Day 8 - Santa Monica to LA

It was finally time to head inland and to LA. We rejoined Highway 1 to flashing lights - the police were gunning it down the highway! We were so excited, thinking that it was potentially a car chase, and kept a mindful 75 mph behind them. Imagine our disappointment when they pulled up next to another patrol car and exchanged cash for donuts. What a scandal. Still, it was enough to whet our appetite and we decided to head to Ventura to visit Walmart . It was amazing and horrific all at once. Row after row of cheap but not entirely desirable goods. I stocked up on bottled water and Krafts Mac & Cheese, but then had a terrible public bathroom experience. Not one for the faint hearted, and I certainly wasn't man enough. In no time at all we were back onto Highway 1 and headed to Malibu.

Malibu didn't seem to have much to offer beyond the beaches and the lengths of real estate that bordered those, so we kept on driving through to Santa Monica. We'd had a tip about a good Mexican restaurant from Kami and had been starving ourselves in anticipation. Good thing too because the starter platter for two and main plate for one maxed us out. The corn chips were the second best we've ever eaten, and we even had them for dessert. The owners loved it that we'd driven there on a recommendation from London, although not so much that they would share their salsa recipe.

Having eaten our approximate joint body weights, we decided to walk it off, heading down through the shops to the beach. It didn't take us very long on the beach at Santa Monica to realise why surfers wear wet suits - it was freezing! We headed down the Boulevard for Venice Beach, passing Cha Cha Chicken with overeater's remorse. Venice Beach was very much the Camden equivalent to California's London. There were freaks and geeks and everything in between. We spent a couple of hours there watching people showcase their wares and selves, boys playing basketball and enjoying the free compliments group. There were some good acrobats and a freakshow, complete with a two headed turtle.
Driving into Downtown LA, we had a car to car dance with a car full of kids having a great singalong to some old school Tupac. Then the smog was upon us and even the Hollywood sign was almost totally obscured. Downtown LA was quiet since it was a Friday night, and felt very like Canary Wharf at 8pm, but without drunk people. So nothing like Canary Wharf at all. Particularly on a Friday. We headed to Casa for yet more Mexican food, and this quickly became a favourite. They make amazing guacamole (the spicy one was particularly spectacular), the best corn chips, and I ended up having their atun y masa twice in a row. Yum!