Venice

Apparently named after its Italian cousin due to its relatively lame canals, Venice Beach, CA is one nutty place to visit.  A weekend spent walking on the boardwalk never fails to entertain and shock.

There are plenty of regular characters who exist only to amuse (and sometimes disturb) you in the hopes for a small handout.  Unfortunately, we didn't see the guy who for one dollar will let you (literally) kick his ass.

But we did see the Gold Dust Guy.  He remains perfectly still until you drop some money into his bucket.  Then he dances and screams for precisely three seconds before resuming his statue-like stance:

And of course Marijuana Man, who clearly pays regular visits to the many "medical" marijuana clinics on the boardwalk:

This guy is a mainstay... he rides around on his home-made roller skates while very poorly playing a portable electric guitar:

All of these guys somehow get tips.  I loved the guy below.  This was by far the strangest clown I've ever seen.

But some of the street performers are pretty impressive.  This acrobatic group was amazing - I wish the pictures could show you their impressive strength and agility.

Yes, that guy has launched himself over two other guys and is somehow five feet in the air upside down.

And finally, a somewhat less impressive acrobatic feat: