h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Trip to LA? Seems like you managed to get pretty much everywhere in Southern California worth going to (and LA, too ). Anyway, this'll just be some rambling commentary...

Irony and sarcasm: Americans get it, but government representatives have that portion of their personality surgically removed, along with common sense, sense of purpose, desire to make themselves useful to society, etc. I was once nearly arrested for a comment I made to a Border Patrol officer... he asked "Are you an American?" I said "Si senor." (For the record, I'm so white I nearly glow in the dark.)

A couple of corrections for you for your Buena Park jaunt (which also isn't in LA): Camp Snoopy is in Knott's Berry Farm, and the place with the toast thing (although I've never bothered to go in there) is called "Ripley's Believe It or Not" Museum, named for the lame television show that used to show you things like toast sculptures.

Dead on with the Disneyland thing... except that I've seen people picking up litter. And if you think you would have enough of the place in one day, imagine what it's like having to go there twice a year for school trips. It's been 8 years already, and I'm still sick of it.

Tijuana: forgot to mention the little brats that storm up to you and demand money as you cross the bridge, with their parents encouraging them on. Also worth mentioning is that a lot of the vendors are selling cheap knock-offs of major brands. You could buy a pair of Nike basketball shoes there for $10... but they'll only last through the first half of the game. And if you didn't venture into the pubs, you are missing out on two of the worst things on the planet. One is where some dude wanders around with a bottle of tequila. If someone points you out to him, he'll walk up behind you, pull your head back, and dump copious amounts of tequila into your mouth, while blowing directly into your ear with a deafening whistle. When the tequila stops flowing, he then grabs you by the sides of the head, and shakes it all around. And then there's the other thing... the legendary Donkey Show. I've never seen this thing, and I never intend to (especially since I never intend to go back to Mexico), but TJ is famous for it. Last I heard, though, they were trying to clean up the place, and this sort of thing was supposed to be outlawed.

Speaking as an Australian ( is hard if you're not one ). I'd like to know what the Marquis meant by his comments.

Perhaps the colnel would be able to shed some light on this subject, being a fellow colonial.

Anyway mate it's a ripper of a read but if thats What LA is like I think I'll stay in the outback with skippy, at least he does'nt have any crack in his pouch.

This article does capture a certain side of the SoCal experience, but it is just one side. If you want further comments on this thing other than what I have posted, I'm afraid you'll have to ask more specific questions, since this article rambles about quite a bit... my response would be a Guide entry of its own.