NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 2 – It is the land of opportunities, or so they say. The world’s only super power and a nation that many envy.
It was the first time I set foot on this much hyped land and I knew from the moment I landed at the Washington Dulles International Airport that I was going to have an exciting time.
My schedule was tight; being there to ‘ensure that our very own’ Barack Obama wins the election.
Having visited Washington, Maryland, Illinois, California and New York, I have made up my mind that Los Angeles, California is the place to be.
The weather is inviting, people friendly, many fun places to go to and most of all Hollywood is here.
The exciting thing about Hollywood is the Walk of Fame, where all the movie stars, musicians, writers and others who are mighty and famous in America’s entertainment industry have a slab of star with their name engraved at the middle.
And being the Kenyan I am, I had to take a photo next to the star of Sidney Sheldon one of my favourite novelists.
The stars are marked on the pavements on both sides of the road and I can tell you from experience that it’s almost impossible to get to the end of it. I tried and it did not work!
Then I spotted a signpost labeled ‘Hunted forest witches castle,’ then below it ‘I’d turn back if I were you.’ They go ahead and indicate the directions to the castle stating it is only one mile away.
I decided not to turn back but to explore further only not in the castle.
So next was the Grauman’s Chinese theatre where you get the latest Hollywood movie releases. The stars also come here for a premiere of their movies.
The Hollywood Wax Museum, Guinness Museum, Guinness world of records is also here.
And all fans of ‘Ripley’s believe it or not’ raise your hands please. It is here as well. All the recordings of the show are done in their magnificent auditorium.
It is booming business for people who have worn costumes personifying characters like batman and parents have to part with a few dollars to have their children pose for a photo with the characters.
Souvenir shops are in plenty and you can get all the Hollywood favorites ranging from framed photos of some celebrities, Hollywood clothing… everything you would want to buy is here. One of the favourite items I walked away with was a nicely framed picture of Eva Jacqueline Longoria, my favourite character in Desperate Housewives. She plays as Gabrielle Solis.
Universal studios
Next on my tour was the Universal Studios; an expansive facility covering over 400 acres. It gives one the feeling of stardom, and for a moment, I feel like a star.
The ‘Studio Tour’ is exhilarating and deeply engrossing. You get to see what happens behind- the –scenes in the making of a Hollywood movie.
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