Forth attempt to leave Los Angeles...

Thus far I have failed to leave Los Angeles three times. The first was due to hurting my ankle and not being able to move around much, therefore making traveling to a new location rather pointless until it had healed. The second, I tried to organize to drive myself to San Francisco... which didn't quite work. Sigh. The third attempt was just two days ago when my new friend Sandra and I had organized this awesome 2-week driving trip to Las Vegas... the fact that she is now in Mexico instead gives you a pretty good idea on how that worked out.

You know how the saying goes "If at first you don't succeed in traveling around a country for what is meant to be a once in a life time adventure in a foreign country... just, I don't know, try again I guess"

Or something like that.

Anyway so my parents are in America at the moment on a two week holiday, arriving in New York a few days ago and will be flying to Las Vegas in a few days time.

So I guess... Las Vegas it is!

This time there was to be no hire cars (I've learned my lesson) so I would be busing from Los Angeles to Las Vegas, a pretty easy 5 hour trip. Upon waking up I turned my phone on, 5 minutes later I receive a call. It's the bus company... what do they want?

"Hi Aaron, sorry to inform you but your 4pm bus booked with us has been cancelled"

Noooooo way! No no no no! This isn't happening, as if for the forth time the Universe is stopping me from leaving Los Angeles... this is just insane! After my lengthy brief moment of this-is-just-ridiculous-why-does-this-keep-happening freakout however the lady informs me that I am free to take a 1pm bus instead.

Ah, ok, I guess that's alright then.

So... for the forth time now... I say goodbye to all my friends and the staff (who I also now count to be really great friends) at my hostel in Los Angeles. This goodbye, despite my many failed attempts at leaving, actually felt more serious somehow. It was as if everyone (and even me) knew that this time would actually be the day I am leaving for good. The staff were so cool, giving me some really cool goodbyes and well wishes, oh and it just happened to be my birthday (sigh... 24 years old today... I don't want to talk about it...), so a lot of awesome 'happy birthdays' were thrown around the hostel also =)

Man I loved staying at this hostel so much, I made so many amazing friends who have come and gone (the worst part about traveling...); Manuel (Holland), Jon-Paul (America), Lewis (England), Vanessa (Venezuela), Julia (Germany) and Nathan (America), who were the very first friends I made here in America and some of whom I had one of my favourite highlights of my trip with climbing to the Hollywood sign. Mikael (Denmark) who introduced me to the LA Downtown Bookstore (which was amazing) and I spent a day with at the LA Museum of Natural History was just such a cool guy and I really hope to see again someday. Stefanie (Germany) who was just a really cool girl and I loved talking to. Sandra (Germany) and Lorenzo (Italy) I met just the other day who I had one of my most favourite days on my entire trip with. And it was only two days ago I met and became great friends with Adele (France), one of the coolest people I've met on the entire trip.

Just so many countless memories. After 7 weeks in Los Angeles however, it was time to leave.

Awesomely Adele accompanied me into Downtown (where I was to be getting the bus to Las Vegas) which made the trip much more enjoyable, and after a quick goodbye I was gone for good.

The drive was great! 5 hours absolutely flew by (besides the lady that could only speak Spanish wanting to sit next to me despite the plethora of vacant seats available...), and the views on the way were amazing!

I really wanted to get a great shot of seeing Las Vegas out in the distance all alone in the middle of the desert... but just before it came into sight I fell asleep, then woke up as the bus pulled up at our stop in the heart of the city... yay.

It was late in the afternoon by this stage so I went straight to my hostel... which was only $12 a night ha! Although you kind of get what you pay for, the place was good but was in no way great, it was basically like one of those country motels you see in the movies... except there is 8 other people in the same room as you. And I seen 3 cockroaches in the parking lot before I even reached the front door. And they closed the common room at 11pm. Seriously?

Across the road there is two Las Vegas wedding chapels... both of which were surprisingly rather busy! I don't really put much thought at all at how I'd like my wedding to be, I feel I'd be pretty easy going on where it is and what it is like, but even I would draw the line at 'Las Vegas chapel wedding'... ha!

One of the wedding chapels that was across the road. Ladies, get ready for the dream day!

I am really looking forward towards for my parents arrival (I have now been in the states for 7 weeks!), we have some awesome sights and trips planned, including a drive to Yosemite National Park (one of my must see places!) and then heading over to San Francisco. It will be great having some company, not to mention the... generosity of my parents letting me stay in their hotel rooms for a few nights =D

After 7 weeks of hostels, that will be a much welcomed relief!

Until then however I guess I will make some new friends and see what all the fuss of this town is all about. Thus far all I have gathered is that it is rather hot (even for Australian standards) and extremely dry, carrying around water with you is a must.

Let's see what happens shall we?