the loooong ride back

Just got home from my so-called adventure to Redondo Beach via the transit system. Yes, folks, this so-called "beach trip" turned out to be more of a "choose your own adventure" type of trip after ---what, 4 hours? -- of commute.

After dropping us off at the Redondo pier, my cousin and i spent the time walking along the coastline and checking out the scene. Normal stuff like, getting some tan, walking along and making those god-awful sandthingamajigs (we suck, seriously)and watching the healthy, active peeps of CA do their thing on the beach. After some time, we noticed that not only were we not in the vicinity of the Redondo Pier, we were also lost... so lost in fact that we missed our bus shuttle to the Green Line. *sigh* In search of an alternative route, we walked along Catalina to see the scenery and look for signs... after which we ended up in the Pacific Coast Highway. :-P

So we walked along the PCH, thankfully after enjoying some good grub at Good Stuff (the veggie burger is DA bomb!) and some good ol' cafe mocha at CBTL (ooh, lovely to fight off the cold), hoping to catch the 232 bus goingback to Long Beach. Thank god for my pashmina --- dressed for the beach, i once again underestimated the rapid change of temperature these parts have! Made a lovely sarong skirt with it to cover my freezing legs :-P

After some time (read: panicky and kinda paranoid), we finally saw the 232 hitting the curb (yey!) and hurriedly rushed in. At 8:45 in the pm, the strangers get pretty scary, expecially one who started having a conversation with my cousin about life in Hell and damnation after the world comes to an end. *sigh*

In our excitement to be in Long Beach we mistakenly went down the wrong stop, thereby getting ourselves stranded in the Anaheim intersection, about 3 blocks away from our supposed bus back home. *double sigh* with a heavy step, we took en route to the transit mall to get into the 172. Much gratitude to the lovely fellow in the train with that lovely voice and amazing guitar skills who kept us sane and entertained throughout the trip --- his renditions of Jack Johnson's songs were lyrical and sweet. :-)

So arriving at the Transit Mall, we end up riding up the 173 --- NOT the bus we intended to board, but since it was the LAST bus out of there and the closest to home, we rode it anyway... nicely, it was a noypi who was driving it (Mang Roger!) so we were in good company as the bus rode its looong route to Cerritos... after which we had to walk the 3 blocks back home. :-P

Geez. Makes me think if the beach was worth it. (it was, in its own lovely way) Still, with all the perks (lovely grub, good company, mini-adventure, meeting new people), this whole surreal experience gives me a sense of... accomplishment somehow. I made it home :-)

Next adventure, Hermosa Beach!!! :-D