San Fran- What a great name for a city!

---

From: fran the man
Sent: Thursday, 7 April 2005
To: everyone
Subject: San Fran

Well I made it to Lafayette, despite arriving an hour and a half late - nice one Amtrak! I spent yesterday hanging out with barb, who managed to get hold of me on my mobile half an hour before I jumped on my train. Picked myself up some new tramping boots as mine are still lost in the all the moving I’ve done in the last 5 months. Am going into town today to do some exploration like, must go and book my Alcatraz tickets!

My Train ride up was pretty cool Amtrak has these big 2 story trains with heaps of space and a dining car where I sat and ate lunch and dinner with 2 separate retired couples. The train travels along the coast to san Lois Obispo so I got to look out across the pacific at none other then oil rigs..... which kinda ruin the view. But I did get to see Pelicans! Real life Pelicans out in the wild doing their thing on the pacific it was cool!

Am off to do my tourist thing soon so will let you know what San Fran has in store for me
Sending out lots of love Fran


From: Fran the man
Sent: Monday, 11 April 2005
To: everyone
Subject: Sa Fran

Hi all

Have managed to get some time on the computer to send you some pics.

Alcatraz was very cool! Out in the recreation yard you can hear the bell from the buoy, which combined with the bitterly cold weather, grey skies and stark environment gives you quite a good appreciation for what prison must have been life back when Alcatraz was up and running. Only I didn’t have to spend 23 hours locked up after taking photos. I would have been asking for my money back if that was the case.

I also went and had a look at the USS Pampanito! A WW2 sub that carried out missions over the pacific. Its hard to comprehend having to live and work in such a small space. With only me and a few other tourists on board it feels tiny and cramped - let alone 80 men! At one point the sub had closer to 150 men as they picked up 70 Australian and British POW. Just Unreal. i went to golden gate park and had a cup of tea at the Japanese tea gardens. The gardens are quite pretty but very... Twee. I think ill stick with submarines and Prisons.

Am getting ready to head off to Yosemite soon Yeah! Should be very cool I’m hoping.

Hope alls well in kiwiland
Love Fran


From: Fran The Man
Sent: Monday, 11 April 2005
To: Mama
Subject: San Fran Pics

Went to golden gate park yesterday to the Japanese tea garden - had my cup of tea and got my fortune cookie which said

Stop searching Forever.
Happiness is right next to you

Classy. Found the New Zealand garden by accident and thought cool ill go see what they’ve got. Not 2 steps later I saw a very un NZ sight. Squirrels! And not just one either at least 4 and 2 rats as well. All hanging out on the path in front of me. I’m loving the squirrels though - they’re so cool!
love fran

---

Photos

Kiwi In San Fran
Spot the interloper on the tree behind. Bloody Squirrels!

Alcatraz
They have Pohutakawa's there dontchya know

Gauges
Sorry, Im still an Instument Tech, gauges are just were its at for me im afraid.

Sub Door way
They must have all been midgets or mad to ive in such a confined space