L.A. and the Joshua tree NP

My journey continues slowly but steadily towards the south. I'm writing you from southern sunny (not like San Francisco) Californian coast from a little place called Huntington beach, where I'm being hosted by a very cute couch surfer girl that is also, ah so topically for south Cali a surfer.
But first comes first......how did Ivan get a chance to go surfing for the first time in his life?!?!

After missing on my earth quake experience by a meter of hours, I arrived to L.A. to be hosted by a wonderful CS family. I stayed at Dianes place in Baldwin hills, a part of L.A. we europeans could call..... interesting. A topical (low higher income) type of a neighborhood by american standards (or "d h"). You get a feeling you dont need to go any where, because every thing is so convenient, so the human laziness kicks in. On the other hand, with out a car it's very hard to get any where in this huge city, so a lot of people don't actually go any where out side the invisible borders . Some would say the system builted it that way to keep the people in side those fenceless projects. That is from a European guy stranded in this big country, that I don't really understand, so I could be wrong but I know something smells rotten in Denmark......
Back to my travels......since Diane belongs to those people that are always full of energy I used that (and the fact that she has a ford van......a.k.a. "the boat") and trough CS organized a trip to

Joshua tree national park!

My first all american breakfast. Diane made

krapes (best ever!!!!!, bacon and egs for me. That is her in the

midle between Mercedes and Michael.

The party consisted of (all couch surfers) Diane (US), Tina (US). Joanna (NL), Derik (US) and me form little ole Croatia. We headed out to a one day trip in the morning. The road took us to our firs stop, the visitor center...

Joanna, Diane, me :), Tina, Derik......

You know that organisaton "Hug a tree",

I thik they are gona love this one.

two short hikes, including a cave style lunch in between...

By the end of the day we needed a good refreshment and cheap food (mex restaurant 5$) to give us the strength we needed for that last touch that rounded up what turned up to be a prefect day........Star Gazing in the Desert!!!!

Mexican restaurant before Star Gazing.

Next day I picked up my mex visa and did a short version of Walk of Fame on Hollywood blv. with Michael, the son of Diane. No other way to do it but to be guided by a local.....so much fun!!

Michael, the local on the streets of Hollywood.

Ivan, such a turist.

Mama ova je za tebe...Clark Gable.

One of the CS-ers on the Joshua trip, Tina, also a surfer (not the couch one, the wave one) lives in Huntigton beach, a nice town south from L.A.

Funny enough, exactly the thing that I was hopping to experience next.....one thing lead to another and I'm in now in south California paradise, the surf mecca, the sunny beach and all of the in a company of Tina, the surf girl!

Dave and Busters...the American way of fun!















Yes!!!! yes I did surf......this is me after getting out
of the water....riding the wave.......it wasnt a big
cahuana but a tree footer will do for a newbe...
(that's me using surf slang) lol!
I love it cant wait to go back tomorrow, I loved it!!!
dont mind the redness of my chest...I'll wear a suit
tomorrow :)
















I'm geting all americanised, this is called batting cage!

Tomorrow or on Monday I will probably be headed to Chiuhauha and that is where the exotic part of this trip starts!
that's all form me for now, you all take care!
P.S. I just got back form bowling. it might not mean much to my european friends but my american friends will know how good I was when I say that I got the turkey!!!