I have been to Los Angeles twice – both because of transit rather than going there specifically on vacation. The first time was in December 2004 when I transited LAX on my way back from New Zealand. I had over 6 hours in LAX and I decided to take the Super Shuttle to Hollywood and went for a visit. It was a very interesting stop and I saw the Mann's Chinese Theater and the Hollywood sign from afar. Later on I took the taxi and returned to LAX for my flight. It cost me quite a bit but I did not regret as I had seen some Hollywood landmarks I had wanted to see. I had lunch at a good taco fast food restaurant (Baja California Grill) and it reminded me of some of the good tastes of Mexico. The next time was when I came back from East Asia in November 2006 and I had almost the same amount of time in LAX as in 2004. This time, I did some research and discovered that there was a very convenient Flyaway bus service that serves Union Station in downtown Los Angeles and LAX. It only cost US$3.00 per trip, making the trip far more cost effective! I explored many great modern and historic sites in downtown LA, including the vibrant and colourful Mexican Olvera street market, LA city Hall, the historic Biltmore hotel and the ultramodern Walt Disney Concert Hall. The Frank Gehry designed concert hall was indeed a beautiful sight and one of the greatest buildings I had seen. Overall, I was glad to have the extra time to see a bit of this great American metropolis. I hope to have more time in the future to explore the area more fully.