Los Angeles: Land of plenty

by Marisa

While I sit here watching the streets outside my house get covered in snow (that's actually sticking to the ground), I thought I'd check the weather forecast for tomorrow and the rest of the week - MORE SNOW! How the fuck am I going to walk on the snow-covered sidewalk tomorrow for 25 minutes to the tube? I could always see if Loki would let me borrow her UGG boots! Oh wait, she's saving those for Moscow...

Meanwhile, my husband's out in Los Angeles "on business". Yesterday he spent the day riding bikes along the beach, and today he's going hiking in the hills. This is after last nights sushi dinner and today's breakfast of huevos rancheros! He's staying with our friend in Venice who has a prescription for weed - you know, to take the edge off - so they made a pit stop at the FARMACY - otherwise known as the weed supermarket.

I guess it depends on what you're after... Yeah, there's loads of cheesy people in LA with fake tans and fake boobs, lots of traffic, the parties aren't that good, and most of the bands suck, but I'd be happy to suffer in exchange for the sun and a life outdoors. The £ keeps dropping anyway, so its not even like I can say "well at least our dollar is worth twice as much as yours" anymore... Boo.

You be the judge:

WEATHER
Snow in London, Sunshine in LA (and a little rain, but they need the rain to grow all the trees and fruit!)



MALIBU
One of my favorite places in the world. Where the cliffs meet the sea. This is Zuma Beach. A rad beach where you walk down a big cliff to get there. Pretty awesome sunsets on the West Coast too!


AVOCADO TREES
You don't get guacamole without avocados and in California, the trees are everywhere. You probably didn't know they grew on trees because all the fruit and vegetables in the UK are imported from other countries. Good for your skin and tasty too, there are as many avocados in Cali as there are potatoes in the UK.


LEGAL WEED
They have weed supermarkets! Yes, I am not shitting you. Stores that only sell weed.


And they sell every kind of weed you can imagine. All those names you may have remembered from reading High Times - well, they're real, and they're all there - on sale - legally.


HIKING THE HOLLYWOOD HILLS
This is Ruyon Canyone. A friend of mine lives just at the base and goes hiking every morning before work. There's all kinds of hikes in LA. And you can't hear the traffic or smell any pollution - there is REAL nature in LA.


THE COFFEE BEAN & TEA LEAF
In LA, there are guilt free options of everything. The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf is a chain, but its a good one. Their iced coffees are the shit and one summer I got addicted to their Vanilla blendeds (with an extra shot of espresso).


MEXICO
Proximity to Cabo San Lucas. You can fly to Cabo for like $150 and stay somewhere really amazing and beautiful and cheap. And eat lobster anyway you like it. How pretty is that water. The sand is also white.


Proximity to Tijuana. Just across the border in TJ, not only can you go to crazy Mexican raves, but you can also get prescription drugs without a prescription.


Oh - and when you want a burger, there's no better burger in the world. Order that animal style.



London's home for now, but I sure as hell wouldn't mind being on my way to hike in Laurel Canyon, catch a sunset in Malibu, or pick some avocados off the tree in my backyard instead of sitting on my laptop, looking out at the snow and watching Loius Theroux on Dave.