Los Angeles is not just another city: it is another planet, imagine you are gazing down at Greater Los Angeles from space. You peer through the heavenly mist and fiery spirits of the atmosphere, and you are struck not by some tediously recognizable architectural or geographical feature, but spread out before you, like a phantasmagoric vision, by an enormous, colourful, vibrant, and rollicking movie set.

 There is no other place on Earth like L.A. Millions of people – including Americans hailing from almost every other US town and city, immigrants from Albania to Zambia, and a smattering of real natives – presently call this city and its environs home. Te locals ascribe to a diverse range of religions persuasions, from the more familiar Judeo-Christian and Islamic brands to any Eastern sect that ever burned a stick of incense and every New Age philosophy ever espoused. 

 At the beach, the surf crowds hangs ten, bikini-clad natural blondes work hard to darken their fair skin, and musclemen and women pump iron on the glistening sand. Over in Hollywood, ambitious performers practice their craft, sweat over auditions, and spend hours of every day rehearsing drama, dance, music, and theatrical productions.

Los Angeles goes by many names, including the City of Angels, the Cocktail Nation, LaLaLand, Tinseltown, Glitter Gulch, Surf City, Hell A, and Hollyweird. If these don’t suit then make up your own – it is sure to fit perfectly somewhere in the sphere. And for all its oddities, frailties, and occasionally lousy P.R., the undeniable fact is that Los Angeles is fun, and visiting the city is as exciting as discovering a mysterious and wondrous new planet.