10/02/2007

I finally made it to San Francisco! Thanks to everyone who responded in helping me get Mike’s number.

I made it to the city in about 45 minutes, with only one minor traffic jam. Mike was nice enough to let me park in his garage for the day and night, so I don’t get ticketed or towed. He showed me the good places to go and explained the bus system to me (the “Muni” in San Franciscan.) I took off and managed to find the bus with only a little confusion as to which one I was supposed to be on. My first stop was Fisherman’s Wharf, a touristy but cool area. I had a bowl of New England clam chowder (I find that a little weird, can’t they come up with their own chowder??) It was pretty good, considering that I’m about as far from New England as I can get!

After that, I walked to North Beach, which is not a beach. It’s a neighborhood that was very bohemian in it’s day. It’s still really cool though, I went to City Lights Bookstore, a very famous beat generation store. It’s really impressive, my favorite part was definitely the anarchy and muckraking section. I was getting a little tired from all the walking, so I decided to get a coffee, always a bad idea when I’m wearing white. Four short blocks later, I looked like a homeless person…I should have emptied my cup and made some money…maybe next time.

After having walked a lot, I decided to go back to Fisherman’s Wharf and enjoy the beautiful California day in the park. In order to find the bus, I went into Chinatown, which is much less scary and fish-filled than the one in New York. I made it back to the Wharf, where I decided I should buy a t-shirt so I wouldn’t look like a vagrant. I must say, my $4 tourist shirt is far better than my $20 hobo shirt.

I relaxed and read for a few hours, then headed back to Mike and Mindy’s place. We had a nice dinner, and watched TV, definitely my idea of a good night. They’ve offered me their couch, which I gladly accepted, and in the morning I’ll be moving on.