Tina's Quick Trip Back to San Francisco

Just come back from 2 weeks in San Francisco just a few notes to remind of costs etc in case you may be going.

Price of Hostel (Hostel International - very good) approx $28 per night (includes breakkie) at Fort Mason at Fishermans Wharf, excellent location. Safeway just across the park for goodies.

Cost of BART (train) from aiport to downtown on Market Street £5.15.

Cost of 7 day MUNI ticket which you can buy from the little ticket office on Market Street $28. Can't quite remember that one but well worth it as you can jump a cable car, muni or street car as many times as you want. (Re; Photo of Cable Car - At the bottom of this street Powell/Market (I think) is where you can buy your tickets for Muni also down in the steps is the Visitors Centre with loads of information, maps, etc. Also on has Sephor excellent shop for make up and stuff where you don't get hassled by bossy shop women!

Trip to Carmel $81.00 through Gray Line down at Fishermans Wharf office at Pier 43 1/2.

Trip to Yosemite $128.00 through website (www.allsanfranciscotours.com)- with Incredible Adventures. Excellent though you really do need more than one day.

Alcatraz tour I booked through Gray Line at Fishermans Wharf at Pier 33. I was there for two weeks beginning of September and first week was VERY busy being Labour Day and stuff but could still manage to get on a trip pretty easily. Night trips are the best, you get the headphones and have narrated talk by real wardens and inmates!!!

As for bars and restaurants - that's each to everyones choice but remember the portions for food are HUGE so even though you may be hungry steady on there and don't order loads!!!!

Last day - boo hoo!!!!

Just going to download my photos from yesterday and then go back to the Marina and sit and read a book or something. Been sooooo busy since I arrived no time to just sit and chill.

So that's it ....... plane tomorrow and arrive back in uk Sunday (cos of times and stuff), then back in work on Monday.

This is depressing - need to start planning next holiday soon!!!!!!

Got up early to go on a tour down to Monteray and Carmel today and it was sooooooo nice!

First of all went through Santa Cruz which was really nice then onto the Monteray Aquarium and Cannery Row in Monteray which was ok but a bit too touristy. 

Then went along 17 mile drive (I think?) which is in this sort of private piece of land along the Pacific coastline down towards Carmel.  It was sooooo beautiful!!!! 

Stopped along the way to take photo's of Lone Pine (naturally, as it's in all the tourist books!) which is now looking a bit past it's best to tell the truth. 

Then stopped at this bay were there were these lovely little squirrel things (ground squirrels ??) anyway they come up to you, maybe just curiosity but bet just wanting to be fed, etc, etc. So I took a video of one of them - soooo cute - it came running up towards my camera and stuck it's nose into the lense!!!  Really made me laugh.......!  They're just running about the beach which is sort of pebbly and digging holes into the ground - really, really cute - cannot tell you how much

Then went on to Carmel which is really, really pretty but oh so expensive.  I've really started to buck against this constant spending which is just thrust into your face - Buy this, Buy that, etc, etc.  So I walked down to the beach instead of going round the shops.  It was a bit of a hike down (as quite steep) but sooooo worth it.  The beach had beautiful white sand and just breath taking!

Just nice driving about and seeing a bit of the country.  Had a break on the way back at the Garlic World Shops - everything with garlic - which was a bit strange.  Had to buy this herb rub thing for cooking called Roadkill Grill Seasoning which states " makes all critters taste great!"  I kid you not.  I know I said I wouldn't buy anything else but it's just herbs and garlic really and the tin looks cool !!!!!

So just got back into Hostel and suppose tomorrow will be doing washing and generally trying to fit everything back in backpack - it's a skill, not one I can ever get to grips with myself.....

Tomorrow night is my Cob's Comedy night - just drove past but it was all in darkness, maybe they don't have anyone playing on Thursdays?????  Anyway suppose to be a quite famous guy tomorrow Craig Ferguson.  Originally from Scotland or someut so at least he should be funny, sometimes when you see American Comedians playing they're basically rubbish but maybe it's a culture thing???

Driver said a true story today: 

This guy phones up and this little boy whispers Hello. 

The guy says can I speak to your Mummy.  The boy whispers - she's busy. 

He then asks if there's anybody else there.  The boy whispers - my dad.  The man asks to speak to his Dad.  The boy whispers he's busy. 

The man asks if there's anybody else there.  The boy whispers the Policemen.  The man asks if he can speak to one of them.  The boy whispers they're all busy.   

He asks well is there anybody else there.  The boy whispers the Firemen.  The man asks if he can speak to one of the Firemen.  The boy whispers they're all busy. 

The man is starting to get annoyed now and asks why are they all to busy to come to the phone.  The little boy whispers - Cos they're all looking for me !!!

Well I thought it was funny...... 

Soooo close to coming back home now it's unfair.

Today took a little jaunt up to Liverpool Lil - a pub up towards the Presido. Tiny little place and soooooo dark. But nice friendly people etc, etc.

Then walked up to Pacific Heights, bit of a mistake there as very, very steep but it was quite cool today so didn't get too tired.

Then walked to Alta Plaza, then caught a bus thinking I was going downtown but didn't went the other way. Got off nere Presido and changed buses and then got another bus down past Haight Ashbury and back into downtown. Didn't get off at Haight as it's a waste of space and time. Too many druggies who've just lost the plot and living in a past life.

Last pictures are of around San Francisco, just downloading as many piccies to open up space on memory card for tomorrow.......

Missed so88ing tour bus!!!!

Was supposed to be going to Monteray and Carmel this morning. Got up at ungodly hour and spent ages waiting for bus. Phoned them about 9.10 a.m. and was told they thought I was staying at Hilton International!!!!!

As if, while I'm sure that the Hilton is a really nice place it's not quite the same facilities as Hostel International but I'm sure they try (ha!).

So the call of the retail drug made me go shopping. That was after I took a quick ferry over to Tilburon. I was trying to get a friend for Claude (he was a bleached wood bird I got last time - still in it's box I think but soooo cute) so thought I'd buy a friend for him and the shop is shut!!!! Disaster - walked all over and around the boardwalk area where the shop was last time and it's not moved just gone. Claude will be devastated!!!

So went shopping in all the posh shops today, Macy, Nostro- something and peed all the sales staff off - Love it! But was very good and only bought a sweatshirt and that was from Abercrombie & Fitch, though when I get to customs I bought nothing I swear.

Sooooo - booked another trip to Monteray and Carmel for Thursday so hopefully will get up in time as I have to get over to Fishermans Wharf for about 8.30 a.m. Eeek!

Trying to think what I did yesterday and now remember....

Thinking of my waistline I did the walk over to Sausilito again - madness. Walked from here at Fort Mason down the Marina/Chrissy Fields promonade thing, across the bridge, then down the other side into Sausilito and got ferry back. Was ok this time as when I started off it wasn't too hot - just was later!

Also as I walked into Sausilito the were these guys fishing and they caught a ray. How sad, felt very sorry for it as they just cut the line and threw it back in. When I asked they said it'd be too cruel to take out the hook as it was barbed or something but surely it would be still be cruel to leave it in as it'd mean the ray couldn't feed anyway????? Sad!

Downloaded my piccies again at 'Copy Central' even forgot my memory card reader and they dug one out for me - sooooo helpful!

Oh no!  Only five more days then fly home on Saturday..............! 

Went for big breakkie this morning at one of the restaurents along by the wharf.  Tried to get into the Buena Vista one (supposed to be dead famous but not heard of it myself) but it was full.  Anyway got my breakkie ordered 'special' it was to have bacon, eggs, sausage and for some reason pancakes.  When I got it thought they were taking the p***!!!!  Sausages - check, Bacon - check, eggs - check but all put on top of these huge pancakes (like scotch pancakes with syrup)......  Why????????  Had all of it apart from the pancakes - don't undertstand that bit at all. 

So after that jumped a cable car and got off at China Town were they were holding some celebrations and had the dragons and stuff out in the roads - it was really good.  Then headed off to see some Academy of Sciences which I thought would be like a Natural History Museum or something but it wasn't - just an aquarium so wandered round that and now am in 'Copy Central' best place I've found that I can download my piccies and they're sooooo helpful with stuff. 

After this I'm going to try to get to Comedy Club - say's on line that there are no tickets left but am going to try at the box office but it doesn't open until after 3.00 p.m. - fingers crossed. 

Wandered into my fav place Old Navy whoopee doo - and got some t-shirts.  I am NOT allowed to go in there again.  But while I was in and saw the mirrors, etc - very scary.  I've put on HUGE amount of weight and I mean HUGE.  Think if I have nothing planned (apart from Carmel on Tuesday) I will have to do the 8 mile hike into Sautilito everyday till I leave to try to walk it off!!!!!  It is a beast of a belly that must be overcome...........

The Alcatraz trip was really cool!

Boat left docks about 6.40p.m. and only took about 10mins to get over.  Had done this before last time I was here but they had some different areas open to the public this time.  Did the audio walk which was good as it was narrated by inmates and guards, so very authentic!

Boat left to come back about 9.30 so you had nearly three hours looking about.  Saw the cells (including the ones where the prisoners escaped from and have never been found), dining room, hospital area (that was not open last time), offices and wardens office.  Didn't have the walk which went into the boiler or machine room (place filmed in 'The Rock') and over the exercise yard which I went on last time, which was just fantastic but I remember it was the first time they'd done it when I went and maybe for safety reasons they had to stop it.  Well, you were wondering about in the dark with just a couple of flashlights and going near the cliff edges and stuff!  Pity though that was really, really good.

Also one of the wardens said that the only reason prisoners wouldn't have made it swimming across (only about 1 mile) is that the water is cold (not icy cold though) and that there are some pretty strong currents (but no sharks only bottom feeding ones) and in fact that there are some of these swimming things which regularly swim across and that about 4000 people swim across from Alcatraz each year - madness!!!!!

Spend Saturday (today) up on Union Street (not Union Square) which was nice, some very expensive little shops but loads of bars and little cafes etc and sat and had brunch!  Tried to get into some to see some acts at the Comedy Club and the San Francisco Fringe (bit like Edinburgh Fringe obviously) and so far the online saying no so will have to see if I wait in line I can get a ticket - pants!

Came back to hostel late afternoon and zonked out?  Were did that come from?  Must be the hills, the sea air or the huge amount of calories I'm taking - soooo tired it's untrue....zzzzzzzzzz

Yosemite!

After hours and hours in the van finally arrived at Yosemite (well 6 including a break). Yosemite was beautiful!!!! You feel so tiny next to the what are are they stones? cliffs? walls? things? anyway stunning.....

You really do need more than a few hours, so when I come back I think I'll book one of the Exudus trips that cover all the National Parks - you need to camp out here to get the most from your time!!!! (though camping is not my strong point)

Will have to make sure I book it for earlier in the year. It's too hot (for me anyway) to walk far and it must look so much better when it's much greener and when all the rivers and waterfalls are full of the snow melt (that's if it could as it really takes your breath away now!)

Was in a little bus/van thing from Incredible Adventures and they were all really nice, two girls from Austria, guy from Australia, couple and their friend from Florida, family from India and the driver. Sounds a lot but it was cool. You don't end up walking with anybody else though you just pick your own trail and just go for it. Pete the driver (when he found out I'd done Macchu Piccu said right then you should go on the Nevada Waterfall trail. Yeh right - didn't mention to him I got the train down to Macchu Piccu then walked rest of way - didn't walk the Inca Trail exactly. So got to bottom of trail and dawned on me - waterfall needs height right? Right - soooo steep and it was way too hot for me. Only managed to bottom of waterfall, were I took a breather before heading back, which was good and have photo of squirrel type thing right by my feet. Oh yeh, and 'cos of heat my butty has melted but you're not allowed to give it to the animals so have to take this smelly (it was cheese) butty back to the bear safe bins. Yep, there's bears but didn't see any. Only squirrels, ground squirrels (same but fatter - bit like myself) and chipmonks which were too quick to get a photo off. Also saw some deer which I took a photo of but they were darting off so you may not recognise what they are.....!

On the drive there (even though it took forever), you got a real good look around the countryside.

I feel a road trip coming on ...........!

Went to the Zoo today!!!

Yep, was supposed to stay out of the sun and do the intellectual thing and go to museums but it just didn't happen (got wrong bus!).

Started off well. Went to see the Exploratorium (cos it was free - good thing too 'cos it was cr**) left there had a quick look around Palace of Fine Arts (looks really old but only build late 1800's but really nice and peaceful place).

Anyway after getting wrong bus and then getting off wrong stop and getting back on again (der) I got off on the right road to take me to the zoo and it was 2 sodding miles still to go!!!!!!

2 sodding miles....

Anyway got there and best bits were the meerkats which were cool and the prairey dogs (like large guinea pigs).

Also went into the kids zoo bit which was going quite well until saw the insect house and they had spiders and stuff - eeeee!

Came back and booked trip for Friday night over to Alcatraz - spooky!

Also seen a "Haunted Walk" which sounds a laugh.

Off to smother myself in aftersun. Now have look of new sunburn with peel coming off from last time - very attractive!

Y'll have a nice day

I went to the Zoo!!!!!

So much for my planned day of culture, things just sometimes don't go to plan.

Started off walking down to the Marina to go to the Exploratorium thingy (free first Wednesday in the month) and had a quick look around the Palace of Fine Arts, which is basically a neo-classic themed building or ruins (cept supposed to look like ruins built 1800's).    Then as couldn't find right bus ended up going to Zoo instead of Legions of Honor Museum over on the other side at Ocean Beach.  Then because can't read a map to save my life got off what I thought was one block before Zoo, turned out totally wrong had to get back on another one.  Then got off at right road but because map was out (was map this time!) ended up walking 2 MILES before I even got to the Zoo!!!!!

Two sodding miles!!!!!

So Zoo - very nice best bit were the Meerkats which are cool and the Prairy Dogs (look like big guinea pigs).  And plus point Zoo was free as well!!!

Got Muni back to Embercardo type place and book trip to Alcatraz which wll be brill!