Day 32 - 36 - 3rd to 6th July San Francisco

Flew into San francisco today, and once again i was jammy in my hotel location, right on Union Square. A very Art Deco type of Hotel. Went walkabout down Market Street then along the sea front to Pier 39. This was the inspiration that made the Pier in Cleethorpes what it is today. I think Mark Mayor must have been on acid if he was trying make the Cleethorpes one the same as the one in SF. This one here is a bit like Main Street in Alton Towers. Loads of Restaurants, novilty acts, Carousel, art galleries and a bunch of seals thrown in at the end of the pier. So the comparison is close. Take that all away, they are both Piers. They have a view of Alcatraz, we have Bull Fort.

The Following day (4th July) was a chill out day walking around the city before the BIG fireworks display. There are more Art Galleries in SF than Reataurants here, I counted 7 on one block.

The Transport system needs a bit of work. I bought a 3 day card which i thought was a good deal. However, i was working on the perception that you could actually get on a bus. Most of them were fully loaded. The streetcars were a completly different ordeal. It takes about an hour and half to cue for the street cars. (i know this personally). You get to a point when you decide that you're not going to pull out and be beaten after all the waiting (my point was about the 40 minute mark). Next day a called a cab.

The forth of July Fireworks were spectacular - in new york that is. The SF fireworks were more like the september specacular at the Boating Lake. Screams of YER, ALRIGHT and you guessed it AWESOME, rattled around the quay side. I couldn't help thinking that these people don't get out much. Tens of thousands of people saying this was the best display ever. I've had more fun with a bunch of bangers and a copper tube as a kid ( forgot you can't do that now? can you)

Following day tried to get to Alcatraz, but it had been booked up for the week ( something to do with a public hoiday). So instead i took the cheezy boat tour around the island with a dodgy captain birdseye impersonator (Aarrrhhh), complete with a couple of sea shantys. Whilst on the boat, an unearthly Fog came in to the bay glowing. I was hoping some deranged lepper infested goast ship would jump out and take the captain. But it was just fog, it happens here a lot.

Saw the bizzarest thing on TV. CNN showed a program on how easy a terrorist could do serious damage at certain unprotected places in the US. I think terrorists will send them a big thank you. The people of Boston must be most pleased having seen the programme.

The last day is decided to visit Golden Gate Park, which is another massive park about a mile away for the centre. However having finally arrived there by bus! i decided against going in. Maybe it was the street gangs hanging around outside or the drug induced people lying spaced out on the park benches. Perhaps it was the colourful artwork, or the people hugging aroud a blazing oil drums either way i decided "bugger that" and went to see Die Hard Instead.

Seriously San Francisco is a great place to vistit (transport aside), the restaurants are really good and even the buskers play with a bit of class. If you like art this is the place for you.

I met a family whist there who invited me back to there place. they eat a lot of donuts and watch TV lot MMM donuts...