East Downtown LA & LACMA

“you probably worked out you're not in Kansas anymore”

Today we sought the American Apparel factory store. Our bus driver recommended we get off well before we should have. Not knowing entirely where we were, we wandered through the Fashion District ($99 for two suits!), Flower District (religious bouquets!), Textile District (fabric!) & Produce District (including a massive Coke bottling plant!). Note: All Districts populated entirely by Mexicans, so most signage wasn't in English.




Finally found the AA factory store hidden behind a giant produce market. Cool store with multiple bargains which made the trek worthwhile.




When we left the store we realised the sun was on it's way to setting despite it being 2.30pm. We headed back toward Downtown on foot since the buses only take correct change which we didn't have. We saw these horse-mounted police so snapped a photo (obviously).



This gave away our secret tourist identity. The following conversation ensued:

OFFICER 1: Are you guys tourists?
SAM&SARA: Yep.
OFFICER 2: Where are you guys from?
SAM&SARA: New Zealand.
OFFICER 2: What are you guys doing here? You don't want to be here
SAM&SARA: Just been to the American Apparel factory store.. heading back to downtown. We don't have the right change for the bus
OFFICER 2: Did you get some discounts? If you're not in downtown by the time the sun sets, start running
OFFICER 1: Where are they from?
SAM&SARA: New Zealand.
OFFICER 1: New Zealand... you probably worked out you're not in Kansas anymore
[laughs]
OFFICER 1: What's the big city in New Zealand?
SAM&SARA: Auckland
OFFICER 1: There's probably a place like this there right? You know, skid row... a place where people hang out smoking drugs & taking drugs...
SAM&SARA: [pause] No.

They recommended we break a note at a dairy & bus home, so we bought some Gatorade & caught the next bus. Even though we had walked through this area earlier in the day, when it seemed quite fine, apparently everything must change after sunset. We got off at the La Brea Tar Pits (Sara says they're from My Girl) which are a surreal sight in the middle of a metropolis.





Next door is the LA County Museum of Art (LACMA) which has a sweet installation of antique street lamps outside.





Inside were some incredible paintings etc which must be worth literally billions. Seriously. Here are some that we saw but didn't photograph ourselves because that is forbidden.






Tomorrow we'll go to Santa Monica & Venice Beach (original plan was Magic Mountain but it is closed on weekdays during 'winter' so it's off the menu altogether). We are home now & have just microwaved & consumed two hot tamales! YUM.