Letter

LONG BEACH/LOS ANGELES, CA (VICARIOUSLY) - Chris received an email the other day from Kike (pronounced kee-kay), a Spanish friend who wandered through the hostel for a few days just last week.

I just wanted to share the email. I thought it was beautiful in it's own way. I have included both the English and Spanish versions he wrote. Please enjoy.

(10:44am. Highlights were added by me. I know "highlights" isn't the precise term for it. But I can't think of the other and it's going to bother me all day. I'm crazy.)

(4:36pm. Now I remember. "Emphasis added." Thank god. It really was going to bother me all day.)
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Hello my friends!

Now I am in L.A. and today I was in Long Beach, that place is really amazing! but today I felt overwhelming fear because one guy shot other guy at 20 meters from me, and the killer get away by car! and the police come so fast with helicopter and 8 police cars and an ambulance!
the victim fell down to the floor like dead! It was horrible, 'cause I had never been in a situation like that or similar, and I never heard a real gun shoot! It is so scary!
I was buying some food and drinks to have a lunch in a park close to the shop and in the spar of the moment a man came into the 7eleven and without apparent reason shot the other guy, both of them were black, young (between 20 - 25 years old), and they looks like rapers but this is a normal looks like here!
After that I leave all the things in the shop and went out so fast, my hungry suddenly dissapear! and I was watching how the paramedics work and I have to say that they were so so good! better than some nurses or physicians that I know, hehe! I was impressed!

So after that horrible moment I decided to go back to L.A. and when I arrive at hollywood there was any movie premerie, because the hollywood bulevard is closed to the traffic and there are a lot of limos, I could see some actors and actress! and I thought how different could be the life in a short space! just 50km away you can die for nothing and here you are a star! that is so sad! This is a hard life, people! live it as intense as possible!

So changing topic! my travel around west coast of united states are finishing! Tomorrow at 6pm I will take a plane going home! I am a bit depressed because I had a great moments here and I don't want to go back to work and do the same life like ever! but I this is the real life! I am really happy about how I enjoyed this trip and how this trip was easy-going for me! I met amazing people from all over the world and had good impressions and conversations with them!

hope to do another travel like this asap! hehe!

all my love to everybody!

kike.

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Hola amigos!

Ahora estoy en Los Angeles y hoy he estado en Long Beach, ese sitio es increible! pero hoy he experimentado una terrible sensacion porque un xaval ha disparado a otro a escasos 20 metros de mi! y el que ha disparado se ha ido corriendo en un coche! y la policia llego enseguida con un helicoptero y 8 patrullas de policia han acordonado la zona, la ambulancia tambien llego enseguida!
la victima ha caido al suelo como si estubiera muerto! Ha sido horrible, porque yo nunca he estado en ninguna sitiacion asi! y nunca he oido como es el disparo de una pistola en la realidad! Ha sido acongojante!
Yo estaba comprando algo para comer y beber para comer en un parque que habia cerca de la tienda, pero de repente un xaval entro y sin motivo aparente y sin decir ni mu! entro y disparo al otro xaval, los dos eran negros de entre 20-25 anos de edad y vestian como de raperos pero es que eso es lo mas comun aqui en america! Despues de esto yo deje todo en la tienda y me fui rapidillo de la tienda, tambien por que la policia nos lo dijo, pero aunque no lo hubiera dicho yo lo hubiera hecho igual! en fin que mis ganas de comer desaparecieron de repente! Desde fuera del perimetro me quede mirando como los paramedicos actuaban y tengo que decir que me dejaron impresionado como de bien lo han echo! mucho mejor que algunos enfermeros o medicos que conozco, jeje! muy bien por ellos!

Bueno despues de este terrible moment decidi volver a los angeles, y cuando llego a hollywood veo que hay una presentacion de alguna pelicula por que la calle estaba cortada al trafico y estaba lleno de limusinas, pude ver a algunas actrices y actores! y pense joder que diferente puede ser la vida en un corto espacio! tan solo en 50km puedes morir por nada y aqui eres una estrella! me parece increible! que triste es esto chicos! esta vida es dura gente, asi aprovecharla!

Bueno cambiendo de tema! mi viaje por la costa oeste de los estados unidos se esta acabando! manana a las 6pm cogere un avion para volver a casa! Estoy un poco depre por que he tenido momentos increibles aqui y no quiero volver a trabajar y hacer lo mismo de siempre! pero asi es la vida! Estoy my contento de como he disfrutado de este viaje y de lo bien que me he desenvuelto sin ningun problema! he conocido gente increible de todas partes del mundo y he tenido muy buenas impresiones y conversaciones con ellos!

Espero volver a hacer otro viaje como este, lo mas pronto posible! jejeje!

con todo mi carino para todo el mundo!

kike.