Good morning London, Good afternoon Los Angeles

Well, we actually arrived! After what felt like one of the longest flights in the world (about ten hours, all done without my usual 'We're going to die! We're going to DIE!!' hysteria), we fell into LA X. No, I cannot describe how glamorous I feel to be writing that, from LA! I was a bit disappointed about the customs process, I had rather expected some kind of probing to take place at least, but the charming and friendly officers seemed utterly unthreatened by us and sent us on our way with good wishes and directions to a reliable cabbie.

On the journey to our hotel - the Marina Del Ray - I was beset with a moment of panic. For one thing the roads were crazy, it was hot and the first two minutes of the journey made me think that Los Angeles was a cross between one huge billboard and a construction site. For a second, I thought, what am I doing here, and then I saw my very first real-time, life-size liquor store (actually with Liquor Store in the hugest letters outside) and I knew I had come to the right place.

The hotel is wonderful, everyone has been very friendly and I have found a soulmate in a charming waiter called Ruben, who I bonded with over a bottle of Corona. We knew we liked each other when he asked me if I wanted a glass and I burst out laughing. He said that he didn't think I was the type to drink beer from a glass and made it sound like a compliment. I've decided that before we leave to collect the RV tomorrow, I shall try to persuade him to return to England as my well-paid, live-in butler (I told you all I'd find my butler one day, I just hadn't thought he would be a middle-aged Mexican!). Here's Amy outside the hotel looking the picture of glamour. For the record, my sister is seven steps beyond fabulous - and then some!

We're all exhausted, over-excited and deliciously happy. Tomorrow we collect the RV (I keep saying this but the truth is I have no idea what an RV even is, I'm just copying everyone else) and then head for a campsite just outside LA. We're to do Universal Studios tomorrow or the day after before moving on, I'm not sure where to next. Someone else is in charge of that. Heather (an old friend from my school days and fellow member of the Coven) will be glad that I'm doing Universal Studios, as she berated me heartily for the fact that we're not doing Disney. What can I say, the Mouse and his many anthropomorphic friends just don't appeal to us. The only thing I really know about Disney (World? Land?) is that no one ever dies there (though they do.....), and that old Walt was a bit of a swine. Besides, I've never been comfortable with those huge characters walking around in their suits - although one of my friends (and many of you will know who) has a fabulous story from his days working in Disney (World? Land?) about seeing Snow White giving Goofy a blow job behind the scenes at the Magic Kingdom - now there's a postcard I'd take a trip to the gift shop for.

Thanks Mark, Jane, Mumu G (missing you already, and that Bean) and of course the lovely Phil for posting on the site already - this blogging business is a fab way of keeping in touch and much more interactive than a postcard! Mark, I'm hoping that gaol/jail can be avoided, but the ever-generous Mr B (who discovered me, as you all know) has offered to bail me out of whichever scrapes I get myself into. Though he may have been joking, I firmly intend to hold him to that if needs be.

I want to post some pictures that we took tonight, but I'm not sure how, so if they're here I'm doing well. The last one I'm attempting to add is a picture of the Marina. This picture is the view from our hotel, looking out at yachts and boats and other sailing vessels of various (unknown to me) description. For some reason, I never expected to find this in LA, which may be a perfect illustration of my ignorance, but if so, also provides a perfect illustration of the reason why sometimes (just sometimes, mind) it's a wonderful thing to be wrong.