Venice Beach interlude

I've driven through Venice Beach before, but never actually stopped until now.

The top photo is probably the best type of view - just slightly from a distance. Despite the potential people-watching opportunities, I decided to stick with a few quick iPhone snaps.

I expect I'd need more time than available to get a really close understanding of the tattoo bars, cheap sunglass stalls with dire warnings about no photography, areas with highly tanned men standing about and so on.

It's clearly an area popular with many and gets described it as the epicentre for the Californian counter-culture. Maybe my kind of counter culture is a bit different.

I noticed a pervasive aroma of weed, as well as spotting those apparently voluntary para-medics that specialise in drug treatment. Or at least in getting people the marijuana licences so that the can buy it on prescription. ($40 for 30 minute evaluation next to the sausage shop, plus $100 for a personal-use licence).

I'd guess there were quite a few street living folk here too, judging by the clumps of plastic bags, supermarket trollies and grouped tatty golf umbrellas.

I'm pretty street savvy but it's the kind of area I'd be wary of drifting away from the main drag and probably be extra cautious in the evening. I found myself doing that pavement weave to keep at least an arm's length from anyone else.