3.3.13

This trip has been a long time coming, starting from humble beginnings of a coffee shop and a schoolgirl dream and here we are! Thanks Robin!!

Today we woke up at like 4 am to multiple drunkards shouting obscenities (though not understandable due to their probable lack of teeth) we went back to sleep despite the magnitude of noise outside and awoke at about 7.30, we went down for breakfast which consisted of toasted bagels and eggs for a dollar, yes a dollar!! Sadly though we both chose an onion bagel which was cleverly disguised as a seeded one (dam trying to be healthy!!) that didn't go down too well with the egg but gladly there was a never ending supply of orange juice to see it down! We then booked the rest of our stay in sf and planned our excursions, we hopped onto the cable car (after a little heated teaching from myself about the art of queuing) Robin found herself a boyfriend in the conductor man and we had a great time hanging onto the rails going up and down the steep hills! Off the tram at fishermans wharf and hello sunshine!! There was a fishy aroma in the air but did we care? No sir! We walked up the wharf and to pier 31 for Alcatraz but sadly it was booked up until Monday but we booked for Tuesday to allow for tomorrow's activities, then we carried onto pier 1 and the ferry building, an old relic redesigned to a farmers market and there we found the famous hogs oyster house and yes, in answer to your questions, I DID eat an oyster, yes, it may have been cooked and covered in a delicious sauce but who cares? I'm now in the elite oyster eating members club and I'm proud, even got a little oyster medal to prove it (that's a joke!) I also ordered gumbo, which was a seafood medley and very delicious! After lunch we went for a walk through china town, little Italy and up Nobb hill whereby we hit Lombard street or the crazy curves street from the movies, we took some pictures and great shots of the city from our height but the wind and SanFran fog was building so we headed back for the hostel. I may or may not have had a little nap and then we went for dinner at Brenda's, it was a little place doing all day brunch. From our lunchtime experience we were bold and raring to try something new so Robin chose prawn and grits (grits is cooked semolina) and I went for FBC (not a full blood count) but fried Brenda's chicken, with a "biscuit" and greens. Sadly this was much the opposite to our luncheon experience and we were left queezy and unfulfilled. The greens were laced with pork (why??!) and the grits were just plain rank, warm cheesy sick is the nearest taste I think, but the waitresses were very friendly and overall a nice experience, after dinner we went to the shamrock or something to that extent and had a cider, no one was really around to chat sadly and everywhere else was pretty dead, we then realised it was Sunday and called it. It's kind if worked out seen as we are still a bit jet lagged! Tomorrow is a big bike ride from the hostel to Golden Gate Bridge and then gardens so better get the beauty sleep!!!