My 'San Andres Fault*' visit (*some of it)

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Hey Dudes,

I have since returned home to England from Fiji, but not before stopping in the US of A and it's large state (well I suppose they are all relatively large to English counties) of California - sometimes shortened (is that a word?) to "CA" in prose...Anyhow, time was a factor from flying from Fiji to California. Crossing the International Date Line (as you do), I was forced into reliving 9 hours of the same day, not on the plane, but in America.

My first task was to have my index fingers scanned, which I managed to make complicated by failing to press hard enough on the touch pad! and then a cheesy photo, taken by passport control, using a small "web-cam looking" device!

I was heading to San Diego from Los Angeles' LAX airport and rumour had it that I would get "lost" in the airport. Well, I didn't get lost but I almost, just almost, attempted to walk out of the airport without getting a bus, but in the end - it required a bus to get out of the seemingly very large airport to a bus stop outside the airport.
From here 2 separate bus journeys took me into Downtown LA, where the Greyhound Coach company resides.
After everyone had boarded the coach destined for San Diego, the coach driver shouted a command in Spanish to get everyone to stop talking (so he could say some safety notices) at which point a lady, sat next to me, shouted back: "Wait till we get to Long Beach for that!" clearly not happy with the driver's use of Spanish! (Long beach I learnt is only 20 minutes from Downtown LA). Well, I can understand the driver speaking Spanish seeing as San Diego is so close to Mexico (a 15 min drive apparently) and a lot of the coach's occupants were going there...
The driver later reverted to English (after I complained) (no i didn’t really!)

So arriving into San Diego's Downtown and "Gas Lamp" area (as they are Gas Lamps outside the restaurants and bars) I boarded some stairs leading to my hostel. Free pancakes and waffles were available for breakfast, so I got up early the next morning and proceeded to mess up the waffle making machine by pouring the batter onto the toaster without any oil -ooops! well - I hid in the broom cupboard after that, and then in the afternoon, promptly left the hostel and met with fellow Nimbin (Australia's hippy town) hostel buddy - Mo, who very kindly said it was ok to kip on his S.D. flat sofa for couple of nites! (that's a long sentence).

I met Morgan in South Africa, and she suggest going to San Francisco and I met Mo in Nimbin and he suggested I visit San Diego and/or San Francisco instead of L.A. as I had planned..... and I decided on the latter option - equal time between San D and San F. (which now to be referred as S.D. or S.F.)
So Mo got some Mexican food after we met and I moved my extensive baggage (now getting particularly large after 4.5 months) into his flat!
Being a Friday nite and Halloween, we hit the town and 'el vino' did flow! I got a bit drunk - after not really doing so previously on my travels (to save money and hang-over down-time of course!) Not surprising as the size of the Tequila shots (see photo) they drink down here in S.D. - so close to Mexico - hardly a shock.

I like the vibe in S.D. - not an over big nightlife - but Im told the surrounding areas of people living sprawl for many miles around S.D. often comparatively less expensive houses closer to the Mexico border... anyway. Out in the Downtown nightlife - it doesn't seem like you are in a massive city (well, not like San Fran felt or I imagine drinking in New York feels anyway)

Right, one funny thing from that night - in fact two, was first the was first the halloween costumes that most people had put effort into wearing (not me of course - see photo) were almost all non-halloween related - for example - baywatch lifeguards, playboy bunnies, police officers, A- Team members! etc.. hehe and a conversation started by Mike (who was out with Mo and I). Mike went outside to have a cigarette and so we joined him and we were in an area next to people sitting outside (its temperate in S.D. all year - cosy warm) on tables. There was a couple on a table directly next to us and so Mike asked them if it was ok for him to smoke next to them - "no problems" they said. But they eventually decided to move from that table because Mike went off on one ( who was not particularly bashful or what can I say - - subtle?) about having sex with two girls - he was bellowing out this story and I was like - can't you be a bit more quiet - like don't you have any tact and he was like - "What 'tax' - what???" After he couldn’t understand my confusing accent?? (Mo could understand that I said "Tact" and not "tax"!!!) he continued to describe specific details out loud and clearly the couple weren't too impressed at hearing mr singleton's vividly described fantasies and I believe they finally got up and left their table at this point!
Oh well, halloween is never a normal night hey

On 'dance floor - it became apparent to me girls appear to be generally more forward or less reserved than what I have witnessed elsewhere in the world (compared to where I have been or back in England) - I maybe slightly inaccurate with this - maybe it was just Halloween! That was my general impression - I'm guessing the Taliban wouldn't have been so hot on this kinda behaviour - I say it was refreshingly refreshing.
I also blew some cold water via a straw onto Mo on the dance floor and he ended up throwing some ice at me, and i remembered how silly alcohol can make an evening! hehe

Actually a third funny thing - we bumped into a girl and a guy (these were both college pals of Mo and Mike) and they got talking. I was just listening along and I overheard the girl talking about having a breast enlargement - seeing as I had something relevant to add to this conversation, I butted in saying I had had an operation on my chest and had scars left over. So I had to show my scars to prove it and then their friend invited me to feel her breasts, and I couldn't be rude - so I accepted - she explained how one was slightly smaller than the other and they needed implants!! But everyone was shocked at how I'd been so forward, breaking their expectations of stereotypical English "well behaved/polite" behaviour!!
Stereotypes! I found that funny - what about some of our well behaved football supporters at away games? But naturally, they don't represent us all ! and stereotypes and generalising don't work do they?! They haven't counted on my travelling anyway...

So, I spent the following day in the nearby beach area of Pacific Beach (PB), finding some random 'beach hanging' people to chat to about, well about anything, as peeps didn't seem to mind talking to randoms (such as me) about whatever - and my impressive of Californians (at least in this region) was one of highly friendly and nice (from these encounters).
Later in evening with Mo and flatmate Art- we played and they taught me Poker - and I finally understand the game from that lesson - I even played my first bluff (but ended up losing my chips/marbles later!)

I attempted to understand how American Football works on the Sunday and we went down to a park to play frisbee and challenged the players on the basketball court to a game..... which Art, Mo and I played well, but narrowly lost... damn! (I still feel the pain now!)

I left S.D. on the Monday to travel to San Fran. which took 13.5 hrs! This was via an Amtrack train - but involved (in order) a train (to L.A.), followed by coach - train - coach!
I met some more interesting and cool Californians on the trip, one retired surgeon giving his essential spots to see in San Fran, another lady kind enough to give me contact details of her two granddaughters whom are studying San Fran. and another girl who gave me a list of US punk rock to look out for. Yo - made the journey much more fun.

Soo - into S.F. and it had the feel of a much larger city feel than S.D.
I knew there was a massive halloween street party held every year in SF and it was being run that nite - Monday 31st Oct. > What were the chances of me being there to coincide? - well I had to try and go - so I went down to a shop to buy a scary mask and in the shop a dude behind me sporadically said "I like your hair" - I turned round and said "what?" bemused... he said " I love the way your hair is styled" - I said thanks and he noticed my accent was not local and asked where I was from - then for simplicities sake - I said London - and he immediately replied in the most exaggerated and camp voice "Oh I hate you" - I laughed and replied that I didnt actually live in London but outside and he just replied again with "I hate you" !! Oh it was funny.... maybe you have to have been there but hey - the randomness.
Well, I never got to the street party - as the underground transport stopped running early in the night...

I spent my time in SF visiting different touristy spots such as the Coit Tower - giving views of the bay area, taking a cruise under the Golden Gate Bridge and past Alcatraz (> though I didn't visit that prison), Haight Ashbury (a hippie area), Little Italy and walking over the Golden Gate Bridge.

I have always wanted to watch a basketball in the US and my luck was in - the first game of the new NBA season was taking place in the city across the bay from S.F. -Oakland. That team are 'The Golden State Warriors' and they were playing 'The Atlanta Hawks'.
Opening game of the season - the atmosphere was awesome...gymnastics, dancing, cheerleading, slam-dunking off trampolines and the nation anthem being played on a trumpet before the game - everyone standing up - a level of patriotism Ive not witnessed anywhere before..
Two guys behind me were getting particularly excited during the game, as it was their 1st visit to a NBA game, shouting funny American English phrases like " you Suck!", "No way man!" etc...
After basketball - I checked out a bar with a dance floor where an English DJ (Nic Fanciulli) was playing House / Electro / Tech House - mainly house though!

I also surreally met two girls in my hostel, that were doing roughly the same trip as me (but in reverse) and starting just as I was finishing mine - spoooky.

Completing my trip around the world meant I had to get back to the same longitude I started at, so in that vain - I needed to get one more plane home from S.F. to London.
So on the day of my last flight - I'm going to a few shops in the hippie district -Haight Ashbury, calm and horizontal as you like, and then - oh jees - is that the time - I have really got to get to the airport now - and then no - I didn't get there in time - ooops missed my plane! Well, possibly but not definitely one of the most stupid things I've done while travelling alone, but alas it wasn't a problem, Virgin Atlantic didn't charge me extra to fly next day, I got to go along to a trance party in the evening and also flew with fellow dorm mates - Rich and Gizza next day back to London- (we sneaked some wine on board too - but the crew wouldn't open it - screw top next time then!! hehe).

So that was the USA visit for me ..sooo different to Fiji (quite obviously on paper) but a great finish to my trip. I enjoyed the "crack" of the Californians I met.
And change from one country to another, and how the changes were sometimes monumental - was a surreal part of my trip.

I won't pick a best spot or time but just all in all - filled with amazing landscapes, sights, interesting peoples, interesting cultures, nice food, strange little monkeys (jumping on my shoulders!) and funny fellow travellers.

So that brings an end to my travelling blogs. I have been and feel immensely privileged to have had the time and funds to do this genuinely awesome trip and have some votes of thanks to mention. A big thanks to my Uncles and Aunties -Maurice, Alix and Damien, and Christian for taking care of me at their homes. Also my cousins - Paula, Mark, Gerry and Andrew for taking me out around their respective areas. Cheers also to my sponsors - Air New Zealand -(you've provided me with all the sugar sachets I'll ever need) and all the wacky - cool and friendly peeps Ive met along the way - you know who you are. And finally my friends and family back home, for being supportive - and also for understanding that I was joking when five months ago I said "I'll be back for tea in 10 minutes....."!

Peace out dudes....Patr*ck

P.s. Below are all the countries I visited (Singapore and Fiji are too small to show up on this scale!!)

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Photos

From Nimbin, Australia to...
Me, Marj* and Mo in Auz
*(Thank you to Marjolein for this photo)

...San Diego, USA
Mo and I in Downtown San Diego (a la large tequlia shots - that's four fingers worth there!!)

Caught a wave
Surfer dudes on San Diego's Pacific Beach (PB)

On train to S.F.
On an Amtrak train with fellow train traveller Crystal. (Green is the colour of the day)

The Golden Gate Bridge
Even the handbars I'm leaning on are painted red. Red-iculous! (oh dear)

Funny road signs in US too
You can't turn round on the bridge, just incase you thought you could

Cable Cars
These Cable cars (there are no cables though!??) run up and down the hills (one shown) in S.F...Jump on, Jump off, Jump in front..'Whatever!'

From below the G.G. Bridge
View of Golden G. Bridge from a boat (in the vincinity)

SF and Plane buddies!
Gizza, Me and Rich at port of air

Virgin
24 hrs after my original flight, this big bird flew me home.

After return from California
My start and end point..

Comments

[Marcus]

Hey there
Hey! its great to hear someone give thier description of the states, i loved it! it sounds like you had a great time in Cali. I've taken a job with starbucks, after six years with the company i thought i would never go back, but here i am working for them again! ahh well, they are treating me well. I found a flat with a couple of girls, they keep me pretty entertained to say the least. :) other than that life is great, i assume you are getting my periodic e-mails, so i won't bother you by repeating the same old news. thanks for keeping in touch, Marcus