POSTCARD FROM SAN FRANCISCO DAY 2

Monday, June 25, 2007

Well, once again, I’m absolutely exhausted, yet who wants to go to bed????

We started out with continental breakfast here in the hostel, made our picnic lunches and bagged them up to take with us for later.  Out of the hostel, down the hill and another hill and another hill and yep, one more!  Onto the Hyde Street cable car, hanging on for dear life as we climbed the Hyde St. hill, and then another, a left turn and then DOWN a hill…..wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!  We hopped off at the cable car museum for a look at the Iron Age in the modern era.  Sarbacker’s niece, Crystal, joined us for the rest of the day. 

A nice walk through Chinatown in small groups allowed for a few purchases and the question:  did the term “junk” perhaps derive from the Chinese boats called “junks”?  Not that all purchases in Chinatown were junk, some were actually very nice, so I apologize for any offense I may have caused.  Our groups met up and then hiked down to the Embarcadero across from the Ferry Terminal in a fun park/plaza that had a most interesting water fountain.  After we ate, we hoofed it down the entire Embarcadero to Pier 33 where we checked in for our Alcatraz tour.  Good thing we had our tickets already purchased.  The next time there were any spaces available on the Alcatraz tours is Wednesday afternoon!

It was a gorgeous, sunny day, although out in the horizon it was a bit hazy.  We’re glad yesterday was the Golden Gate bridge day.  We had a 10 minute ferry boat ride to The Rock, brief orientation and then a hike up a hill – yep even on that island there are hills! – to the prison building itself where we all received audio tour players and earphones.  The tour was fun with voices from past guards and inmates.  A woman who was the daughter of the assistant warden was in the gift shop signing copies of the book she’s recently written.  Then back on the ferry and onto the mainland.  Glad we didn’t need a pardon to leave that place!

And what would tour be without – gasp – shopping!!!  The next hours were devoted to that fine American pastime.  Coach purses, great dresses, smart tops, souvenirs, snacks, watching mimes, magicians, musicians, and the Bushman!  We reconnected with the full group, another count off, then split up for dinner and the rest of the evening shopping, walking, watching, playing in the bay’s surf, and topped off with Ghirardelli treats!  Yummy.  A few of us will have to figure out how to get some of those great chocolates back to Madison in tact.

Back at the hostel, lots of fun, camaraderie, modeling the new purchases, card playing, computer surfing, talking and more talking and more talking.  A later lights out night tonight, but they’re now out of the commons area and into their bunk room.  They never do run out of steam…….

Til next time,

Sue