San Francisco Road Trip

After checking out and having some pancakes - i head down to Greyhound to catch the bus to San Fran, im wearing shorts as the past few days have been around 22-25 today is cold and overcast - i change into jeans. As the tickets states please arrive a hour before hand, ok fair enough, for that hour i am the only person to grace the station except for a homeless person who never gave up at trying to get into the locked toilet  - points for trying. So greyhound - im expecting a decent coach for this 9 hour drive to san fran, i guess maintanice must have missed this bus. i get on to find it more ghetto, i sit down behind a pair of seats that have been forced up, these seats looks like its only had less then 10  bodily fluids spilt on it. as the coach lurches onto the road the aircon is a bit cold i reach up to adjust the airflow only to notice that it has been punched into the roof and was sitting at a delecate angle so it wouldnt fall down - this was my amusement for the next hour how many times i could be hit in the head by this vent, somehow i manange some sleep while clutching my backpack and camera bag for dear life so they wont b grabbed. After 9 hours and about 6 stops in some lets say "cultural" "rural" "eye opening" stops we make it to san fran ! thank god ! its only about 830 at night, awesome! but it gets better its raining! fantastic! and marty forgot to print out a map of where the hell he is going ! brilliant ! san fran isnt that kind in its less then flat streets. so there i go treking across  downtown san fran with my mother of a suitcase and only hoping i was going in the right diection. 930 rocks up and i check into the hostel! almost a rocky moment at the top of the stairs! lol

hostel is nice as like the other one just missing a private bathroom - though cant complain only 4 in this dorm. shower up and head to sleep before a big day tomorrow

SUNDAY - about 9
head out down the street ready for my 11am ferry out to alcatraz, i allow for a hour to get there - thank god i did as bay 2 breakers - a fun run was on, cutting all tram services pretty much to nill - sound familiar melbourninens? except metro stops trams because they can, anywho make it down to the pier ready to board about 1045. Alcatraz - wow, brilliant fantastic, awesome, love every minute of it. the free audio tour is chilling scary, but fascinating. a lovely day outside but a bit of a cool breeze (gale) on the rock, i dont no how anyone could have swam the channel, it looks impossible - u hear about the currents but until u see the mini whirlpools in the currents u understand! I look at my watch its 2pm, shit i been here for 3 hours and i still have to see the rest of the city!

Back on dry land i head up to fisermans wharf and check out pier 39 - really cool - complete with a lefthanded shop! the seals on the wharf where great - shocked a local when i said i had swam with them in the wild back home! Now onto the cable car - got to watch it be spun around on the turn table - rode it up - on the outside ( awesome fun) at almost a 45 degree angle, head to lombard st - laugh at the cars trying to get down it and film out the window at the same time. cant believe people actually live on it - not the best drive way for visitors! jump back on the cabel car and go downtown a bit - bit scary going down - u do have to hang on! i get off at the cable car muesum which is cool to see the cables being moved around and how it works, move into chinatown - amazingily just like melbourne! not much difference, maybe a little more commerical.

Head back to the hostel and meet up with craig and steve two guys from sydney that i had met at hollywood - we head down to the bar after visiting the liquir store over the road (cheap grog again) and a crazy night follows - teaching two brittish girls waterfall/kings cup/ring of fire (i think they regretted it in the morning) random group karoke follows with a group sing along to bohemian rhapsody with the large group of asains trying to sing along as well - a great end to the night.

the next day - i hop on the door to door shuttle so its a much quicker trip and more relaxed and comftable ride as well, and i arrive back in hollywood for part II 

until part deux

alveterzane

:)

marty