Occupy Los Angeles - Part Two

The strongest memory I’ll take away with me from this trip to Los Angeles is just how many strange people we’ve seen.

Today, we headed out to Santa Monica Pier.  While there, we rented bikes and rode a few miles south.  We got to Santa Monica kind of early so the ride out was pretty uneventful.  In fact, it was pretty relaxing.  I spent most of the ride just looking out at the ocean or checking out the homes that look out over the water.  I hardly noticed any of the other people who were out enjoying the beautiful day.

After a relaxing lunch in Marina del Rey, the fun started.  By this time, the beach and bike bath were super-crowded.  In this crowd were all kinds of people.  But, it was the kooks who stood out to me.  Here are my top three:

• The naked guy.  If I were naked on the beach, I’d probably be trying to keep a low profile.  Not this guy.  As he slipped out his wet suit and shook himself off next to his car, he had his car stereo pumping, blasting some Foster the People for all to hear.  Maybe that’s the trick to being comfortable when you’re naked in public.
• The super-relaxed woman.  There she was, lying on a massage table.  That’s not too unusual, right?  Have I mentioned the two giant gongs on either side of her?  Or, the fact that, as she lay there, face down, the guy standing at the head of the table kept up a steady beat on the gongs?  I have no idea what aura he was trying to create for her but they just looked ridiculous.
• The guy wearing the Speedo.  This wasn’t just any old Speedo.  It was the smallest, clingiest Speedo known to man.  This guy drew smirks from everyone who saw him.  I managed to see this guy twice – once from the front and once from behind.  I can’t get either image out of my head.  The naked guy was less disturbing.

Here are a couple people who didn’t make the top three:

• The guy who had shaved his head so that his remaining hair spelled out “Happy New Year.”
• The super-fast jogger who kept pace with us for over a mile – while wearing jeans.
• The girl with the “I Love Shoes, Booze, and Guys with Tattoos” t-shirt.
• The entire contingent of street people who have taken over the boardwalk at Venice Beach.
• The guy who was sunning his 3-foot long iguana.
• The fine-looking gentleman who was riding an oversized tricycle with a live parrot on each of his shoulders and two on his bike's handlebars.

I love LA.