"I am naked and free, like my god."

That is what I saw posted on the back of a bicycle today, the rider of which was a young woman wearing a bikini bottom and flower petals around her nipples. Apparently, being topless in public is not illegal in Portland, which I suppose is appropriate, since men can go topless at will.

For those that haven't been to Portland, this scene is indicative of the atmosphere of Hawthorn District, the area next to which my friend lives. It is pretty much a mix of a hostel-type atmosphere and a heavy dose of hippies. I also saw a young woman walking down the street with homemade fairy wings and a man in black and white striped pants, a black tophat, no shirt, and a large quantity of alcohol in his blood stream.

There are a few dozen shops lining the street over about a mile's length, including vintage and secondhand clothing stores, custom jewelers, a hostel, a Ben & Jerry's, an arms and armor shop, a store with toys and shirts reminiscent of what I would find in some parts of Hong Kong, a Powell's bookstore, a vegetarian Thai restaurant, a few other restaurants and coffee shops... you get the idea.

It's an interesting area and I could enjoy spending some time living in the area, but I'm not sure how long it would entertain me. I'm concerned that, like most places with character, many of the people are just impersonating the character they think they are supposed to have for the area, rather than being their own people. Anyway, I doubt I will be spending too much time here anytime soon, as I don't plan on settling down anywhere in the near future. I just thought I would share a vague idea of the area.