September 7, 2005

the crazies

Highway 1 continues to impress right up to the coastal surfing town of Bodega Bay. After that it straightens out as though the bay were some kind of curve filter, and the signs of rich SanFran life begin to appear. Why are all the cars on the road made by Mercedes?

It is very foggy and I can’t see any “scenic vistas” so I bump out to 101 and head full speed towards the earthquake phenomena capital of the USA. The golden gate bridge must be crossed and the five-dollar toll must be paid. It’s fine as far as bridges are concerned. Rusty red coloured. After driving around Japan Centre for twenty minutes (I hate big city driving) I find my hotel. It was in one of the cracks in of the outer edge of my slow confused inward spiral. San Francisco streets are steep – no lie. I had assumed that they would be less steep than the famed street I grew up on in Newfoundland (which I once skied down) but they were as steep and, I think, I even found one or two sections steeper. And every street here is steep. I think I will spend two days traipsing about.

It looks as if I won’t spend two days here. The hotel has no vacancies and the other hotels which do are much more expensive than this one. Parking is no. Tomorrow will be a run-about followed by another coastal blitz... Is there no respite?

Took a little walk to the Civic Centre today. Saw some large fancy buildings and a Lamborghini dealership. Purchased some overpriced Fujifilm Provia that should come in handy for Zion and possibly some of the remaining coast. The Civic Centre area would be lovely if you had a play or ballet to go see, but I do not. Ate dinner at a lovely little restaurant in Japan town. Consumed way too much sushi and udon that I washed down with beer and sake. Mmm.

On the way back to the hotel a crazy man shouts obscenities at me, but I am too pixelated to defend myself. Again I am forced to flee. This time in a zig zagging manner to avoid any projectiles fired my way. The lurching about is also due to my being drunk... I later realize that the situation was rather pitiful because I, a 6’-1” male in reasonable shape, was in the midst of a bunch of teenage girls who did not feel compelled to run away.

In my defence, the crazies weren’t shouting at them.