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San Francisco, CA

“Here’s to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes… the ones who see things differently — they’re not fond of rules… You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can’t do is ignore them because they change things…” This quote, by Steve Jobs, came to mind when walking though our neighbourhood where we were staying for the week. To some, it’s called 6th Street, Soma. To others, it’s called Crazy Town but for some it’s called home. From the moment we stepped out of our cheap accommodation, we were surrounded by nutters, street people and homeless. Often they’re chatting to themselves or arguing with other street sleepers. There’s the armless, the legless, the drunk and the high. They’ll beg for money, lay on the pavement or sing a tune or two. We weren’t bothered in the slightest by our surroundings, although a street savvy attitude was essential. This is a city that wears its heart on its sleeve. You see the good, the bad and the indifferent for what it is. Those people we walk past everyday have found themselves in a bad situation. Whether their choice, their fault or not,they provided street entertainment in the form of life and music. A single man played his plastic buckets using kitchen utensils. A woman next to her dog strummed on a banjo. A man with a tatty suit sang next to his home; a shopping trolly filled with his belongings. A smile came to our face listening to his pure voice that lightened up a grey day. His tip box was full and he had food for the night. Will they ever know what happiness they bring to the thousands walking past. We love street performers, especially the ones who make the most of difficult situations. “…They push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do.”

Karma. Karma is the word I used to explain why I have no phone. In our last blog I rabbited on about how wrong it is that tipping a shuttle driver is expected, after already paying for the ride. Well, I didn’t tip him and I left my phone in the shuttle. Lost and Found have advised me the driver supposedly doesn’t have the phone. I called it karma, Dave called it forgetful. In the shuttle, Dave gave me the phone, as he had a hole in his jean’s pocket. For the last 8 months, the only thing I’m trusted to hold is lipgloss. In response, Dave bought new jeans and resumed all responsibilities.

We were suppose to be in Hawaii this week according to ‘our plan’. The plan didn’t allow for inflated flights over the holiday season. Taking the responsible option, we flew directly to San Francisco where our car hire begins. That option came with a surprise. Our friends Jeremy and Jin were over this way on holiday so we spent the week catching up with old friends and meeting new, their friends Libby and Kimberly.
On the two days either side of their visit, we saved money and ate microwave meals and cereal. While they were here however, we enjoyed every moment of their company. San Francisco is very hilly so the only way to get around up and over these hills is by their famous cable car, which is the world’s last manually operated cable car system. Street Cars are similar but run around the edge of the town and waterfront. We relied on this public transport a lot as our accommodation was at the other end of town to Jeremy and Jin’s, who were staying at Fisherman’s Wharf. Fisherman’s Wharf has sidewalk stands selling $6 clam chowder in sourdough bread bowls. It was a perfect lunch in and amongst the seagulls with a great view of the bay and Alcatraz. Jeremy and Libby took us out for a fabulous meal by the seal colony on Pier 39. Following that dinner we dined every night with them and Jin and Kimberly at American diners and local Cafes such as Mamas and Dotties. Our favourite was a picnic in Alamo Square Park which featured in the opening sequence of the Full House sitcom. The ciders under the sun went down a treat while we listened to the Full House theme song – that sounds as cheesy as it actually was. The view with the city in the background and the ‘painted ladies’, a row of Victorian houses, in the foreground made for a perfect setting. We walked the cider off with a stroll in the park and through Hippy Town.
Another outing with Jin and Kimberly was to Alcatraz, “The Rock”, a former maximum security prison on an island in the San Francisco Bay. During the 29 years of operation it was specifically designed to house the most horrendous prisoners, the troublemakers that other prisons could not successfully detain. Its isolated location made it ideal for the exile of hardened criminals, and a strict daily routine taught inmates to follow prison rules and regulations. Although, there were a total of 14 escape attempts by over 30 prisoners, most were caught, several were shot, and a few were swallowed by the chilling swells of the San Francisco Bay.
For our last adventure, we hired bikes and traveled along the waterfront and up and over the Golden Gate Bridge. It’s a must do touristy thing but by golly it’s very surreal actually being up there. We couldn’t think of a better way to do such an iconic thing than to share that memory with friends. Libby suggested we have lunch in Sausalito which is on the other side of the Golden Gate. This wealthy, picturesque residential community on the water was a perfect place for hearty fish and chips before taking the ferry back over to Fisherman’s Wharf.

In the 8 days we’ve been in San Francisco we’ve had a great mix of adventure, cuisine and time to relax before our road trip across America starts. It’s always people that make a place memorable. Eight days has given us long enough to see many sides from different perspectives. We didn’t stay in the tourist hub, yet the locals in our area were the ones who made this whole town shine. From the man at the grocery store who welcomed us to the neighbourhood and wanted to know our story, to Carlos, the Europa Hostel owner. Carlos made his place feel like a home not a room. He gave us a microwave so we could save money on food, he upgraded our room twice before checkin and gave us his phone to use to sort out our lost iPhone. It’s these little things that make you love a place. San Francisco’s beauty was highlighted by the crazy ones, the locals and our friends who all made these memories.

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