made it to MALIBU!

Indeed we have made it to Malibu! This afternoon we might ride down to Venice Beach and L.A., but let me describe our time so far!

We spent a night in San Luis Obispo, where the hostel host sent us downtown to the “farmers’ market”, which seemed to be a very swanky street roped off for restaurant stands, at least after dark when we arrived. We treated ourselves to a huge shared meal of Moroccan cooking and went to bed late, to be practically kicked out the next morning when we dragged our feet.

Philippe had met Dave in Michigan, but we’ve since discovered that he goes by Red (for his hair) with his California friends, and Spyder (his middle name) by his family! We parked in town, which is actually a 26-mile strip of beaches and some food shacks, and little strip malls where Britney Spears was known to hang out before she went white-trash-crazy. Dave took us straight to the beach, his second home, where he knows all the lifeguards, and started the promised surf lesson with Philippe! It looked way too balance- and arm-intensive for me!

At a stoplight on our way to Dave’s house, a blonde in large sunglasses in a gorgeous convertible was stopped kiddy-corner to us; some photographers went up to her and took a few shots, and we realized then it was Paris Hilton, seemingly sober at the wheel. Phi and I try to play it cool, seeing as she was at the club we went to that night anyway!

That was only the start, as we followed Dave’s pickup with surfboards in the back up the canyon past the security gate, gazing up manicured drives and gardens, mansions well out of sight. Dave pointed out the Gibsons’ (as in Mel) and we pulled into his drive just before the Grammars’ (as in Kelsey).

Dave’s house is warm and bustling in the evenings, what with his many siblings and their friends hanging out with television, and Mom’s very good cooking, with which we stuffed ourselves even before starting the grill for steak & shrimp… life is good. We made a night of piña coladas and went to see a true rock & roll band at a club, the Malibu girls just as you’d picture them (plastic surgery and all). Met Christian Gibson, who has his dad’s eyes but the most laid-back, cool personality – it was so neat. What a night! Even coming back, people piled back to the house in the spirit of pool and jacuzzaing, but we headed off to bed, where we stayed until noon. Another day of gorgeous sunshine under the palms.