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Published: November 6th 2007
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Me on Alcatraz
Me on Alactraz. What a view huh? San Fran!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Long bus ride to get here, not helped by the fact we was stuck in LA traffic for like an hour and then went out into the middle of nowhere for no reason - missing out on highway 1 and its great views. Grrrrr!!!!!!!!!!!
So I get into San Fran around 9:30ish at night. Try to find my way out of the place and this shifty dude asks where I am going, I quickly avoid him and find my way downstairs trying to figure out how you get of the place. I couldn't find a taxi rank, had to ask a woman at a bus stop. Turns out the place is many levelled so had to go down and out to get one.
I get there and am hoping to meet up with a guy that I met in LA at the hostel I stayed at, he was coming up to san fran that day via the shuttle but I couldn't see him. I had a wander out on my own, seems like I was in the heart of the strip clubs district so that made some amusing viewing. I didn't hang out long though
Me falling off the bridge!!!!
nah not really lol, looks like it though.. and had an early night.
Got up next day, met the guy I was going to meet last night and another guy I had met at the LA hostel. We look round town a little then head to piers there. Walk up and down that and its pretty cool, at Pier 39 they have wild sea lions, loads of them just basquing in the sun. Its cool to see. We then take a coupel of buses to the Golden Gate Bridge. Its freezing by the time we got there, cloudy to, can't see the top of the tower things on the bridge. I am only in a t-shirt and jeans, having gotten used to the hot weather. We decide to go on the bridge anyway, one of the guys has a fear of heights so stays behind. I only went as far as the first tower as 1) it was cold 2) my battery in camera was dying and died when I got there and 3) didn't wanna leave the other guy on his own too long. I have to say its an impressive sight to see, it goes on so long and is so large. they view from
My first close up sighting of the Golden Gate Bridge
Yes it was. look at that cloud cover. It was freezing!!!!!! it onto the city is amazing and I saw a sea lion swimming underneath aswell so that was cool. Head back form it and wait for the bus, I am so cold I buy a starbuck hot chocolate. Its not bad but very hot. I can't remember if we did owt else that day, we went out at night and saw some live music at the saloon bar which was cool, that bar was used in the film 'Just Like Heaven', they had a couple of really old servers there and the band was old guys to but they rocked!!! They had guys coming through the crowd and one guy got up on the bar and knelt on the bar playing away, it was very cool.
I know we went to a couple of places and ended up in one place where we met a local girl who we went out with a night or 2 later and a guy called Shaun who I shall say was.....strange, a character. We later eneded up hanging out with him a little bit, or should I say hung out with us. I guess he was harmless but he did get thrown out of
his philosophy glass for attempting to teach the class himself and getting enthusiastic. He was into philosphy and would go up to strangers and talk to them, one amusing incident was when he chased briefly after 2 girls, he smoked a bit as well and liked that kinda stuff. He was supposed to fly to australia for a family reunion, took shuttle out, took a taxi back coz he forgot his sandels then got a taxi back to the airport. He ended up extending his stay and going to the airport most days, he was on standby apprently so not gurarenteed a flight. Interesting fellow.
I met a lot of cool people at the hostel - John a scottish guy working illegal in the usa that loved the beatles 'strawberry fields' tune in the early hours of the morning, Sadie - a cute little lady that was lots of funa nd friends with everyone, Sundari - a cool tatted up tight braided blonde and left one day, some cool swiss girls, some crazy australians and then in the last days a funny scottish guy called billy and plenty of others I can't even remember at 2am when I am typing
Fishermans Wharf
Sign for the famous Fishermans wharf lol.
I saw a fair bit in San fran but ot all of it. I walked the High Astbury which was the old hippe area and still is a hippe place, also the place where I have been approached the most times and offered drugs in my life. Walked through Golden gate park, went on the swings, saw the japenese tea gardens, went to the cinema a coupel of times - saw Into the Wild - an ok film directed by Sean Penn, a bit prentious but great cinematography and Death at a Funeral - a really funny british comedy that I recommned everyone seeing! Played ont he new fifa 08 game there to, played as Leeds and beat Man Utd (it may have been on amatuer setting mind), took a walk round the town, saw some dance performance on the UN monument that also had some strange gay guy walk across during it doing his own little perfromance. San Fran does have its share of weirdos I have to say but the city is really cool and fun.
I did Alcatraz one day as well, baough ticket in advance coz you have to and went there. You
The Sea lions at Pier 39
Right there, larger then life. get a lot of people going at the same time tho so its kind of impersonal and there isn't much there besides the remaisn of the jail but the audio tour was informative and cool with voicces of real life prision guards and prisoners. You can spend a couple of hours there and the ferry across is ok.
The last day was quite amusing, a large group of us decided to watch the Engaldn vs South Africa in the Rugby World Cup but its hard to find, bars weren't shopwing it coz they have to pay a fair bit for the company broadcatsing it supposedly, so we went all over and finall got 3 cabs to a place, tho when ours got there we saw a big queue and knwoing they charge $20 to get in to see it, hung around for a bit. We then saw one of the others, they had gotten in via a way round the back so we wnet round, got in free and saw the rest of the game and then went for a few drinks afterwards. I got some free food as I crashed some college bbq thing int he patioio of
Alcatraz
Alactraz....... the bar, it wasnt busy and the guy gave me free food so that was sweet. We went to another bar which was a fair way's walk, it was amusing listening to scottish billy - a 40 more little guy going on about how he had never walked so far for a beer.
The hills there can be a killer, I can't imagine driving there but you get some great views and the people are really friendly. Everyone loves it that goes there. Everyyone extended there stay pretty much including me. Its a top place and I spent a week there, it was fun. I drank every night, played kings cup one night, did a pub crawl and had a good time.
Next stop was Portland!!!
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