Los Angeles, finally

29 January 2010:
Yay ! We're in the States. After a long trip from Dusseldorf to Munich and on to LAX ( 15 hours in total ) we arrived in LA at 7.20 p.m., slightly disoriented after the changes from heat to cold back to warmth, from  Asia to cold Germany to the hustle and bustle of LA.
First hurdle: immigration! After a short wait in the perfectly organized queue at the immigration booths we stepped in front of the officer and uttered our wish for a 9 months visa. First response: nope, can't do, max he could do was 6 months. Hmmm, not good. The officer - always polite - sensed our disappointment and offered us to talk to a supervisor, but this could involve quite some waiting time. 'Do you really want to wait that long?' he asked. Yes, we certainly did. Not two minutes later and after producing evidence that we could support ourselves financially for 9 months in the States, the supervisor appeared and within a few seconds we had a 9 months I-94 permit. In the end that went better and faster than we had hoped. USA , here we come!
Luckily, we had booked a special for a rental car beforehand, so that was easy - not as cheap as advertised, though. They always find a way to get into your pocket for more money - and kind of quick. At 9 p.m. we arrived at the flat we had rented via VBRO, excellent for cheaper stays. And off to bed, sooooo tired....