It's hard to describe San Francisco and our experiences with it clearly. There have been times we've understood people's intense love of the place, and others we've wished we were anywhere else in the world. Let me explain.

San Francisco is a wonderfully beautiful place. Perched on the end of a hilly jut of land, surrounded by water on three sides and gifted with a soft fog that slowly burns off to reveal blue-bird skies every morning; it is always going to be appealing to the eye. Throw into the mix the Marina District (where healthy and happy masses walk, run, cycle, rollerblade, do push-ups and generally bask in the beauty of the day), Alcatraz (a.k.a. The Rock - before Dwayne Johnson stole the nickname - a fascinating meeting point of grim history and lively flora and fauna growth) and the walking trails of Land's End (a must do if you're ever here - the pathways wend their way around the point and slowly give you ever more impressive views of the Golden Gate Bridge and the surrounding landscapes) and you've really got some awe-inspiring moments.

On the other side of the coin you've got the dodgy underbelly of the city. Everything we've been fed in movies about Australia and America being much the same is not the case. There are areas of the cities we've visited where we both don't feel safe or comfortable. It's not everywhere and it certainly isn't often but we've noticed it most of all in San Fran so far. Go one block off the beaten path and you're confronted by countless homeless people (they're on the beaten path too but just moreso), groups of seedy looking gangs reeking of pot (it's legal here: what idiot thought that'd turn out well?) and groups of men mouthing off at one abother looking like they're ready to brawl. Maybe I'm ignorant for not expecting it but I can honestly say I've never felt so vulnerable or out of place. A fellow traveller we chatted to at dinner tonight told us he witnessed a shooting four days ago while he was staying at a hotel near one of the sketchy areas we walked through today. Serious stuff.

It does make us realise how fortunate we are to be able to enjoy the lifestyle we do back in Australia.

I hope this doesn't read as a complaint about how unappealing has been for us because that's not the case at all. It's an amazing city with so much to like about it, but spending some time here has really given us the opportunity to see and experience the contrast in lifestyle and living conditions that Americans are so used to. I'll upload some pics at a later stage. Don't expect any pics of the dodgy side - the last thing on your mind walking down one of those streets is pulling out your $800 phone and asking them for a smile. Expect beautiful vistas and fascinating cityscapes. We got those in the truckload.

Tomorrow we hire a car and take to the open road. There's a long stretch of coastline between San Fran and LA that's in need of some exploration.