Morning. I open my eyes. Still alive. The guys are alive. Someone is talking outside. I look out the car window; my friends are already having a lively conversation with a passing biker. The atmosphere is friendly, and the fear is gradually fading away. It is time to bring you up to speed. Slab City is a settlement in the middle of the Colorado Desert in California, which gained popularity among young people thanks to the American film "Into the Wild." After the film's release, crowds of young Americans rushed to taste the life of real men far from civilization in the town of Slab City. As the locals say, "A case of beer and there is always a place for you here." During World War II, there was an American military base here, of which only ruins and concrete slabs remained, which served as the name for the city. According to Americans, this is the last place of freedom in the USA, and for people who have rejected the system, hippies, artists, criminals, and those who cannot afford to live in apartments due to financial circumstances, this place has become home. There is no electricity or running water in the town. However, many retirees enthusiastically set off to live out their final years in Slab City, and a school bus picks up the children on schedule. In summer, there is unbearable heat in the desert, so my advice is to stock up on bottles of water and a case of beer when heading to Slab City. Those who cannot leave the city in the summer will be infinitely grateful to you. Every year, people die of thirst in Slab City. The population in the summer months is only 150-200 people. Only when the weather gets colder do the "snowbirds" (as the locals call them) return to the town, and then the population fluctuates around 2,000. Our visit took place in October. The main heat had already subsided, but we brought a few bottles of beer with us to win the favor of the locals. From afar, we caught sight of one of the main local attractions – Salvation Mountain. It was built by a local resident, Leonard, with his bare hands out of clay, straw, and whatever he could find. However, we did not manage to meet Leonard himself. He left this world back in 2014. The mountain is covered with quotes from the Gospel or phrases expressing the faith of the local residents in God and love. As a prayer, the locals broadcast the inscription left on the rock: "Repeat: 'Jesus, I am a sinner, visit my body and enter my soul.'" People from all over the world come to see Salvation Mountain, and to this day, the locals remember Leonard, who left them, with respect and gratitude...
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