San Francisco

We are at the moment staying with 2 ladies we meet Whale watching on the coast, the people in America are so lovely their hospitality is awesome.All take care, enjoy the coming springsend your news

SAN FRANCISCO

20th March 2008

Arrive San Francisco late morning; we had booked a camp site. We drove over Golden Gate Bridge WOW did I ever think I would do that!!

I was very disappointed with SF, I was hoping to be able to see the Ballet, Opera or at least some theatre all were dark L Alcatraz was fully booked until well after we had leftL I then found a very interesting walking tour to a Victorian Area which included an inside visit to a Queen Ann B/B, because it was Saturday there was only a skeleton service on the ferry which made the time very tight, ofcourse we missed the tour by 5 minsL We also failed to arrive in time for St Patrick’s Day we did think we would miss it by a couple of weeks in the end by a few days, but we cannot see and do everything. We also missed the antiwar march, quite pleased about that we may have been arrested which would not have done our immigration any good, I heard on the radio the police blocked whole streets off and arrested everyone!

However we did get to ride on a cable car, I rode outsideJ, and we did get to see Fisherman Wharf, China Town, and lots of other very interesting spots I also had Clam Chowder lots!! Some of the old buildings are beautiful, the old Del Monte Canning plant is red brick very spectacular also an old chocolate and ice cream factory near by is built of red brick very different from most of SF.
We also found a plaque in the pavement which said “The Barbary Coast Trail” both Margaret and I were puzzled as we thought that the Barbary Coast is in Africa, but on our map there was a marked trail in the town and along the water front. Which we followed for a while. When I got back to the truck I checked just where the Barbary Coast is, well the Barbary Coast in SF is named after the Barbary Coast in Africa , this is what I found on its web site:-

"The Barbary Coast is the haunt of the low and the vile of every kind. The petty thief, the house burglar, the tramp, the whoremonger, lewd women, cutthroats, murderers, all are found here. Dance-halls and concert-saloons, where blear-eyed men and faded women drink vile liquor, smoke offensive tobacco, engage in vulgar conduct, sing obscene songs and say and do everything to heap upon themselves more degradation, are numerous. Low gambling houses, thronged with riot-loving rowdies, in all stages of intoxication, are there. Opium dens, where heathen Chinese and God-forsaken men and women are sprawled in miscellaneous confusion, disgustingly drowsy or completely overcome, are there. Licentiousness, debauchery, pollution, loathsome disease, insanity from dissipation, misery, poverty, wealth, profanity, blasphemy, and death, are there. And Hell, yawning to receive the putrid mass, is there also."[1]


I promise you girls it is not like that now I was quite safe and enjoyed our stroll along the water front to Fisherman’s Wharf this was very busy lots of tourists, lots of fish restaurants. The fish is landed at 4am so we missed that as well!!
When in China Town we went to a Chinese Museum which tells the story of the Chinese in SF, surprisingly they were amongst the very first immigrants; they first came as fisherman some in Chinese Junks most left their wife’s and families in China it was therefore a very male area. I guess I thought they had come as fairly new immigrants as they have in England. China Town SF is the first.
The ones in England are very new really.

23rd March 2008

Today we continued our coastal journey North, the weather is lovely we have seen Seal’s with their babies suckling, with the odd sea gull try to push in, mum did not allow it!
We stopped for our afternoon tea at Bodoga Bay some of Hitchcock’s “Birds” filmed here, the Church in Bodoga town is the Church in the film. We are parked for the night at the very edge of the water and have seen an Osprey it did not dive! the other sea birds are amazing . Les is in heaven...........................