Ok so im in San Fran now.

we got to the hostel all ok with our bags this time and we were booked into a 24 BED DORM! we thought 12 wasnt bad so 24 should be ok aswell, it really was horrible sleeping in the same room as 22 strangers and i swear they all snored really badly too!! the next day we moved to a private room it was a bit more money but really worth it until 4am when the fog horn started.

The first day was really foggy so we couldnt do much in the day but at 4pm we got the boat over to the Rock (alcatraz) we were on a nighttime tour. when we got there it was like a ghost down quite a few derelict buildings where the guards used to live. The tour was really good it was an audio one so you have headphones and a little machine with you that plays the commentary. the voices on the audio tour were 4 ex guards and 3 ex cons of alcatraz and they told their own stories and feelings about Alcatraz, it was really good hearing from them and they told you about the famous cells like the ones featured in escape from Alcatraz, (theres even a doll under the sheets which looks like a body), and i went into solitary which was a bit scary and then went into the birdman of alcatraz's cell i wanted to see al capones one but nobody is sure about what cell he was in. i was really surprised how close San Fran looked to Alcatraz its about 1 mile away and looked quite easy to swim if you had, but its a trick because the currents and the tides are really strong and the waters really cold. we also heard a story about one man in solitary on New Years could hear people having a drink and a party in the city and it was the worst night of his life because he knew what he was missing.

on the second day it was quite nice weather so we went to Lombard street which is the crookedest street in the world it has 8 sharp turns in a block, and we saw all the mad hilly roads, which you always see in films when they have police chases. then we went and walked the Golden Gate Bridge which was cool and loads of great views was knackered at the end though, not as fit as i used to be all this damn american food!!! That Night we went around fishermans wharf which was really nice and i had the famous clam chowder in a bread bowl.

the next day we moved hostels to the city centre. we were really impressed by the area when we were on the bus then we got off to look for our hostel and where we were going to stay for the rest of the trip. We walked past some dodgy little alley way with a massage parlor on the corner and some weird people hanging around then when i looked back i saw our hostels name in the end of the alley it was so scummy and the owners were right weirdos you could just tell this used to be a w****house and we couldnt relax when we were in bed that night i could swear there was spy holes in the walls!! not nice.

on our last day we went to The Golden Gate Bridge and walked across it and back it was really busy but its something i've always wanted to do

now we are off to San Diego