Well, it's the evening of my first full day here and I have done so much. China town this morning was so vibrant with people getting their stalls ready. Not a word of English anywhere and the smells were totally 'of China'. Was a brilliant start. I then walked a bit more around North Beach, the Italian area and ended up going up and over Nob Hill and standing on the top of Nob Hill at the trolley car intersection to try and get some good photos. I did end up looking a bit of a nob, as the iconic trolley cars don't seem to run that frequently.
I then wandered into downtown SF and found the only High Street stores I have found in this city. There are protection orders on independent stores in the different districts so there is a distinct lack of Starbucks and MacDonald's here. I then got the metro to Castro..better known as the gay village and had a wonderful 90 minute walking tour around Castro with SF Wildtours. Wes, the guide was great. he did a great history of the area and activists. A highlight was the window of barbie dolls and kens who were all dressed up in different ways to show the evolving history of the village; Right from the US navy days in the Second World War who would dishonourable dump practising gays back to SF. None of them wanted to go back home with their 'dishonourable' tales, so an enclave began. The saddest part was hearing about how AIDS affected the area for so long and so badly and how everyone was kept in the dark about how to protect themselves. now that gay rights are accepted all over the US the gay village of Castro is being gentrified and lots of the history about the fight for acceptance is being lost. Anyway,the place was cool and Wes with his bow tie and ukelele was a star!
Trollies at Nob Hill.
I then wandered into downtown SF and found the only High Street stores I have found in this city. There are protection orders on independent stores in the different districts so there is a distinct lack of Starbucks and MacDonald's here. I then got the metro to Castro..better known as the gay village and had a wonderful 90 minute walking tour around Castro with SF Wildtours. Wes, the guide was great. he did a great history of the area and activists. A highlight was the window of barbie dolls and kens who were all dressed up in different ways to show the evolving history of the village; Right from the US navy days in the Second World War who would dishonourable dump practising gays back to SF. None of them wanted to go back home with their 'dishonourable' tales, so an enclave began. The saddest part was hearing about how AIDS affected the area for so long and so badly and how everyone was kept in the dark about how to protect themselves. now that gay rights are accepted all over the US the gay village of Castro is being gentrified and lots of the history about the fight for acceptance is being lost. Anyway,the place was cool and Wes with his bow tie and ukelele was a star!
These crossings were only repainted last week so they were nice and bright.
Bloody weird but very funny window. This is the most family viewable photo! Cock ring Ken was my favourite but he's further along the line.
View up from Castro. I read Tales of the City about 20 years ago but felt like I was back in those books!
After a coffee with the other guys from the tour I wandered off to do an independent tour of the Mission area. Another funky district full of murals, Women's centres, hacktivist shops, thrift stores, skull bars and bong shops. I followed the mural walking tour.
I sat down on a bench and got chatting to a guy who said that today was Veterans' day and everyone was on holiday to celebrate America's great powers of destruction and alienation. The murals were OK but to be honest I've seen lots better.
Woman's Mission wall.
'oh so cool and right on.'
I sat down on a bench and got chatting to a guy who said that today was Veterans' day and everyone was on holiday to celebrate America's great powers of destruction and alienation. The murals were OK but to be honest I've seen lots better.
I then went to a recommended Mexican restaurant in Mission. This is the oldest area of SF so I had to do it and my god, I wasn't disappointed. I had a burrito packed full of goodies and a salsa and pickle self service bar to die for! I got chatting to a guy who worked at the Greyhound depot he was full of tales. I told him that I had just come from Las Vegas and he said that locals here get on the Greyhound in town headed for Las vegAs with huge empty bags because they are so sure they are gonna return home with these bags stuffed full of cash. He also said that released prisoners from all over the States instantly get money from the Government for one Greyhound ride and many of them arrive here in SF, and he deals with these released often confused, guys in a centre near to the depot. Interesting guy.
My lunch starter. Dip after dip after dip
After my lunch I walked more of the Mission and ended up having a beer with some of the guys I met from the tour earlier: One Brit with bandaged hands who had mashed them up on a quad bike in Bolivia, a lovely French girl who I will meet again on the Alcatraz tour tomorrow and some Korean/Canadians. They have invited me out again in Castro this evening but I said no becuSe my Alcatraz tour is so early tomorrow and I don't want to drink so far away from my base.
I then went to a few independent book stores on 24th street. All so uber trendy.
then I whizzed back up on the underground to walk along the piers. Unfortunately I missed sunset whilst under the ground. The sun sets quicker here and still early, before 6pm. I then got my huge beer and settled down in the aged eating area of Green Tortoise to write this.
For Mel. thought you might like the skull shop I passed.
The skull mobile wasnt for sale unfortunately.
One more thing, breakfast here this morning was amazing I got chatting to this Mexican woman who has just started working here but hasn't found accommodation yet. I tried some of her fried eggs soaked in chipotle chilli sauce. Delicious! I was saying how yummy my bagel was becuSe IT was soft and she turned her nose up saying they were made of cheap bread. haha...I loved them. I've never liked the dense mouth clogging horrors of NY style bagels.
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