A lovely little town called, Trenton... (in pictures)

PuppetFest Midwest - An overview of 6 days...

There was so much that happened in the six days (six days that felt like a month, they were so intense) - so, I’ll try to break the rest of the festival down into sections.

The Food:

During the festival, we got fed about 6 times a day. It was incredible how much food I ate in six days.

My week consisted of getting up about 6:30 to shower and join the rest of my new found family for breakfast in a real American canteen - just like you see in the movies. Then classes start at 8:30am until the next food break (morning tea) where I rejoined my puppet family to share stories of life, puppets, experiences and hopes and dreams. Then back to class until lunch - back in the canteen. After more food, conversations and more laughter than I’ve had in a lifetime - it’s time to back to class. Of course, just until the next food break of afternoon tea (as if you haven’t had enough food yet) and by this stage I know every person and their stories so well - I spend even more time laughing together and telling even more stories about hopes and dreams. But the best part is - these people know how to get your hopes and dreams - because simply, they’ve already got them. Then, after the last class session for the day, we break around 3:30-4pm for a small nap (or just digestion) and some afternoon activities until dinner time.

Food - so much food and merriment!

I honestly had to ask the canteen ladies every day at every meal time what all the meals were. Some things seemed so foreign to me, mostly because everything is coated in a strange yellow cheese and also because everything also had very different names. Tatters and Tatter-tots are something I’ll never forget - especially because the next day was followed by ‘Tatter-tot casserole’! And every meal - even breakfast - was served with a desert. Honestly - even with my determination of living like an American for a month and experiencing the ‘real’ American way - after a few days I found myself going to the salads bar more and more... But I must say I did enjoy it all - even if my waste-line suffered...

Then in the evenings after dinner - it was back to the theatre for more world-class puppetry and then partying at Pam’s Place with drinks, MORE food and so much laughter at your cheeks and belly would ache (from too much food as well as too much laughter).


The performances:

Suspended Animation - by The Huber Marionettes (Phillip Huber)

This was just amazing. Phillip made his puppets really come to life to the tiniest details and characteristics - his technique was really impeccable. So good - you nearly don’t want to even attempt to become a puppeteer - but at the same time is so inspiring your bones ache.



Finding Home - By Monica Leo

This performance was so full of such heart, I found
myself unable to recover with tears at the end. She told a story of her life growing up as a second generation German in rural Texas after the war. She told her story with such honesty and with humor about her family - a type you can only have when you share so much love. She used a type of pop-up books for her sets and found objects and finger puppets to tell her story.

Tangle of Tales - by Grey Seal Puppets (Drew Allison)

One of the funniest performances I’ve ever seen. His style was hand-puppets and moving mouth puppets. During his performance, he showcased a bunch of fairy tales that were linked with some
comical weird-object puppetry dance - highly entertaining. His comedy was so funny and got the crowd crying with laughter and the kids screaming and yelling along with enthusiasm. His show was definitely one of the highlights of my festival experience and it gave me such inspiration for my own shows!

Puss in Boots - by Paul Mesner Puppets

Paul had a team of puppeteers and was the only show at the festival not to do a solo show - which was very valuable for me to see. It was again extremely funny and with humor that was both for the adults and the kids. He had some fantastic rod-type puppets that were just a joy to watch (even some puppet nudity) - so much so - that I often was so entranced I couldn’t follow the plot line!


Randel McGee and Groark

This was fantastic. A ventriloquist where his puppet could not only talk while his puppeteer had his mouth closed - but could also play guitar. Groark has so much life and character and presence, that even as an adult I forgot that he was only a puppet. Truly incredible. The pair had such a loving rapport with each other - it was like a cheeky father and son pair.


The workshop:

Randel and Groark

At the festival, you have a choice of intensive workshops you can follow but you can take only one (e.g. puppet-building, marionette skills, puppet business skills, etc.). I took Randel McGee’s ventriloquism class. Why? I’m not entirely sure - it drew me in and was the main reason I applied for the scholarship to the festival. Mainly because I saw his videos online and thought his act was one of the most fantastic things I’d ever seen - and also because I’ve always been a performer on the stage, rather then behind a stage, so the idea of being on-stage with your puppet appeals to me.

Performing with Suzie

On the first day of the workshop, I honestly have to say I felt a little overwhelmed - and we hadn’t even picked up our puppet yet! I had no idea ventriloquism was so complicated! It’s almost like learning a whole other language as you not only have to try to keep your mouth closed when you speak - but you also have to replace certain sounds with other sounds that are similar so that you to keep your mouth still. Like replacing a ‘b’ sound with a ‘d’ sound, e.g. no longer ‘bag’ but ‘dag’. But after a few days I started to get the hang of it. It also helped that after the first day of classes we were no longer allowed to speak in class normally and could only speak in ventriloquise, which was quite amusing when visitors would come into our class from time to time.

Groark, Randel, and his wife Marsha

The most important thing I learnt in Randel’s class was about the interaction you must make with your puppet, i.e. you are no longer one person - you are two and you have to think for two. We also spent time in developing our puppet characters, puppet performance techniques and professionalism, script writing and also just lots and lots of insight into Randel’s 30 years of experience performing with his puppet Groark and the amazing support of his wife.

By the end of the 4-day (all day each day) workshop, I had put a 3-4 min skit together to be performed with my puppet, Suzie the Dinosaur. Randel had mentored me with my performance techniques and gave me directions of how to be on-stage, polished my script writing and my interaction with Suzie and even helped me with my comedy skills. With some practice in class and in my downtimes between classes - I did start to feel a little confident at the end. Although I knew I still had so much to learn - I was confident with what I had achieved in order to pursue my new found skills on my own. I must say, it also greatly helped that we were all ‘forced’ to perform our little skits on-stage, in front of the entire festival for both the highly experienced and the total beginners like myself.

My ventriloquism class:
Suzie & Me, Groark & Randel, Mikey & Jenna, Jenny & Carol

I think I was more nervous then I was walking by myself down the streets of Downtown L.A. - but I did it and I conquered. And to my surprise - everyone was laughing. And not laughing at me - but laughing at all my jokes in all the right places and loudly too! I couldn’t believe it! I’d have to add - this was the most supportive bunch of people I’d ever met (besides my parents of course) so I think a lot of it was in support for me as then seen how far I’d come. But even still - I couldn’t have been prouder.

Pam’s Place:

I think Pam’s Place made the festival for me. It was the perfect place to unwind from the heavy studying and eating all day and form strong friendships and connections with some amazing people that I know I will have for the rest of my life.

Pam’s Place is a shop front that was hired and transformed into a cafe/bar setting, complete with fairy lights and a small stage for impromptu performances and round tables and chairs that were ready for festival spirit to be enjoyed in. Apparently, in previous years, it actually was a cafe called ‘the Wild Onion’ - but Pam, who owned the cafe had sold it this year and hence “Pam’s Place”.

Every night was filled with so much merriment and laughter - your ears could bleed. Every night, typically, you’d find me at the table dubbed “the loud and rambunctious ones”, where we played games and drank until the very wee hours of the morning.

The funny part was that you’d imagine this being a group of people in their 20s - however - this you would assume wrong. For I being 25, was the youngest there and our table would vary from my age group to people, dare I say, their 60s or 70s? It was fantastic.

At this festival - age doesn’t come into the game at all. Also this is because most the people look much younger then they really are - so I don’t even want to begin to imagine how old some of the biggest party-goers were, but just hope that will be me one day.
Early in the evening (when I say early, I’m talking 9-10pm), there were 5min, open-mic type performances that were for anybody who was daring enough at the festival (which honestly is everyone). So the performances ranged in skill, experience and talent - but each one was equally praised and supported.

As I didn’t yet feel confident enough to perform a puppet-act (even though the performances here were ONLY puppet acts), I ended up performing a song of my own (see video below). This was so praised, more than I have ever been at any performance in Australia - and I’ve done my fair share of performances.

This was different - their praise and beautiful comments were so from the heart with so much honesty - it was incredibly overwhelming. But for me, it was also so special - since these people had shared and given me so much, it felt so good to return the favour and to my joy, it was more than appreciated. So much so - I had to return and perform another song the next night.

PuppetFest Midwest - First day at the festival

Trenton, Missouri

Walking up and down Kansas City Airport looking for the Puppet Festival pick up/meeting point for the bus to Trenton, I try to guess what puppet people look like - I really have no idea what to expect. So I proudly show/wear my Elmo T-shirt and smile at people, seeing if the shirt registers - but they look at me as if I’m strange....

After four trips up and down the airport - I finally stumble into a group of friendly looking people, all busily talking as excited as a bunch of preschoolers. These must be what puppet people are. I’m welcomed and praised for “coming ALL the way from Australia” and I feel right at home and just know it’s going to be a fun festival.

My new friends, Kathy and Heather

Finally, I’m on the bus to Trenton, Missouri. However, the drive gets further away from ‘city life’, passing fields and fields of greenery and huge rolled up hay balls... We even see some Amish people pass by in a horse and buggy! I’m having a few second doubts about where I’ve found my puppet journeys taking me... But hey, anything is better then hearing gun shots at night in Downtown L.A. right?

We finally get to the cute little, albeit ghost town, of Trenton and the college where the festival is held. Suddenly it’s like a stampede of elephants - no hang on - they're puppeteers! All swarming to get inside and I feel slightly overwhelmed... But I get to my dorm room to recollect myself and get to meet my wonderful room mate Van, I start to feel more and more at home. She was last years recipient of the scholarship that I now have, and we get along just great.

Phillip Huber and his puppets

*Phew* I can finally relax. I even take the ‘just in case’ money from out of my shoes and place it like a normal person in my wallet. It’s the little things that make you feel human again.

After we all settle, we have orientation, dinner (real American food) - we see the most amazing marionette puppet show I’ve ever seen. It was by world-class puppeteer Phillip Huber. At that point I was so in awe - I said; “This show alone was worth the entire trip to America and this is only the beginning!”

Partying late night...

That night we partied, like only a bunch of crazy puppeteers could. I wasn’t left alone for a second, because everyone wanted to talk to ‘that Australian girl’! I felt so overwhelmed by everyone’s open hearts and arms and how I was welcomed into a family of 50 other puppeteers. It was fantastic - I don’t think I’ve ever felt as welcomed into a community as I did that night.

I didn’t sleep that night. I was too overwhelmed and excited and couldn’t wait to start my ventriloquist class in the morning.

Hotel review: The Sleep Inn Airport - Kansas City

The Sleep Inn Airport 


My rating: 4 out of 5 (based on my personal experience, not the quality of the hotel)

It took an entire day to travel from L.A. to Kansas City, Missouri -  having a stop over all the way in Chicago and then going back to Kansas City, I finally arrived in my hotel near the airport late in the evening. I was exhausted and still somewhat jet-legged.

After putting the bad experiences of Los Angeles behind me - I was happy to find the opposite experience in the lovely Kansas City. First stop: The Sleep Inn Airport. Being near the airport was great, especially so I wouldn't have to travel all the way back in from the city. Their complementary shuttle bus was also handy and was able to pick me up and take me back to the airport at my leisure - which was a fantastic deal and well worth the little extra I paid for the room.

I slept in a wonderful comfy bed and felt secure with electric locked doors (as opposed to dodgy locks and broken bars at my window in L.A.). Not to mention a free, fantastic buffet of all-you-can-eat breakfast in the morning. The staff were all very friendly and helpful and allowed me to check out slightly later than I was supposed to in order for me to connect to my bus travel onto Trenton Missouri. They also recommended me to have lunch at a fantastic little diner called “Ruby Tuesdays” which was across the road from the hotel. This was another fantastic experience where all the staff were more than friendly and helpful and catered to my every needs. The whole experience gave me a great feeling about Kansas City and made me love the place, even if I’d only been there just over 12 hours.

Bob Baker’s story

Bob Baker and I at his theatre

Bob Baker’s story - how he told it to me in a one-on-one conversation on the 3rd of July, 2010.  For more info on his life and theatre and performance credits - visit his website.

When Bob was 6 years old, already trained in piano and dramatics - he went to see a puppet show and was so entranced, he went back twice after, so he could understand how it worked.

Having an understanding mother, he received his first puppet and lessons in puppetry every Sunday for a year. After much training and passion, he did his first puppet show for the payment of $15 in the affluent Bel Air and continued on doing shows until WW2.

Bob went with his puppets to every movie star's home in Los Angeles, taught puppetry when he was in high school, manufactured puppets and became an accomplished Vaudeville performer before even turning 17.

When he turned 17, he was in the army airforce camouflage division, teaching camouflage to older men. After the war - he worked on movies, receiving credits as a puppeteer, alongside some of the world's greatest entertainers, such as Elvis Presley, Shirley Temple and Judy Garland, just to name a few. He was responsible for moving animated objects in box-office classics such as Bed Knobs and Broomsticks, Adams Family 2, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and many more (see his website).

He also became well-known as the ‘Butterfly Man’, when he would make little ‘butterflies’ with bits of mono-filaments or cellophane at the end of long rods and strings, and dangle them over dogs in order to get them to do tricks for the camera.

Bob was also one of the first people to start using Technicolor, and realised that TV could be a pre-recorded medium and not just live. This opened up a whole new world for the art of puppetry and his work appeared in many TV shows, television variety shows and commercials.

Bob also had a very fruitful manufacturing line and supplied puppets for large companies, such as Walt Disney.

More recently, Bob supplied a series of puppets for the animated motion picture The Polar Express. But after the company asked if they could have the copyright to his creations and Bob rejected them, they ended up ditching his puppets, while changing them only slightly to get out of crediting Bob.

Bob told me about his frustration with such practices and more generally with a world of computer-generated imaginary (CGI) and 3D animation. When I asked him what he thought of the future of puppetry and if it had a future, he gave me a cheeky smile as if he had been to the future and seen puppets being ingrained in entertainment again and
said; “We just need to wait it out”.

To hear this coming from a man in his mid-80s confirmed my own view that puppetry is much more precious than we may think it is and we all need to help keep this world alive.

Bob Baker Marionettes Theater

Bob Baker www.bobbakermarionettes.com

After what felt like the walk of my life, I finally arrived in what felt like heaven - The Bob Baker Marionettes. In hindsight, I should have taken a taxi, but a 20-30min walk from my hotel in the heart of Downtown L.A. looked so simple on Google Maps at the time.

I count my lucky stars that I made it through the bewildering alternate universe. Along my little journey I encountered one too many a gang of threatening looking kids with knives, one too many a shady character concealing things under their shirts and one too many open roofed cars pumping harsh rap music and yelling out to me if I wanted to join them...

Being a person who tends to get lost even with a GPS navigator - I felt a high probability of getting lost and ending up in situations I didn’t want to think about - so I found myself praying to any god, spirit or angel that would listen for me to not loose my way...

Miraculously, the spirits must have been watching over me - either that or pure fear and intuition helped me navigate my way through the nightmare and I only managed to turn the wrong way once. Headstrong and determined, I kept walking through sweltering heat with my head and my heart pounding as I cursed at myself for not spending a few extra dollars to take a taxi. But, at that point I had gone too far and there was no taxi or familiar sight to be seen and all I could do was keep going and hope it wasn’t much further.

But in the end, the journey was worth it, and in hindsight - it probably seemed much worse then it really was. Of course it helped tremendously that the journey’s reward was so very sweet, as I got to see the America’s oldest running 50 year old puppet theatre and also meet the legendary Bob Baker (now in his mid-80s) himself.

I was treated like a celebrity - being that I came ‘all the way from Australia’ and taken backstage to meet all the puppeteers and their puppets and see the workings of a theatre that is been built on pure love. From the 3000 puppets - each one was his child - to the hand-made coffee-can stage lights, this place has a real history and carries an immense sense of passion I’ve never felt anywhere else.

Most of all, the emotional warmth the theatre holds in such a cold part of town is striking and knowing it has survived the elements and surroundings for 50 years now, without losing any sense of pride and integrity, is truly astonishing.

Bob took me into his office and welcomed me like his long-lost granddaughter and told me about his life and how he got started and how he became what he is today while showing me all his photo-albums containing photo after photo of all his creations, like one would about his children, and the stories each of these characters held.

He opened his heart and explained how he still continues to this day to create theatre, tell stories and spread puppetry to the hearts of the youth today. Even though his arthritis-ridden fingers won’t let him manipulate his marionettes and his body won’t move the way he wants it to - this man carries more hope and faith in his work and the art of puppetry than anyone I have ever met. (read next blog entry for Bob’s story he told me).

The show I got to see was called “It’s a Musical World”, a musical variety show with music from Bob’s life and generation, performed with countless puppets by four young puppeteers who have trained under Bob.

I was fascinated to see a full house of people had come to see the show and that it was full of families with grandparents and all. Each person equally entranced by the movements and colour of the wonderful array of puppets and it was amazing to see that children as young as 2 years-old were enjoying music that was popular way before even their parents time.

You could almost say Bob has kept his theatre and acts so persevered, unmoved and uninfluenced by the fast pace of the outside world that you almost feel transported through time. Transported to a time where Bob was in his peak - performing variety shows for the rich and famous in their Beverly Hills homes, back in the era where cabaret and vaudeville variety acts were highly sought after. This only gives you a little insight of Bob’s integrity, pride, determination and love for his art.
 

But what struck me the most - that any notion that the show was ‘out of date’ was countered by its success, as evidenced by the fact that Bob’s puppets could inspire children and adults of any age in any time or any generation.

Here is a video (not of the show I saw) of a Bob Baker Marionettes show.

Tourism through L.A.

The Hollywood sign on a very overcast day

I took a couple of sightseeing tours with Starline Tours. I highly recommend them if you’re ever in L.A.

Warner Brother Studios

I did a full day tour at Warner Brothers Studios which was really a lot of fun! You went around the studio lots in little cars with a guide and you would learn which famous movies and stars where shot where and when. It was amazing to see such life like sets - and I must say, from someone who has some background in films, I truly enjoyed this and I learnt a lot! My favourite parts were the museums of film memorabilia (we weren’t allowed to take photos) including a whole Harry Potter level, and the film sets of Friends and The Big Bang Theory. Way too cool.

On the couch in the Friends set!

Harry Potter memorabilia

Matrix car

On tour bus: The famous Spider Man 'upside down kiss'

I also made a couple of cool Belgium friends, who I later bumped into at Santa Monica on my grand L.A. tour coincidentally!

That leads into my second tour: The grand tour of L.A. City and Downtown, Hollywood (Hollywood Boulevard, etc), Beverly Hills and the stars homes, Santa Monica and Santa Monica Pier and Venice Beach. That was really fun! The only downside was doing it alone. I felt a bit isolated on this tour. Everyone was in couples or groups of friends who weren’t very inclusive and found me a little strange that I was on my own. I got looks from people as if I must have been dumped on my honeymoon and went on the trip alone... Or told by the tour guide: “I’m sorry, since you’re a single, you’re going to have to sit here”, pointing to the only empty seat next to an old lady who looked like she was on her very last tour. But I made the most of it and had a great time exploring the world my own way at my own pace, which has its advantages too.

A sculptor, on Santa Monica Pier

Santa Monica Beach

Venice Beach was probably my favourite place in L.A. and I was only there about an hour - but that was more then enough to soak up the vibe and experience the place. Being the 4th of July - it was a hot spot for sights to be seen in every direction. You really didn’t have to move and the entertainment came to you!

Venice Beach buskers

The busy streets of Venice Beach

And muscles galore on Muscle Beach...

Here’s just a few word pictures to tantalise you:

• Huge diversity and talent of the street performers,
• R&B bands trying to get you to listen to their music on headphones,
• The stalls full of amazing colourful tourism crap,
• Muscle Beach with the most amazing displays of muscles flexing you’ll ever see, with a whole workout gym and a HUGE muscle comp that was getting a lot of attention
• Squash courts, basketball courts, biking tracks on the beach
• And everything else you expect to be there - including beautiful bodies, strapped with Lycra on roller-blades....
• But funniest of all: tons of people calling outside of shop-fronts “The Doctor’s in! Come get your prescriptions here!”. I found out that 'back in the day' there used to be local doctors on Venice Beach that would prescribe weed for medicinal uses and this has been legal here for some years, but only on Venice Beach. So now it has become a bit of an institution and a tourism attraction where you can go have a “check up”.

Hotel review: The Cecil Hotel, Downtown L.A.

The Cecil Hotel on Main Street
My rating: 1 out of 5 (based on my personal experience, not the quality of the hotel)

Firstly, when searching for the website google says: "This site may harm your computer." I think that really says enough...


It’s cheap which is probably its only upside - but I wouldn’t recommend it to a young girl travelling alone. I would go to the backpackers hostel next door which seemed much friendlier, cleaner and fun. The hotel itself had no internet so you had to wait in line with the backpackers next door to be able to use a computer - so I would recommend taking a laptop with a wi-fi connection.

It’s not fancy, but that’s not what bothers me... It was the fact my window didn’t close properly and my room was on the landing of the fire-escape and the steel bars were broken and looked like they’d been broken into.... not to mention that most of the staff didn’t speak English. Sometimes even repeating myself a third time doesn’t help and it’s probably easier and quicker for me to learn Spanish in the meantime. One thing I forgot to pack - Spanish dictionary.

On my second last day at the hotel (I stayed 4 nights) I found myself locked out of my room. It looked like someone had stuck something into my lock to try to break in. Being alone with all my stuff in my room was rather frightening and I was worried the person responsible might still be in my room. After three attempts at getting security guards to come look at it - I was still scared and stumped, as the guards could not explain to me what was going on since they spoke no English. I felt even less protected now. After finally going to the lobby staff - they rudely explained to me that I should have checked out and they’d put a lock on my room. But how could I prove to them I’d paid for 4 nights in advance when they’d locked all my things and papers of evidence in my room? This for me, was only a ploy to get me to pay more. How dare they take advantage of a young girl travelling alone.

I received no apology and was told it was an error on my part - but they finally saw it my way and after much searching, they found my booking. I will never stay there again.

First stop: Downtown LA

A nicer glimpse of Downtown

So, I’ve arrived in Downtown L.A. with the plan of resting a few days from travelling before the big puppet festivals begin. However - this is not the city to rest in. I must use all my strength and energy to walk down the streets over-confidently, so I blend in to not look like such a typical tourist or target. Every corner I turn, I feel like there’s someone waiting for me to let my guard down so they can mug me or worse... It’s hard to not stand out - I’m probably one of the only young, blonde, white females walking by herself on these old worn out streets... But I try my best to keep my chin up (literally speaking). It is however, a much scarier place then I thought it would be.

Though, however scary, there’s something warm and familiar about it which keeps catching me off-guard and giving me home for this place.

The scary world of Downtown...

Yet, somehow it seems very familiar while at the same time, so very different.

One of the biggest differences being that I think my ‘Australian’ English is very different to L.A. English (and also to the LACK of English at times - which makes the city both culturally vibrant and frustrating to get around). At times I feel as misunderstood as a traveller from a non-English speaking country. It’s like a parallel universe. There are minor differences, but the minor differences build up to make you realise you’re so far from home.

Olvera Street

Everything is just like in the movies and TV shows. Let’s just say, watching CSI Los Angeles in preparation before my trip wasn’t such a bad thing to do. Also, I think when you watch American TV and movies back home, you immediately connect everything to a fantasy reality. So finding that in fact most things are as they seem on TV, is probably the biggest culture shock of all.

L.A. is big and it’s hard to get around. Most people are harsh and unfriendly and seem to have an ulterior motive to help you, especially when it comes to tipping and being a young, white female. To choose to stay in Downtown L.A. of all places on my very first stop, may have been a slight miss planning on my part. But when you’re planning from the other side of the world - foresight isn’t always as easy.

There were a couple of nice places to be, especially during the day on the 4th of July. One of these hot spots was Olvera Street, where the world changed into a little festival full of colour, music, laughter and delicious smells!

Olvera Street

However, when you left little Mexico and places like Olvera Street, the streets transform into a hateful a dog-eat-dog world. There are signs on the streets that state: “No drug dealing on the street” with big, tough Mexicans smoking pot on the side of the street in plain site. The classic ‘pimp’ type guys who I thought only existed in cartoons keep asking me if I wanted to hang out with them for the day. I joke my way out of it with flare and confidence (while my heart is pounding and racing) and thank my lucky stars each time for getting out of sticky situations so easily.

After 5pm the world changes

By 5pm it’s still as light as if it were noon, all the shop fronts become closed with dirty garage doors replacing the vibrant world and everything suddenly changes into a very scary, harsh and frightening place to be. With all my might, I walk through the streets with my continual ‘air of confidence’ and try to avoid the trouble that seems to keep meeting me. With a loaded sigh of relief I return to my hotel room and watch American TV, fascinated by the vast array channels, Spanish soaps and bizarre informercials while I try to block out the gunshots outside and the police and ambulance sirens every five minutes. Sometimes I’m worried to fall asleep since the metal fencing in front of my fire-escape window looks like its been broken into a few too many times.

There was an upside in all this - I did find myself living off the huge variety of fast food and Mexican food chains for five days! It’s a world in itself. Everyday I would try a new chain, in total fascination with the portion sizes. When I order ‘small’, to my surprise I receive a very large size. I try to tell them they’d make a mistake, but with my Australian English both parties are lost in total confusion.

Olvera Street markets

My favourite would have to be ‘El Pollo Loco’, which are as common as McDonald’s in Downtown. I wondered in one afternoon after I’d accidently stumbled into the Spanish district, Little Mexico. Here I had the most trouble communicating, as here no one at all really spoke English. Perhaps it was also my lack of understanding of how to use a ‘salsa bar’ and not having used the American currency before and not knowing if and when or how much I should tip. Somehow we managed to speak some attempt at sign-language and I fell in love with the food while listening to the Mexican version of Mandy Moore. Fantastic.

As happy as I feel to be leaving this place - I’m also happy I came. I don’t think I’ve ever feared for my life so many times in a series of a few days, and through that I learnt a few life lessons and felt a sense of accomplishment and empowerment. The rest of my adventure will be easy after surviving this, I hope...