San Fransisco Day 5 - Haight Ashbury
Trip Start
Feb 28, 2005
1
15
45
Trip End
Ongoing
San Fransisco,
California,
United States
Wednesday, March 16, 2005
At the end of Haight Ashbury is Golden Gate Park, and as my feet were hurting I decided to sit their for a while. It is a massive park and I only went a little way in - with my shoes off, the grass felt good under my feet. There were loads of people in the part that I was in practicing their instruments and skateboarding so I sat for a couple of hours and watched them (but covering my already burned bits from the sun).
I gave up being stubborn and got a bus back to Market Street - but really don't like going on the buses, I don't like being crammed in with the people and I like to see the world go by, but I think my feet appreciated it!
I went past a Norht Face shop and brought some new walking sandals for about twenty quid - they were like pillows on my feet. I had planned to but some while I was out here as my old ones were a bit tattered and worn. While in the shop I had to wash my feet before I tried the sandals on as they were black from dirt!
Upon return to the hostel I stopped outside a restaurant that was being painted. The two guys that were decorating it invited me fore a beer up the road - they said I looked like I needed one! I went with them to a pub just round the corner from the hostel called Grant & Green which is in Little Italy. I had a couple of beers with Matt George (who has just come back from helping out withe the Tsunami damage and had his leather jackets hand made), Ryan (who was a typical Texan with hat & glasses and played in a band), and Danny (couldn't first figure out where he was from, Ireland, Birmingham or USA - found out he was born in Ireland, went to school in Birmingham and had been here for a couple of years). They were all kind people who introduced me to other people of North Beach, I felt safe as everyone that walked past them said hi, so I knew they were respected. In the bar they were laying a die game called Liars bluff which was quite funny. I returned to the hostel as desperately needed a shower (plus it was free beer night) and said I would return.
The Open Mic night at the hostel was pretty bad - not half as good as the one in Seattle. There were too many men playing guitars and singing words that we couldn't understand. A girl read out a poem, Valentina played her guitar and sang in Italian, and Bastian played some wicked Rock n Roll on the piano. For most of the night I sat and talked to Mark, (brown haired brown eyed Ozzie) who was cool to chat with. I also met Anya (Sweden) who is also going on the Death Valley trip, and Liz (England, saved money up to get married and didn't so has been travelling for about 19 months). Michelle (ozzie with dreds) asked me if I wanted a piercing as she is trained and wanted to practice the US way, but i politely declined. I have always wanted my belly button done but don't really want the pain of the healing!
About 11 I had to go to sleep, ad I didn't return to the bar I had been to previously been to as was too tired, but Matt and Ryan had invited me out for the next couple of nights so I'll probably turn up then.
