Vegas- San Francisco trail. They are either all paying lip service to the idea that LA is cool, or they seriously do get off on the Kodak Theatre, the Walk of Fame etc etc. All of which I found astonishingly tacky. I am usually able to woo myself into a ´get amongst it´attitude, but not with Hollywood. The fakeness of everything: faux European, faux tropical, faux chic - chose your theme: LA strikes me as a mass of borrowed motifs strung thoughtlessly and callously together. On Hollywood Boulevard, a star plaqued with Bing Crosby´s name is fronted onto the street by a cheap souvenir shop or a tacky hocker joint. It just feels as though the whole area is selling something that is no longer authentic or vibrant, if it ever was. I really dont know how actors and directors chose to hang out here, or how they find inspiration here. But enough grumpiness! I have actually enjoyed LA, it has sparked in me a morbid fascination. And, of course, I did ´get amongst it´and go for a fun night romp around the Sunset Strip with fellow travellers ( I got to the second ´place round of this crazy bull ride competition at ´the Saddle Ranch - an apparently famed bar on Sunset Blvde, which features in an episode of Sex and the City).

So then, today, coming to the Getty Centre was pure bliss- a haven of wonderful architecture, art and gardens overlooking LA high up in the Santa Monica Mountains. I simply loved it. I went photo mad, and tried to take all these arty shots - the angular architecture with travetine stone blew my mind!!!
Photos to come... My camera requires the use of software for uploading, so I need to get them put onto CD at a camera shop first.. hmm. I´ll figure it out.