Walnut
2100hrs
We'd arranged to go to Universal Studios today, and Darin had said he'd leave work for a bit to take us there, and pick us up this evening. But his boss said he could have the whole day off, so he came round with us. I think he's coming to San Diego Zoo on Wednesday too.
The first thing we did when we got there was go on the Jurassic Park ride. This was better than most of the rides they have at places like Alton Towers, where the philosophy seems to be that the sicker you feel at the end of the ride, the more you enjoyed it. The Jurassic Park ride was pretty smooth most of the way, with big model dinosaurs leaping out of the water and climbing around. They were about one percent as realistic as the ones in the film, but it was good fun.
Then at the end, the ride falls down a ramp into a pool of water, which shoots up and completely drenches you. I was on the outside, and got wetter than Colin and Darin, who got pretty wet themselves. But of course it was a baking hot day, and we dried off quickly.
Then we went on the Back to the Future ride, which was totally different. The whole thing was computer generated - you sit in a DeLorean, which veers from side to side in synchrony with the virtual landscapes you travel through on a big movie screen up front. The effect is pretty convincing.
We went to Universal Studios when I was here before sixteen years ago, and it's one of the few things about which I have any clear memories. One of these is the Backlot Tram Tour, which we went on next. This goes through sets of old movies, and a few special effects. We saw the house from Psycho, the town hall from Back to the Future, and went over a collapsing bridge as used in Quantum Leap. The thing I remembered about the ride was a huge model of Jaws leaping out of the water and attacking the tram. Perhaps the memory has been exaggerated over the years, or maybe it's just that I was only four then, but this time it seemed a lot less impressive. Still good though.
Shortly after that, we saw the World of Cinemagic show, which I also remembered the 1981 version of. My memory concerned a demonstration of that cinematic technique known as filming-something-in-front-of-a-blue-screen-and-sticking-something-else-in-afterwards. After so many years of progress I'd expected to be shown a more state-of-the-art technique, but in fact all that's changed is the film they use, to an even older one. Last time, they re-enacted a scene from King Kong, or possibly Superman. This time, it was some Hitchcock film. Then they got some members of the audience to add sound effects to a scene from Harry and the Hendersons.
Then we saw the Wild Wild Wild West Stunt Show. I remembered this as well, and it at least more or less tallied with the memory. A lot of cowboys shooting each other and falling off high buildings. It was pretty impressive at the end, when the whole front of one of the buildings collapsed. It was much the same sixteen years ago, references to the Spice Girls notwithstanding.
By now it was gone six, and the sun was starting to set, so we decided not to bother seeing Hollywood. Hopefully we'll have time to go there again on Thursday, before we catch the plane home. We saw the Hollywood sign on the way to Universal Studios, but I'd like to see it closer up, and maybe get a picture of me sitting in one of the O's. You can do that.
We drove home through Hollywood, but didn't really see anything.
While I think, one interesting thing they have in America is Adopt-a-Highway. Different groups of people, the scouts or whatever, adopt a road and have to pick up all the litter. We once had something similar at school but that wasn't voluntary. I don't think it would have been very successful if it had been.
I've been having a bit of trouble with postcards. First you have to find somewhere to buy them, then you have to find somewhere to buy stamps, then you have to find a post-box. When you're travelling from place to place, none of that is easy, and all holiday I've been struggling to get them off. I'd been wanting to send three to everyone - one a week - and have so far got two off to everyone but my friend Dave. When I wrote the second batch, I didn't have enough stamps, and by the time I got more stamps, I'd lost his postcard. Now there are only three days left of the holiday, and clearly I can only send him another one in that time. Maybe I'll get an extra large one and write loads in it.
And that's another thing. Very few places actually sell fifty-cent stamps for as little as fifty cents.
Universal Studios was fun. Tomorrow, we're off to the happiest place on earth.
