Californiaaaaaaaaa!
So glad I got here! At most stations I've just been turning up an hour before the bus is due to leave and I've had no bother getting on. Maybe because it was labour day weekend or something, but when I got to the greyhound station in Portland, they told me the bus is full but if I wait around they may be able to get me on. Luckily my discovey pass gives me priority over any other late comers who didn't have tickets for the 6pm bus, and I got on, phew!
San Francisco is different from what I remember it, but still pretty cool! There are a lot more homeless people here than any other city I've been to so far. They're actually all keeping up the cliché as well by pushing about shopping trolleys! My hostels pretty cool. A guy in my room, Ivan the Russian, decided to have a heated discussion with me about how good/bad American education is. Not the talk you want when you've had a night on the greyhound and need some sleep haha!
I found this cute looking French style cafe where I thought I could grab something to eat. I got completely ignored. The waiter seated 2 couples before me, and when I finally got seated I wasn't given menu for ten minutes and then nor asked for my order, even though I was sat at the bar! I was so annoyed I just walked out! It turns out it's the cafe owned by the guy who wrote the godfather, but still!
I went on my wine country tour yesterday. There's something abot me and these tours where I seem to adopt some temporary American parents. It tends to be a couple who have children who have travelled or live elsewhere, or they just like my accent, I don't know. The tour was good fun; we went to the Muir woods first to see the giant redwoods, and I nearly got hit by an owls it swooped right at me! We then went to 2 vineyards with a lunch stop in the samona valley (I think). I thought they were going to tell you how to taste wine properly, I don't really understand why we smell it, it just smells like wine. Anyway lots of wine samples was pretty good!
Once we got into wine country it was so warm, a massive contrast to the city. Now I can't remember too well, but how you ever thought it was warm in San Fran I'll never know. Our guide said there's an averag temperature us 51, and July on reaches 58. July to the second week in september is the foggy season. It's crazy looking back over the city and seeing the
mist but it being perfectly clear on the other side. He said we were lucky driving back as we managed to stop and get good photos of the golden gate bridge without any fog.
Genuinely got asked for my autograph by some guy, I was so confused thinking he was doing a dare until he said I love you in how I met your mother'. The amount of times I've been told I look like her, but never confused for her! Now I'm worriedthat my hair is going Ginger in the sun! I would have loved to have played along, but considerig my fake American accent is horrendous, I had to let the poor embarrassed guy down.
I have walked for whaat must be miles today. I first tried to find that hill that we drove down when I was a kid, and Grannie was sat in the front panicking, we have the photo in our kitchen. But I couldn't find it, and having climbed up too many if those hills I gave up. I managed to find a cable car museum, which was quite cool! They are the only moving national monument. I then accidentally found the crookedest street, which isn't actually the windiest street, but still pretty. I then went to pier 39 to see the sealions and watched some terrible comedian/entertainer. I went past the shop where mum got her pearls and they gave her a free oyster with a pearl in.
There's a museum next to pier 39 that has all the old amusement games dating back to the 1800's. I had so much fun on space invaders, until my quarters ran out. Next to it there are two old WWII vessels; a ship and submarine. The ship is the last of the US liberty ships from Omaha beach. I took pictures for John thinking he might be interested, but knowig him he'll
have seen something better, like the real D-day.
There's so much to do here, but I was short on time so had to run around like a mad woman. You could hire a bike and go across the bridge and get the ferry back, nutnot enough time I'm afraid! But off to see Sabrina and Erynne in LA next, yay!
Back to the sunshine, come on tan!
xXx

Today started out amazing! The English guys in Portland gave me an English breakfast twinings teabag, so I had some tea for the first time since the 5th July and it was the best thing ever!!!