Super 8 Motel - Gilroy

... back in the 1700's. All and all an awesome day of sightseeing.

For our Bay Area friends, all of these sights are located within an easy days drive. I would plan on visiting in the summer months when you could include a stop at one of the many state beaches along the way...And, there are a number of wineries located along Hecker Pass - we plan on getting to those later in the week!!

... Superfly)
Ti flask
Ti pot
Ti mug
Ti spork
Plastic spork
Nalgene bottle
Freeze dried food (7x)
Bars (14x)
Oatmeal (14x)
Plastic bags (2x)
Ziplock bags (2x gal, 2x qt)
Water filter
Iodine tablets
Food storage bag

Tech
D300 w/ 17-55mm lens
Circular polarizer filter
4x EN-EL3e batteries
2x 16GB CF
2x 32GB CF
Camera case
Camera battery charger
Gitzo tripod
Tripod ...

... br>On into the Tech Museum of Innovation. Street/View/Map Website Tickets were $8 each ($2 off for AAA membership!) and included an IMAX movie. We went in for about 2-1/2 hours then went outside for a quick tour ...

Dear Esteemed Readers, As some of you know, and many of you have guessed from the title, I returned home to Gilroy after coming down with malaria in Rwanda (I actually got it two weeks prior, which seems to be either in the Dubai airport [unlikely] or Nairobi). Soooo, after two days of hellish fever, sweating, and swollen liver, I bought a ticket home. I got some great ...

... the Dog from the old Richie Rich cartoons, I used imagine myself as a savior of sorts rescuing kittens from burning buildings and helping little old ladies cross the street. But just like in the cartoon, I'm sure my plans would have failed miserably. The idea that people need to be saved is silly. Yet volunteering in Africa, I did feel silly. There ...

... that had all of the women on the table cry - except for me of course. The tripod broke prior to taping and so I had to concentrate on keeping my arms steady; if I were to cry, it would be due to the loss of feeling in my arms. Tito Buddy and I left for our hotel room a little earlier than the rest of the guests. However, the Pages decided to join us in our room about an hour later. We all chatted the night away like families do.

... beer was really strong! Our second day we decided to avoid the 'touristy thing' and headed straight for the Golden Gate Bridge! Although this bridge attracts millions of tourists every year, we still managed to miss the masses of people heading for it. Instead we ended up stood under the Bridge rather than on it... think we took the wrong path along with Barry and Joan.. an elderly couple from Canada. Barry visited Plymouth once and took great pleasure in sharing with us his best ...

... what I want to do next with my career... Highlights of the past two weeks: --Finally unpacking my many many bags and figuring out how to fit everything into the small room I grew up in. Suffice to say, it's a good thing I threw out a lot of stuff in Sydney. Happily, I've discovered that I do have more clothes than what I have been wearing the past two months while travelling! --Almost being done with my paperwork--task accomplished today: US taxes ...

... the shops!! Later, we met more family - Mike, Timmy and Christin, and went and walked the gigantic dogs before dinner!! We then sat and watched movies into the night.... The next day we drove to the Big Basin, round the little bends of the road through red wood trees and then over the hills (which reminded us of Wales) and we ended up with a good few photo opportunities!! We headed back to San Francisco just in time for the St. Patricks Day Festivities ...

... actions would lead a mass of followers to eternal peace. I, on the other hand, am leaving the comforts of my life with no followers or grand quest for eternal peace. Nor am I "trying to find myself." However, there are two reasons why I have decided to leave: 1) to learn Chinese and 2) to immerse myself in the culture and customs that I grew up with as a child. But before I go to China I will be traveling around Southeast Asia. My ...