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    <description><![CDATA[WORLD]]></description>
    <language>zh-tw</language>
    <pubDate>2010-03-11 00:04</pubDate>
    <lastBuildDate>2010-03-11 00:04</lastBuildDate>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Lakers snap 3-game skid on Kobe's late jumper]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[Kobe Bryant hit a 17-foot fallaway jumper with 1.9 seconds left, and the Los Angeles Lakers rallied in the fourth quarter to snap their three-game]]></description>
      <link><![CDATA[http://www.etaiwannews.com/etn/news_content.php?id=1200178&lang=eng_news&cate_img=logo_world&cate_rss=WORLD_eng]]></link>
      <pubDate>2010-03-11 12:00 AM</pubDate>
      <author><![CDATA[<br>Associated Press]]></author>
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      <title><![CDATA[Franchitti, Dixon favored as IndyCar season opens]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[Scotland's Dario Franchitti seeks his third season title in four years with New Zealand teammate Scott Dixon among his top rivals as the IndyCar season]]></description>
      <link><![CDATA[http://www.etaiwannews.com/etn/news_content.php?id=1200177&lang=eng_news&cate_img=logo_world&cate_rss=WORLD_eng]]></link>
      <pubDate>2010-03-11 12:00 AM</pubDate>
      <author><![CDATA[<br>Agence France-Presse]]></author>
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      <title><![CDATA[English golfers on a roll with inspiration from past stars]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[English golf is riding high with 10 players ranked among the top 70 in the world and Paul Casey thinks the current situation can be]]></description>
      <link><![CDATA[http://www.etaiwannews.com/etn/news_content.php?id=1200176&lang=eng_news&cate_img=logo_world&cate_rss=WORLD_eng]]></link>
      <pubDate>2010-03-11 12:00 AM</pubDate>
      <author><![CDATA[<br>agence france-presse]]></author>
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      <title><![CDATA[Williams gets better of Rose, Jazz beat Bulls]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[Deron Williams got the better of Derrick Rose, finishing with 28 points and a season-high 17 assists, while CJ Miles scored a season-best 26 points]]></description>
      <link><![CDATA[http://www.etaiwannews.com/etn/news_content.php?id=1200175&lang=eng_news&cate_img=logo_world&cate_rss=WORLD_eng]]></link>
      <pubDate>2010-03-11 12:00 AM</pubDate>
      <author><![CDATA[<br>Associated Press]]></author>
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      <title><![CDATA[Roy has 19 in Blazers' 88-81 win over Kings]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[Brandon Roy scored 19 points and hit a clinching jumper with just over two minutes left, leading the Portland Trail Blazers to an 88-81 victory]]></description>
      <link><![CDATA[http://www.etaiwannews.com/etn/news_content.php?id=1200174&lang=eng_news&cate_img=logo_world&cate_rss=WORLD_eng]]></link>
      <pubDate>2010-03-11 12:00 AM</pubDate>
      <author><![CDATA[<br>Associated Press]]></author>
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      <title><![CDATA[Boom retains lead as Bonnet wins stage]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[French cyclist William Bonnet recorded his first major stage race success here on Tuesday when he won the second stage of the Paris-Nice race, a]]></description>
      <link><![CDATA[http://www.etaiwannews.com/etn/news_content.php?id=1200173&lang=eng_news&cate_img=logo_world&cate_rss=WORLD_eng]]></link>
      <pubDate>2010-03-11 12:00 AM</pubDate>
      <author><![CDATA[<br>Agence France-Presse]]></author>
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      <title><![CDATA[Juve, Liverpool seek Europa League salvation]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[European heavyweights Juventus and Liverpool will both seek to rescue disappointing seasons when the first legs of their respective Europa League last-16 ties kick off]]></description>
      <link><![CDATA[http://www.etaiwannews.com/etn/news_content.php?id=1200172&lang=eng_news&cate_img=logo_world&cate_rss=WORLD_eng]]></link>
      <pubDate>2010-03-11 12:00 AM</pubDate>
      <author><![CDATA[<br>Agence France-Presse]]></author>
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      <title><![CDATA[Fiorentina fury as Bayern scrape into quarter-finals]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[Fiorentina president Andrea della Valle lashed out on Tuesday night as Bayern Munich advanced to the Champions League quarter-finals despite losing 3-2 to the Italians.
The]]></description>
      <link><![CDATA[http://www.etaiwannews.com/etn/news_content.php?id=1200171&lang=eng_news&cate_img=logo_world&cate_rss=WORLD_eng]]></link>
      <pubDate>2010-03-11 12:00 AM</pubDate>
      <author><![CDATA[<br>Agence France-Presse]]></author>
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      <title><![CDATA[U.S. dollar subdued in Asia]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[The U.S. dollar was steady in Asia yesterday as traders took to the sidelines ahead of U.S. and Chinese economic reports due this week.
The euro]]></description>
      <link><![CDATA[http://www.etaiwannews.com/etn/news_content.php?id=1200169&lang=eng_news&cate_img=logo_world&cate_rss=WORLD_eng]]></link>
      <pubDate>2010-03-11 12:00 AM</pubDate>
      <author><![CDATA[<br>Agence France-Presse]]></author>
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      <title><![CDATA[Asian markets mixed ahead of China data]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[Asian stock markets were mixed in early trade yesterday due to a lack of firm direction as dealers awaited the impact of key Chinese economic]]></description>
      <link><![CDATA[http://www.etaiwannews.com/etn/news_content.php?id=1200168&lang=eng_news&cate_img=logo_world&cate_rss=WORLD_eng]]></link>
      <pubDate>2010-03-11 12:00 AM</pubDate>
      <author><![CDATA[<br>Agence France-Presse]]></author>
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      <title><![CDATA[Wall Street stocks up on rebound anniversary]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[Wall Street stocks posted modest gains Tuesday amid cautious trading on the one-year anniversary of the beginning of the market's rebound from its lows last]]></description>
      <link><![CDATA[http://www.etaiwannews.com/etn/news_content.php?id=1200167&lang=eng_news&cate_img=logo_world&cate_rss=WORLD_eng]]></link>
      <pubDate>2010-03-11 12:00 AM</pubDate>
      <author><![CDATA[<br>Agence France-Presse]]></author>
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      <title><![CDATA[Oil hovers above US$81 amid mixed U.S. inventory data]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[Oil prices hovered above US$81 a barrel yesterday in Asia after a report showed mixed evidence about U.S. crude demand.
Benchmark crude for April delivery was]]></description>
      <link><![CDATA[http://www.etaiwannews.com/etn/news_content.php?id=1200166&lang=eng_news&cate_img=logo_world&cate_rss=WORLD_eng]]></link>
      <pubDate>2010-03-11 12:00 AM</pubDate>
      <author><![CDATA[<br>associated press]]></author>
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      <title><![CDATA[U.S. seeks action on Internet freedom]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[U.S. lawmakers from the two major parties on Tuesday issued a joint call for government action to ensure Internet freedom overseas amid alarm at China's]]></description>
      <link><![CDATA[http://www.etaiwannews.com/etn/news_content.php?id=1200155&lang=eng_news&cate_img=logo_world&cate_rss=WORLD_eng]]></link>
      <pubDate>2010-03-11 12:00 AM</pubDate>
      <author><![CDATA[<br>Agence France-Presse]]></author>
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      <title><![CDATA[Hackers target uncovered IE hole]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[Microsoft on Tuesday warned that hackers are targeting a freshly-uncovered weakness in some earlier versions of its Internet Explorer (IE) Web browser software.
Microsoft said it]]></description>
      <link><![CDATA[http://www.etaiwannews.com/etn/news_content.php?id=1200154&lang=eng_news&cate_img=logo_world&cate_rss=WORLD_eng]]></link>
      <pubDate>2010-03-11 12:00 AM</pubDate>
      <author><![CDATA[<br>Agence France-Presse]]></author>
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      <title><![CDATA[U.S. seeks talks with Brazil]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[Visiting U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke said Tuesday that Washington was seeking talks with Brazil before it imposes retaliatory trade tariffs for U.S. cotton subsidies]]></description>
      <link><![CDATA[http://www.etaiwannews.com/etn/news_content.php?id=1200153&lang=eng_news&cate_img=logo_world&cate_rss=WORLD_eng]]></link>
      <pubDate>2010-03-11 12:00 AM</pubDate>
      <author><![CDATA[<br>Agence France-Presse]]></author>
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      <title><![CDATA[Cisco unveils system for super-fast Internet]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[Cisco Systems on Tuesday unveiled super-fast Internet hardware that promises to boost U.S. competitiveness and bolster economic recovery by moving mountains of data at astounding]]></description>
      <link><![CDATA[http://www.etaiwannews.com/etn/news_content.php?id=1200152&lang=eng_news&cate_img=logo_world&cate_rss=WORLD_eng]]></link>
      <pubDate>2010-03-11 12:00 AM</pubDate>
      <author><![CDATA[<br>Agence France-Presse]]></author>
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      <title><![CDATA[U.S. probes runaway Toyota Prius]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[U.S. investigators launched a probe Tuesday into a runaway Toyota Prius in California, a high-profile case that threatens to undermine the Japanese automaker's effort to]]></description>
      <link><![CDATA[http://www.etaiwannews.com/etn/news_content.php?id=1200151&lang=eng_news&cate_img=logo_world&cate_rss=WORLD_eng]]></link>
      <pubDate>2010-03-11 12:00 AM</pubDate>
      <author><![CDATA[<br>Agence France-Presse]]></author>
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      <title><![CDATA[Greek PM: Obama 'positive' on speculator battle]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou said Tuesday that President Barack Obama offered a "positive" verdict on European plans to thwart speculators blamed for deepening Greece's]]></description>
      <link><![CDATA[http://www.etaiwannews.com/etn/news_content.php?id=1200150&lang=eng_news&cate_img=logo_world&cate_rss=WORLD_eng]]></link>
      <pubDate>2010-03-11 12:00 AM</pubDate>
      <author><![CDATA[<br>Agence France-Presse]]></author>
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      <title><![CDATA[MySpace outlines makeover after exec shake up]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[Long-ago lapped by Facebook in popularity and with fast-growing Twitter on its tail, social networking site MySpace is planning a series of updates over the]]></description>
      <link><![CDATA[http://www.etaiwannews.com/etn/news_content.php?id=1200149&lang=eng_news&cate_img=logo_world&cate_rss=WORLD_eng]]></link>
      <pubDate>2010-03-11 12:00 AM</pubDate>
      <author><![CDATA[<br>associated press]]></author>
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      <title><![CDATA[Philippine exports rise at fastest pace in 15 years]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[The Philippines said yesterday that exports rose at their fastest pace in nearly 15 years in January as the Southeast Asian nation reaped the benefits]]></description>
      <link><![CDATA[http://www.etaiwannews.com/etn/news_content.php?id=1200148&lang=eng_news&cate_img=logo_world&cate_rss=WORLD_eng]]></link>
      <pubDate>2010-03-11 12:00 AM</pubDate>
      <author><![CDATA[<br>Agence France-Presse]]></author>
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      <title><![CDATA[U.S. to expose trade barriers in new report]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[The United States said Tuesday it would expose "troublesome" foreign trade barriers in a strategy to prise open markets for doubling American exports to ease]]></description>
      <link><![CDATA[http://www.etaiwannews.com/etn/news_content.php?id=1200146&lang=eng_news&cate_img=logo_world&cate_rss=WORLD_eng]]></link>
      <pubDate>2010-03-11 12:00 AM</pubDate>
      <author><![CDATA[<br>Agence France-Presse]]></author>
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      <title><![CDATA[Aid group attacked]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[Gunmen attacked the offices of an international aid group in northwest Pakistan yesterday, killing five people working for the organization, police said.
The attackers hurled grenades]]></description>
      <link><![CDATA[http://www.etaiwannews.com/etn/news_content.php?id=1200132&lang=eng_news&cate_img=logo_world&cate_rss=WORLD_eng]]></link>
      <pubDate>2010-03-11 12:00 AM</pubDate>
      <author><![CDATA[<br>Agencies]]></author>
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      <title><![CDATA[32 killed in series of road crashes]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[Members of a wedding party, worshippers visiting Catholic churches and Korean workers were are among the dead from various fatal road crashes in the past]]></description>
      <link><![CDATA[http://www.etaiwannews.com/etn/news_content.php?id=1200131&lang=eng_news&cate_img=logo_world&cate_rss=WORLD_eng]]></link>
      <pubDate>2010-03-11 12:00 AM</pubDate>
      <author><![CDATA[<br>Agencies]]></author>
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    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Tasmanian devil colony shows immunity to cancer]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[Australian scientists said yesterday that the discovery of a genetically distinct colony of Tasmanian devils may save the species from being wiped out by a]]></description>
      <link><![CDATA[http://www.etaiwannews.com/etn/news_content.php?id=1200130&lang=eng_news&cate_img=logo_world&cate_rss=WORLD_eng]]></link>
      <pubDate>2010-03-11 12:00 AM</pubDate>
      <author><![CDATA[<br>associated press]]></author>
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      <title><![CDATA[Philippine leader Arroyo vows 'smooth transition']]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[Philippine President Gloria Arroyo yesterday sought to calm fears that she was secretly plotting to hold on to power, promising a smooth transition when her]]></description>
      <link><![CDATA[http://www.etaiwannews.com/etn/news_content.php?id=1200129&lang=eng_news&cate_img=logo_world&cate_rss=WORLD_eng]]></link>
      <pubDate>2010-03-11 12:00 AM</pubDate>
      <author><![CDATA[<br>agence france-presse]]></author>
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      <title><![CDATA[Law bars Aung San Suu Kyi from elections]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[Myanmar's military rulers have barred pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi from running in upcoming elections and may force her own political party to expel]]></description>
      <link><![CDATA[http://www.etaiwannews.com/etn/news_content.php?id=1200128&lang=eng_news&cate_img=logo_world&cate_rss=WORLD_eng]]></link>
      <pubDate>2010-03-11 12:00 AM</pubDate>
      <author><![CDATA[<br>associated press]]></author>
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      <title><![CDATA[Pot religion]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[A U.S. man who says marijuana is a sacrament in his religion has been convicted of misdemeanor drug charges.
A Clear Creek County judge found Trevor]]></description>
      <link><![CDATA[http://www.etaiwannews.com/etn/news_content.php?id=1200127&lang=eng_news&cate_img=logo_world&cate_rss=WORLD_eng]]></link>
      <pubDate>2010-03-11 12:00 AM</pubDate>
      <author><![CDATA[<br>Agencies]]></author>
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      <title><![CDATA[DMX back in jail]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[Authorities in Arizona say rapper DMX has been arrested for allegedly violating his probation by using drugs.
DMX, whose real name is Earl Simmons, had served]]></description>
      <link><![CDATA[http://www.etaiwannews.com/etn/news_content.php?id=1200126&lang=eng_news&cate_img=logo_world&cate_rss=WORLD_eng]]></link>
      <pubDate>2010-03-11 12:00 AM</pubDate>
      <author><![CDATA[<br>Agencies]]></author>
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      <title><![CDATA[Boy, 7, saves his family]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[Authorities were hailing a 7-year-old Norwalk boy as a hero Tuesday after he hid in a bathroom and called 911 as three armed attackers burst]]></description>
      <link><![CDATA[http://www.etaiwannews.com/etn/news_content.php?id=1200125&lang=eng_news&cate_img=logo_world&cate_rss=WORLD_eng]]></link>
      <pubDate>2010-03-11 12:00 AM</pubDate>
      <author><![CDATA[<br>Agencies]]></author>
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      <title><![CDATA[Architect of Chicago's former Sears Tower dies]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[Bruce J. Graham, the pioneering architect who designed the iconic Chicago skyscraper formerly named the Sears Tower, has died. He was 84.
Chicago-based public relations firm]]></description>
      <link><![CDATA[http://www.etaiwannews.com/etn/news_content.php?id=1200123&lang=eng_news&cate_img=logo_world&cate_rss=WORLD_eng]]></link>
      <pubDate>2010-03-11 12:00 AM</pubDate>
      <author><![CDATA[<br>Associated Press]]></author>
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      <title><![CDATA[Indictment of 'Jihad Jane' alleges threat from within U.S.]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[Using e-mail, YouTube videos, phony travel documents and a burning desire to kill "or die trying," a middle-aged American woman from Pennsylvania helped recruit a]]></description>
      <link><![CDATA[http://www.etaiwannews.com/etn/news_content.php?id=1200122&lang=eng_news&cate_img=logo_world&cate_rss=WORLD_eng]]></link>
      <pubDate>2010-03-11 12:00 AM</pubDate>
      <author><![CDATA[<br>Los Angeles Times]]></author>
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      <title><![CDATA[Iran leader says U.S. playing 'double game' in Afghanistan]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[Taking aim at the U.S., Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said yesterday that it's the U.S. that is playing a "double game" in Afghanistan, fighting terrorists]]></description>
      <link><![CDATA[http://www.etaiwannews.com/etn/news_content.php?id=1200111&lang=eng_news&cate_img=logo_world&cate_rss=WORLD_eng]]></link>
      <pubDate>2010-03-11 12:00 AM</pubDate>
      <author><![CDATA[<br>Associated Press]]></author>
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      <title><![CDATA[China aims to annihilate Buddhism: Dalai]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[The Dalai Lama said yesterday that Chinese authorities had rebuffed all his efforts to reach a compromise over Tibet and had instead engaged in systematic]]></description>
      <link><![CDATA[http://www.etaiwannews.com/etn/news_content.php?id=1200110&lang=eng_news&cate_img=logo_world&cate_rss=WORLD_eng]]></link>
      <pubDate>2010-03-11 12:00 AM</pubDate>
      <author><![CDATA[<br>Associated Press]]></author>
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      <title><![CDATA[Jammin' in LA: Planning can route you to the cool sights]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[If you plan well and have a little luck, you can see the world in Los Angeles. If not, all you'll see is a world of traffic. More likely, you'll experience some of both.
Tourists might think "Hollywood" when they begin to plan a vacation - and Hollywood is worth a day of sightseeing - but Los Angeles also is home to world-class museums, ethnic restaurants, interesting shops and farmers markets that make a winter-weary Midwesterner green with envy.
With so many attractions, you may be tempted to try to do too much. But traffic can jam up seemingly at any time, any place, so the best thing a tourist can do is relax and go with the flow. If you must be somewhere at a specific time, leave early; if you end up with time to kill, chances are you'll find an interesting shop or restaurant to explore.
A good place to start your trip is Hollywood and Highland, the neighborhood centered on Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue. This epicenter of Los Angeles mythology was sleazy and a bit scary just a few years ago. Thanks to several big-bucks developments, it has remade itself into a combination entertainment venue, upscale mall and tourist attraction.
You can drop some serious money at a boutique or gawk for free at the costumed characters posing for photos outside Grauman's Chinese Theatre. (If you snap a picture, they expect a tip, of course). As I watched, a pair of buxom policewomen, the Grim Reaper, Catwoman, Charlie Chaplin and Buzz Lightyear worked the crowd. Supergirl stood apart, reading a book. SpongeBob SquarePants looked more creepy than cuddly.
Many stars have homes nearby, and vendors selling maps are all around. You're on your own as to the maps' accuracy.
Instead of buying a map, I hopped into one of Skyline Tours' open-air vans. Our guide was Ted Schmidt, a native of St. Louis. The other seven passengers were from Switzerland, Sweden, Australia, Greece and Germany - a not uncommon mix, Schmidt said. His passengers often don't speak much English, but they all speak celebrity.
The tour took us through Hollywood and Beverly Hills, with a stop at a scenic overlook on Mullholland Drive. Looking down, we could see LA spread before us. Looking up, we spotted a wooden house perched on a hill. It's one of several owned by Ron Howard, Schmidt said: "He writes there at night."
Schmidt pointed out dozens of homes, including the one where Michael Jackson died. That house is clearly visible from the street, but many were shielded by hedges and privacy fences. Nevertheless, it was fun to get a sense of where - and how - Hollywood stars live.
Once you've spied on celebrities' homes, you might want to get a closer look at the people. Sure, you could try to find the real deal - Larry King has breakfast each morning at a Beverly Hills delicatessen called Nate 'n Al should you have the urge to stalk, Schmidt says - or you could go for the next best thing and visit Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum.
The wax depictions are pretty realistic, but the real fun is watching visitors interact with the figures. Props are available to make photographs more fun. You can jump on a camel next to Lawrence of Arabia, hop into the chair next to Captain Kirk or buddy up to Jennifer Lopez.
For a chance to see real stars and to get some exercise, head to Runyon Canyon Park, high in the Santa Monica Mountains. The park is crisscrossed with sandy and packed-dirt trails - some fairly level, some almost vertical - that will bring you to some of the best views around. On the rare clear day, you can see the ocean. Even on a hazy day, you'll get a good view of the Hollywood sign. Below, the city spreads to the horizon.
Regular visitors say that the canyon is a favorite of celebrities walking their dogs. I saw plenty of dogs, but no celebrities.
I ascended into the Santa Monica Mountains again to visit the Getty Center (a companion museum to its older sibling, the Getty Villa in Malibu). The views vie for attention with the art - and the art is amazing.
Trams carry visitors from the underground parking garage up to a complex designed by noted architect Richard Meier. The five buildings are made mostly of golden brown travertine stone - look closely, and you may see leaf fossils. The landscaping includes a cactus garden and a maze.
The art collection features modern sculpture, and European and American paintings, drawings, decorative arts and illuminated manuscripts. Paintings are housed on the top floors of the buildings to take advantage of natural light. Walking into a gallery of European impressionists was like walking into an art-history textbook: Monet's water lilies, Van Gogh's irises, works by Pissaro, Renoir, Degas, Gauguin, Cezanne and Manet adorned the walls.
A special photography exhibition called Urban Panoramas is on display through June 6. I found Jeff Chien-Hsing Liao's photos of New York and Catherine Opie's photos of Los Angeles' minimalls absorbing; Soo Kim's layered, hand-cut prints of Reykjavik, Iceland, taken at midnight during the summer solstice were amazing.
We headed into the mountains one last time to visit the Griffith Park Observatory, which is on the southern slope of Mount Hollywood. Even if you've never been there, the Greek-style building will look familiar - it's a popular setting for movies, most notably the 1955 James Dean classic "Rebel Without a Cause."
While the observatory looks much as it did when it opened in 1935, it recently was expanded and meticulously renovated. Workers lifted the concrete structure off its foundation and evacuated underneath, making way for an underground addition of nearly 40,000 square feet of public space.
You can browse the exhibits and catch a star show in the planetarium; if you visit after dark, you can climb to the top of the observatory and look through its telescope.
Down at sea level, I spent a day in the neighboring beach towns of Santa Monica and Venice. Instead of eating breakfast, I started at a farmers market held from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. each Wednesday at Arizona Avenue and Second Street in Santa Monica.
About 75 growers have booths, and much of the produce is organic. Organic sweet limes were sweet enough to eat out of hand. Like the organic pink Cara Cara navel oranges, they cost US$2 a pound; organic tangerines were US$3 a pound.
I also saw Asian vegetables of every description, six types of candy-sweet organic dates, perfect red strawberries, olives and olive oil, walnuts and walnut oil, and five colors of carrots (purple, yellow, tomato-orange, green-yellow and regular orange).
Pagoda-shaped heads of green cauliflower looked like lacy works of art. Live music played, the crowd swirled and a cheesemaker sang out an invitation: "Fresh mozzarella, don't be shy to buy, made yesterday."
Santa Monica also is known for its Third Street Promenade, a pedestrian-only stretch lined with restaurants and shops, and its wooden pier, complete with a vintage carousel, a Ferris wheel and a trapeze school.
After exploring the pier, I set out for Venice on South Bay Bicycle Trail, a coastal path that stretches 22 miles, from Will Rogers Beach in the north to Torrance Beach in the south. You'll find bike rental shops along the way, so pick a good starting (and ending) point. Prices range from about US$10 an hour to about US$25 for a full day, including a helmet.
Venice Beach is about two miles from Santa Monica, but it's a whole other world - or at least another decade. Sitar music and the scent of patchouli waft along the boardwalk. "Kush" doctors legally dispense medical marijuana - the smell of that wafts here and there, too. You can get a tattoo or a piercing, haggle with sidewalk vendors for art or jewelry, grab a slice of pizza and listen to the street musicians, including a classic pianist.
If you venture a few blocks from the boardwalk to Abbot Kinney Boulevard, you'll find yet another scene. This is a great shopping street with unique clothing stores, furniture stores, accessories shops, restaurants and bars. I especially enjoyed browsing through Ten Women, a small storefront that sells jewelry, fabric art, glassware and other objects from local artists.
Perhaps the most famous farmers market in Los Angeles is not so much a place to buy fruits and vegetables (although you can do that) as an outdoor restaurant venue and souvenir emporium. Go hungry if you visit the Farmers Market at Fairfax Avenue and Third Street: temptations include bakeries, candy shops and restaurants of almost every description. Next door is the Grove, a new and exceedingly upscale mall.
We ended our trip in Long Beach. The city's biggest tourist attraction is the Queen Mary, berthed just offshore. The ship was launched in 1934 as a luxury liner. Pressed into service as a troop transport and hospital ship during World War II, she served honorably and well.
When the Queen Mary re-entered civilian life, she also began her glory years. She transported Hollywood royalty - reflected in the photos of Spencer Tracy, Humphrey Bogart, Gloria Swanson and other stars - and British royalty, including the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. Then came jet airplanes, and ship travel fell from favor.
Long Beach bought the Queen Mary in 1967 for US$3.45 million. Today, it is a hotel and a banquet and wedding venue. Visitors can stroll the decks and check out the historical displays. The Observation Bar, glorious in its art deco design, has live music on weekends.
About 1,000 wedding receptions are held on the Queen Mary each year, said Will Kayne, an actor who auditioned for a show on the Queen Mary 10 years ago and now portrays the ship's captain. Close to 2 million people visit annually, and about a third of them stay on board.
"You really feel you are away when you stay here," Kayne said.
Another view of sea life is on display at the Aquarium of the Pacific. Outdoors, you can catch a sea lion show or pet a (small) shark. Indoor exhibits showcase various habitats: Orange and ghostly white jellyfish float and pulse. Bright turquoise, fuchsia and orange fish dart about a tank as visiting children invoke the names of the characters in "Finding Nemo." Weedy-looking sea dragons float by, mesmerizing the people crowding around.
Planning a trip to Los Angeles and navigating the freeways once you arrive can be daunting. But with proper planning - and like those sea dragons, a go-with-the-flow attitude  - you can bring home a world of memories.
IF YOU GO:
CARS - Although Los Angeles has mass transit, you'll need a car to really see the area. Rental rates vary widely and tend to be higher close to LAX. You may save money by taking a cab or shuttle to your hotel and renting a car from a nearby location. I've gotten good rates from Midway Car Rental, 1-800-824-5260 and midwaycarrental.com.
HOTELS - Every chain imaginable is in the area, and locally owned hotels are plentiful. I booked a room at the Hilton in Glendale (in the San Fernando Valley) for US$65 a night through Priceline.com. Parking was US$18 a night. I also stayed at two unique hotels, the Embassy Hotel Apartments in Santa Monica and the Queen Mary in Long Beach.
EMBASSY HOTEL APARTMENTS
1001 Third Street, Santa Monica
1-310-394-1279;
embassyhotelapts.com
A stay at the Embassy Hotel Apartments might remind you of noir films and old Hollywood. The hotel is on a tree-lined street in a predominantly residential area just blocks from the beach and from the shops, restaurants and bars that make up the Third Street Promenade.
THE QUEEN MARY
1126 Queens Highway, Long Beach
1-877-342-0742; queenmary.com
The Queen Mary has 314 hotel rooms, all created from the ship's first-class suites and staterooms.
Cruise ships are not known for their spacious cabins, and our room in the Queen Mary was no exception. Unfortunately, the room also was dark and in need of updating.]]></description>
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