The dirtier side of LA

Back on the beach near Santa Monica. The group next to us had six children who happily played with polystyrene cups in the sand. When they started to crack the kids broke them into pieces and left them in the sand along with the plastic bottles and fast food wrappers their parents had dropped. The seagulls feed on their excess food, picking the food from the sachets and napkins. Waste and no interest in their environment


We have only been here for a few days but it is quite easy to spot the cracks in LA society. On one side there is extreme wealth with Ferrari and Porsche dealers next to gated communities and on the same street there are homeless families.

Los Angeles is home to over 55000 homeless people. Some are homeless due to lack of mental care while others have fallen through the social safety net. Skid Row is home to the vast majority of these people - only two blocks over from my earlier post for the Bradbury Building. A recent article in the Guardian highlighted that there are only 9 toilets open at night to this huge population. Worse conditions than some refugee camps and in the world's richest country.

The last few days have dragged in this concrete jungle. Hours stuck on choked freeways, gated communities and shocking poverty. The American dream in Tinsel Town?

Time to go home.