San Francisco was fantastic.. Our week revolved around staying at the Green Tortoise hostel which I would recommend to anyone!! Great location, great people, lots of beer, quite hippy ish, free breakie, tea/coffee, and free food two nights a week... a massive communal ballroom type lounge area where beer was mostly consumed...we made alot of good friend here. Tim, Mike, Ann-Marie, and Karl but to name a few.... Elaine and Andy even pitched in and helped cook the Free dinner for 150 people!!

Elaine chopped about 25 lettuces ( very proffessionally may I add!) and scooped out about 30 Avocado, and Andy slaved away with his apron (looked very much the part) on deep frying about 300 tacos. Fantastic mexican all around...felt like proper travellers!! ( Tara at this point to "looking after the bags"!! hummm

We did the usually touristy site seeing - Alcatraz which was pretty spooky but really interesting, it is very true that the worst part for the prisoners (oher than being in jail)was that they could see and hear the city which must have been tourturous!

We decided to Cycle over the Golden Gate Bridge... ( did not consider properly that we were in SAN FRANCISCO and that this probably not the easist and flatest cycle route in the world!! ...

First part was great.. using the cheap cycle map provided by the hire shop.. until we ( elaine) though it might be nice to go off the main route and do the 'senic' route shown on the map for the way back... well lets just say that the cheap hire shop map DID NOT SHOW THE CONTOURS of the area and we found ourselves at the top of a very large hill!!!! - The highest in San Fran in fact!! We had a great day leaving at 10 in the morning returning at 7pm...we made it back but there was much bloody, sweat and tears!!! Elaine complained to the shop there should update there map...

Next few days we did nothing much except the usual.

From the Hostel we went on a 3 day trip to Yosemite National Park... a converted bus which they lay down all the seats and it convets into Beds..everybody has to get a bit cozy but its a lot of fun!...So Friday night we set off and slept on the bus though the night....next mornign we work up to amazing scenery in the National Park, and a camp set up for us all to pitch in a help make breakfast... about 25 people. Very humbling moment.

We then spent the day treking up Vernal and Nevada Falls - About 6.5miles... ( Andy and Tara were particualarly hung over after and 19hr drinking session, and had no water or anything!! - but they made it up there in there own way, andy eating snow!! )....
Elaine however had previously considered the nightmare of hiking up a mountain in the heat and had stopped drinking before this!!! - (so Mum you would have been proud!!) -Far to sensible for my own good at times but boy you should have seen the state of them!!! - it was classic!! but they did it.

Camped under the stars that night, had bonfires and more commual cooking, and treking all weekend!! - Absolutely great time had by all, and good friends made

Few more days in San Francisco recovering before moving on to LA.